DM Notes: L2 The Assassins Knot (Full)

These are my DM Notes on Len Lakofka's L2 The Assassin's Knot by TSR in 1983.
If you have specific question about this adventure, you can request answers at [e-mail]
If you like my work, be sure to check out my gaming website at artofthegenre.com
I do not own the rights to L2 The Assassin's Knot, or the artwork, those are owned by Wizards of the Coast.

[@ericpeterson8732]

As I remember, this was the first module where the bad guys were pro-active. They didn't sit around and wait for the PCs to arrive.

[@artofthegenre6087]

That would seem to be correct, everything else was really a 'murder hobo' campaign other than Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, which also still plays pretty well today.

[@vikingguy5027]

Im gonna run this in 5e hopefully it goes well

[@ryaneble7869]

Hey dude. I just found your channel on the Gamma World RPG and I have to say, Just awesome. Keep up the good work man.

[@artofthegenre6087]

Thanks! I think I'm doing another Gamma World this week.

[@ryaneble7869]

Art of the Genre DO IT!!!

[@davidleonard8547]

This is certainly a tough one. It's groundbreaking, too. Len created the first sandbox setting in L1 and the first investigative module in L2. He was a man before his time.!

[@biffstrong1079]

The Problem we had is we were given a rumour "If you Want A murder done go to Garrottetown." And thats what we said to everyone we met. We didn't die but we never got close to finding out anything and everyone else died, everyone. I bought it years later. If I ran it I think I would move the characters through Garroteton and at least introduce them to the Inn Keeper before hand and try to establish some sort of knowledge of the area and people. The three red herrings were unfortunately all we had to work with so we ran down the clues we had. No one helped us. Tried to use a lot of ESP in the bar but never got a whiff of anything which after I read the module seems unlikely. Should have gotten something off the bar keeper. Any time we tried to do anything it seemed like things always happened before we got to it. The Blacksmith did finally make me a pry bar. Part of our problem was we bought this one after playing Bone Hill. Now I would announce it as a murder Mystery and expose players to Garrottetown during the Bone Hill Module . ANd Yes Ill give the players real clues. I don't think in our adventure we got to interview the people in Restenford who saw the potential murderers in town at the time of the murder. That also could be a source of information. I figure one of those characters might have noticed something not right with one of the Assassin's disguises. I'd also establish that each of these characters is spotted in town at different times. Oh and we are playing 5E now so we have perception, investigate persuade. We didnt find our kick in a door, Kill a monster technique very useful in this module .

[@ericpeterson8732]

I'm thinking about adapting this to 5e. With only two players, what level should they be for this module?

[@artofthegenre6087]

Be sure they are really good 'mystery' role-players, add depth to actually have a mystery (there are a real lack of obvious clues in this module), and I'd say it would work best if they were 5th level

[@biffstrong1079]

And what if your party gets the cloak of etherealness? Kind of a gamebreaker. Though Useful if I take my players to Tegel Manor.

[@adampender2482]

What do you think about placeing the Lendore Isles series in the Moonshae Isles of Faerun?

[@artofthegenre6087]

Okay, I love Moonshae, and ready that series of books with the release of Forgotten Realms in High School. I think it would work, although the adventure feels more Gygax/Greyhawk than FR, so you would have to adapt the 'feel' of things, if you get my meaning, but otherwise, the information is perfect for Moonshae, with a few name changes and such. Neat idea, actually.

[@adampender2482]

@@artofthegenre6087 yeah have to change some things to give it that Celtic feel

[@artofthegenre6087]

@@adampender2482 Agreed, and obviously have a lot more Druid influence. Let me know if you do it and how it goes!

[@adampender2482]

@@artofthegenre6087 I will

[@smithryansmith]

your reviews are great, I just wish you would leave the art up an the screen while you talk about it. we get a quick glance before you describe it. annoying having to pause then look back. aside from that, lots of fun.

[@artofthegenre6087]

Thanks! I wish I was better with video editing and could put my words over images, but I'm not that technical :)

[@chrisessick7192]

Internet says the cover is by Stephen D. Sullivan?

[@artofthegenre6087]

Let me ask Steve

[@artofthegenre6087]

I talked with Steve. Not him. He says he remembers it coning in, that he and Roslof didn’t like it, but that it might have been a friend of Lens or Garys so it went through

[@chrisessick7192]

@@artofthegenre6087 wild, but cool to know.

[@dane3038]

Not sure, but maybe it's the guy who did the cover on the Thieves' World book?

[@artofthegenre6087]

Jay 1066 That would be Walter Velez, I know Walter, he did the cover of Gygax Magazine #5, and its not him.

[@dane3038]

@@artofthegenre6087 Shoot.

[@biffstrong1079]

@@dane3038 Bit of the same look

[@Cyberpuppy63]

The average player will have NO patience with this module. Add to that, having a main Antagonist with Bi-polar disorder is completely stupid. It gets NO stars out of five.

[@ctbutube]

No skills makes it difficult to interrogate people? Try roleplaying.

[@artofthegenre6087]

Cameron Bradford like I said, know your players. Most are not capable of RP investigating under the age of 20 or so.