B5 Horror on the Hill - A BECMI adventure module review

B5 Horror on the Hill was written by Douglas Niles and published in 1983.
The end of the road. A lonely fort stands on the banks of a mighty river. It is here the hardy bands of adventurers gather to plan their conquests of The Hill, the hulking mass that looms over this tiny settlement. The Hill is filled with monsters, they say, and an evil witch makes her home there. Still, no visitor to The Hill has ever returned to prove the rumours true or false. The thrill of discovery is too great to pass up; and only the river stands in the way. The adventurers' boat is waiting!
Credits:
Editor: Laurie Mann
Assistant Editor: Tim Kilpin
Graphic Designer: Ruth Hoyer
Cover Artist: Jim Roslof
Interior Artist: Jim Holloway
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[@Mr_Welch]

Welcome to Guido's fort. Try the pizza

[@johnstuartkeller5244]

Leave the vorpal sword. Take the canoli.

[@michaelwallace6851]

This adventure ended in a TPK when I last ran it. I was very clear that the owlbear was guarding its territory (the pool of water) but the characters kept attacking, even after 3 of them died.

[@becmiberserker]

@@michaelwallace6851 Some players just don’t take the hint, even when it’s as blatant as three dead characters. 🤣

[@geofftottenperthcoys9944]

If it was not for POD, I don't know where we would be without the classic adventure modules.

[@Ravenclaw74]

My PCs came up with a unique solution. The PCs gathered all of the local peasants and farmers in the surrounding villages (since they were being affected by the hobgoblin raids) and formed a small militia. They were able to lure the Hobgoblin King and his warband out of the dungeon and defeated them in a small battle. Now they were later thrown out of Karameikos by the Baron of Kelvin for creating an army without his permission.

[@platobach8309]

I received the Mentzer Basic Set as a gift from my parents, after I had already been playing AD&D with friends. They also gave me B5 Horror on the Hill, I suspect because that is the module that my hobby shop had available. I remember those days fondly.

[@dennismokry258]

Some thoughts on the supplies and XP….. 1) Morale was used a fair bit more so there is a bigger worry of those supplies being used against you by enemies that fled earlier. 2) Characters were rewarded XP for treasure…. Which could include supplies brought back and sold in Guido’s Fort. 3) If the characters only brought back some and destroyed the rest I would likely reward both ways.

[@becmiberserker]

@@dennismokry258 Thanks for the insights!

[@BlackJar72]

Don't forget, all BECMI dragons can normally have hit dice ranging between -3 to +3 of the base based on age; apparently, this dragon is very young (by dragon standards) rather than arbitrarily scaled down per se.

[@anarionelendili8961]

Yep, Basic Set DM's Book, p. 29. The hit points were 'rolled low', though, on average. You would normally expect 7 HD to have around 30-35 hp. So it is a small red dragon and rather weakly, too, for its weight class. 2% chance to roll exactly 22 on 7d8, 7% chance to roll 22 or below. So I think it is fair to say that the adventure designer did make the Dragon deliberately weak to give the PCs a chance against it.

[@becmiberserker]

@@BlackJar72 Good point. I think my next video will be about BECMI dragons… 🐉

[@NefariousKoel]

I'd consider changing it to a Black Dragon if for no other reason than it's breath weapon is a line rather than a cone. In that cramped little area, the cone could potentially end up a quick death for numerous PCs in one shot. Although at least some of the Fire Resistance loot in the dungeon would probably need to be changed to also suit this.

[@harmonicaman79]

Great little adventure. I renamed Guido's Fort to Fort Niles to honor the author.

[@becmiberserker]

@@harmonicaman79 Nice one!

[@NefariousKoel]

I pronounced it as "GEE-doe" just to avoid the inevitability of far too repetitive jokes. 😄

[@TiberiusTheDM]

Good timing, I just added the first hints of this location to my hexcrawl. -which was seeing the red Dragon land on the hill

[@MrDrumStikz]

One day I will either run or play on a BECMI campaign. It's such a cool system, with lots of pieces to mix and match.

[@michaelwest4325]

My current project is a revisit of the B and X modules for B/X to weave them into one coherent campaign in one setting, so B5 is an outlier of B2, I made the Fort a fortified inn on a trade road more in keeping with the theme of B2 and very loosely into N1's map. It is a bit rough yet but I am loving the mix of homebrew and packaged content from my youth put into one whole.

[@anarionelendili8961]

I did something similar in mine. Connecting things from B9 to B6 and thence to B2 and B5. Both B5 and B8 linked to B10 but also B11 and B12. And everything leading to X4 and X5 (with B4 mixed in after a bit of a boost, and X10 as a possible continuation later). With X12 as a wildcard linking all the way back to B9, but also acting as a potential exit ramp if the Players are feeling they have had enough for now before launching into X4 and X5. I can be less cryptic if you are interested enough. :) Although even easier if you go to the Piazza Forum, Mystara Subforum, and look for "Fast-paced BECMI campaign".

[@albertcapley6894]

Hearing you say "it may come down to who shoots first" like, hold up... Maybe we should err on the side of depicting dragon/PC encounters as stand off scenes in westerns are depicted, and this fits my particular desire for western inspired (thematically, not aesthetically) DND. Thanks Berserker, for giving me the idea you didn't know you were giving me😅

[@DarkAutumnScribe]

I remember doing this one 40 years ago, now! Good times…

[@bmyers7078]

Spoiler alert…. ~35:00 IIRC, old dragons had +/- 3 levels, depending on age. A 7 HD red was probably a kid, just on its own. (Edit, others already noted this. Commenting for the algorithm)

[@becmiberserker]

@@bmyers7078 Yeah. I neglected to mention that.

[@SimonAshworthWood]

I’ve read all of “B1-9 In Search of Adventure” and B5 is my favourite adventure in that supermodule. I’m looking forward to DMing it in the future.

[@RHampton]

Wow this does look great. Thanks for the detailed walk through. The magic items are a bit over the top tough.

[@anarionelendili8961]

I agree, it is a great module, and a lot of the minor shortcomings can be attributed to the page count limit. That being said, the Dungeon Level II is a blight, IMHO. I delved more into this in my other comment. Making it align more with the other modules and Mystara in particular would be good. I have to add that a mile-wide river is something even mighty Mississippi has difficulties reaching outside of lakes and flood seasons. It would be an insanely big river. I would definitely scale it down, maybe to 200 yards which is roughly the width of Thames at Westminster. Or even 100 yards, but in both cases, put the Hill not directly opposite, but up or downriver by a mile. This would keep the communication and travel difficulties the same, but not require as unbelievable river size.

[@nkaylor13]

Horror on the Hill is my favorite low-level adventure...even more so than Keep on the Borderlands. Speaking of which, I need to know if Fleetwood manages to survive his reckless foray into the Caves of Chaos!

[@christophersims7060]

1 of.my favorite scenarios

[@RB-sz9gv]

BECMI is by far the best.

[@becmiberserker]

@@RB-sz9gv Easy for me to agree with this statement. ❤️

[@anarionelendili8961]

I already commented this on the community post, but it might get more eyeballs here: Ranger Lemure reviewed B5 recently, so it has been on my mind, and I would be curious to see if your comments align with his (and/or mine). I commented on his video about this already, and just to anticipate, here is what I said (obviously, SPOILERS): B5 is a surprising gem, with lots of interesting ideas, but then the rough patch of the unskippable catacomb level. Same misgivings about that as were expressed in the video. Here are some of my suggestions to improve on it. 1.) Tying it into B10 Instead of being some random monastery, I would make it a Hutaakan one, thus tying it into B10. There is not much work that needs to be done here, apart from changing the statues and demon-reliefs into Hutaakan/beastman ones. This will fit very well with B10, and will give the players more of a feel of this expansive pre-human civilization, as they have run into similar ruins before. You could even include scraps of a similar tapestry that they will later find in B10, just to hammer that home. 2.) Improve on Guido's Fort (and tie-in to B2) I admit that I would not switch it out to the Keep, which is way too strong for a bunch of hobgoblins to take. Instead, I would have Guido's Fort as a stockade, almost like a Wild West fort along the Oregon Trail, helping to guard a patch of wilderness through which a trade route goes. This could be the road going past the Caves of Chaos in B2, just be a couple of days away or something. A much more modest fort (but still a fort) would make it more understandable why they worry about being overrun by hobgoblins. They could have sent word back to the Keep, and the Castellan there could have tapped the PCs as possible help, sending them to Guido's fort. While a small map is not essential, it would be a nice to have, just to show people where everything is. Adding some NPCs with names and personalities would help, too, in particular people that they are likely to interact with, like at the tavern and at the trading post. Speaking of which, I would probably tweak things a bit that it would not be quite that random, and make sure that torches and such would always be stocked as to not stop the Players from continuing the adventure. 3.) Ferry: Costs & Hobgoblin reactions This seems a bit too steep. Especially if the PCs are here as invited help, I would have the local castellan arrange this for free, although only at appointed times. Also, I would likely see about having some 'random encounters' after the PCs have poked the hive (if they have come back in between) of Hobgoblins sending a patrol down to guard the landing; depending where the PCs are at the time, they might ambush the ambushers, or have to do a contested landing, which the civilians would not be happy about. I think that would add some nice tension and a feel of a ticking clock, things becoming more difficult if they drag their feet. Granted, there are already rules of replenishing monsters in greater numbers, but one could move that hobgoblin patrol encounter to the riverfront, for example, so that it is not so much of a copycat. 3.) Wilderness movement (also in B2) While I don't mind the point-crawl, indeed, I prefer it in this adventure, the actual speed of movement is insanely slow. The same was true in B2 (there I would also increase the scale of the map, as the Caves are a bit too close to my liking). One easy suggestion would be to triple the movement rate, since it is 'outdoors'. And then just use the normal rate in the forest, without the need the rest (so 1/3rd the speed on the trail). In my experience, the Players are likely to stick to the trails anyway, but this would give them a chance not to. The speed would also make it less of a chore with the wandering monsters, although I think I would still ratchet those down some what (especially during the night, like rolling once per 2h, making it more likely that they get a full night's rest), and likely make them both more varied as well as more location-specific (more hobgoblin, goblin, and undead encounters the closer to the monastery you get, more animal encounters farther in the forest, more ogres and neanderthals near their caves, for example). I might allow an additional x3 speed, if the PCs are pushing forward at their best pace, but then I would roll for a random encounter each turn, and if there is a random encounter, the monsters automatically gain the initiative for the first round (and possibly surprise the PCs) as they hear the PCs coming, crashing through the bushes, equipment jingling. This would make their trail speed roughly 3 mph, which is a quite brisk walking pace. Laden with armor and equipment, on a narrow path, it is reasonable enough that you would cause noise and be staring at your feet to avoid tripping on roots and such. 4.) Fixing the catacombs (Dungeon Level II) I would do a full rewrite of this. Its ecology makes not a lick of sense. Instead, I would lean into the monastery theme and truly make them catacombs, where undead are the main issue. I would likely make the trap more of a deliberate one by the hobgoblin king, too, dropping the heroes down there rather than a 'oh syke, the adventure is not done yet!' -twist ending. The trap could have originally have been a way to dispose of bodies in the mortuary temple (now the hobgoblin king's throne room), so when the heroes charge forward to attack him, he can activate the trap and whoosh, down they go. Even if he doesn't get the whole group, he likely can get the fighters who charge forward, which might prompt the rest of the group to follow (either willingly or unwillingly, the hobgoblins striking to subdue in order to stick them down there to torture them some more). Sure, it is still a bit of a 'unavoidable trap', but now there is a motivation and theme behind it, and the Players have still a ticking clock, needing to get out of there sooner rather than later to finish the job, rather than having already finished it. I would be disinclined to add additional ways out of there (save as well hidden secret passages, perhaps), as that would sidestep the kobold caves completely. I might do away with the dragon, though, depending a bit how tough time the PCs have had. After some discussion on the Piazza: I think by making it a trap that the hobgoblin king triggers deliberately rather than via a dead man's switch would make it more fair: obviously the attention of the PCs would be on the fight ahead. So if they charge in straight at the king, then having them fall into the trap is the consequence of a hasty PC action. Whereas if they play it more defensively, they might notice how the hobgoblins avoid the center of the room, or some such. If the PCs do find the trap, then yes, letting them find another way down to the catacombs (Dungeon Level II) would be a way to make use of that level, too. In this case... I would likely bring the Dungeon Level III map (the kobold caves) much closer, so that you can see area 85 from area 84. Otherwise, the PCs will likely just skip Dungeon Level III completely, figuring that the subterranean river is a dead end. Thinking about this altogether, I think I would: 1.) Move the trap door into the throne room at Dungeon Level I, and make it an active trap. 2.) Turn Dungeon Level II into catacombs, with undead. 3.) Have there be a secret door and stairs to move between Level I and Level II. The PCs might not find it, though. Room 74 would seem to fit the bill. Given that there is a chute (I would make it shorter than 500' spiral, though, which seems way too much work), the entrance in Level I can be almost anywhere. I would be inclined to put it in the throne room, though, since that would make sense for the original purpose of the chute. I am very tempted to put it to the SW corner of the throne room, mirroring the room 69, and thus rewarding players who look at the map and make educated guesses. 4.) Move the landing of area 85 within sight of area 84 (100'), rather than 600' downriver, in order to tempt the PCs to explore it. The rapids could be a bit closer, helping to mask any noise that the PCs may make at 100', and they might even spot a kobold skipping rocks on the stream down in the next landing, thus alerting them that there is more things to explore there. 5.) I'd allow the PCs to negotiate with the kobolds (if the PCs think about it), repurposing the Emperor Derywinki's encounter for this one. They might try to get the PCs to kill the dragon for them, with their share whatever the PCs leave behind. That sounds fair enough. 6.) I'd add kobold women and children as well, making it clear that this is an active, thriving community of kobolds. The hobgoblins above are a warband, so no women and children with them, but down here, the kobolds have been living possibly for generations already, before the dragon arrived. If one goes for the more dog-headed version of kobolds, the earlier Hutaakan stylings of the temple might make the PCs even theorize that they may have been the original builders of the temple! Wouldn't that be a fun little red herring. :)

[@caseymiller7464]

Just shrink the width of the riiver and you can place it anywhere in karameikos, or any other setting

[@becmiberserker]

@@caseymiller7464 Yup. It’s miles too wide. Well actually, a mile too wide, but you get the point! 😀

[@harmonicaman79]

Goblins on the roof = genius

[@Grambo58]

I wonder if the lack of a cover art logo also reflects that modules were probably only sold at conventions in the beginning.

[@becmiberserker]

@@Grambo58 Maybe, but even before 1983 they were selling D&D around the world.

[@paulofrota3958]

Did you speed up the audio? It seems faster than your usual narration to me

[@becmiberserker]

@@paulofrota3958 Nope. 🤷 I must have been cold. 🙂

[@paulofrota3958]

@@becmiberserker great vídeo as always, just faster ahah

[@henrycaltagirone3959]

My group 10 year olds I dm for are in the middle of this, they just freed the thief and decided to avoid the forge went down the passage by the torture chamber and went in the secret door that leads to the evil cleric's chamber. It says going that would catch him off guard, but they made so much noise I had the cleric roll to see if he noticed... he did! But they still killed him.

[@becmiberserker]

@@henrycaltagirone3959 Sounds incredibly exciting. I wish I could play D&D through the eyes of a ten-year-old again. Everything was so much more vivid at that age. 🙂

[@henrycaltagirone3959]

It is my favorite group to dm for. I dm for my son and his friends, they're around 18 and they are a bunch of lunatics who do very random things. And my wife and our friends , who are all a bunch of murder hobos, but my 10 year olds still fancy themselves heros and act accordingly 😊

[@robbabcock_]

Great review! My online gaming group just started a new BECMI campaign last week! 😎⚔🛡🧙🧝