Modules in Hindsight: B2, The Keep on the Borderlands

 TSR-era D&D produced a plethora of published adventure modules. Some are beloved, some reviled. Some exemplify the modern "old school" ethos and some started D&D down some very dubious paths, which old schoolers today by and large disavow. Some of them made for engaging, fascinating reads, but were problematic at the game table. 

In this series, I plan to take a look at some of these old modules for Classic (that is, non-"Advanced") D&D, not necessarily as a reviewer, but really digging into the specifics of what I like, what I don't like, what works and what doesn't, and most importantly, what DMs and authors of today might learn from them. It seems appropriate to kick it off with the module that introduced me to the game, that is still considered a classic among classics, so without further ado, I give you may take on...

Module B2: The Keep on the Borderlands, by E. Gary Gygax himself

(Spoilers to follow, on the off chance you're not familiar with the module and might soon be playing under a DM who intends to run it)

It's obvious why this module came to be packaged with the 1981 Moldvay Basic Set. In an age before "starter sets" were all the rage, it was a complete starter set done right. It isn't just a dungeon module; it's a complete micro-setting, featuring a home base, a small wilderness, and a sprawling dungeon complex with multiple levels of challenge. It also embodies the ethos of the day to a T: it doesn't presume to tell the DM or players what goals to pursue or  how to "tell a good story." Rather, it provides a setting, populated with people and monsters, salted with valuables, and turns the group loose to do as they please. It isn't "an adventure"; there's enough material to run multiple expeditions, and advice on how to restock locations to get even more hours of play out of the dungeons and environs of the module. 

In fact, it's worth spending a few more words on the advice offered in the opening pages of this module. Gygax is certainly not above criticism, and I've done so elsewhere, but the four and a half pages he has provided us of introduction and advice, not just to the module, but to the game itself, ought to be required reading for every new DM. Of particular importance is the idea that the DM should be neutral: seeking to provide fair challenges, but once play begins, let the chips fall according to the players' actions and the roll of the dice. This is how both players and DM become more skillful at their roles in the game. It covers the importance of information in playing the game, and warns the DM against giving the players unearned information. Gygax also takes pains to make sure the DM understands that it's his or her prerogative to make any changes or additions desired to the material provided, and suggests extending the map, adding new wilderness and dungeon areas once the content of the module is exhausted. There's a wealth of sound advice in those pages, and if you haven't re-read them in a decade or three, it's absolutely worth a fresh look.

Now, on to the module proper. The first section details the titular Keep, with a detailed key listing its defenders, officers, notable inhabitants, and the treasures kept by each. The implication here is that, while the Keep is provided primarily as a safe base of operations for law-abiding characters, the possibility of looting it by stealth or by force has been taken seriously. A list of rumors about the surrounding lands is also provided. No names are given for any of the inhabitants, which is something of a hindrance to new DMs who aren't good at coming up with names on the fly and haven't prepared their own list in advance. It does leave the choice of cultural flavor open to the DM, but it would've been nice to have some names suggested for the Castellan and a few other major figures. Some groups may make heavy use of this material, and to others it's background info at best, but it's there, and that's a strength of the module.

The wilderness section provides several keyed encounter locations, as well as some makeshift rules for outdoor travel. It's a bit sparse, but again, the DM is encouraged to add his or her own content, and it does serve the purpose of showing how to do it. Some of these could constitute mini-adventures in their own right, if desired, or they could simply serve as hazards to be wary of while the party searches out the main attraction, the Caves of Chaos.

The Caves of Chaos themselves are an interesting setup, in that they don't conform to the classic vertically stacked dungeon levels described in the rulebooks. Rather, the caves are arranged roughly in order of difficulty from the mouth of the ravine to its closed end, and from the lower caves to upper -- which is an inversion of the usual vertical order of a dungeon. 

Once again, Gygax provides a wealth of advice on running a dungeon, not merely this dungeon, but dungeons generally. He touches on factional alliances and rivalries which the players might exploit, monsters learning from their experiences with the player characters, restocking "cleaned out" areas, and even monsters ransoming captured characters, which is a fantastic way to reward players for thinking strategically rather than always fighting to the death. 

So, what do I love about this module?

1. It's a complete setting unto itself. There's a safe place for parties to rest, recoup, and resupply, a very extensive and detailed dungeon complex, and an outdoor map to connect the two without handwaving the journey to the caves. 

2. It's a setting, not a script. The players aren't required to do anything, but there's a lot they can do if they choose. They can be heroes, treasure hunters, explorers, opportunists, or some melange of all, and none of it breaks the scenario or theme of the module.

3. It has a whole lot going on: numerous lairs in the Caves of Chaos, from orcs and goblins to evil priests to an owlbear and a minotaur; several colorful wilderness encounters, and even some intrigue in the Keep itself. It's not merely a one-off adventure; the module can sustain at least a couple levels' worth of play. This is perfect to start off a campaign with continuity instead of just a series of unconnected vignettes. It's also a masterclass in how to integrate a lot of disparate elements into a whole that makes thematic sense.

4. It has a mythic vibe to it, even re-reading it years later with the jaded eyes of an old grognard. Despite the Gygaxian naturalism of the creatures inhabiting the caves, they still manage to feel inhuman and alien. It's not just lairs full of barbaric humans with weird faces; it's an embodiment of the strange, dark, and mysterious forces of Chaos.  

5. It's easily expandable. You can just tack on more graph paper and extrapolate beyond the boundaries of the official module. You can add more dungeons, more wilderness encounters; back in the day, I even added a sister keep in an arid region to the west. The module even suggests an area, the Cave of the Unknown, with proposed integration to the Caves of Chaos, but with an easy out if a new DM doesn't feel up to mapping and stocking their own dungeon just yet. 

6. The advice for new DMs, written in uncharacteristically straightforward prose, and covering a variety of topics that are either missed or less than fully treated in the actual Basic rulebook. 

What are its weaknesses?

1. The module doesn't pull any punches. Several encounter areas feature powerful monsters, or lesser ones in numbers that most low-level parties just can't handle in a pitched fight. This is a feature, not a bug, a lesson in discernment, discretion, and strategy, but to a group steeped in the modern ethos of fetishized encounter balance and set-piece combat, it could easily become a frustrating meat-grinder to those who fail to adapt. 

2. The lack of names. Likely no big deal for an experienced DM, but a newbie might be put on the spot when the players ask, "Who's this guy, then?"

3. The unconventional configuration of the dungeon might throw players and DMs off the calculus of "deeper = more danger and more treasure." 

That's really about it as far as shortcomings, though.