Why Keep On The Borderlands is the Ultimate DnD Starter Adventure (Map DISSECTED!)

I am currently obsessed with maps and their connection to bringing players back to the table. Keep on the Borderlands is the prototype sandbox adventure and that's why I think it could work at any table. Who am I? 👇
A few things about me
I'm a Pro-DM and I'd love to run a game for you and your friends.
tinyurl.com/mrdffxyc
I am a Certified Therapeutic Game Master and, if you're a therapist, I'd love to work with you to help your clients through role play.
You can connect with me on social
Twitter (X) @FlintFireforge
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[@FlintFireforge]

What adventures do you, or your players, love that involves an evocative map?

[@ClassicRollPlayer]

I remember loving the Lost City so much

[@FlintFireforge]

Good times! @@ClassicRollPlayer

[@Tusitala1967]

The Village of Hommlet. It was the first AD&D module I played in 42 years ago and I have run it 4 times.

[@yourseatatthetable]

Two game systems that I love to run as a GM that have extensive maps are both old, even ancient by todays standards. Middle-earth Role Playing Game (MERP), and Judges Guild, which for those who don't know, was a very early sandbox/world system meant for D&D. In any game, whenever practical, I like to have maps present. If the world's region has a 'large map', I'll hang on a wall nearby so the players can glance at it. Two things I'd say, about maps, to both players and new GMs. They do, indeed, make good playing aids, but they can also lead to players going, "What's over there!" If your ready and willing to be fluid, then it works out. Second: Truth be told, and I am an old school diehard, the detailed "smaller maps' aught not be given to players, or allow them to be seen. My reason for this is a strong belief that part of the 'fun' of adventuring is player's making their own, however crudely drawn, maps. Let the players explore, I say. Let them 'learn by action and thought' instead of having it handed to them. This goes double for sandbox campaigns. And yes, clever players can buy maps, but if we are trying to be 'in character' and, of course, depending on the genre (i.e. Sci-Fantasy, etc., accessing maps can be different), but in Fantasy, and most diffidently in Sword and Sorcery settings, most people can't read nor write, and map making is even more rare. Often some of the best adventures came out of a party getting lost, heh.

[@Tusitala1967]

@@yourseatatthetable I still use City State of the Invincible Overlord. The original player map is full of notes the players took in pencil back in the 80's, so I found another set and bought it.

[@yourseatatthetable]

It was always a go-too for me back in the day for starting a new group of players

[@FlintFireforge]

Using it in an upcoming learn to play at my local game store. Gonna be fun!

[@yourseatatthetable]

@@FlintFireforge It'll be a hit

[@steelmongoose4956]

The Keep (or the Caves, at any rate) was a tough-love adventure that taught players the importance of caution and tactics. It also teaches new DMs to customize an adventure. It was the first game I played, back in 1980. I don’t know how many times I’ve run it since then, adapted for 3rd and 5th editions. Lots of good memories.

[@FlintFireforge]

That's awesome! Keep it going!

[@CaptCook999]

It was a beginner module with "places" for you to go. The NPC's don't have names, that was for you to figure out as the DM. And it was designed to be put most anywhere on the "edge" or Borderlands of your "world". So any direction that the players went after finishing the module was new territory or at least it could be. I can't tell you how many characters we lost going through those caves. I can't tell you how many trips we made back to the keep for supplies like oil, torches and arrows. It was the first time that we encountered a creature that could only be hit by magic weapons. That was scary! We probably could have done better if we had thought things through a bit but it was fun for weeks on end before we moved on.

[@FlintFireforge]

A most excellent adventure report! Thanks for sharing.

[@raphaelargus2984]

Remember this so well, haven't played since the 80's, wish I could find a group around here of guys in their fifties who want to play again.

[@FlintFireforge]

I play online with my 50 year old friends. Have you tried playing online?

[@raphaelargus2984]

@@FlintFireforge that's a good idea

[@trevorclapham5571]

@@raphaelargus2984I am 49 and think the same thing.

[@dennisthornton4434]

Play online. That's what I do.

[@bobbycrosby9765]

I go the opposite direction for my maps. I don't think a mass of generic trees draws out much imagination from players, but maybe it varies from person to person. A forest drawn in a way to look spider infested, you betcha. How about the hint of some temple ruins - to what forgotten god was it dedicated? A well-maintained cabin - who lives there? A tower on the top of some far flung mountains - what wizard makes its home there? I think fantasy maps can be drawn in a way such that they evoke the images of adventure without a single word written or spoken. But most of the official ones don't seem to be. Edit: apparently they're called pictorial maps.

[@FlintFireforge]

I think it varies from person to person as well, and that is why I'll be exploring some different maps in upcoming videos.

[@oklahomasoccer]

It’s a classic because it is meaningless. You can put it in any major map of any world and it would hold no relevance except for those who explored it. This was 30 years ago, I remember my players with 8th and 9th lvl characters (leveling up was difficult in my world) discuss how much they missed the ‘old days’ of the Keep of the Borderlands.

[@Snoil]

This an excellent way to work players into a living world. Doing right now with a group that has 2 total noobs, one not-noob but kinda new, and 2 vets who have never seen a tsr product, lucky me. We are having so much fun I can barely keep from allcaps.

[@FlintFireforge]

ALL CAP AWAY!! EXCITED FOR YOUR GROUP! HAVE FUN! :)

[@Snoil]

@@FlintFireforge CAN'T WAIT FOR SATURDAY!

[@BX-advocate]

I recommend adding B1: In Search of the Unknown to B2. It can be a good reason to go out to this region and gives them a dungeon to start on. While I do enjoy B2 I have unfortunately run it too many for bad groups so I'm a little burnt out on it. My favorite module is B4: The lost city.

[@FlintFireforge]

Great tip. Thanks.

[@Tysto]

I got started with D&D Basic back in 1981 and ran Caves of Chaos a couple of times. Today, I would separate the different caves to be a mile or so from each other, altho some could still be close enough to be connected. That would make it more of a hex crawl on a 1-mile hex map and make it less of a monster housing project. By the way, I'm very impressed with your camera and lighting setup. I was surprised to see you don't have many followers.

[@FlintFireforge]

Yeah, splitting up the caves is a good idea and thanks, I try, feel free to share the video, maybe I'll get some more subs 😃

[@steelmongoose4956]

My notes and additions to this adventure are longer than the original adventure. 😄

[@FlintFireforge]

Been there. @@steelmongoose4956

[@BigVillyStyle]

Great video - has real insight and passion on display that many of the "bigshot" dnd content creators have let slip. Great commentary and just ordered Into the Borderlands to mod it for my players, and to experience it for the first time ever! Very exciting-

[@FlintFireforge]

That. Is. Awesome! Hope you and your players have a great time.

[@GothridgeManor]

I think Joe and I touched on this one. What makes B1 one of the best adventures is the keep. Plus at the time, when there were very few adventures to chose from, it gave you a good sampling of monsters and had enough variety of monsters you could handle and monsters you needed to tuck tail and run away to live another day. My characters were never fast enough...or was it I wasn't fast enough to realize I was outmatched?

[@FlintFireforge]

You guys did mention it and I think it's probably the latter lol

[@GothridgeManor]

@@FlintFireforge I'm sure you are right. 😁

[@petegiant]

4:27 You actually pointed to the caves of the unknown, the caves of chaos are to the north east.

[@FlintFireforge]

Good catch. I shall flog myself later :)

[@petegiant]

@@FlintFireforge :)

[@timbuktu8069]

Fun fact the Caves of Chaos are only about a mile and a half away from the Keep. You could adventure all day and still sleep in a warm bed. One of the problems that I found was that the problems were often beyond the scope of 1-3 level adventurers. (a cursed sword that requires a WISH spell to get rid of, pots and pans that AUTOMATICALLY turn you chaotic evil etc.) These need to be toned down.

[@FlintFireforge]

Agreed. There are some elements that are op for the levels who will play but I think that was on purpose. You were supposed to be surprised if you survived lol.

[@timbuktu8069]

Yep, that sounds like Gygax.@@FlintFireforge

[@davezenz]

Agreed

[@miked.9364]

Under Illfarn is a vastly superior starter adventure. the 70sand 80s showed that most DnD designers, writers, artists had extremely little knowldge of time and/or distances. The 'caves' of Keep of the Borderlands are the crowning achievements of people having zero clue on Distances and Time.

[@FlintFireforge]

I have no quibble with that. This is the first module for the Forgotten Realms so I think Steve (Perrin) had more to work with than Gary. Also, it's 8 years after Keep, I'm sure they learned a thing or two. You could divide it and say Keep is the best starter BFR (Before the Forgotten Realms) and Under Illfarn is the best starter AFG (After Forgotten Realms). Thanks for watching.

[@bradwatson7324]

Technically, it's a castle and not a keep. Just sayin'.