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Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Adventure A2 Secret of the Slavers Stockade

 

Designers: Harold Johnson and Tom Moldvay

 

11” x 17” Loose card-stock cover

 

8.5” x 11” inner booklet, stapled, 40 pages (including covers)

 

Edition reviewed: 1981, TSR Hobbies, Inc.

 

Number of Characters: 9 (mentioned in the booklet)

 

Character level: 4-7

 

Cover description: The battle against the slavers continues! You and your fellow adventurers have defeated the slavers of Highport, but you have learned of the existence of another slaver stronghold, and you have decided to continue the attack. But beware! Only the most fearless of adventurers could challenge the slavers on their own ground, and live to tell of it!

Player summary: The slaver’s Highport organization has been dismantled thanks to your team of stalwart adventurers. However, new information indicates a slave processing house may exist in the Drachensgrab Hills guised as a way station for brave merchants traversing the wild lands. A recently escaped slave concurs with your assessment; slaves are transported under cover of the caravans and once they arrive at the old fort, they are prepped and fattened for a new life as a slave. Your team has decided to take their mission of eradicating the slaver organization one step further and investigate the fort to see if the rumors are true.

 

Dungeon Master information: GenCon XIII in 1980 used this module in their open tournament. Instructions are included should the players and DM agree to reconstruct the tournament. Included in the booklet are detailed characters that were used by players in the tournament back in 1980.

 

Unlike module A1 The Slave Pits of the Undercity, the slavers fortress is organized. If players are not careful and are discovered, an alarm will be given which will cause all guards and slaver employees to ready themselves for attack. Normally vacant entrances and doorways will have guards posted, descriptions mentioning unarmed or sleeping guards will have to be improvised as they will be armed and ready for action. And if the party members leave the area in an attempt to return a few days later, they will find the fortress reinforced with more guards than before.

 

There are 5 NPC slaver leaders provided with fairly detailed descriptions to be used as needed by the DM. It’s noted that in campaign mode, these leaders will move about if an alarm is triggered. However, in tournament play, these leaders will stay in their specific encounter areas.

 

The slavers fort (AKA The Slavers Stockade) is 120 miles inland from Highport. The DM is given the option for the party members to start this module at the stockade, or to pickup where they left off in Highport. If the DM chooses for the party members to have to pick up exactly where they left on from module A1, then they will be in Highport where they can buy supplies and then make the 120 mile journey to the stockade. A wandering monster chart is provided for the journey as well as other recommendations.

 

The actual stockade has 39 listed encounter areas. However, not all encounter areas have something to encounter; a fair amount are empty rooms. The dungeon below the stockade has another 39 listed encounter areas. That’s 78 areas where the DM will need to explain what the party members see, and it’s also 78 areas where players will need to investigate. Not too mention, there’s plenty of those areas where players will need to engage in combat. This module will certainly take a number of game sessions to complete.

 

There are a variety of monsters in this module, from the mundane to psionic using creatures, and there are four new monsters listed at the back with full stat blocks. You’ll also find 9 characters that players can use if they wish. These are the characters that were used in the tournament. They’re fairly detailed and include a variety of magic items listed among their equipment that will prove useful in this module. Should you actually have nine players who wish to run this module, the provided characters make a well-balanced team.

 

My thoughts: Want a stealth-focused game with little preparation that leans toward hack and slash with loads of exploration and plenty of tricks and traps to boot? Secret of the Slavers Stockade is an excellent module if that’s what you’re looking for. I definitely recommend it if you enjoy record keeping! Keep in mind you’ll be tracking 9 characters and loads of enemies when it comes to combat. This module will definitely require an organized Dungeon Master.