AD&D Module Review A0 Danger At Darkshelf Quarry

[@Brian-px9gu]

I think this is a very fair score. I have run the A1-4 series several times and my last go around I actually used Saltmarsh as our starting point with a fully fleshed out town and surroundings. Darkshelf being one of them as I wanted it to be the glue between the two series. I also tied the smuggler ship into the events at Darkshelf by having them be the ship that smuggled slaves out. Once the party got through U1 and U2 they then hit A0 but then were called back into service for U3. From their it just took a few little Easter eggs here and there and we were off to A1. That U1-U3 to A0 to A4 took us about six months to get through. And we used the Gygax game style. A series really needs to be cleaned up for campaign play but if you spend some time doing that and leveling out the encounters and dressing up the NPC’s a bit more it is really fun set of adventures. I had to clean up the main antagonist a bit in A0. One of the thing so did at the front of the entire campaign was ensure that half orcs could be half human, half dwarf, half elf and so on…. I also played up the racism a bit to half races in Keoland and Saltmarsh. Sailors coming off a ship that was half elf got weird stares or a several times a half orc was mistreated on the docks of talked down to…. So by the time we got to A0 it was normalized….and his race and cover made far more sense.

[@thatpatrickguy3446]

Well done! I was curious though somewhat suspicious when this came out. Modern writing adding to a classic adventure series? Hogwash. But there were several things that I did end up liking in this adventure, at least conceptually. But, as you mentioned, there was a lot that didn't make it an actual introduction to A1-4. It COULD get players a level in the adventure, but one level wouldn't be enough to lead directly into A1. Not even close. So, while a decent old school adventure, it failed in its premise: to get the characters ready for the Slavers series. And while that isn't completely unforgivable, it does lead to a LOT of filler work for a DM looking to level the party up with intervening adventures so they can take on A1 with a reasonable chance of success. And, in all honesty, it's difficult enough to keep a group of players invested in a single storyline through all the adventures required to frog march them from level 1 to level 5ish. Or, of course, the DM could just cheat and start them in a tougher A0 at 3rd or 4th level (Dark Sun style we used to call it) and then get them into the A series from there. But, if one is going to do that, might as well start them at 5th or 6th level and toss them directly into A1. A0 is a failure at its stated goal, but it has potential as an unrelated adventure. A 6 rating seems fair.

[@starshiplazyboy475]

I felt A0 was more of an introduction to the Dungeon Magazine adventure Lowdown in Highport which came out at about the same time. They work really well together.

[@yeoldegeek71]

Very possibly, I need to pay more attention to the adventures of Dragon and Dungeon magazine... the magazines were not as widely available here in the UK.

[@woodwwad]

I've never had the chance to play any of these older modules, so it is very interesting to hear about them.

[@yeoldegeek71]

Plenty of time to put that right!!

[@woodwwad]

@@yeoldegeek71 I'd like to but no one to run them.

[@yvindheilo229]

I really appreciate these videos! Looking for modules to slot into my Yoon-Suin campaign!

[@garygoucher4739]

Your comments/criticisms are spot on. I hope to run the A series again sometime soon and was excited when I heard about this module, but wasn't impressed when I read it. After reading about the BBEG, I almost slapped my forehead at how weak his "secret" really is. And the top part of the "dungeon" and the bottom part felt mashed together. It has potential, but, as with a lot of the original modules, needs some serious love and attention from anyone planning to run it in order to make it really work. My thought is to run U1 Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh first and then follow up with either a heavily modded version of the rest of the U series or perhaps replace it entirely with A0, based on player actions. I would put clues in the log books and sea charts, to indicate the Darkshelf was another destination of the Sea Ghost. A0 would be pretty easy for a party that ran through the entire U series, but I would use the module just to direct the players to A1, rather than as a full-blown experience-gaining adventure. If the party still needed a level or two to reach an A1-appropriate point, perhaps a visit to X1 Isle of Dread, would work. Just stumbled on your channel and enjoyed (and agreed with) this review. I plan on bingeing of few other reviews before calling it a night. I look forward to what you have to say about N1, another module that I love and hate all at the same time.

[@yeoldegeek71]

I could see a link between this and U1 working - plus the party would be just about the right power level after completing that module... you're right that they'd be too high after the whole series though!

[@thatpatrickguy3446]

I agree with you on this possible path to A0. Saltmarsh would be a very easy lead in to the Slavers series, and It could allow there to be some skipping of the rest of the U series, though U2 could be another step between the U and A series where the lizard men are raiding settlements or grabbing travelers to trade to the Sea Ghost in exchange for weapons. Clues for the trade (weapons to slaves to weapons with some basic trading done in between at smaller ports such as Saltmarsh to keep up the illusion of a simple trade vessel) could be included in the Sea Ghost logs as well as the lizard man lair, with perhaps another lower-powered Slave Lord within each location to supply leads. Yes, I rather like this concept! Well done!

[@davidleonard8547]

Great review. I do like this latter inclusion to the A series, though I really don't like tournament modules, as a rule. They do what they're paid to do, challenge a band of PCs through a set time period. But most are forced at best. Most are flawed: even Hommlet. Hommlet requires PCs to gain a level or two before tackling the moathouse, or they are going to have a rough go of it without padding their ranks with the local militia. Earlier modular adventures were always set up like tournaments, to my mind, whether they are supposed to be run that way or not. Maybe that had to do with cramming what they could into a relatively low page count due to printing costs. Every one of them encourages us to flesh them out further, so I like to think of them as templates, or time pieces within a greater narrative; and since I spent the better part of my early DMing career homebrewing, and loath to pay for something I could do myself, I liked to tinker, and still do. I want to make them my own. I want to strip them down and use what I consider the diamonds in the rough to reskin what are usually inspired ideas. My criticism: The mine is fairly well laid out, but it's too small. WAY too small (and way to two-dimensional; mining is my business, BTW) by what the background says. But it is a tournament, and we can't have the players getting lost, can we.

[@yeoldegeek71]

I've only had a chance to run 1e modules with adult groups of players in the last decade or so (plenty of times years ago when we were teenagers!), and I'm largely trying to run them without too many tweaks just to see how well they run well 'as intended'. With A0 being newer I've only run it once - if I was to run it again I would certainly change quite a lot.

[@andrewhaldenby4949]

Ty YOG!

[@yeoldegeek71]

You're welcome!

[@franknotaro7968]

Hi John, I love your videos. Can I ask you advice? New to DM'ing. Is it better to run A0-A4? Or Scourge of the Slavelords? Got A0 together, but trying to judge best options. Still a bit undecided. Carry on the great vids 👍

[@yeoldegeek71]

If you are starting with low level PCs and are willing to create some of your own adventures to fill the gap between A0 and A1 then I would run A0-4. If you have a group with PCs around level 7 already, then I would say Scourge.

[@coachlarry6773]

Thanks for this, never read this or run it.

[@yeoldegeek71]

It's not very well known due to the way in which it was released.

[@mechanussunrise]

In the Gauntlet review you mention that module is in your top 3 AD&D modules. What are the other 2?

[@yeoldegeek71]

My top 3 are U1, UK3 and UK4. But if compilations factor in, then I would put G1-2-3 up there too.

[@mechanussunrise]

Thank you! I'm very impressed by the UK series. I like how you highlight the greater attention to verisimilitude in the series. A related but distinct idea in my mind is what some bloggers call Gygaxian naturalism. Its verisimilitude with a different emphasis or maybe you could argue the UK series surpasses Gygax on that measurement.