Retrospective: A4 In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords

I take a look at the fourth and final (and IMO best) module in the original Slave Lords series.
0:00 What's today's video about?
0:35 Let's look at the module
14:09 Thanks
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[@raymondhemphill146]

KEEP GREYHAWK ALIVE!

[@shallendor]

This is my favorite of the modules in the slave series, especially when playing! This is an example of a challenge to the players and not the characters! Look at pictures of Plymouth on Montserrat for the looks of a city after being hit by a volcanic eruption!

[@autisticallyaccurate]

Wonderful, Very Exciting!

[@Draegn]

We had fun keeping Markessa alive so she could replace all the other slave lords as the slave queen.

[@sunsin1592]

Definitely the best of the series and I loved the tension of the volcano erupting. We didn't really have an ongoing campaign but just kept playing whatever module suited our character levels. As I recall, we did White Plume Mountain after this.

[@BW022]

I don't remember playing it with any volcano erupting. Maybe that wasn't in the mega-module? I do remember it as the best of the series. My players loved it, despite having their stuff done as they have to get so ingenious. I remember them tracking down a fire beatle, trying to use their non-proficiency skills to earn money, etc. find weapons, etc. I always remember that half-elf paladin getting a job and using his detect evil to the rest of the party could ambush people. The final battle was great. I loved how it played out... when prepared, the Slave Lords seemed unbeatable, and then the PCs (with less equipment and hard work) managed to turn the tables and revenge them. I always tried running the series after ToEE and before the AtG/QotDW series. However, often players got to 7th-level after ToEE and just did home content to get them to 9th or so rather than the Slavers series. One thing I always wonder is how well kids today would react being captured and all their stuff taken away. It was bad enough in the 1980s with young teen boys, but we were used to more gritty campaigns.

[@elliotvernon7971]

This is one of my favourite modules of all time - when it came out it was one of the few I played in rather than ran. At the time we were going through a phase of being armchair survivalists so we had all read a load of special forces type survival manuals, so we had the knowledge to apply. But it really scared us - we were back to being 1st level characters again. We survived it and I remember it felt very much like a fantasy b movie - which is a good thing. BTW - Great suggestions on developing the area.

[@erinkramer1503]

When I ran it, I had the Earth Dragon Priest throw the artifact pyramid found in A0 brought by one of the PCs into the volcano thinking it would release the Earth Dragon, but in fact the Priest’s dreams had been influenced by Orcus and actually unleashed a blue Dracolich from the erupting volcano.

[@jermwar]

Well, one reason to send the PCs not as covert agents is they are more likely to be discovered as a group. And some PC builds are unlikely to really fit in with a covert agent game, so overt allows a broader range of player choice. Tactically, it might help the covert agent maintain their cover if you periodically send overt agents, keeping the Slave Lords on the constant lookout for invaders. Perhaps more importantly, the overt agents have the potential to do more damage because they are overt whereas the covert agent must be more circumspect. Which is all neither here nor there, but any of those might could serve as in-game justification for the PCs not going undercover.

[@worldbigfootcentral3933]

Anybody else have the new AD&D books?I just got my copy of Adventures Dark and Deep, Swords of WuXia, which I personally like better than Oriental adventures. Everyone needs it. AWESOME!

[@mattinthehat3]

Another great video about a classic AD&D module/adventure series. 👏👏👏

[@johnedgar7956]

Hello Joe, thanks for the review! I would like to have been a player through the entire Slave Lords series; I appreciate the walk down memory lane on these.

[@emjtucson]

I’m going to run a campaign in the Pomarj shortly after the Hateful Wars. Suderham would be an epic location to play in and around.

[@pentegarn1]

aka "In the Dungeons of the not so nice Lords" lol * I couldn't help myself* ;)

[@coachlarry6773]

Thanks for the video, very cool you’ll continue forward, looking forward to those reviews

[@danielrowan4716]

I have the A series compilation module and want to run it. I’ve been angling for about 2.5 decades now. It’s about time. Possibly run it as a “boxed” campaign.

[@sketchasaurrex4087]

The set looks cool. I may run it one day.

[@russopland]

In your video about A1 (IIRC), you suggested having the Temple in Highport be one of the EEG: can this Earth Dragon Priest also be tied in to help with continuity from T1-4 to GDQ1-7? Many thanks for your great content! 🙏🏻

[@hamishshaw4907]

I always liked that the players were forced to use their brains and not a bunch of magic items to solve problems. Too often players define the characters by what they carry and not actual role playing.

[@stevestumpy6873]

🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉

[@dr.davidhoward3179]

The island burning is great. Other parts are great. It is, however, my least favorite in the series for a campaign. Take all the characters treasure? WOTC research says capturing characters is the most hated scenario. Of course WOTC is one of the most hated companies right now. Most of the scenario is fine. AD&D 1st Edition is almost totally based on armor, shields, & weapons. Without them characters are target practice.

[@satturnine7320]

Not my favorite but certainly the most challenging Hopefully you have a Speak with Animals spell and you can get the badger to show you the way to where the tree roots are and use the Dig spell otherwise try to get meager supplies from the Kobolds and make friends with the Myconids but you’ll still need a lot of luck which will probably run out by the time you get to the Slave Lords Since I’m a staunch believer in the dice gods, I prefer to save my prayers for later in the adventure!

[@1005corvuscorax]

Didn't you just make a video about the changing of words and terms in the D&D game? In light of that, shouldn't we call this the "Cavern of the involuntary intern Lords"? lol Sorry, just had to make that joke :D Keep up the good work!

[@maximus3160]

I liked this one. IMC, the party was able to kill about 1/2 the Slave lords in A3, so were able to make their way into the city without being captured.

[@andrewszigeti2174]

When I ran the A-series, I ran it a lot more free-form than railroad. When the PCs reached A3 under-level, I thought the slavelords would win easily, allowing A4 to happen. Then my players came up with a brilliant plan and started rolling hot. They wiped the floor with the slave lords, so A4 never happened. Ah, well. Best laid plans of mice and DMs and all...

[@hectorforth2671]

It wasn't the end

[@GreyhawkGrognard]

It's the end of the A series. More videos are coming!

[@hectorforth2671]

@@GreyhawkGrognard right now my group is wageing war against the earth dragon.

[@tomkerruish2982]

I know it's FR, not Greyhawk, but I'd like to someday hear your thoughts on H4.