Showing posts with label Death in Reik Caverns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Death in Reik Caverns. Show all posts

Monday, May 29, 2017

Death in Reik Caverns Review — A Relic of the 1e/2e Transition Era


Death in Reik Caverns is a modern day rarity, an OSR module actually meant for 1st Edition (either actual AD&D or OSRIC). In truth though, it's not so much OSR, as old school. It was an AD&D module used at Gencon in 1992, though in a way, it feels much older with that, more like '79, as it completely uses standard monsters and has a rather pedestrian premise — archmage dies, monsters come in and take over his lair and use it as a base to raid a nearby town. However, its true age is betrayed by a number of 2e-isms sneaking through, which honestly does represent how a lot of games were played then, using both 1e and 2e material somewhat haphazardly.

It's meant to be set in Greyhawk, dubbed "Darkhawk" here, but the tiny included map includes Maure Castle, Cairn Hills, Safeton, and Abbor Alz, all unchanged from Greyhawk. Still, it doesn't literally use the Darlene map. It is however set in a new town, Breehaven, 2 hexes away from Greyhawk. At least as far as I know it is new, I was never really into Greyhawk beyond the original folio and early modules.