OD&D/AD&D: Fun/Iconic, Short, Published Adventures

[Sorcerer Blob]

As the title says, what are some fun and/or iconic (read: deadly) short, published adventures for either OD&D or AD&D?

I'm looking to branch out from the more modern D&D editions and try something new after having a blast being introduced to Swords & Wizardry.

Thanks, Playground!

[Riverdance]

I recommend Tomb of Horrors. If you don't already know about it it's a module designed by Gary Gygax specifically to test (and kill) his most experienced players. It is legendary as a deathtrap and actually recommends in the beginning that every player have two or three extra characters. Oots even mentions during the strip dedicated to Gygax while roy is in heaven.

[Sorcerer Blob]

Oh yeah, Tomb of Horrors is classic. I've read it in all of it's iterations (AD&D, 3.X, and both 4e ones) and love it every time.

Unfortunately it's a bit longer than I'm looking for. I'm looking for something short, like maybe a 2-5 session type published module.

[hamlet]

Well, the iconic modules tended to be rather longer, especially the TAGDQ sequence.

However, there are a few, good short modules. T1 really stands out among them: The Village of Homlet. It's a village with some intrigue in it and a short dungeon not far away, plus links into implied larger dealings. It's qualitatively better than the stuff that go shoehorned into the supermodule version.

Tomb of the Lizard King is always good for some fun. Maybe a little long, but definately fun.

G1 - Hill Giant's Steading is good for higher level characters. In fact, so are all the G series really.

I5 - Ravenloft is good old fashioned fun.



That's what springs to mind for AD&D.

Actually, though, if you want iconic modules that are shorter, or, really, more iconic, you have to go back to the BECMI (i.e., Basic, Expert, etc.) days and seek out copies of B1 - Quest for the Unknown, B2 - Keep on the Borderlands, B5 Horror on the Hill, X1 - Isle of Dread (though not particularly short, really), I think it's X2 - Castle Amber (a great "funhouse dungeon") and so on. There are definately more, there, but that's what springs to mind.

[Lapak]

Hrm. Short and iconic is tough, especially if we're talking shorter than ToH. Short and pretty-good-but-not-well-known is a lot easier: shopping around online for 1e/2e-era issues of Dungeon Magazine will net you around 2-3 short adventures and 1 somewhat longer one per issue, and the quality was (generally) pretty solid.

On the other hand, you define short as 2-5 sessions, and the Tomb really shouldn't take more than 5 sessions, so I'm not totally sure of how short we're talking. :smalltongue:

[ken-do-nim]

My groups take forever to run anything :)

We had a lot of fun playing Ruins of Ramat (S&W adventure). It is supposed to last 1 session, so of course my group took 2 1/2.

[hamlet]

My groups take forever to run anything :)

We had a lot of fun playing Ruins of Ramat (S&W adventure). It is supposed to last 1 session, so of course my group took 2 1/2.

That's it? I had an adventure that was two pages long out of Dungeon that my group took over two and a half session to run through. They bickered with each other over every little thing!

[Lapak]

That's it? I had an adventure that was two pages long out of Dungeon that my group took over two and a half session to run through. They bickered with each other over every little thing!I'm half-tempted to announce a competition where DMs run the shortest adventure imaginable (something like A Wrastle With Bertrum from Dungeon #30) and see whose group takes the longest to complete it. :smallamused:

[LibraryOgre]

The two I keep going back to are T1: The Village of Hommlet and B2: Keep on the Borderlands. Both CAN take a while, but B2 tends to speed up if you have the monsters reacting to what's going on. They're going to notice after a couple days when the gnolls aren't around, or if the hobgoblins get taken out... or if someone bribes the minotaur into dismantling the ogre.

[Sorcerer Blob]

Those were the two that I definitely was considering: Village of Hommlet and Keep on the Borderlands.

I've read through the original IS Ravenloft and loved it, but it might be a bit too meaty for what I'm looking for.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!



My groups take forever to run anything :)

We had a lot of fun playing Ruins of Ramat (S&W adventure). It is supposed to last 1 session, so of course my group took 2 1/2.

Awesome to know, I was just recently introduced to S&W. Where can one find this?

[Balain]

N1 is not bad, level 1 - 3 I think, Wish I could recall the name of the top of my head. I was always a fan of s3 expedition to the barrier peaks, not really short though. Hmmm, ex1 and/or ex2 maybe, the Alice in wonderland type modules

[CapnVan]

A number of 1E modules started life for tournament play and are therefore fairly quick, unless you want to add detail to them, and particularly if you largely avoid random encounters.

I1 Dwellers in the Forbidden City,
UK1 Beyond the Crystal Cave,
Any of S1-4, etc.

[hamlet]

Come to think of it, there was a trilogy of UK modules for 1e that were quite good. The Saltwater Marsh trilogy. Some good old fashioned adventuring plus a bit of underwater stuff.


Ruins of Ramat can be got from NobleKnight.com if you're willing to go there, or probably from Black Blade or Halfling Press (I've forgotten who the publisher is and my company interweb won't let me on either site to check).

[ken-do-nim]

N1 is not bad, level 1 - 3 I think, Wish I could recall the name of the top of my head. I was always a fan of s3 expedition to the barrier peaks, not really short though. Hmmm, ex1 and/or ex2 maybe, the Alice in wonderland type modules

N1 Against the Cult of the Reptile God is fantastic, but I've been running it for about 8 sessions now and we're only halfway through. It would run much faster for a 3rd level party than a 1st, however. The party continually has to go lick its wounds, and we've had 2 parties so far; the 2nd had to rescue the first after their capture.

[CapnVan]

You can also take a look at the early Dungeon magazine issues. Almost all of them are considerably shorter than anything published freestanding, and a little google-fu should find favorites and recommendations.

[hamlet]

You can also take a look at the early Dungeon magazine issues. Almost all of them are considerably shorter than anything published freestanding, and a little google-fu should find favorites and recommendations.

Indeed. Falcon's Peek (from #10 I believe) has always been one of my favorites. An excelent little adventure.

[Kerrin]

The Slavers series (S1-4, I think they were numbered) as a lot of fun as basic adventures go. The second one was interesting because the party had to infiltrate a fort, and the fourth one was interesting because of the starting situation of the characters.

[hamlet]

The Slavers series (S1-4, I think they were numbered) as a lot of fun as basic adventures go. The second one was interesting because the party had to infiltrate a fort, and the fourth one was interesting because of the starting situation of the characters.

A1-4, actually.

[ken-do-nim]

Indeed. Falcon's Peek (from #10 I believe) has always been one of my favorites. An excelent little adventure.

Isn't Dungeon #10 awesome?

[hamlet]

Isn't Dungeon #10 awesome?

Yep. My personal favorite. Especially with the adventure "The Towers." Not so much an adventure as it is an adventure path framework. I love it.

[CapnVan]

Indeed. Falcon's Peek (from #10 I believe) has always been one of my favorites. An excelent little adventure.

Issue #3, actually.

[hamlet]

Issue #3, actually.

I stand corrected then.

Though I'll shill for #10 as well. Some of those early issues were just spectacular.

[Kerrin]

A1-4, actually.
Thanks for the clarification. I was pretty scketchy on the actual module numbers.

[ken-do-nim]

I stand corrected then.

Though I'll shill for #10 as well. Some of those early issues were just spectacular.

Okay, here's what #10's got:

The Shrine of Isildahur - levels 3 to 6, perfect for a one-shot.

The Artisan's Tomb - Oriental Adventures levels 3 to 5, also good for a one shot

They Also Serve - levels 5 to 7, have you ever wanted to run a thieve's only adventure and raid a Thieve's Guild a la Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser? This is it. I don't think you can finish in one session

Monsterquest - levels 1 to 3, never looked through it much but apparently it showcases the witch class from Dragon 114

Secret of the Towers - exploratory adventure for various levels that you sprinkle throughout your campaign

Threshold of Evil - levels 14 to 18 - if you actually get a party up to these levels, you have to run it

[hamlet]

Thanks for the clarification. I was pretty scketchy on the actual module numbers.

There's a wiki for that: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dungeons_%26_Dragons_modules:smalltongue:

[Sorcerer Blob]

Ladies and Gents of the Playground,

This is a fantastic list and great place for me to start. I hadn't even considered looking back at old Dungeon magazines, so thanks for the suggestion!

Thanks again!