The Keep on the Borderlands, Caves of Chaos

[Blood axe]

This is my sentimental all-time favourite module, being the first module I ever owned and played (came with my Holmes rulebook). Personally I love the brevity of the module and for me it is the ideal against which I measure all other modules. It is written in such a way that any DM can make it his own thing. I would see any beefing up of the descriptive text as detracting from one of the strengths of this module. Rather than fluffing it up with extra detail, I think the addition of some random tables (dungeon dressing, etc.), along with some newbie DM advice to make the adventure sing (rather than just be a hack'n'slash) would be all that is required to "improve" the module.

One of my all time favorites too. I'm just undecided on what to do with it. I might just make something on my own, but eerily similar.

[jdn2006]

Something I always wanted from TSR was B2 expanded and a higher level B2. For example, the "expanded" would scatter the caves out, change them up - make the shrine a multi-level affair each about one page, etc. Expanded encounters for outdoors.

The higher level would be less about caves and more odd locations - ruins of a temple in a swamp, mini-fort on edge of cliff, someplace you gotta go under water, etc.

Materials for plug-and-play gaming to use as desired for one-off games, campaigns, etc.

TSR/WOTC had "Return to the Keep on The Borderlands." K&K had "Little keep on the Borderlands." I've helped with Chaotic Caves and Chaotic Caves II (both lack a true shrine of chaos).

Nothing compares to what I hoped TSR and Gary Gygax might have made.

[kaomera]

I've played and run B2 multiple times, as it was the default start for new parties in the group I started D&D with. It's definitely one of my favorites, because it's so much more than just the Caves of Chaos. I can recall games in which both the Mad Hermit and the Evil Cleric & company featured even after we had left the Keep environs.

[austrodavicus]

An idea I've considered for a couple of years now, ever since buying the product, was to substitute the Caves of Chaos in B2 for 0one's Blueprints: Caverns of Chaos. It's wonderfully familiar but strangely different and could easily be just a case of the locals massively expanding and remodelling the Caves. You can run with their suggestions for stocking it or just DIY, and the pdf allows you to switch layers on and off, giving you control over the amount and type of detail shown on the maps. At less than $2 it's a pretty good deal.

[Blood axe]

Those are some nice maps. Thank you for all the ideas & suggestions!

[Keps]

It seems to me to be more popular these days then it ever was when it came out. In the last two years I played with four different groups across the table and over skype who all ran this game. I was sick of it before D&D Next declared it their playtest. So many people identify with it because it came with their first Basic starter set. IMO, practice role-playing in the keep. Practice your wilderness with the encounters around the keep. Wander into the Kobolds cave first and then good luck.

[Blood axe]

Hmmmm....I have two copies of The Keep. I noticed there is different artwork in each. The Minotaur is different. One also has a picture of a Stirge. & the items for sale at the Bank.

[Black Wyvern]

I recently started getting ready to run KotB. I started looking for resources to make it easier. I was looking for options on things like, NPC names, motivations both on some of the NPCs and for adventure hooks, ideas for over arching themes, a completed dungeon for the Cave of the Unknown and the Cellar Beneath the Guild House, and even a decent wilderness map that was hex based rather than square based. There is a lot of stuff out there but some is so so, some is great and you have to spend about as much time working on finding and sorting the chaff from the grain as you would making your own stuff up. Basically I think a B2 Companion rather than another re-imagining would be awesome.

Keps, B2 is so heavily used not only because of the nostalgia but also because it is a great skeleton to flesh out. It can easily be a campaign that could bring players up to 9th level.

[Scalydemon]

Check this article out from Oerth Journal #11

Repair of the Keep on the Borderlands

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5851594/Downloa ... /OJ_11.pdf

[Black Wyvern]

Check this article out from Oerth Journal #11

Repair of the Keep on the Borderlands

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5851594/Downloa ... /OJ_11.pdf

I believe that article is talking about the AD&D 2e module Return to the Keep on the Borderlands, not the Basic D&D B2 Keep on the Borderlands. Though I have never read Return the article is about a 2e module, by monster stats, so I am assuming it is Return.