Ghost Tower of Inverness
Encyclopedia
The Ghost Tower of Inverness is an adventure module
for the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
roleplaying game, set in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting
. The module's title refers to an ancient magical tower located in the southern Abbor-Alz Hills. The "C" in the module code represents the first letter in the word "competition," the name of C1 – C6 module series.
s go on a quest to find the fabled Soul Gem, a legendary artifact of great power. They must gather the four parts of a key granting them entrance to the Ghost Tower.
and Erol Otus
. The module was originally used for the AD&D tournament at Wintercon VIII which took place on November 1979 in Detroit, MI. The module had an original print run of 300 numbered copies for sale at the convention in 1979 as a set of 40 loose-leaf pages and a zip-lock bag. This version included never-reprinted illos by Erol Otus. A printed version bearing a green monochrome cover without the "C2" designation was made available for sale at the convention, but was never published for general distribution. The version is quite rare and highly prized by collectors.
In 1980, the adventure was officially published as AD&D module C2 as a 32-page booklet with an outer folder. This printing featured a red cover with color cover art by Jim Roslof
. Interior artists included Jeff Dee
, Greg K. Fleming, David S. LaForce
, David C. Sutherland III
and Erol Otus
. As module "C2", it was the second in the C series of modules, a group of unrelated adventures originally designed for competition play.
The Ghost Tower was also printed as #2 of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Gamebooks line.
rating it 8/10 overall and calling it a "thought provoking adventure" in which the final encounter "will have the players sweating in their seats as they struggle to overcome the final obstacle between them and their goal!" In particular, Bambra praised its emphasis on problem solving skills rather than hack and slash combat, noting that "Encounters in the tower are interesting and increase in intensity the nearer players get to their goal." He did recommend that, although the module was recommended for characters level 5–7, higher levels may be needed if the party does not contain eight to ten characters.
Lawrence Schick, in his 1991 book Heroic Worlds, called the Ghost Tower "a topsy-turvy dungeon full of interesting (and deadly) problems".
The module's reputation has stood up in the years since its release, and it was ranked the 30th greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time by Dungeon
magazine in 2004, on the 30th anniversary of the Dungeons & Dragons game.
Ken Denmead of Wired
listed the module as one of the "Top 10 D&D Modules I Found in Storage This Weekend". According to Denmead, "this dungeon has some real consequences, and it’s easy to see why it suggests experienced players. If you didn’t have a passing familiarity with the ways to deal with little things like, say, resurrection, or anti-gravity, you’ll learn the definition of fail real fast. All in all, a rousing little adventure, though it would have been nice to find a few more magical weapons before the end."
. The hero of the movie, Berek mentions that another character, Dorian, a cleric, had helped him there.
The Ghost of Inverness has also been adapted into a setting mod for the Neverwinter Nights
online game and less successfully as a Super Endless Quest book.
In 2003 the RPGA
Living Greyhawk
campaign released the adventure Return to the Ghost Tower of Inverness. Written by Creighton Broadhurst and Steve Pearce, the four-hour adventure advanced the story several years and featured encounters based on what would remain in the tower after the original expedition. Some background elements, such as the motivations of the Seer of Urnst were expanded upon to fit the Living Greyhawk campaign's plot and regional system.
Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, an adventure or module is a pre-packaged book or box set that helps the Dungeon Master manage the plot or story of a game...
for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
roleplaying game, set in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
. The module's title refers to an ancient magical tower located in the southern Abbor-Alz Hills. The "C" in the module code represents the first letter in the word "competition," the name of C1 – C6 module series.
Plot summary
The player characterPlayer character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
s go on a quest to find the fabled Soul Gem, a legendary artifact of great power. They must gather the four parts of a key granting them entrance to the Ghost Tower.
Publication history
The adventure was written by Allen Hammack, with art drawn by Jim RoslofJim Roslof
James Paul "Jim" Roslof was an American artist and graphic designer particularly well known for cover art and interior illustrations of fantasy role-playing games published by TSR, Inc. during the "golden age" of Dungeons & Dragons...
and Erol Otus
Erol Otus
Erol Otus is an American artist and game designer, known internationally for his contributions to the fantasy RPG genre, most notably for the early Dungeons & Dragons franchise...
. The module was originally used for the AD&D tournament at Wintercon VIII which took place on November 1979 in Detroit, MI. The module had an original print run of 300 numbered copies for sale at the convention in 1979 as a set of 40 loose-leaf pages and a zip-lock bag. This version included never-reprinted illos by Erol Otus. A printed version bearing a green monochrome cover without the "C2" designation was made available for sale at the convention, but was never published for general distribution. The version is quite rare and highly prized by collectors.
In 1980, the adventure was officially published as AD&D module C2 as a 32-page booklet with an outer folder. This printing featured a red cover with color cover art by Jim Roslof
Jim Roslof
James Paul "Jim" Roslof was an American artist and graphic designer particularly well known for cover art and interior illustrations of fantasy role-playing games published by TSR, Inc. during the "golden age" of Dungeons & Dragons...
. Interior artists included Jeff Dee
Jeff Dee
Jeff Dee is an American artist and game designer. Based in Austin, Texas, he is a recognized figure in the role-playing game community and game industry...
, Greg K. Fleming, David S. LaForce
David S. LaForce
David S. LaForce is an artist, noted for his artwork in fantasy role-playing games.-Career:Along with Jeff Dee, Erol Otus, Jim Roslof, David C. Sutherland III and David A...
, David C. Sutherland III
David C. Sutherland III
David C. Sutherland III was an early Dungeons & Dragons artist. Sutherland was a prolific artist and his work heavily influenced the early development of Dungeons & Dragons.-Early life and inspiration:...
and Erol Otus
Erol Otus
Erol Otus is an American artist and game designer, known internationally for his contributions to the fantasy RPG genre, most notably for the early Dungeons & Dragons franchise...
. As module "C2", it was the second in the C series of modules, a group of unrelated adventures originally designed for competition play.
The Ghost Tower was also printed as #2 of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Gamebooks line.
Reception
The Ghost Tower of Inverness received good reaction on its first release, with Jim Bambra of White DwarfWhite Dwarf (magazine)
White Dwarf is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop. Initially covering a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing and board games, particularly the role playing games Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest and Traveller...
rating it 8/10 overall and calling it a "thought provoking adventure" in which the final encounter "will have the players sweating in their seats as they struggle to overcome the final obstacle between them and their goal!" In particular, Bambra praised its emphasis on problem solving skills rather than hack and slash combat, noting that "Encounters in the tower are interesting and increase in intensity the nearer players get to their goal." He did recommend that, although the module was recommended for characters level 5–7, higher levels may be needed if the party does not contain eight to ten characters.
Lawrence Schick, in his 1991 book Heroic Worlds, called the Ghost Tower "a topsy-turvy dungeon full of interesting (and deadly) problems".
The module's reputation has stood up in the years since its release, and it was ranked the 30th greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time by Dungeon
Dungeon (magazine)
Dungeon Adventures, or simply Dungeon, was a magazine targeting consumers of role-playing games, particularly Dungeons & Dragons. It was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1986 as a bimonthly periodical. It went monthly in May 2003 and ceased print publication altogether in September 2007 with Issue 150...
magazine in 2004, on the 30th anniversary of the Dungeons & Dragons game.
Ken Denmead of Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
listed the module as one of the "Top 10 D&D Modules I Found in Storage This Weekend". According to Denmead, "this dungeon has some real consequences, and it’s easy to see why it suggests experienced players. If you didn’t have a passing familiarity with the ways to deal with little things like, say, resurrection, or anti-gravity, you’ll learn the definition of fail real fast. All in all, a rousing little adventure, though it would have been nice to find a few more magical weapons before the end."
Legacy
The Ghost Tower was also mentioned by full name and location in the 2005 movie Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon GodDungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon God
Dungeons and Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God is a 2005 fantasy film directed by Gerry Lively. It is a made-for-TV sequel of sorts to the 2000 film Dungeons & Dragons, which in turn was based on the popular role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons . The only returning actor is Bruce Payne reprising his...
. The hero of the movie, Berek mentions that another character, Dorian, a cleric, had helped him there.
The Ghost of Inverness has also been adapted into a setting mod for the Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights , produced by BioWare and published by Infogrames , is a third-person perspective computer role-playing game that is based on third edition Dungeons & Dragons and Forgotten Realms rules. It was originally to be published by Interplay Entertainment, but the publisher's financial...
online game and less successfully as a Super Endless Quest book.
In 2003 the RPGA
RPGA
The RPGA , is part of the organized play arm of Wizards of the Coast that organizes and sanctions role-playing games worldwide, principally under the d20 system...
Living Greyhawk
Living Greyhawk
Living Greyhawk was a massively shared Dungeons and Dragons living campaign administered by RPGA that ran from 2000 to 2008. The campaign setting and storyline were based on Gary Gygax's World of Greyhawk setting, and used the Dungeons and Dragons Third Edition rules...
campaign released the adventure Return to the Ghost Tower of Inverness. Written by Creighton Broadhurst and Steve Pearce, the four-hour adventure advanced the story several years and featured encounters based on what would remain in the tower after the original expedition. Some background elements, such as the motivations of the Seer of Urnst were expanded upon to fit the Living Greyhawk campaign's plot and regional system.
External links
- Ghost Tower of Inverness at The Acaeum
- The Ghost Tower of Inverness at the TSR Archive
- Review at Dragon's foot
- Commentary about the impact of this module on GreyhawkGreyhawkGreyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...