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Dungeons and Dragons adventure module The Isle of Dread

Designers: David Cook and Tom Moldvay

11” x 17” Loose card-stock cover

8.5” x 11” inner booklet, stapled, 32 pages (including covers)

Edition reviewed: 1981, TSR Hobbies, Inc.

Number of Characters: 6-10 (stated within the booklet)

Character level: 3-7 (3-6 stated within the booklet)

 

Cover description: The Isle of Dread is the first in a series in adventure modules for use with Dungeons & Dragons Expert rules. As the first D&D wilderness adventure published by TSR Hobbies, The Isle of Dread is designed as an instructional module to help novice Dungeon Masters design their own wilderness adventures. This module contains maps and background material for the isle, fifteen new monsters, and suggestions for further adventures. In addition, The Isle of Dread contains a map and background information for a large continent, and eleven smaller maps for encounters on the island itself. In this module, players will push their way through dark jungles and treacherous swamps to discover the lost plateau, and the final secrets of – The Isle of Dread!

 

Player summary: Your team has acquired a detailed ship’s log that belonged to a now dead sea captain and adventurer named Rory Barbosa. Along with the ship’s log is a map to an unexplored island. Your team needs to secure sea transport for a 500-mile voyage south to the island known as The Isle of Dread.

 

Dungeon Master information: The 36-page inner pamphlet is organized into five sections for the Dungeon Master.

 

Introduction

The Isle of Dread

Central Plateau

Taboo Island

New Monsters

 

Part 1: The Introduction

 

There is a large continental map included in the center of the booklet, and the bulk of the Introduction describes the various regions within the map. The descriptions are rather light (5 or 6 sentences each). When the continental map is viewed, The Isle of Dread is located approximately 500 miles due south. Obviously, if the adventurers begin somewhere on the continental map, they will have to journey by ship to reach The Isle of Dread.

 

Part 2: The Isle of Dread

 

This section begins with a copy of a ship’s log and a map of The Isle of Dread. They are included as a tear-out within the booklet and are intended to be given to the team of adventurers for their collective review. The map shows the outline of the island but is blank regarding its interior. The island itself is about 100 miles long by 50 miles wide. It’s a rather large setting for an adventure. This is not a one-shot module by any means, and more than likely will require many sessions in order to complete.

 

It is suggested the players begin their journey in the coastal city of Specularum which is directly north of The Isle of Dread. They will need to secure passage to the island by either outright hiring a ship or by other means (a list of potential scenarios is given should the party members fail to acquire the necessary payment to hire a ship and crew for the voyage). The journey to the island will be an adventure in itself, requiring daily weather checks, possible reef collisions, random sea-monster attacks and an actual potential for the ship to get lost at sea. Of course, the goal is to reach the island, so the DM is encouraged to go easy on the characters during their sea voyage and allow them to land on the island to start the island-portion of their adventure.

 

There are a total of 25 encounter areas for the island. Some of the encounter areas are quite detailed in scope and could easily produce lengthy game-sessions of their own. Nearly eight pages of narrative are dedicated to the encounters. Additionally, there are 3 large Wandering Monster tables for the DM’s use. Each are to be used within designated regions of the island. The DM should check twice daily (game time) for chance encounters with wandering monsters; once during daylight and once during the night.

 

Part 3: The Central Plateau

 

This section of the island contains 4 detailed encounter areas, 1 small island called Taboo Island, and a high probability of random encounters. There are 11 listed potential random encounters for The Central Plateau. Within the Central Plateau, characters will have to contend with: treants, sabre-tooth tigers, woolly rhinos, cave bears, boars, antelope, dire wolves, and various types of dinosaurs. There is a dedicated map for the Central Plateau. And there are additional maps for several areas within the plateau, including Taboo Island.

 

Part 4: Taboo Island

 

Located on a small lake in the middle of Central Plateau is where the players will ultimately discover Taboo Island. There are 25 detailed encounter areas on Taboo Island. Multiple maps are included as well. At the end of Part 4, there are suggestions for continuing adventures on the Isle of Dread. There are also six non-player characters provided for use as Matriarchs and Tribal War Leaders. However, the details provided for these NPCs is rather light.

 

Part 5: New Monsters

 

The back of the pamphlet is dedicated to 15 new monsters that are unique to The Isle of Dread.

 

My thoughts: This is a heck of campaign setting that is just as much useful today as it was back in 1981. A DM could dedicate months if not years running adventures built around the backdrop outlined in this fifteen-map module. There are endless possibilities for adventures. Not only is The Isle of Dread available for exploration (and already fleshed out for immediate adventuring), but there are multiple smaller islands nearby that could be used for any number of dreamed-up scenarios. And then you have the main continent to work with as well. Overall, this is a fantastic module. Every DM should own a copy.

 

Additional thoughts: Apparently there’s plenty of folks out there who want to whine about character depictions within classic D&D publications. I don’t think they know what they’re complaining about (or actually campaigning for) because to criticize the subjective aspect of creativity is – in the same breath – to advocate for regulated imagination. If you don’t like a specific type of fiction, then by God, don’t read it! It’s as simple as that. And if you want stories produced with heroes or heroines that represent 1% of the existing population, then go write them! Champion the viewpoints you think the world is so eager to learn about. And, in return, the readers-of-the-world will let you know if they want to hear your viewpoint (or not) when they spend their hard-earned money on your product or another that is more in-line with their beliefs. Writers write about what they know and have experienced in their lifetime. They can’t fake that. They can’t fabricate viewpoints based on beliefs outside of their personal wheelhouse because it would come across as flat and there would be a false ring to it. In short: cast your vote with your dollar. Buy and read content that fits your belief system, and then leave everyone else who doesn’t believe in your viewpoints alone. Live and let live.