Scourge of the Slave Lords
Encyclopedia
Scourge of the Slave Lords (A1–4) is an adventure module
for the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy role-playing game
, published by TSR, Inc.
in 1986. It combines the contents of four earlier modules, all set in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and intended for use with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons first edition rules.
Scourge of the Slave Lords was ranked the 20th greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time by Dungeon
magazine in 2004.
, but can be imported to any campaign setting. The modules are set in the Pomarj
.
. The cover artwork by Jeff Dee
features an illustration of two aspis fighting a party of adventurers (including a bearded female dwarf). The interior art was done by Dee, David S. LaForce
, Jim Roslof
, and Bill Willingham
.
As the first module in the series, Slave Pits of the Undercity was the first TSR publication to introduce players in the Greyhawk setting to the Slave Lords
and their operations in the central and southwestern Flanaess
. The module has been described as the first in a series of medium-level scenarios that provide the player character
s with a mission to track down marauding coastal raiders.
city of Highport at a ruined temple which serves as a headquarters for the slavers. The module takes the group through the temple and into the sewers below where giant insect-like creatures make their lair along with the slave lords.
As the adventurers progress on their mission to break up the band of slavers, they battle orcs
and the insects in the sewers of the slavers' conquered city. Eventually the group reaches the prisoners and their captors, and finds a map showing the route of the caravans. Following this map leads the group to the second module, Secret of the Slavers Stockade.
and Tom Moldvay
. The cover artwork by Jim Roslof features a drawing of two hobgoblins
, one of which is a sergeant with a leashed boggle, and a party of adventurers. The interior art was done by Roslof, Dee, Willingham, and Erol Otus
. The scenario leads to a lost fortress where slaves are being kept and fattened.
the option to run an overland adventure of 110 miles (177 kilometers) through the Drachensgrab Hills to reach the fort shown on the map, or simply start the adventure with the party overlooking the fort itself. The object of the module is to enter the fort through stealthy means and slowly eliminate the slavers before a general alarm can be raised.
Eventually the group of adventurers makes their way through the fort, avoiding hobgoblin patrols, and reaches a dungeon area. After exploring the dungeons, the players eventually learn that this fort is not the headquarters of the Slave Lords. In fact, the real stronghold of the Slave Lords is located somewhere in the Drachensgrab Hills. This revelation leads the adventurers to the third installment in the series.
. This portion of the adventure is meant to be finished within three hours, in tournament mode. It is a trap-filled, monster-heavy section used to lure the group into a secret tunnel leading to the hidden city of Suderham.
In the second part of the adventure, the group discovers the haven of the Slave Lords, a town on an island in a volcanic crater. This new setting, the city of Suderham, offers the players an opportunity to test their roleplaying skills rather than primarily focusing on combat or stealth.
The module provides a number of non-player character
s in the city with whom the players can interact and exchange information. To complete the module, the group must find one of several secret entrances to the catacombs beneath the city where the final part of the adventure plays out.
The third section of the adventure moves at a rapid pace in tournament mode, and each room encountered in the level is filled with dangerous creatures. In the final room of the section, the players are captured as a set-up for In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords. If this section is played outside of a tournament, however, it is possible for the players to defeat the slavers and exit the area victorious.
(fungus men) fighting a party of adventurers. The interior art was done Otus, Roslof, Willingham, Steve Sullivan
, David C. Sutherland III
, and Jean Wells.
s as captives of the Slave Lords, and they begin module A4 in the same condition. The module starts with the party trapped, without any gear, deep beneath a volcanic island. The Slave Lords have captured them, and left them into this dark cave system to die when a volcanic eruption destroys the entire island. Through a series of incidents they quickly find themselves free but completely bereft of equipment and spells.
The final scenario plays out as a massive earthquake threatens to bring down the tunnels around the group, and they must exit the caverns within four hours or perish in the ensuing collapse. The labyrinth is a difficult test for characters without equipment and spells, and challenges the players' wits and role-playing ability rather than focusing on traditional combat.
Once the players emerge from the caverns, they face the final test of escaping the island itself, which can be accomplished by attacking the surviving Slave Lords, escaping via a different boat, or possibly by swimming.
for use in tournament mode. They are Elwita (dwarf fighter), Ogre (human fighter), Freda (human ranger), Karraway (human cleric), Blodgett (halfling thief), Dread Delgath (human magic-user
), Phanstern (human illusionist), Eljayess (half-elf cleric/fighter), and Kayen Telva (elf fighter/magic-user). Each of these characters has a standard list of equipment and prepared spells so that tournament players can begin the game with very little preparation.
XIII, each A series module includes a scoring scheme. This scheme essentially takes the number of surviving characters and gives them points for visiting the largest number of areas described in the adventure. Each area contains additional points available for gain or loss based on specific actions by the players.
The omnibus A1–4 supermodule was published in 1986 as a 128 page book with a sixteen page map booklet and a cover by Jeff Easley
, and was slightly revised for play by higher level characters in order for it to be used as a continuation adventure for campaigns beginning with supermodule T1–4 The Temple of Elemental Evil
. The overall campaign could then be continued into the GDQ1–7 supermodule Queen of the Spiders
. Design contributors to the revision (including the original module designers) were David Cook
, Allen Hammack, Harold Johnson
, Tom Moldvay
, Lawrence Schick, and Edward Carmien. Cook did the revision, and editing was by Johnson, Jon Pickens
, Brian Pitzer, Edward G. Sollers, Stephen D. Sullivan
, and Steve Winter
.
In 2000, Wizards of the Coast
released Slavers
, a sequel adventure for 2nd edition AD&D rules. The sequel is also set in Greyhawk, and takes place ten years after the conclusion of the events in A1–4.
In 2002, Kenzer and Company published a HackMaster
module based on Scourge of the Slavelords, named Smackdown the Slavers.
No. 35. She felt that the art was neat and organized, and on par with other art from TSR, although she felt that the maps required thorough study before play, as they are slightly too small for quick reference. Barrington felt that the module would not require much re-working, stating that it is "Recommended as is for AD&D enthusiasts."
Lawrence Schick, in his 1991 book Heroic Worlds notes that Slave Pits of the Undercity has "Some ingenious situations."
Dungeon Master for Dummies lists Slave Pits of the Undercity as one of the ten best classic adventures.
According to Lev Lafayette of RPGNet, Slave Pits of the Undercity is a fairly good dungeon crawl
. It has problems, such as a too-small font and underdeveloped storyline. On the other hand, Lafayette felt that its difficulty was appropriate for characters level 4–7, and that the tournament scoring system worked well. Lafayette called Secret of the Slavers Stockade "the low point of the four A series modules". Although he liked that it had forty pages, he also felt the artwork was sparse, and that the module was overly difficult for its intended character levels.
Secret of the Slavers' Stockade was reviewed in Different Worlds
magazine in November 1981. The reviewer complained that the module was poorly edited, and that it would have been easier to use with a roster of monsters provided. However, he said the module was "reasonably well done" overall, and a "good, workman-like" adventure. He praised the development of the antagonists and the care to characterize the reactions of the various monsters.
All four modules were reviewed by Jim Bambra in issue No. 33 of White Dwarf
magazine, who scored them 7 out of 10 as a whole, and reported A4 as the best adventure. He felt they were tough and held some surprises for players used to hack-and-slash dungeons. He also said Dungeon Master
s needed to be creative and adaptive in describing dungeon rooms and remember that the occupants were dynamic and reacted to characters. Bambra was very critical of the editing done on the modules and pointed out several mistakes, concluding that "these modules should never have been released with such errors".
Ken Rolston
reviewed Scourge of the Slavelords for Dragon
magazine #133 (May 1988). Rolston felt that a lot of the new material added to develop the Slavelords campaign was "quite good, particularly the first two new chapters of campaign material which bring the characters up to the original A1-4 scenarios". He noted that the scenarios from the four original tournament designs were mostly unchanged, and that the designs are "superior examples of their genre, though some are more suited to campaign play". He concluded the review with an evaluation stating: "The quality of the new campaign material varies from excellent to acceptable, but at its best, it’s really satisfying. As a campaign pack, we’re talking a minimum of nine big gaming sessions (and probably more; if the DM develops the campaign outlines and additional encounters). It’s occasionally clumsy and unconvincing, but what it lacks in polish and refinement it makes up for in sheer mass, energy, and fiendishness."
Scourge of the Slave Lords was ranked the 20th greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time by Dungeon
magazine in 2004.
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 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...
, published by TSR, Inc.
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
in 1986. It combines the contents of four earlier modules, all set in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and intended for use with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons first edition rules.
Scourge of the Slave Lords was ranked the 20th 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.
Overview
The original series consisted of four modules: A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity, A2 Secret of the Slavers Stockade, A3 Assault on the Aerie of the Slave Lords, and A4 In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords. Each module is a self-contained adventure that leads into the next in the series. The series is intended for use in the World of GreyhawkGreyhawk
Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
, but can be imported to any campaign setting. The modules are set in the Pomarj
Pomarj
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the Pomarj can refer either to a large peninsula located in the central Flanaess, or to the Orcish Empire of the Pomarj, located in the same region....
.
A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity
Slave Pits of the Undercity was published by TSR in 1980 as a twenty four page booklet, and was written by David CookDavid Cook (game designer)
David "Zeb" Cook is an American game designer best known for his work at TSR, Inc., where he was employed for over fifteen years.-Early life:...
. The cover artwork by 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...
features an illustration of two aspis fighting a party of adventurers (including a bearded female dwarf). The interior art was done by Dee, 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...
, 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...
, and Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham is an American writer and artist of comics.-Career:Willingham got his start in the late 1970s to early 1980s as a staff artist for TSR, Inc., where he illustrated a number of their role-playing game products...
.
As the first module in the series, Slave Pits of the Undercity was the first TSR publication to introduce players in the Greyhawk setting to the Slave Lords
Slave Lords
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Slave Lords are an organization of slavers who have terrorized the lands surrounding the Sea of Gearnat for over two decades...
and their operations in the central and southwestern Flanaess
Flanaess
The Flanaess is the eastern part of the continent of Oerik, one of the four continents of the fictional world of Oerth in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. The Flanaess has been the setting of dozens of adventures published between the 1970s...
. The module has been described as the first in a series of medium-level scenarios that provide 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...
s with a mission to track down marauding coastal raiders.
Synopsis
The events of the adventure are set in 580 CY, following four years of raids by slavers on the coastal population along the Sea of Gearnat from Onnwal to the Wild Coast. Local lords, finally tired of the situation, hire a band of adventurers to attack the slavers in their home. The adventure begins in the PomarjPomarj
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the Pomarj can refer either to a large peninsula located in the central Flanaess, or to the Orcish Empire of the Pomarj, located in the same region....
city of Highport at a ruined temple which serves as a headquarters for the slavers. The module takes the group through the temple and into the sewers below where giant insect-like creatures make their lair along with the slave lords.
As the adventurers progress on their mission to break up the band of slavers, they battle orcs
Orc (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, orcs are a primitive race of savage, bestial, barbaric humanoid.-Publication history:The orc was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game. The D&D orc is largely based upon the orcs appearing in the works of J.R.R...
and the insects in the sewers of the slavers' conquered city. Eventually the group reaches the prisoners and their captors, and finds a map showing the route of the caravans. Following this map leads the group to the second module, Secret of the Slavers Stockade.
A2 Secret of the Slavers Stockade
Secrets of the Slavers Stockade was published by TSR in 1981 as a thirty-two page booklet with an outer folder, and was written by Harold JohnsonHarold Johnson (game designer)
Harold Johnson is a game designer and editor, and an author of several products and articles for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game from TSR.-Early life and education:...
and Tom Moldvay
Tom Moldvay
Tom Moldvay was a game designer and author most notable for his work on early materials for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons .-Career:...
. The cover artwork by Jim Roslof features a drawing of two hobgoblins
Hobgoblin (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, hobgoblins are a larger, stronger, smarter and more menacing form of goblins. They are smaller and weaker than bugbears, but better organized. Hobgoblins are humanoids that stand nearly 6'6" tall on average, a little taller than orcs...
, one of which is a sergeant with a leashed boggle, and a party of adventurers. The interior art was done by Roslof, Dee, Willingham, 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 scenario leads to a lost fortress where slaves are being kept and fattened.
Synopsis
The previous adventure ends with the capture of a map to a fortress citadel in the hills, used by the slavers as a waypoint on their route. The A2 module gives the Dungeon MasterDungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
the option to run an overland adventure of 110 miles (177 kilometers) through the Drachensgrab Hills to reach the fort shown on the map, or simply start the adventure with the party overlooking the fort itself. The object of the module is to enter the fort through stealthy means and slowly eliminate the slavers before a general alarm can be raised.
Eventually the group of adventurers makes their way through the fort, avoiding hobgoblin patrols, and reaches a dungeon area. After exploring the dungeons, the players eventually learn that this fort is not the headquarters of the Slave Lords. In fact, the real stronghold of the Slave Lords is located somewhere in the Drachensgrab Hills. This revelation leads the adventurers to the third installment in the series.
A3 Assault on the Aerie of the Slave Lords
Assault on the Aerie of the Slave Lords was published by TSR in 1981 as a thirty-two page booklet with an outer folder, and was written by Alan Hammack. The cover artwork by Jeff Dee features a drawing of five of the The Nine Slave Lords. These five are Nerelas the assassin, Mordrammo the priest, Feetla the master buccaneer, Ajakstu the magic-user, and Brother Milerjoi the monk. The interior art was done by Dee, LaForce, Otus, Roslof, and Willingham. This scenario continues the characters' search for the slavers deep under the Drachensgrab Mountains.Synopsis
The first part of the module consists of a dangerous labyrinthLabyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
. This portion of the adventure is meant to be finished within three hours, in tournament mode. It is a trap-filled, monster-heavy section used to lure the group into a secret tunnel leading to the hidden city of Suderham.
In the second part of the adventure, the group discovers the haven of the Slave Lords, a town on an island in a volcanic crater. This new setting, the city of Suderham, offers the players an opportunity to test their roleplaying skills rather than primarily focusing on combat or stealth.
The module provides a number of non-player character
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s in the city with whom the players can interact and exchange information. To complete the module, the group must find one of several secret entrances to the catacombs beneath the city where the final part of the adventure plays out.
The third section of the adventure moves at a rapid pace in tournament mode, and each room encountered in the level is filled with dangerous creatures. In the final room of the section, the players are captured as a set-up for In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords. If this section is played outside of a tournament, however, it is possible for the players to defeat the slavers and exit the area victorious.
A4 In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords
In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords, the final module in the series, was published by TSR in 1981 as a thirty-two page booklet with an outer folder, and was written by Lawrence Schick. The cover artwork by Erol Otus features a drawing of a group of myconidMyconid
Myconids are a race of intelligent roughly humanoid fungi found in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.-Publication history:The myconid first appeared in the first edition in the adventure module A4 In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords , and then the original Monster Manual II .The myconid ...
(fungus men) fighting a party of adventurers. The interior art was done Otus, Roslof, Willingham, Steve Sullivan
Stephen D. Sullivan
Stephen D. Sullivan is an American author, artist, editor, publisher, and radio host. Sullivan is well known in the gaming community for his work with TSR, the publishers of Dungeons and Dragons.-Career:...
, 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 Jean Wells.
Synopsis
The A3 module finishes with 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 as captives of the Slave Lords, and they begin module A4 in the same condition. The module starts with the party trapped, without any gear, deep beneath a volcanic island. The Slave Lords have captured them, and left them into this dark cave system to die when a volcanic eruption destroys the entire island. Through a series of incidents they quickly find themselves free but completely bereft of equipment and spells.
The final scenario plays out as a massive earthquake threatens to bring down the tunnels around the group, and they must exit the caverns within four hours or perish in the ensuing collapse. The labyrinth is a difficult test for characters without equipment and spells, and challenges the players' wits and role-playing ability rather than focusing on traditional combat.
Once the players emerge from the caverns, they face the final test of escaping the island itself, which can be accomplished by attacking the surviving Slave Lords, escaping via a different boat, or possibly by swimming.
Pre-generated characters
Because the original modules were run as a tournament event, the compilation includes nine pre-generated charactersPlayer 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...
for use in tournament mode. They are Elwita (dwarf fighter), Ogre (human fighter), Freda (human ranger), Karraway (human cleric), Blodgett (halfling thief), Dread Delgath (human magic-user
Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)
The wizard is one of the standard character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A wizard uses arcane magic, and is considered less effective in melee combat than other classes.-Creative origins:...
), Phanstern (human illusionist), Eljayess (half-elf cleric/fighter), and Kayen Telva (elf fighter/magic-user). Each of these characters has a standard list of equipment and prepared spells so that tournament players can begin the game with very little preparation.
Scoring
Due to their design for use at Gen ConGen Con
Gen Con is one of the largest and most prominent annual gaming conventions in North America. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card-style games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, board games, live action role-playing games, collectible card games, non-collectible...
XIII, each A series module includes a scoring scheme. This scheme essentially takes the number of surviving characters and gives them points for visiting the largest number of areas described in the adventure. Each area contains additional points available for gain or loss based on specific actions by the players.
Publication history
The A series of modules was created for tournament use at Gen Con XIII in 1980, as the AD&D Open Tournament. The first two modules, and the first part of the third module serves as the tournament's first round, while the second part of the third module was the semifinal and the fourth module was the final round. The modules were then expanded and published to facilitate campaign play; the original areas from the tournament are clearly marked on the maps and in the related text, and a scoring system is included for those interested in recreating the competition. Slave Pits of the Undercity, for example, contains both characters that had been tested in tournament play and a tournament scoring system. The first module was published in 1980, and the other three were published in 1981.The omnibus A1–4 supermodule was published in 1986 as a 128 page book with a sixteen page map booklet and a cover by Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:...
, and was slightly revised for play by higher level characters in order for it to be used as a continuation adventure for campaigns beginning with supermodule T1–4 The Temple of Elemental Evil
The Temple of Elemental Evil
The Temple of Elemental Evil is an adventure module for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, set in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting. The module was published by TSR, Inc. in 1985 for the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules...
. The overall campaign could then be continued into the GDQ1–7 supermodule Queen of the Spiders
Queen of the Spiders
Queen of the Spiders is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was published by TSR, Inc. in 1986 and is a compilation of seven previous related modules, often referred to as a "supermodule." Together, the seven adventures form an integrated campaign that...
. Design contributors to the revision (including the original module designers) were David Cook
David Cook (game designer)
David "Zeb" Cook is an American game designer best known for his work at TSR, Inc., where he was employed for over fifteen years.-Early life:...
, Allen Hammack, Harold Johnson
Harold Johnson (game designer)
Harold Johnson is a game designer and editor, and an author of several products and articles for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game from TSR.-Early life and education:...
, Tom Moldvay
Tom Moldvay
Tom Moldvay was a game designer and author most notable for his work on early materials for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons .-Career:...
, Lawrence Schick, and Edward Carmien. Cook did the revision, and editing was by Johnson, Jon Pickens
Jon Pickens
Jon Pickens is a game designer and editor who has worked on numerous products for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game from TSR and later Wizards of the Coast.-Early life and education:...
, Brian Pitzer, Edward G. Sollers, Stephen D. Sullivan
Stephen D. Sullivan
Stephen D. Sullivan is an American author, artist, editor, publisher, and radio host. Sullivan is well known in the gaming community for his work with TSR, the publishers of Dungeons and Dragons.-Career:...
, and Steve Winter
Steve Winter
Steve Winter is a game designer who has worked on numerous products for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game from TSR and later Wizards of the Coast.-Early life:Steve Winter was born in Dubuque, Iowa on December 8, 1957...
.
In 2000, Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
released Slavers
Slavers
Slavers is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.-Publication history:The 128-page book was published by Wizards of the Coast in 2000 for second edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules...
, a sequel adventure for 2nd edition AD&D rules. The sequel is also set in Greyhawk, and takes place ten years after the conclusion of the events in A1–4.
In 2002, Kenzer and Company published a HackMaster
HackMaster
HackMaster is a role-playing game produced by Kenzer & Company, being a revised expansion of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. It started out as a fictional game, a parody of the most ludicrous aspects of D&D played by the characters of the Knights of the Dinner Table comic strip by Jolly R. Blackburn...
module based on Scourge of the Slavelords, named Smackdown the Slavers.
Reception
Elisabeth Barrington reviewed Slave Pits of the Undercity in 1981, 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...
No. 35. She felt that the art was neat and organized, and on par with other art from TSR, although she felt that the maps required thorough study before play, as they are slightly too small for quick reference. Barrington felt that the module would not require much re-working, stating that it is "Recommended as is for AD&D enthusiasts."
Lawrence Schick, in his 1991 book Heroic Worlds notes that Slave Pits of the Undercity has "Some ingenious situations."
Dungeon Master for Dummies lists Slave Pits of the Undercity as one of the ten best classic adventures.
According to Lev Lafayette of RPGNet, Slave Pits of the Undercity is a fairly good dungeon crawl
Dungeon crawl
A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games in which heroes navigate a labyrinthine environment, battling various monsters, and looting any treasure they may find...
. It has problems, such as a too-small font and underdeveloped storyline. On the other hand, Lafayette felt that its difficulty was appropriate for characters level 4–7, and that the tournament scoring system worked well. Lafayette called Secret of the Slavers Stockade "the low point of the four A series modules". Although he liked that it had forty pages, he also felt the artwork was sparse, and that the module was overly difficult for its intended character levels.
Secret of the Slavers' Stockade was reviewed in Different Worlds
Different Worlds
Different Worlds was an American role-playing games' magazine, now defunct.-History:Different Worlds was launched in 1979 by Greg Stafford to promote the role-playing games from his own editing house, Chaosium...
magazine in November 1981. The reviewer complained that the module was poorly edited, and that it would have been easier to use with a roster of monsters provided. However, he said the module was "reasonably well done" overall, and a "good, workman-like" adventure. He praised the development of the antagonists and the care to characterize the reactions of the various monsters.
All four modules were reviewed by Jim Bambra in issue No. 33 of White Dwarf
White 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...
magazine, who scored them 7 out of 10 as a whole, and reported A4 as the best adventure. He felt they were tough and held some surprises for players used to hack-and-slash dungeons. He also said Dungeon Master
Dungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
s needed to be creative and adaptive in describing dungeon rooms and remember that the occupants were dynamic and reacted to characters. Bambra was very critical of the editing done on the modules and pointed out several mistakes, concluding that "these modules should never have been released with such errors".
Ken Rolston
Ken Rolston
Ken Rolston is an American computer game and board game designer best known for his work with West End Games and the hit computer game series The Elder Scrolls...
reviewed Scourge of the Slavelords for Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
magazine #133 (May 1988). Rolston felt that a lot of the new material added to develop the Slavelords campaign was "quite good, particularly the first two new chapters of campaign material which bring the characters up to the original A1-4 scenarios". He noted that the scenarios from the four original tournament designs were mostly unchanged, and that the designs are "superior examples of their genre, though some are more suited to campaign play". He concluded the review with an evaluation stating: "The quality of the new campaign material varies from excellent to acceptable, but at its best, it’s really satisfying. As a campaign pack, we’re talking a minimum of nine big gaming sessions (and probably more; if the DM develops the campaign outlines and additional encounters). It’s occasionally clumsy and unconvincing, but what it lacks in polish and refinement it makes up for in sheer mass, energy, and fiendishness."
Scourge of the Slave Lords was ranked the 20th 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.
External links
- Aerie Series at Acaeum.com
- Scourge of the Slavelords at the TSR Archive
- Slave Pits of the Undercity at the Pen & Paper RPG Database
- Secret of the Slavers Stockade at the Pen & Paper RPG Database
- Assault on the Aerie of the Slave Lords at the Pen & Paper RPG Database
- In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords at the Pen & Paper RPG Database