RPG Retro Reviews: A4 In the Dungeons of the Slavelords

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[@westcoastgeeks7294]

I think some people missed the point of the module. It's supposed to be a hit and run rescue mission. The Slave Lords are supposed to be more powerful them. The object is to disrupt, gather information and try to rescue people. The volcano is to give the players a sense of urgency. As a Dm I always gave them a high target to rescue. A minor lord or merchant, who family had a treasure map or rumors of a minor artifact. Also I made a special session from 3-4 hours, for to get out of the Volcano. If not they would die in the explosion. We all had a good time, and they made out with 10 mins to spare.

[@MrRourk]

When this module was ran for tournament it was during the age of slow exploration of dungeons. It was not uncommon to have many rooms in a row with nothing in them. The suspense of sudden death awaiting in every square on the graph paper was a real thing. One trap or a single encounter could cause the party to retreat with a death or two to remember the dungeon by. Very different to today's "We are gods".

[@Dracopol]

Sometimes a DM would fudge a roll to keep a character alive. But it was not like today's PCs who have Hollywood five-season no-cut contracts...

[@davidleonard8547]

This is probably my favourite module of all time. To be captured, and wake up without equipment was nerve-wracking, to say the least. But what a challenge!

[@captcorajus]

ABSOLUTELY!!!!

[@erikmartin4996]

Of all the channels reviewing modules yours is the best

[@sunsin1592]

This was my favorite of the series as my friend Greg did a great job as the DM. This and the Desert of Desolation series were highlights for him as DM.

[@stories_by_orin]

I am really enjoying this dive into the Slavelords adventures. I am thinking about putting some of this into my home game. Thanks for another great video!

[@DavidLovins67]

I'm camping in the Nevada mountains watching this video. I deserve true fan status. Just Saying.

[@haveswordwilltravel]

I enjoyed this module when I played in it as a PC back in the '80's. Nowadays, I would only run A4 if the PC's completely botched A3. I would definitely heed your suggestion of ditching the volcano eruption. Thanks for the excellent review.

[@sumdude4281]

Fantastic videos as always. Your alternative ideas, really shine and take sometimes otherwise meh or bad adventures and make them playable. You are a go to for people looking to run these adventures!

[@mevl4822]

Thanks for the review. I really enjoy theses videos.

[@DavidLovins67]

The funniest magic item ever created for DND is the 'Majestic Loincloth +1'.

[@BockwinkleB]

Awesome, loving the frequent uploads.

[@mattinthehat3]

Alright I'm the first to post a comment.Okay,first off,Great video as always.Captain you never cease to amaze and impress me with your in depth analysis and criticism.This has got to be one of if not the best adventure series of modules ever written.Great job as always.

[@captcorajus]

Thanks! So glad you enjoyed!

[@NoName-hl8wb]

Some changes that would be good is the kobolds not to kill them but see if can talk them into joining up cause the slavers trapped them down there. And have something the PC do to make the volcano erupt.

[@skronberger]

Thank you for the modification suggestions!

[@captcorajus]

You're welcome!!

[@udasu]

Great review! Funny, I had the slave lords in A3 threaten to murder the pcs that fell in that battle, to get the other pcs to surrender. Then, in the dungeons, they found & rescued a trapped elder fire elemental, which agreed to ignite the mountain in an hour. I like the Lovecraftian twist, though. Very eldritch!

[@captcorajus]

That's a great idea! Accomplishes the same thing... basically putting the volcanic eruption and destruction of the Slavelord's stronghold in the hands of the Players. Gives them the opportunity to play hero and rescue the slaves, rather than just fleeing for their lives as the city burns. And yes, any time I can add in a little Lovecraft I do.

[@ronniejdio9411]

So the myiods and kobalds and slaves and prostitutes in the island all die

[@RobertoMicheri]

Great advice

[@ghostpasha9076]

Thanks for this series...I am running a party through an adapted version of the A series right now (minus any tournament considerations, and part of a larger campaign). They are about ready to tackle the Aerie...so I've only shown them your vids for A1 and A2 (for now).

[@mr.sluggo7525]

Your adjustment to this module was brilliant. I never ran A4 because it always seemed to be incredibly unfair. Because each module was designed to test separate parties at the same Gen Con tournament, they lack the cohesiveness to make the series a full blown campaign.

[@wperdew6078]

I ran a game loosely based on this adventure. Story time! Our party got foolishly overwhelmed by a bandit game. They grew cocky and took way to much time lingering about the entrance to the hideout after dispatching the guards. The battle alerted the rest of the bandits, who mustered and attacked. A few players began to get reckless one the battle and effectively give up tactically. I've seen this before, and didnt want to see them effectively die just to come back with a new party. So instead, once they were knocked out, i captured them. Over the next week I recalled this adventure, and got an exciting idea. The bandits blindfolded and sold the party to a nearby warband of hobgoblins, who used them as a gladiator squad. I gave the group a way to escape and raid the hobgoblin armory. Though they never found their own equipment, they found more or less suitable equipment. After that, the group escaped into a series of underground tunnels, with little idea of how to escape back to the surface world. It was harrowing, and a really fun diversion to the campaign.

[@gregbanks5624]

Thanks for doing the A series Cap. I had all these and never ran them. I would read them endlessly and recall some issues with the story, but your critique of these is valid. I have to admit I felt I had to have these as I saw the A series be a potential lead in to GDQ. I think I was naive and enraptured, like many others, by these old scenarios. Once again, you bring joy as well as enlightenment.

[@seanfaherty]

as a guy who was captured by those slave lords 40 years ago I'm glad to hear you got'em

[@optimisticallyskeptical1842]

As a tournament module, it may have been a success. But I rewrote A3 and A4 to suit a running campaign setting using the modules as a guide. A3 dungeon was largely remapped and expanded and encounters in the city were fleshed out. Shortly after the players exited the A3 dungeon, the volcano started erupting in which the players had to rush to escape the island. But I like your improvision as well.

[@optimisticallyskeptical1842]

improvisation

[@ronniejdio9411]

Loved this adventures series but I was dissapointed when I ran it, as was my players As always your review is.magnifique

[@cryptking6283]

Ditto. I played it back in the day and then again when they released it for 2E... was so frustrating.

[@spedwyrm7427]

I've used a tweaked and modified version of this to lead a party into the Night Below campaign, went surprisingly well.

[@richmcgee434]

On a vaguely related note, there used to be a Baltimore-area game seller called B.R.Snasis Games. I ran into their crew a few times at various cons and got to wondering about their name. Turns out that it was short for "Beaten, Robbed, Stripped Naked And Sold Into Slavery" in honor of the way their party tended to wind up in any roleplaying game they played. Have to assume at least one of those sessions involved the A3/A4 modules.

[@captcorajus]

That's .. scary. lol Being from the Baltimore area, I feel fortunate not to have run into these folks.

[@richmcgee434]

@@captcorajus They seemed like nice enough guys, just had some tough GMs. They may still be in business for all I know, but the last trace I see online is from around 2007-ish. If nothing else, they certainly did have a memorable name for their business. I can't remember the names of some of the shops I used to work for these days, but B.R. Snasis sure does stick in my skull.

[@randalthor6670]

So a while back I ran a D&D 5E campaign based on The Isle of Dread. Only it was not just that, it was also Against the Slavers, and Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, and others. Basically, the PCs got shipwrecked on the Isle (while it was on Greyhawk), ran afoul of some stuff, then got magically transported to Karameikos on Mystara. There, they ran afoul of the Slavelords. Unfortunately, the group broke up then and we didn't get to go back to the Isle. What I did was place the crashed spaceship beneath the plateau in the middle of the isle beneath the Slavelords Island within an island. Connected to the dungeon of the Slavelord is The Lost City and Zargon, who they would have to kill to gain access to the spaceship. Now, the malfunctioning hyperdrive of the ship was shunting the island across different dimensions, different versions of one world. I had elements of Greyhawk, Mystara and Faerun (The Forgotten Realms) already baked in and was working on connecting more D&D settings. In order to defeat the Slavelords they would have had to explore the ship (still not fully rearmed with their equipment) and get some of the special items there to use. Also, by messing with the ships controls they would destabilize the hyperdrive further, ultimately causing it to blow. So, it was all the PCs fault. 😎

[@erikmartin4996]

Interesting combination of modules. Really like the idea of Barrier Peaks on Isle of Dread

[@Dracopol]

We didn't know back then, but volcanoes are one way to get to the Hollow World from Mystara, if you have some magic so that you don't mind the heat. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...you'll come out in an erupting volcano in the Hollow World...

[@Znobishtucon]

LOL @17:20 that feel when you know the artist and his art shows up in a cool video :D

[@captcorajus]

I love that art piece. Its so evocative.

[@RPGmodsFan]

The Doctor to Captain Jack: "It's Volcano Day"

[@Demonskunk]

If it were me, I'd probably play the Kobolds as possible allies, given they're trapped in the cave and slowly dying out. Those combined with the possible myconid allies would make for a decent slave liberation force. I do love the idea of the volcano being triggered by something the players do. When you first mentioned the eruption, that's the first thing I thought of, though my mind went somewhere magical not lovecraftian, freeing a weakened fire elemental or something of that sort.

[@Jeremy_Fisher]

I love your alterations. That's it, you've convinced me. I've got to run all the slavelords modules. Once again, you're killing it with these reviews! Fantastic!

[@angusmullins511]

That potion of underwater breathing could be the party’s ticket out of the dungeon through the tunnels to freedom under the giant crab’s lair.

[@angusmullins511]

…and an erupting volcano is the ultimate deus ex machina.

[@hallacar]

When I went through this module I was playing a monk and we had a fighter with minor psionics. It made things a lot easier than they should have been. I have always wondered how a paladin would have thrown a monkey wrench into the works with all their special abilities. Would myconid spores work on them? Laying on of hands would be huge. Protection from evil would be very helpful in the final battle.

[@azcoder]

I picked up A2/A3/A4 as a single package back in the mid-80s (all 3 were in a plastic sleeve). Didn't get A1 until the 90s and don't think I ever ran it, just the latter 3.

[@diaz5292]

A1 was th weakest of the series, IMO.

[@Bangelon]

I like the idea of the key being found and it being the key to the lava... I could easily also link the Mysterious Key to Elder Elemental God from Temple of Elemental Evil. I already have a player who had been marked when young as a sacrifice to the Temple before it had been destroyed the first time and since I am planning on running the full three super moduals your Idea of the Mysterious Key would play in nicely.

[@TallDude73]

Great review as always. I must admit it never dawned on my players (when we played this 20 years ago) that their efforts would be wasted thanks to the volcano. Spells were cast, blood was spilled, XP gained, so who cares about logic. ;)

[@captcorajus]

So true!! lol

[@jackleg2007]

I always thought the pc's would do well to ally themselves with the kolbalds and work together to get out of the dungeon.

[@captcorajus]

That might require a skilled bit of role-playing, but certainly worth a try! Great idea.

[@davidleonard8547]

I commented 2 months ago, but as I'm doing a deep dive into the A series for my blog, Greyhawk Musings, I thought I'd re-watch this and comment further. Is the A series dated? A little; but they were groundbreaking in their time. My original group did not run many modules back in the day, but I recall this one being by far the most thrilling. I must say that this was the only one of the series that we played, as we did not have access to a game store at the time (and let's face facts, modules were expensive for teens with limited financial resources at the time). Without the story leading up to the modules beginning, we were pissed when Henri told us that we were imprisoned and were stripped down to loincloths. But once we began, we had a great time. I'm sure he altered it a little. No matter; a good time was had by all, and that is all that matters.

[@captcorajus]

Absolutely!! I think it comes down to trust in the DM to make sure that if you are put in such a 'no win' situation, there actually is a way to 'win'.

[@marksoberay2318]

Fantastic review and alternate mission....how could you approach the rescue of slaves? As toasting the island and slaves may leave the pcs w conflicting emotions.

[@captcorajus]

Well, I don't know really. I'm the DM, that's not my problem. lol

[@biffstrong1079]

This A4 module was fun. Loved the scramble out of the dungeon with no equipment. It felt a little railroady and obviously the start is a complete railroad (see the Desert of Desolation). It was my crews first Total Party Kill as we came up against the slave lords at the end so that left a sour taste. I tried to revisit some of the other Slave Lord Modules but generally I find the set disappointing. You do feel heroic when you rescue slaves. Not among my favourites.

[@williamjohnston5315]

I think I would do something with a prophecy, played early on, to appease the earth god. This would give a reason for the growing raids (mass sacrifice), and would maybe have sacrificing the slave lords as an option to stop it. Instead of a lords ally, I would have gear tossed down by a character introduced in the second module- who is loyal by the slave lords and spies on the pcs and betrays them at the end of the previous module. I think the climax of killing the slavelords and then stopping the volcano would be an exciting conclusion- bringing down the empire with the slaying of the lords

[@swirvinbirds1971]

I never had an issue with the railroad here to get you into the dungeon really. Nobody dies and it sets-up the actual challenge of escape. Thinking in it more it's probably due to more how we played the game back then. We never roleplayed to the start of a module. Most of the time we were at the entrance of what we wanted to explore. We were kids but man I kind of miss that hurry up and get to the meat of it play sometimes.

[@Jarnor23]

I immediately had that thought too: let the PCs be the ones to make the volcano go kablooey and screw over the slave lords in return. Give them a chance to get their gear back and hunt down the jerks who captured them too. Perhaps rescue slaves from the devastation to follow. All leads to a much more satisfying conclusion to a campaign.

[@Dracopol]

Very James Bond-y, too. The secret island base built in a volcano MUST be destroyed!

[@kmoustakas]

I believe this is the best level 1 campaign starter. Start them as worthless slaves thrown to the dungeons to die. Escape the dungeons makes them level 2, escape the island makes them level 3 THEN start the campaign to bring the slaver lords to their end with A1 :)

[@keithkannenberg7414]

Or play it as a level 0 funnel (see Dungeon Crawl Classics). Each player gets 4 level 0 slaves... the ones who make it out of the dungeon become level 1.

[@ChadJonesAYelpInTheDark]

The heroes must infiltrate the slave lords to find their hidden base. They might stow their items with a friend and allow themselves to get caught, starting off the dungeon of the slave lords. They can defeat the organization by befriending the kobolds or the Myconids who speak of how the slave lords have built cavern dams to keep the sea water out of the volcano. "It angers the spirit of the mountain. The ground shakes every time water gets in." This should give heroes the plan to cause the eruption.

[@edwardgurick5432]

yes .. rolled a 20 when i clicked this!!

[@starcrafter13terran]

You can rally allies at the end as well as preventing the lords from escaping. You get this chance to end it. Hard, yes. But we did it so it's possible. I think it requires non linear thinking, so that's my take.

[@HollmanOrtizBuitrago]

Good! Please a review of The Vilhon Reach.

[@doctorlolchicken7478]

Magic mushrooms eh? I think this adventure needs to be followed by “A5: The Slavelords Get Their Asses Handed To Them”. Where the players learn (at the end of A4) of the location of the remaining Slavelords and have a chance to plot their demise. Given how the pcs are put through the wringer so far, a conclusion where they have the advantage for a change would be a great conclusion. They can try and split the Slavelords up, possibly assassinate them one at a time, or set up some heist or ambush. (If someone wanted a non magic way of getting the volcano go up, unblocking some passage that lets the sea flow into the magma crater would do it, with a bit of geological hand waving. )

[@captcorajus]

Well, as a follow up, you can always mention that the slavelords are travelling overland to their 'secret base' and there's a good chance to 'catch them out in the open' for some well deserved comeuppance.

[@mikrogamis721]

I liked this module to read when I bought it, but yes, A3 and A4 have problems. Especially since the point is to get to the ship and defeat the Slave-lords, yet that means letting everyone in the city, and all the slaves, most importantly burn to death. (And what about the poor myconids too?) So yes, it has issues. But that was the problem with all the modules back then when D&D started: the "good" heroes were mercenaries, looting and killing everything in their path. NPCs included. I never ran this module as a kid. I always hoarded them for the monsters and to steal ideas. I still have a fondness for those myconid drawings. And I can't believe I forgot all about the sandling! ...But, it's been 40 years....

[@ronniejdio9411]

As adventure , it's fine. Some good stuff there. As an epic finale to the slave lords adventure? It's bad.

[@JMcMillen]

When I ran this years ago, instead of trying to take the slave lords ship they just grabbed the biggest ship that wasn't that one and took off with as many slaves as they could. As for the matter of not saving all the slaves, unfortunately you don't always get the sunshine and rainbow ending. All you can do is what you can. Plus, as this was part of an existing campaign, they party had a base with backup gear so even though they lost some choice magic items they had stuff to fall back on.

[@RIVERSRPGChannel]

That’s a good module that converts to 5e well

[@captcorajus]

I'd say yes and no for 5E. The core issue being cantrips, which spell casters never run out of, so the DM will have to account for this in this scenario.

[@DavidLovins67]

I love Earl Otis.

[@marksoberay2318]

May i suggest the natural volcano eruption is incremental and disperses the slavelords and allows them to be whacked individually and still leave enough time to load the ships w slaves to freedom!

[@mikesavill1474]

We played some of these when we were very young and they were merciless. And of course my group hated the 'you have everything taken away from you' concept in this one, which had become a cliché that they were too young to respect at their tender age. I don't blame them as I did nothing to reassure them, sticking to the Gygaxian principle of adhering to the rules and letting the chips fall where they may... Usually to their detriment. Invariably things would end in TPK and just lack of interest to return as a result. There's a reason why there are 9 pre rolled characters on the back and trying to play with 4 or 5 would never be enough to take on the labyrinths many denizens, particularly when the over arching motive of most 11-12 year olds was kill everything! Still, I have always had a soft spot for Ogre and Eljayess and they, of all things, stick with me across the thres and a half decades interim! Here we are, however, 35 years later and I will at least re read these classics on the strength of yet another great set of reviews. Who knows, maybe one day with a bit of modification, the Slave Lords and their grim human trafficking may finally be put to an end! Thanks again Captain for another great series of reflections and reviews. Long may they continue...though don't burn yourself out my friend!

[@BK-cs4gv]

I'm 45 now and I still don't respect the 'you have everything taken away from you' concept. We also TPkd a few times trying to get into the stockade in A2, and many other games. Still great fun overall. Great review as usual!

[@Johnny_Nitro]

Here's the thing I don't get... why would the Slave Lords just dump the PC's into a dungeon? Just kill the party or make slaves of them! These are SLAVE LORDS! Their whole deal is slaves. If there was an arena or something, then sure save the PCs for some gladiator entertainment and then they break out before the show or something. I don't buy into villians that just dump their enemies down a hole and then let "circumstances" decide their fate. Great review though Cap! Keep the good stuff coming. 👍

[@captcorajus]

The tunnels is where the Slavelords depose of their worst enemies. Its not just enough to kill them, they want to make them suffer before they die. To the slavelords, being dumped naked, into utter darkness, without weapons where foul creatures lurk ready to consume their prey is a fate worse than death. Starve to death or be eaten alive. Its a pretty terrifying fate. They are evil, they are powerful and like many who reach such heights they are arrogant and overconfident. The PCs DARED attempt to breach their stronghold. For that affront they saved their worst punishment for the PCs. Bwah ha ha ha!

[@Johnny_Nitro]

@@captcorajus Maybe it is a conceit of the time or just too James Bond villian for me, but given everything you said, why would the Slave Lords just assume the PC's will suffer and die without witnessing it themselves? It reminds me of Austin Powers when Dr. Evil told Scott that he was going to leave his enemy alone and not actually witness his death and assume it all goes according to plan. The critique being that these types of contrivances are silly and break immersion.

[@captcorajus]

@@Johnny_Nitro I don't think they are silly at all. Arrogance and confidence IRL very much breeds this type of behavior among 'elites'. You've got to also keep in mind that prior to the PCs they'd thrown THOUSANDS of people into those tunnels and never seen them again. Why would the PCs be any different?

[@Jarnor23]

John Salo You just don’t get it, do you Scott? 😄 Besides, the slave lords couldn’t get the sharks with lasers on their heads.

[@Johnny_Nitro]

@@Jarnor23 (sigh) no, no I s'pose I don't.

[@shockerck4465]

There is a VAMPIRE pictured on the back of the original Dungeon book- but NO Vampire in the Dungeon at all......Problems aside this adventure is AWESOME and one your players will not forget. Sure its a railroad, but players should have fun.

[@captcorajus]

Yeah, I really went through the book for this video trying my best to find that darn Vampire encounter. lol

[@shockerck4465]

@@captcorajus same. Just not there. Lol

[@john-lenin]

Like Raiders of the Lost Ark

[@elrikmordner]

First time through I was pretty young, maybe 15, and it was run by this awesome old guy, and we lost. Dice decided our outcome. We got lobotomized and sold.

[@captcorajus]

Ouch!!

[@captainharris8980]

I always saw this on the D&D rack at the game store and was curious about it, but I wasnot into D&D at the time so I didn't buy it. Thanks for the rundown and review of it.

[@DavidLovins67]

I haven't listened to Dr. Dimento in 45 years, but you kind of sound like him.

[@captcorajus]

Lol... you're not the first one to say that to me.

[@MrRourk]

If you have never done so please check out and review Jason Vey's Free Conan OD&D OSR Game.

[@captcorajus]

I am quite familiar with the excellent Age of Conan supplement, and I love it and the follow up to it Acheron. I actually contacted Jason about doing a review on it, and he kindly asked me not to... for reasons pertaining to licensing and such. Great OSR supplement though.

[@MrRourk]

@@captcorajus I have some people begging me to start a campaign up on Roll20.

[@captcorajus]

@@MrRourk You should! That would be a blast for sure. I espeically like the 'culture' benefits as opposed to 'racial benefits'. Run an 'all humans' campaign!

[@MrRourk]

@@captcorajus If only I could get a group of players to all want to play humans.

[@GrimGoblinLives]

If I ever run it i'm so stealing these ideas

[@cthulhupthagn5771]

These modules have their uses, but without revision I dont think newer gamers will enjoy these. Not because of any kind of wussification, just that theyre not likely to get into the mindset these were written for - the challenge itself

[@lordshell]

Yeah, I remember being pretty disappointed about this finale.

[@MoragTong_]

"player ingenuity and quick thinking" this is where todays RPGs and player base have gone off track. It's all about min/max/dipping/WARLOCKS...and not about being a good player and trying to get better.

[@pentegarn1]

What will they call it now that the word "slave" is banned from WOTC products? "In the Dungeons of the not so nice lords"? lol

[@ieatbatteries7]

I always thought of ditching the entire volcano scenario and instead setting up elements in S3 as to have to the PCs lead a great slave revolt, I think it fits much better with the themes of the series and is cooler for a final battle. The PCs and an army of slaves over running the slavers. Great stuff tho, keep up the fantastic work.

[@MikeWhiskyTango]

Its been 40+ years or thereabouts since I played it, but I think I made it so the PC's had to trigger the volcano as a means of winning the game. They had to cut the powerful magic holding the volcano in stasis. Don't ask me where I put this magic mechanism, its been too long ago. It would have been in the final chamber.