Midnight on Dagger Alley
Encyclopedia
Midnight on Dagger Alley is a 1984 solo adventure module
for the first Advanced Dungeons & Dragons edition of the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
.
Midnight on Dagger Alley is a solitary adventure designed to be played with one of three sixth-level characters (monk
, assassin
, and thief
) provided in the module. Each of these characters has a matching mission, and the action takes place in the waterfront area of a town depicted in four maps representing the four levels of the area (rooftops, second story, street level, and underground). The three given adventures involve rescuing a princess, searching for hidden treasure, and going on a scavenger hunt for the components of a complex spell, although the player character
can have an adventure just wandering around.
. The module comes in a cardboard folder, with two double-sided maps, a tear-off cardboard sheet with character stats on one side and charts on the other, and an 8-page booklet for the adventure. The adventure is intended for one player, with a playing time between one to three hours. The module also comes with a "magic viewer," a framed piece of red cellophane that is used to view areas of the map or read areas of text which are camouflaged by red mottling.
#73, referring to it instead as Midnight on Dagger Street. Butler felt that the camouflage map had definite advantages over the chemical process TSR had previously used to hide text, because the map's features remain hidden no matter how many times the player uses the adventure; additionally he felt that the inability to see beyond the character's immediate area simulates wandering around a foggy waterfront. He felt that the four-level effect was "great fun for players who like to sneak and skulk, and adds a good feeling of depth to the adventure." Butler considered the adventures well thought out: the rescue operation seemed like the central feature of the module, and provided a moderate challenge, while the treasure hunt was easiest because the character is likely stumble across the treasure even if he loses track of the clues, and that the search for spell components was the most challenging (although tedious at points). Despite some minor faults, Butler felt that the adventure will give players "several hours of fun and serves as a good module for inexperienced players."
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 first Advanced Dungeons & Dragons edition of 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...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
.
Plot summary
Midnight on Dagger Alley is a solo scenario for multiple characters, which uses a red viewer film called the "Magic Viewer" to reveal hidden details of text and the map as needed by the player. The adventure is set in a dangerous thieves' quarter, and the modules includes a large map of the district which can only be read with the viewer.Midnight on Dagger Alley is a solitary adventure designed to be played with one of three sixth-level characters (monk
Monk (Dungeons & Dragons)
The monk is a playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A D&D monk is a fantasy martial artist, specializing in unarmed combat.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, assassin
Assassin (Dungeons & Dragons)
The assassin is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It first appeared in 1975 in the Blackmoor supplement, as a thief sub-class. It next appeared in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons again as a thief sub-class...
, and thief
Rogue (Dungeons & Dragons)
The rogue or thief is one of the standard playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A rogue is a versatile character, capable of sneaky combat and nimble tricks...
) provided in the module. Each of these characters has a matching mission, and the action takes place in the waterfront area of a town depicted in four maps representing the four levels of the area (rooftops, second story, street level, and underground). The three given adventures involve rescuing a princess, searching for hidden treasure, and going on a scavenger hunt for the components of a complex spell, although the player character
Player 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...
can have an adventure just wandering around.
Publication history
MV1 Midnight on Dagger Alley was published in 1984, and was written by Merle M. Rasmussen. The module features art by Jeff EasleyJeff Easley
Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:...
. The module comes in a cardboard folder, with two double-sided maps, a tear-off cardboard sheet with character stats on one side and charts on the other, and an 8-page booklet for the adventure. The adventure is intended for one player, with a playing time between one to three hours. The module also comes with a "magic viewer," a framed piece of red cellophane that is used to view areas of the map or read areas of text which are camouflaged by red mottling.
Reception
David J. Butler reviewed the adventure in The Space GamerThe Space Gamer
The Space Gamer was a magazine dedicated to the subject of science fiction and fantasy board games and role-playing games. It quickly grew in importance and was an important and influential magazine in its subject matter from the late 70s through the mid-80s...
#73, referring to it instead as Midnight on Dagger Street. Butler felt that the camouflage map had definite advantages over the chemical process TSR had previously used to hide text, because the map's features remain hidden no matter how many times the player uses the adventure; additionally he felt that the inability to see beyond the character's immediate area simulates wandering around a foggy waterfront. He felt that the four-level effect was "great fun for players who like to sneak and skulk, and adds a good feeling of depth to the adventure." Butler considered the adventures well thought out: the rescue operation seemed like the central feature of the module, and provided a moderate challenge, while the treasure hunt was easiest because the character is likely stumble across the treasure even if he loses track of the clues, and that the search for spell components was the most challenging (although tedious at points). Despite some minor faults, Butler felt that the adventure will give players "several hours of fun and serves as a good module for inexperienced players."