Yes I read that, very sorry to hear of his passing.

Try running a campaign Dave's Way. The players do not ever see the character sheet. It adds so much mystery.

@@MrRourk Didn't Dave eventually do the same thing MAR Barker ultimatly did; abandon all crunch except the percentile dice? Or am I thinking of someone else?

@@Painocus yes his other game uses 2d10 Adventures in Fantasy

Ha, ha, ha!

He really do be making them good videos tho

Don't forget Gary was dealing with Empire of the Petal Throne and the other great gaming world at the time.

That's a curious comment. Not sure what you found about DA1 to be revelatory regarding difficulties between Gary and Dave, but as that may be, as Captcorajus pointed out, it was TSR who created the entire time travel plot and the Comeback Inn adventure in this module. Arneson's contribution to DA1 was in the setting material he had provided not in the adventure, nor did he have any input into how it was organized in this book.

@@danielboggs2013 Not really I see Gary having dealing with 2 visionaries in a fledgling company who had reputations for not being easy to work with. Gary himself also being a visionaries known for difficulties. So actually 3 visionaries at a fledgling TSR each wanting to go their own way.

@@MrRourk I would guess the 2 visionaries you are talking about are Arneson and Barker, but you could also mean Brian Blume, Jim Ward, John Snider, Rob Kuntz or David Megarry in terms of the designers working on games for TSR in the mid '70's. I don't think any of these people had or have ever had reputations of being particularly difficult to work with. Not sure where you get that. Sure Arneson, Kuntz, Snider, and Megarry (and eventually Gygax himself) all had their falling outs with TSR, but those were not related to projects they were working on.

I downloaded the Dragonquest RPG from SPI, that Richie was co-author of and its a stunningly dry reading rules set. Certainly giving some insight as to what might have been the issue with DA1's presentation.

Yeah, I actually agonized over that 13/ 14 for a bit. You might be right there, but I do like the Blackmoor information provided, just now how its presented and the adventure isn't 'BAD' its just a but railroady, and not the 'Adventure in Blackmoor' I would have wanted.

I think if you go through any youtuber's library whose been around awhile the first stumbling through is a bit .. embarrassing. lol Hopefully, as time goes by one gets better, and I'm certainly glad you're enjoying them! Game on!

@@captcorajus i wouldn't call your early entries embarrassing, i think they are enlightening products of their time and i still go back and listen to your classic module videos for insight and inspiration The G-D series is still my favorite of all time! I go back and take notes about things you say, especially regarding NPC interactions and plot hooks. You are an intrinsic part of the OSR community, your videos are digestible beacons of knowledge for "new" OSR players and I think they are invaluable. I actually have an NPC in my Blueholme game based on your channel, he's called the loremaster of aeons and he often makes references to events that occurred in modules from the early TSR era. I can't wait to see what's next on your channel

I'm pretty sure I said that at 8:00 :)

@@captcorajus How on EARTH did I miss that? Good lord...I am made of fail today, apparently. Comment duly edited. My apologies.

Can't argue with that. It would be an interesting project to try to write new modules based on some of the stuff portrayed on those covers, though.

I keep thinking the book of artifacts had an entry with some sort of ceaseless juggernaut as an automaton kinda thing...am I inventing that?

You're welcome!

Welcome. We have meetings every Tuesday.

Yeah, this is one of those that's tragic due to the 'missed opportunities' to be sure.

The Duchy of Ten comes with the corrected map. The other modules in the series are much better, but the first is not that great.

The three column text was a function of format redesign in the mid 80s and early 90s. If you look at the D&D rules cyclopedia, the format is similar. However, I found this module to be particularly egregious.

We'll see. I don't have the game, and I've never played it, so its not something i have much expertise on. I try to stay focused on my 'wheel-house' which is 'old school D&D'. Videos that deviate from that topic also don't usually do all that well on the channel.

@@captcorajus fair enough.

No one knows for sure. Lots of theories.

@@MrRourk I lean towards it being an "Energy being" as stated in one source or the other.

The Egg of Coot was replaced by Iuz. If you read Tomb of Horrors tournament version it says the Tomb is in the Egg of Coot, the official release says it is in Iuz.

No one knows, its never been 'officially' revealed. I tend towards the insane, psionic being of incredible power version though.

@@ZorroinArkham That I did not know. :)

I am. Temple of the Frog is next.

@@captcorajus thank you! Love your videos

Absolutely!!

That is from the player's handbook 1e AD&D my friend.

@@captcorajus oh ok that's is super cool I just recently got into older versions of d&d. Thank you for letting me know.

Well, maybe. FR wiki page for the alkada for those who don't know about the silly things already: forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Wingless_wonder#:~:text=An%20alkada%2C%20commonly%20called%20a,pathetic%20form%20of%20an%20alkada.

Hmmm, I think not. The Egg of Coot was an insane, psionic being of incredible power, and really nothing like the things in FR.

@@captcorajus but what if he was responsible for turning others into the wingless wonders? What if the EGG was like a giant version of those things, like an elder god from out of time and space, and the only glimpse at his true form are these cast off reject monsters. Or the EGG is the Beast from Krull

​@@russellharrell2747 I mean, if you want that to be your own head cannon, then by all means, make it so. However, there's no official suggestion that the creatures are in any way related to Dave Arneson's Egg of Coot, and based off of what is actually KNOWN about the creature in Arneson's campaign, it doesn't seem likely that would be the case. swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/2016/11/one-of-my-favorite-od-villains-egg-of.html#:~:text=The%20Egg%20of%20Coot%20is,once%20dominated%20the%20entire%20continent.

I don't think I made it clear enough in my review due to my ire at the complete lack of ACTUAL Blackmoor adventures, and massive text walls. What redeems it somewhat is the massive amount of Blackmoor lore, and taken independently, the inn between worlds adveture is decent enough. Then there's also, perhaps a lack of confidence in my own voice in regards to being critical here when I should have been more decisive. Lesson learned.

This is the only series of modules featuring the 'comeback inn' i know of.

@@captcorajus Hmm, I will try to remember the one I read.

I probably should have rated it lower, no doubt, but to me the inclusion of the Blackmoor lore elevates the material.

Its episode 66: D&D, the old days with Dave Wile from Retro RPG Reviews -

Lol... I had a feeling you would like that... As far as a total random module..Not that I know of. Off the top of my head is 'Dwellers of the Forbidden City', the focus of the entire module is just GETTING IN the city. The city's interiors are done through a series of 'city geomorphs' that are randomly determined.

B1: In Search of the Unknown is also of the "build your own dungeon" variety, where the map itself is static, but the contents of the rooms are determined by the DM in advance, either by random roll or DM choice. An early issue of Dragon magazine (issue #1, I think, and also reprinted in one of the "Best of Dragon" volumes) and later the AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide offered up tables for random dungeon generation meant either for solo dungeon delving as a player without a DM, or for the DM who wants to dice their way to the mega-dungeon of their dreams. :)

@@Areala21 I need to check that out. When I DM my challenge is to stay invested also. I loved running modules vs. my own home brews. I found that when my players showed disinterest in my world or narrative I would get offended. So, I began using modules because I didn't care if the players skipped stuff or didn't explore the setting. However I found that knowing the story also became boring for me and I wanted to be surprised along with the players. So I started to let the dice decide lots of things. Who the monsters attacked, who got hit by a trap, even what monsters "appeared". I got very disenchanted when I put lots of work into something only to have zero reciprocal interest from my players. I confess my sessions can become meandering, but overall there is way less table bickering and being a referee demands less time and energy while offering me some surprise also.

@@captcorajus I would also look into trying to find a copy of the dungeoneer's survival guide. The book contains a whole bunch of charts graphs and tables for precisely generating at least a dungeon, and includes photocopiable pages in the back for making three dimensional maps on an isometric scale, including little drawings that you can cut out and place on the map

@@cthulhupthagn5771 I've had that book since it came out. :)

Absolutely adapt this for Greyhawk. Easily.

@@captcorajus Oh and thanks for your amazing work. I love how nostalgic your videos feels. From how you present the modules to the intro music (that I absolutely adore, where is it from ?) Cheers from France !

Been done before kzfaq.info/get/bejne/etaGnqp0mprWZas.html

Nothing wrong with a railroad; just as long as there are at least a couple switches here and there for alternate tracks to go down.

Oh no! That's way to harsh. Arneson's material elevates it. The adventure itself isn't HORRID, but its just not an 'Adventure in Blackmoor'. IMHO

@@captcorajus Thanks for the reply! According to your system, however, 6-10 isn't "horrid" but "average", which is what you argued for throughout your video. Btw, I love your videos and this is just a fun grumbling between old school grognards. (I go back to the 1977 Basic set.) Oh, and by the way . . . - Runequest is a far better system. - The AD&D alignment system is great. (Lawful Good!) - The better the armor the lower the Armor Class number should be. - Greyhawk is superior to Blackmoor. - All editions after AD&D are not real D&D. - If your copy of "Deities and Demigods" doesn't have the Cthulhu and Melnibonéan mythos you are not a real gamer. - T1 is the greatest module ever created.

@@ctvtmo Actually, I'm pretty much in agreement with your assessment. I should have trusted my arguments and rated it lower.

@@ctvtmo Also... lol.. to the other parts though. :P. I love Grogs!! :)

He was, but he wasn't considered in the same category as the other three. Sort of like there are four Ghostbusters, but if you go by marketing for both movies there's only three.

Ultimately, yes, but that was still a few years off. Keith would gain a LOT of artistic knowledge through his association with the 'big three' that would elevate his work in later years. I was specifically talking about the state of TSRs production values at the time of DA1's publication.

Already done. See my 2E review and my Basic D&D Review.

@@captcorajus yes I saw but I was thinking a more in depth analysis of each individual not a full bio persay but something with meat if not that's cool I only ask because I find myself asking more questions about some of the key players granted most would put Gary as a pedestal individual if you will granted I have but I feel arneson didn't get as much recognized acclaim as he should have plus when it comes to williams yes Gary had some hand in TSRs downfall as did the blumes but williams spent her career hounding Gary in future projects to the point where she placed TSR in 30 million in debt which is more than what TSR at the time Gary came back from hollywood to save what the blumes spent Plus I feel many individuals such as elmore kuntz and mentzer don't get much status or individual show That's just me

dude, you're not missing anything. these modules are...slightly better than terrible.

You're absolutely correct. My rating for the module was too generous. My problem with this was a hesitancy to have confidence in my own evaluation. Going forward, I'm just going to call it as I see it, and take the risks involved. lol See my review of "in Search of Adventure".

Ha, ha, ha, ha. I'm sure.

I don't have it, and getting it would prove rather expensive so not at this time. Sorry.

@@captcorajus well I said "if it was available". But I admit that was worded poorly. I should have said I wish you could review the judge's guild thing, but I know it won't happen because it's not available. And what about the zeitgeist games material?

​@@captcorajus oh, and sorry for the misunderstanding.

@@RobbieJennings-cd6cp Oh, no worries at all brother!

completely inept, poor editing, etc. Keep in mind, that i tend to avoid reviewing such horrid things as I don't see the point in bringing attention to them.

@@captcorajus i think N2 'the forest oracle' deserves the captcorajus treatment.

I saw that SF is available for print on Demand, so probably going to happen. Everyone has been so great about using the affiliate links and THAT lets me buy things to review like that. So yes.

I had that and the "Volturnus" modules.

ha ha ha, yes.

Yeah, I definitely was too nice on this stinker. Agreed

Well she who you are afraid to name kept TSR going much longer than that would have. She took the mess of 1st edition and turned into 2nd edition which outsold 1st twice over. Everyone wants to dump on her but she did her job.

@@adampender2482 I'm going to contest your assertion. 2nd edition only came into being to create enough differences in the property to reduce or outright prevent Gary ability to draw residuals by claiming in court that they were a different product. She also forbade play testing anything, claiming that she wasn't paying people to play games. She openly derided fans as idiots, hired many of her friends and family, and forced PSR to spend a lot of money to produce a Buck Rogers game that's sold so poorly Somewhere Out There is a warehouse full of unopened merchandise. Now to be fair, at times I wonder how much more or less successful the company would have been under Gary. Gary was a brilliant designer but he also had a view of role playing that is more in line with the fictional Gary Jackson of knights of the dinner table. He openly detested people who tried to interject story elements or play in character, often saying he would Target those characters first. He openly supported the idea of DM vs. Players, and most of his modules could be looked at as unlocking a puzzle rather than playing in a setting. It's hard to say whether or not D&D ever pulled in good profits under Lorain considering the company was eventually sold, yes there was a ton of 2nd edition material but most of it severely lacked in quality control. Sadly, I think a lot of it only sold because fans live up to the name of fanatic and many people tended to purchase everything that came out under the logo. My theory? Had Gary purchased the company back successfully, I think we would have seen more in the way of television and movie products, I think the satanic panic would have been drastically reduced in scope because there would have been an owner openly advocating against the idiocy, but for good or for ill I think the franchise would have had considerably less variety in its product line, I think it's modules would have been more forgettable, and I think there would have been maybe far less addition between 2nd edition and 5th. Which is technically 7th if you include alternity and Saga rules. I also think TSR would have continued to be its own original company, and be a bit smaller. Taking it a bit into social aspects, I also think that there would be a lot less of this ridiculous push back on social media about the racism Of Orcs and such

@@adampender2482 you can kindly take that statement towards the alumni that left TSR after Gary did. I'm sure they'd disagree immensely. Ask cap he pretty much spells it out in facts, it's even catalogued on record. Not to mention she continued to hound Gary on future projects not related to TSR forcing him to change hands with multiple companies. I take it you didn't even watch the video😆

Sorry, but she was not good for TSR, however the creatives at TSR elevated the material. As Cthulhu Pthagn said, she forbade games to be played, and playtested at the company. She openly derided gamers, and hired friends and family. She made a LOT of poor business decisions that ultimately lead to the downfall of TSR. The failed Buck Rodgers in the XXVth Century game was produced at her direction because her family owned the rights to the property. She failed to create an inhouse publishing company leaving publishing to an external contractor (Random House). She failed to maintain large on hand cash reserves, even though the company was making 10s of millions of dollars. The net result was that when large returns of Dragon Dice and Spellfire games came back, TSR did not have the cash on hand to cover the expense, leaving Random House with the bill. Random House had the printing plates for all TSR's core books (player's handbook, DMG, Etc), and refused to print anything for them until they paid the bill. The net result is, that TSR couldn't produce product to PAY their outstandings. That's when WOTC stepped up and paid Random House and assumed control of TSR. Otherwise the company would have folded. Had she brought the publishing functions in house, TSR could have continued to publish product and sold their way out of the deficit. Bottom line, she ruined TSR.

Welcome to youtube.

The best edition of Dungeons and Dragons is the one you're having fun with.

@@captcorajus lol it's better to have fun with a poor edition than not to play at all I grant you.

yeah, the 2 and a half pages of read aloud is ridiculous!

Yeah, spoilers! lol

good thing this ain't one of those modules!

My appreciation of Dave's setting, and the fact that so much of it is actually presented here might have clouded my thinking on the rating. :)

especially when compared to oddwiring.com/projects/FredsWorld/review/Fred%27s%20World%20-%20First%20Edition%20Collection.pdf

@@captcorajus The module certainly reflects his ideas of the hobby, the setting, and does provide insight into Arneson's DM style which is valuable from both a fan's or a museum curator's point of view. That's understandable. I probably would have given the presentation a 10 at best. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have an original copy even if I found myself squinting as I read it and taking copious notes. :)

You could say that, but it would be inaccurate, and court documents say nothing of the sort. While Dave had the idea, his game was 'Blackmoor'. Dave didn't think that his game would see much interest outside a wargamer's audience. It was GYGAX that took Arneson's notes and organized the game into something that could be published and marketed. Without Gygax you and I wouldn't even be having this discussion. A more accurate comparison might be Wozniak and Jobs. Further, while Arneson did file a few lawsuits asking for unpaid royalties, the first was dismissed as it was filed in the wrong jurisdiction, and there was no 'lawsuit win' as no judgement from a court was ever made against TSR or Gygax. Arneson and TSR settled their disputes out of court.

As a teen in the 1980s, I remember spending hours between weekly AD&D sessions thinking out the logic and background to next module to make it play ‘right’. It probably gave me a great training in analysis for my adult career - and it is also probably why I often don’t think very much of the current fully digested offerings produced by WotC as it is not how I would have done it.

yep.