The good news is that my idea of using Old School Essentials to revisit classic D&D and AD&D adventure modules is lurching forward. The bad news is I actually have to execute the idea. That all starts with a plan. I'm an experienced enough gamemaster to know that any plan I come up with is unlikely to survive contact with my players. Still, whatever bits of it I can salvage from the burning wreckage may provide a handy guideline.
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| Lost the originals in a move, but POD from DTRPG will do the job. |
Narrowing Down the Options
Using classic modules greatly simplifies planning. I just have to pick out the ones I want to run. The criteria I'm using are: my group's interest in a particular module, compatibility with OSE, and the level of effort involved with running it.
My group includes veteran players who made it clear that they have no interest in another go at B2 The Keep on the Borderlands. I completely understand not wanting to return to it after playing or running it half a dozen times. The goal of the campaign is to indulge in nostalgia, not endure tedium. Tt is the only module vetoed outright by the group.
Old School Essentials is designed to be compatible with the Basic/Expert D&D rules. This makes B- and X-series modules ideal. AD&D modules require some conversion depending on content. The stats of certain monsters are similar, but not identical. Other monsters - like demons and devils - are not presented in OSE Advanced Fantasy at the time of this posting.
Running a module rarely means just giving it a skim and winging it from there. I've posted about this before - I found that studying a module and running it from my notes is best practice. It's even worse if I feel the need to rewrite aspects of a module to better fit my style or the tone of a campaign. This suggests that Jaquays-style dungeons and open world hexcrawls would work better than something relying on a baked in plot.
The List
B4 The Lost City
A classic Moldvay dungeon crawl that I never actually got to play or run back in the day. There's a strong swords and sorcery vibe that my group should appreciate. Also, it avoids an issue with early B-series modules - large areas being left blank. A key point of this campaign is me avoiding work.
X1 The Isle of Dread
Another Moldvay classic. This one is a hexcrawl inspired by the kind of "lost world" stories featuring dinosaurs and steamy jungles. It may or may not turn into fantasy 'Nam for our group due to those dinosaurs and jungles. The only issue that I have with it is the paradox of the black pearl that supposed to kick off the adventure.
G1-3 Against the Giants
D1-2 Descent into the Depths of the Earth
D3 Vault of the Drow
Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits
This is the ironic series of adventures that starts with dungeon crawling through the centers of evil giant power, drops into what would later be called the Underdark, passes through the wretched hive of scum and villainy that is a Drow city, and ends up in the extraplanar lair of a demon goddess. Nevermind all the set up about the Elder Elemental God, the real bad guy is Lolth and the real treasures are the literal treasures that the party loots along the way.
Alternates
X2 Castle Amber
The Moldvay classic dungeon crawl that I'll be running if the Moldvay classic hexcrawl that is The Isle of Dread doesn't appeal for whatever reason. Otherwise, I'll save this personal favorite for a later OSE campaign I have in mind.
C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan
The recommended levels between The Isle of Dread and Against the Giants leaves a gap. I have a few modules that I could slot in to cover it. This one is the front runner due to fond memories I have of running it in grade school. I am hopeful that my older and mature current group makes it through encounter #13 much better than my group back then.