Good decision. lol

I know there is literally nothing wrong or offensive in them just a nice guy giving his opinion.

People down vote just because they can, it is a troll thing.

Because they still have PTSD from some of the modules and the mere sight of them drives them into a rage.

dude, that was awesome. how long have you been waiting to use that line??

@@professor4202 Quite a while, though I didn't think I'd be using it here :D

Super frogs with fangs...noish.

That joke makes me green with envy.

Excuse me sir, may I see your dad license?

Yeah, its a GREAT cover.

I have the DA Blackmoor modules and love them. I also have just recently gotten Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. My plan is to take Expedition, along with Temple of the Frog and City of the Gods and merge them with Gamma World 3rd edition into a supergame. ;)

Can't overlook that fact that D&D stablemate Empire of the Petal Throne was hugely influential on OD&D (and vice versa, of course) and EPT was always explicitly a scifi (or at least scifan) setting, chock full of aliens and might-as-well-be-magic tech relics.

I guess it depends on the nature of the gripe. Complaining that SF doesn't belong in D&D is certainly an ill-informed complaint. But I think most people say that when they really mean that it's something that they personally don't enjoy in a fantasy RPG, which is fine for setting the tone of the games they play in, but gets tiresome when that turns into telling other people they are doing D&D wrong.

...oh and 1st Edition AD&D Psionics.

I always Like before the video even starts, because I already know it's going to be top quality.

Wow.. thank you!!

@@captcorajus No worries man, you're old school like me and we have lots of the same stuff.

Absolutely!

There soooo many Frog jokes to go with this adventure no doubt. lol

If ya smell What the rock Is cooking. Its frogs . He is cooking frogs

Nice! Great/horrible B movie.

Exactly. You had a great DM who took the material and made it his own.

Awww, thanks!! Glad you're enjoying!😀

That's a great idea. Might be the basis for a series of of videos highlighting such mini modules.

Ive actually been doing the same! I wish this was easier to do though. I'd really kill to see anymore of his Blackmoor notes

Q:Is Blackmoor sci fi or fantasy? A: Yes

Not that time of Blackmoor, the GROF was still 1,000 years off. Later ones would seek out the answers but there are no answers to be found. The explosion destroyed everything, including the knowledge of how, why and when it happened. And because of the time of chaos afterward, we don't even know the where anymore.

Welch also has a top shelf channel. A+

Wow.. thank you!

I wouldn't say I 'love them' but I think they can be fun, if the DM takes each step and narrates what each one represents. For the right group of players and the right DM its an absolute blast. Not everyone is up to the task of that level of detail, so its really a matter of taste. Temple of the Frog is very much a pulp action story, and trying to plod through the charts MIGHT take a brake in the action when ultimate its time to whip out a blaster and do some series damage. lol

Yeah. I'm saving my comments on this as I work to the final two modules.

yep. these modules are terrible.

Right. Regardless of how you might feel about Gary's personal life, behavior, etc, he generated an absolute TON of material for the game personally, some of which was great, some not so much. Arneson just didn't contribute nearly as much over time, and it didn't match in quality. We can acknowledge that Dave may have gotten short shrift for some time regarding his importance in developing the overall initial concepts while understanding that he wasn't that big a part of what made the game great after that.

Well, the AVERAGE I give is not an indication of what AVERAGE. I'm frequently reviewing GOOD to Great modules, and avoiding the stinkers... unless there's a good reason to review them. That's going to skew MY personal average. I think you'll see what I mean in my next two reviews. :)

You are absolutely correct, and it highlights the problems with the commercial aspects of module design in that each module must simultaneously be 'stand alone' and part of an ongoing series. So if you'd only purchased 'Temple of the Frog' and not played out 'Adventures and Blackmoor' you can just 'jump right in' to play out the scenario in the module. Thus, each of the DA modules must be linked to each in the series but also be playable on its own. This created the bookend annoyance in each module of getting the players to the past and then allowing for a way to get them BACK to the future so the DM can continue with their own campaign. Thus each module in the series must begin and end with this clumsy non-sense.

My point there was that time travel is a big deal, and not something to be used casually... Dr. Who is a Timelord, so he's an exception... but the characters here have no particular 'training' in the pitfalls of time travel. They're just blundering through it with no apparent ill effects because the story demands it. Its not 'confusing', its clumsy and inelegant storytelling. :)

Its a good thought with one exception. Dispel Magic. Technology can't be dispelled, and while tech requires a limited power source, it does offer some advantage in a magic based world. :)

@@captcorajus A DM could have a little fun with the players when he doesn't flat out say what the modern thing is they have found, but describes it as a medieval person would perceive it. As a side note, the AD&D module S3 ETTBP, you probably know, has an 'ignorance simulator' flow chart that the player goes through rolling a d10. This can be used to dispel metagaming. That being said, if a magical flaming sword could be lighted by calling out the swords name, isn't that similar to a futuristic technology weapon that is voice activated?

@@jh1859 As I say in 14:18, I'm quite aware, and I make the case for both approaches.:) The biggest distinction between technology and magic.... at least as far as D&D is concerned is that it doesn't suffer from some of magic's foils. It can't be 'dispelled', you don't have to memorize it, it can't fall to an 'anti-magic spell etc. In fact, what REALLY makes technology so much more dangerous than magic is that pretty much any idiot can wield it, and to great effect, once they know what it does.

@@captcorajus I wasn't aware you mentioned ETTBP flow charts. It was kind of late when I wrote it. However, good video as usual! And good talk.

I keep getting requests for it, but to be honest, I have it, and to put it bluntly I'm not a fan. As of right now, I just don't see it coming up on my to do list. :) Briefly, however, the core concept is that it 'allegedly' takes the complex aspects of 5E and 'simplifies' them and gives them an 'old school feel'. Certainly, their idea of 'simplifying' is a lot different than mine. They just seemed to transpose one complexity from another. The game is suppose to still require the 5E rules set, and I found it muddled as to exactly 'where the line is.' As such, its just not something i would really enjoy reviewing. In the end however, it doesn't actually SOLVE the issues with 5E it purports to solve.

@@captcorajus that sounds like a review I would enjoy Cap! Brutally honest. If memory serves, wasn't it touted as having the simplicity of the basic d&d system while implementing the streamlining of 5E? Sounds like it would be in your wheelhouse. Plus, I enjoy when you critique, rate and pass on these new school challengers to old school greatness.

I know right?

That used to be how it was done though! Lol

I appreciate your comment, and thanks for watching, I'm thrilled to have your viewership and commentary! Thank you so much. However, I never said Dave Arneson used chainmail. What I DID say at 8:30 is that the Temple of the Frog adventure presented in the Blackmoor Supplement II rules for Dungeons and Dragons it was intended that the chainmail rules were to be used, which is unequivocally true. Big distinction. I'm actually well aware, through first hand accounts in online forums, documentaries and the like that Dave had his own rules that he used, and I made no comment about what Dave did in HIS personal games other than to go over the "Star Trek" connection, which is well documented. I go to great lengths to limit my commentary to things that are well documented, and where I can... avoid speculation on things that can't be verified, or that have conflicting accounts. When it comes to the early years of D&D there are a LOT of conflicting accounts. I have a plethora of PDFs and the like of old articles from Dragon magazine, zines, and snapshots from online forums such as Dragonfoot, and amazingly accounts vary from the SAME people, with comments made decades apart. Thus, I do my best to stay away from such speculation myself. The subject of the review was specially for DA2, which I personally own, and have played many times and therefore limited my throughs on THAT, as certainly I feel qualified to comment on. Once again, THANK YOU for your commentary. If you'd like to share your experiences, and insights with me further, I would be thrill. Contact me at captcorajus@gmail.com!

I certainly appreciate your commentary, but I can't ascribe to your arguments in regards to DA2. Most of the TOTF minions have 1 or 2 hit dice. The module is intended for characters 10th to 14th level. MANY of the minions are walking around with BLASTERS on their belts, and the blasters do 6 to 36 points of damage and essentially act like a wand of fireballs. Clearly, it will be no problem for a party to overpower several of the minions, get their rings, and once they figure out how to use the blasters, and some other tech its going to be pretty much game over for the froggies. If you were speaking of the Supplement II: Blackmoor version of this adventure I would whole heartedly concur with your viewpoint. However, DA2 introduces the Lady Rissa plot, and then offers.. .in great detail... THREE possible ways to infiltrate the city and rescue here. As recruits, as merchants or as slaves. So I don't understand the 'no plot' comment. In ADDITION, mind controlled characters are simply not 'done for'. The module gives MANY ways that might trigger a new saving throw for such characters. Given the high level of the characters it seems unlikely that they would remain forever enspelled by the mind control device. As I said in my review, the City of the Frog is heavily detailed and the 'Rescue the Baroness' plot is really on the tip of the iceberg in regards to potential storylines. However, this module is not a Hack and Slay affair. It requires an 'undercover' approach, with the DM building tension as to when they heroes are going to 'slip up'. Even if they DO slip up, however, all is not lost. If you read the full description of Frog Town there are NPCs there they can cultivate as allies, and can provide them shelter if they get into trouble. This module is eminently playable, but certainly it requires the right DM and players who enjoy such material.

I tan it like a under cover espionage adventure that .rated down into a aliens type horror action movie with character barley carrying their dead away while teleporting away after a giant battle. They talked about going back for revenge but after a breakneck went in another direction .