OD&D Adventures and Settings
Original D&D -- Finding Adventures
D&D Adventures
A good number of adventure modules were published for Original D&D, but with the exception of "The Temple of the Frog" published as part of the Blackmoor supplement, they weren't published by TSR. TSR did not really get into publishing adventures until the AD&D hardbacks were being published. Instead adventures were published by third party companies. Most were publiashed by Judges Guild who had a license from TSR so they could be officially produced for D&D.
Adventures for Original D&D were generally much different from adventures published for later editions. They generally detailed an area and/or a dungeon, provide some hooks the DM could use to get the characters involved and that was it. There was little plot (except perhaps a mission for a patron to get things started). While some fault this, it made for very open-ended player-centered adventures. The players could have their characters do what they wanted them to without the DM having to keep a story with a detailed plotline on track for later encounters or modules to work correctly.
Judges Guild Original D&D adventures came in two basic types: completely independent competition dungeons that have been run in touraments at major conventions and normal (i.e. not designed around tournament needs and limitations) adventures, most of which are set in various places in Judges Guild's own Wilderlands setting (but can be dropped into almost any campaign world). While the tourament dungeons are interesting, they present a very skewed style of adventure designed around the needs of tournament play: strict time limits and need to fairly pick winners. Non-tournament adventures are generally more fun for campaign play and are better examples of what an adventure should be like.
While most Original D&D Judges Guild products are long out of print, many are available in PDF format or can be purchased used at an affordable price.
Book of Treasure Maps
Book of Treasure Maps for Original D&D
Publisher: Judges Guild
Item Code: #113
Title: Book of Treasure Maps
Author: Paul Jaquays
Published: 1979
Format: 48 page book
Description: A 48-page package of five small, versatile dungeon scenarios, or "mini-dungeons". Each one is a complete adventure, ideal for the Judge to pull out and use when there is not enough time to prepare one for the players. All are set in the Judges Guild City State campaign wilderness system, though they may be played seperately. They include separate maps for players and Judge, full backgrounds and accompanying rumors, all thoroughly illustrated in the Jaquays tradition. The Lost Temple, The Tomb of Aethering the Damned, The Lone Tower, Willchidar's Well, and the Crypts of Arcadia awaits the stalwart players. This product has been created and officially approved for use with D&D.
Comments: One of the best ideas around. Treasure maps you can give to players that have pre-written adventures associated with them. Paul Jaquays was one of the best adventure designers in the eraly days of D&D and all five of these short adventures show his genius. The cover photograph reportedly shows the author and friends (Paul is supposed to be the big guy in the tin hat). Like most early Judges Guild products, early printings are rare, but any printing will do for playing.
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Book of Treasure Maps II
Book of Treasure Maps II for Original D&D
Publisher: Judges Guild
Item Code: #320
Title: Book of Treasure Maps II
Author: Daniel Hauffe, Rudy Kraft
Published: 1980
Format: 48 page book
Description: A 48-page package of five versatile dungeon scenarios or "mini-dungeons". Each one is a complete adventure, ideal for the Judge to pull out and use when there is not enough time to prepare one for the Players. All are set in the Judges Guild City State Campaign Wilderness System, though they may be played separately. They include separate maps for Player and Judge, full Backgronds and accompanying Rumors. Dragonspate Geyser, Castle Potunda, Demon Temple of Thoth, Temple of the Lizardmen, and Circle of the Shifting Stones awaits the stalwart players. This product has been officially approved for use with D&D.
Comments: One of the best ideas around: treasure maps you can give to players that have pre-written adventures associated with them. While the adventures in this volume are not as great as those Paul Jaquays wrote for the original, they are still solid short adventures.
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Caverns of Thracia
Caverns of Thracia for Original D&D
Publisher: Judges Guild
Item Code: #102
Title: Caverns of Thracia
Author: Paul Jaquays
Published: 1979
Format: 80 page book
Description: An 80-page booklet designed to accomodate characters of the 1st and higher levels. some segments of the adventure will be a pushover for low-level groups, while other areas may send great lords and patriarchs ducking for cover. The dungeon complex has four main levels and one minor level, plus a legendary lost city. The local monsters are aware of each other and will usually work together to destroy an adventuring party. The booklet includes guidelines for random encounters, the lost city, and much more. Caverns of Thracia has been created and officially approved for use with D&D.
Comments: Paul Jaquays was one of the best adventure designers in the eraly days of D&D and this adventure is an excellent example of Paul's designs and easily one of the best adventures every published for Original D&D. Like most early Judges Guild products, early printings are rare, but any printing will do for playing.
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Citadel of Fire
Citadel of Fire for Original D&D
Publisher: Judges Guild
Item Code: #63
Title: Citadel of Fire
Author: Bob Bledsaw, Mark Summerlott
Published: 1978
Format: 32 page book
Description: This is a the ancient stronghold of Yrammag with six tower levels and five dungeon levels. A 32-page booklet of a very tough D&D scenario. It is designed for very advanced characters, and includes encounters with everything from giant rats to a minotaur and a demon. Tables have been provided for the random location and activity of the great Trammag, so that it will be a surprise each time the dungeon is entered by the adventurers. The surrounding wilderness is mapped out according to our Campaign Hexagon System, and Yrammag's spells are listed to provide a complete and detailed dungeon adventure, created and officially approved for use with D&D.
Comments: Like most early Judges Guild products, early printings are rare, but any printing will do for playing. A version of this supplement is available online for free from Eostros Games. (If you get a logon demand, go to the Eostros Games main page and step through to the free downloads area.)
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Dragon Crown
Dragon Crown for Original D&D
Publisher: Judges Guild
Item Code: #76
Title: Dragon Crown
Author: Michael Mayeau
Published: 1979
Format: 16 page book
Description: 16-page dungeon contest run at the 1978 Pacific Encounters Convention. You are crawling down a damp, dark tunnel under the ground, with a group of your fellows. You are mercenaries on another assignment. Well, not just another assignment, you are working for a huge, evil Red Dragon. If you succeed, your reware will be the pick of his treasure hoard. If you fail, it will be death!
Comments: This dungeon is designed for tourament play. It can be fun, but DM modification to remove some of the tournament limitations is strongly advised for regular campaign use. Like most early Judges Guild products, early printings are rare, but any printing will do for playing.
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Frontier Forts of Kelnore
Frontier Forts of Kelnore for Original D&D
Publisher: Judges Guild
Item Code: #71
Title: Frontier Forts of Kelnore
Author: Dave Sering
Published: 1978
Format: 32 page book
Description: This 32-page booklet provides a basic, modularized map of a border fort (all Kelnore forts were designed to these specifications). Since their contruction, the forts have been populated by various monsters and tables are provided to put in random groups of creatures and individualize the forts on these basic designs. There are three sample forts, filled out according to die rolls on the tables, to illustrate their application. Using them, the Judge can easily create on the same basic map a different "dungeon" every time his players get together, this provides the maximum playing time with a minimal investment of the Judge's money and design time. This product has been created and approved for use with D&D.
Comments: This is more of an adventure generator than an adventure, but it was one of my favorite Judges Guild products. I had an early, and very large, empire use these forts so they could be found in many places. The ruins of these forts were a great way to have a quick adventure or to be a base for the bandits, orcs, etc. Like most early Judges Guild products, early printings are rare, but any printing will do for playing.
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GenCon IX Dungeon
GenCon IX Dungeon for Original D&D
Publisher: Judges Guild
Item Code: #55
Title: GenCon IX Dungeon
Author: Bob Blake
Published: 1978
Format: 32 page book
Description: The official D&D tournament dungeon for GenCon IX, this 32-page booklet contains maps, room keys, hit sheets and time record sheets for two separate mini-dungeons, the two rounds of the contest. Five pre-rolled characters are also provided. The adventure takes place in a world roughly similar to that of the Celtic mythos. An ancient wizard of indeterminable age and skill sends the adventurers to Baldemar Castle, to win the Staff of Albalon. This playing aid has been created and approved for use with D&D.
Comments: This dungeon is designed for tourament play. It can be fun, but DM modification to remove some of the tournament limitations is strongly advised for regular campaign use. Like most early Judges Guild products, early printings are rare, but any printing will do for playing.
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Mines of Custalcon
Mines of Custalcon for Original D&D
Publisher: Judges Guild
Item Code: #111
Title: Mines of Custalcon
Author: Bryan Hinnen
Published: 1979
Format: 48 page book
Description: A 48-page booklet with full-color cover, the first of a new "Wilderness Series" of playing aids that maps in great detail the Judges Guild's City State wilderness area, using the Campaign Hexagon System. Twenty-two five-mile hexes, covering over 476 square miles of wilderness, are mapped out, as are the two villages in this area, Byrny and Trollslore. Keyed shops, inns and tavers, as well as histories and ways of life of these villages are provided. Wilderness encounter tables and a three-level mini-dungeon in the ancient mines of a lost civilization beneath Trollslore are also included. This is one of our more popular new playing aids, and has been created and officially approved for use with D&D.
Comments: Like most early Judges Guild products, early printings are rare, but any printing will do for playing.
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Modron
Modron for Original D&D
Publisher: Judges Guild
Item Code: #34
Title: Modron
Author: Gary Adams, Bob Bledsaw
Published: 1977
Format: 6-page book, 11" x 17" Judge map, 8.5" x 11" Player map (or 32 page book)
Description: Two maps, printed on both sides in brown ink on high-quality tan stock, an 11"x17" Judges map and a 8.5"x11" player map. Each map details the village of Modron on one side and an underwater adventure scenario on the other. The playing aid also has a newly revised 16-page booklet describing the various taverns, shops and open markets of the village's background, shark and sea monster tables, pearl details, underwater encounters, and non-player characters galore. There are special conditions on each street, which can generate special encounters. Modron is an an officially approved playing aid for use with D&D.
Comments: This is a nice sea-side base town for a campaign. Like most early Judges Guild products, early printings are rare, but any printing will do for playing. A version of this supplement is available online for free from Eostros Games. (If you get a logon demand, go to the Eostros Games main page and step through to the free downloads area.)
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Of Skulls and Scrapfaggot Green
Of Skulls and Scrapfaggot Green for Original D&D
Publisher: Judges Guild
Item Code: #80
Title: Of Skulls and Scrapfaggot Green
Author: Bob Blake
Published: 1979
Format: 52 page book
Description: This official GenCon X D&D tournament dungeon, this 52-page booklet includes area and village maps of Scrapfaggot Green, special tournament rules, background, the Sur-Khanian Maze, and six dungeon levels, making an ideal mini-campaign. The players must find the key to Akbeth's Tower, enter and find an ancient skull, and with this skull journey through the Forbidden Lands to close an interdimensional doorway. A Baron of this kingdom will greatly reward a stalwart adventuring party. This product includes pre-rolled characters and their equipment and spells, and is especially created and approved for use with D&D.
Comments: This dungeon is designed for tourament play. It can be fun, but DM modification to remove some of the tournament limitations is strongly advised for regular campaign use. Like most early Judges Guild products, early printings are rare, but any printing will do for playing.
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Sword of Hope
Sword of Hope for Original D&D
Publisher: Judges Guild
Item Code: #118
Title: Sword of Hope
Author: Dave Emigh
Published: 1980
Format: 32 page book
Description: The second round of the official D&D tournament dungeon of Winter War IV. In this 32-page booklet the party attempts to "recover the Sword Myrlani and give life to she who was slain by the Sword of the Sightless Eye". It involves an excursion into the depths of the Cavern of Gar to recover parts of the sword. Be advised that, of thirty-five rooms in Skatim Keep, five (which bear sufficient warning) contain almost certain death for the party. A cast of pre-rolled characters is provided. Sword of Hope has been created and approved for use with D&D.
Comments: This dungeon is designed for tourament play. It can be fun, but DM modification to remove some of the tournament limitations is strongly advised for regular campaign use. Like most early Judges Guild products, early printings are rare, but any printing will do for playing.
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Tegel Manor
Tegel Manor for Original D&D
Publisher: Judges Guild
Item Code: #27
Title: Tegel Manor Second Edition
Author: Bob Bledsaw, Bill Owen
Published: 1977
Format: 32-page booklet (24 pages in early printings), 17" x 22" map, 11" x 17" map
Description: A huge haunted house with a 17"x22" Judges map and a 11"x17 Players map, printed on both sides, brown on high-quality tan stock. Each map has the manor printed on one side and the surrounding wildernes on the other. Enclosed in the product is a 32-page booklet with room and monster descriptions. Over 240 rooms and chambers include a hall of magic portraits and four secret dungeon levels beneatht the manor. The booklet also has tables to create magic statues, ghostly encounters, resurrection results, and more. Tegal Manor has always been one of our more popular playing aids, and has been a lot of fun for Judges and players all over the country. This is an officially approved playing aid for use with D&D.
Comments: Tegel Manor is a lot of fun. Any printing of it is great for play. Early printings are fairly expensive.
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Thieves of Fortress Badabaskor
Thieves of Fortress Badabaskor for Original D&D
Publisher: Judges Guild
Item Code: #52
Title: Thieves of Fortress Badabaskor
Author: Bob Bledsaw, Mark Summerlott
Published: 1978
Format: 32 page book
Description: A 32-page booklet based on an adventure in the wilderness stronghold of a band of brigands. This includes the background and statistics of an evil local diety, plus history, maps, and keyed room descriptions of a five-level dungeon carved out of the side of a mountain. The first three levels are fairly easy and suitable for breaking in new and inexperienced players; but the lower two are far tougher, and include a cavern that has a series of four dragon dens, indicative of the difficulty of the lower levels. Fortress Badabaskor is quite suitable for addition into a campaign; it is done in our City State format but may be inserted anywhere in the wilderness, and has been officially approved for use with D&D.
Comments: A lot of players liked this adventure quite a bit. It's not one of my personal favorites, but it is a good solid OD&D adventure. Like most early Judges Guild products, early printings are rare, but any printing will do for playing.
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Tower of Ulission
Tower of Ulission for Original D&D
Publisher: Judges Guild
Item Code: #119
Title: Tower of Ulission
Author: Dave Emigh
Published: 1979
Format: 32 page book
Description: The first round of the same tournament dungeon of Winter War IV as Sword of Hope, Tower of Ulission begins as a wilderness quest designed to test the characters' reactions in certain situations, preparing them for the even greater quest later. The players pass by the dead cities of Shota, Levin, and Pas Toneh, before encountering the dead village of Ulission and its Black Tower. There are twenty-five buildings in the village, populated by various monsters, and the wilderness way to the village is populated by hill giants, frost giants, wereboars, griffons, and an ancient Blue Dragon.
Comments: This dungeon is designed for tourament play. It can be fun, but DM modification to remove some of the tournament limitations is strongly advised for regular campaign use. Like most early Judges Guild products, early printings are rare, but any printing will do for playing.
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Under the Storm Giant's Castle
Under the Storm Giant's Castle for Original D&D
Publisher: Judges Guild
Item Code: #93
Title: Under the Storm Giant's Castle
Author: Thomas A. McCloud
Published: 1979
Format: 32 page book
Description: A truely unique dungeon adventure set inside a magic cloud: a Storm Giant has built his stronghold on it, but his son was kidnapped by a worm-creature that vanished into the cloud, and the players are offered great rewards to rescue him. The 32-page booklet, lavishly illustrated and mapped, contains six levels and ten unique new monsters. Intelligent monsters are given names and certain characteristics, and devilish traps and innovations are scattered here and there: a tornado within the cloud that takes characters from level to level without injury, and eleven new "miscellaneous magic" artifacts. This product has been especially created and approved for use with D&D.
Comments: This was one of the most unique dungeons ever published for early editions of D&D. Adventuring inside a cloud is different and fun. The author has said it was actually designed for beginning characters, not high level characters -- at least in his campaign. Like most early Judges Guild products, early printings are rare, but any printing will do for playing.
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Verbosh
Verbosh for Original D&D
Publisher: Judges Guild
Item Code: #108
Title: Verbosh
Author: Bill Faust, Paul Nevins
Published: 1979
Format: 80 page book
Description: This booklet with color cover details the city of Verbosh and surrounding wilderness areas, including the villages of Warrenburg and Haygaras. Verbosh provides thorough coverage of street encounters, underwater adventures, two complete dungeons, and two wilderness areas. More than the usual dungeon adventure, this is a complete micro-campaign that will keep the players busy for days on end... if they survive. The two dungeons include the three-level sewers and dungeons beneath the city of Verbosh and the nine-level Schawang-Nau Tower.
Comments: Although it is not obvious from the description, Verbosh is a complete campaign setting centering on the small city of Verbosh. However, there is a large amount of terrain described around Verbosh with villages and encounters. This is a great setting for a small (area-wise) campaign. Like most early Judges Guild products, early printings are rare, but any printing will do for playing.
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