[AD&D] Review: Black Blade: The Secret of Smuggler's Cov

[tacojohn4547]

This week, I received an email that contained a review of Black Blade Publishing's release of First Edition Dungeon Crawls: The Secret of Smuggler's Cove. The review was written by Alphonso Warden, a modern-day RPG author and self-described grognard. Alphonso has several OSRIC adventures published (by both Expeditious Retreat Press and Brave Hafling Publications) and is a fan of the early editions of D&D.

Alphonso has no formal affiliation with Black Blade Publishing at the present time, and the review was unsolicited, though I did provide him with a copy of the adventure at no cost. He has granted permission for the posting of this review as I see fit.

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Jon Hershberger
Black Blade Publishing
June 23, 2009

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Review of 1st Edition Dungeon Crawl: The Secret of Smuggler's Cove published by Black Blade Publishing:

I. Production Values:

I don't know about the rest of you, but the aesthetics of the classic 1st Editon modules and supplements were what originally drew me to role-playing games. The artwork at the time was a wonderful blend of that appearing in 1960's comic books and the pulp magazines of the 1920-30's. I am pleased to report that the artwork in The Secret of Smuggler's Cove is no different. The font chosen and the monochrome cover illustration is very similar to that of the modules produced by a certain RPG company we all knew and loved in the late seventies/early eighties. And then there is the interior artwork, which is crisp, vivid, and of a nice size. One particular interior image is especially impressive, being as it spills onto two pages of the module and is surrounded by text on the outside edges of both pages. The rest of the artwork is equally impressive, ranging from quarter-page to half-page sizes. Most importantly, each piece of artwork is drawn specifically from the module and can serve as effective handouts the gamemaster can show his players to set the scene.

The typesetting and manufacture of the module simply blew me away. Physically, the module appears to have been printed by a traditional off-set printer on high quality printing plates. The text and illustrations are extremely crisp and not the least bit pixellated. And then there are the magnificent dual cardstock covers that are not attached to the booklet in the classic style. The front cover is laminated on one side to increase its durability and is composed of heavy cardstock like the modules we loved from the late 1970's/early 1980's. Better yet, all of the maps from the module are printed on the inner side of the outer cover and on both sides of the inner cover, and in classic blue ink no less by noted old school cartographer Andreas Claren. Also, the paper chosen for the booklet is very very thick and is sure to stand up to years of abuse.

II.1st Edition Conversion:

I must say that I am heartily pleased that the module's conversion from 3.5 D&D/d20 gaming mechanics to that of 1st Edition is virtually perfect. I was especially pleased that the converter chose to adopt the classic parenthetical style of statistic blocks in which such are inserted directly into the running text of the encounter and not at the end as is in vogue today. Such an approach brings a smile to this old grognard who was playing during the RPG Golden Age. The statistical detail itself is equal to that appearing in the 1st Edition adventure modules produced in the early 1980's. In other words, special attacks and defenses are not explained in detail, with only the primary attacks, armor class, hit dice/level, hit points, and movement rate, etc. listed, which is how I prefer my gaming mechanics. I was also pleased that the leader-type NPCs and monsters in the adventure were often times more powerful than normal, with increased hit dice/level, damage potential, etc. I know some purists will say that such is not in keeping with the 1st Edition rules and is more in league with 3.5 Edition rules in which monster advancement is the norm. Personally, I feel that this perception is false, for many of the classic adventures produced in the seventies and early eighties often featured upgraded/modified common monsters, even those designed by the legendary Gary Gygax.

I am heartily impressed that I failed to notice any major conversion mistakes in the module. About the only thing that comes to mind is that one of the monsters appearing in the adventure, green slime, deals Constitution ability damage. I am assuming that such is a carryover from the 3.5 version of the adventure, but being as I am not overly familiar with such I can't say for sure. Of course, in 1st Edition a green slime attacks by coating its victim in slime and transforming him or her into one of its brethren.

The only other thing I noted was that some non-combat oriented challenges were not given definite resolution mechanics. For example, in a few places in the adventure the author indicates that PCs making noise might alert the monsters in the surrounding room to their presence. However, no specific percentage chance or ability check is mentioned to indicate such. In the defense of the converter, however, I must mention that the 1st Edition rules do not provide rules for such challenges either. Perhaps the converter chose to honor this 1st Edition tradition by allowing the gamemaster to employ whatever task resolution mechanic is common in his or her campaign.

The only other conversion mistake I noticed was that one of the minor monsters is not statted out, with only its hit points being listed. Being as the monster is simply a large scorpion, a common monster listed in various 1st Edition creature collections, I don't see this as much of an issue.

III. Storyline/Gaming Content:

Let me say that the storyline of the adventure is extremely engaging. It has a nice piratical theme to it which is quite reminiscent of the weird nautical yarns of the late 19th century/early 20th century. Specifically, the themes in the adventure reminded me of the writings of the legendary William Hope Hodgeson, a personal favorite. Like in Hodgeson's stories, the adventure module is rife with spectral undead and elder ichthoid horrors from the briny deep. Very atmospheric. The adventure also reminds me of a series of 1st Edition piratical adventures produced in the United Kindgom in the early eighties, specifically the first and second modules in the 3-part series. Fortunately, however, the author of The Secret of Smuggler's Cove chose not to adopt a Scooby Doo approach like the designers of the aforementioned series in which all of the ghosts and monsters are merely humans in disguise playing pranks. In The Secret of Smuggler's Cove, the demons, undead, and terrors from the deep are all too real and the module is better for it.

Being as I don't want to give away the plot of the adventure in my review, spoiling the module for both gamemasters wishing to run it and players desiring their gamemasters to run them through it, I will only vaguely describe the major themes present. The adventure basically revolves around the PCs trying to stop a band of pirate smugglers that have been plaguing a coastal village. As the module developes, the PCs learn that the pirates are aligned, albeit shakily, with an ages-old evil. The adventure itself consists of a series of mini-dungeons. The PCs during the course of the adventure are given a chance to investigate a ruined lighthouse suspected of being haunted, to explore the crumbling manor house alongside it, and to make their descent into the sea cave network running beneath the coastal village. All of the maps and the encounters they are keyed to are very atmospheric and logical, making gamemastering the adventure a smooth, stress-free affair.

IV. Overall Impressions:

I must say that were I to rate this module on a scale of 1-10, I would give it a 9.5. The only reason I wouldn't give it a perfect score is that I would have preferred some additional detail with regard to non-combat task resolution. The adventure reads, plays, and looks just like the classic 1st Edition adventures we all grew up on. I feel that this module is truly a return to the glory days of gaming, and I eagerly look forward to future releases by Black Blade Publishing.

Reviewed by Alphonso Warden

[Grognard]

Well, if I bought modules based on reviews, this one would have me reaching for my wallet.

[francisca]

So, I have a question: Who did the conversion?

[rogatny]

I have the C&C version. So I can't comment at all on the 1e conversion.

However, assuming it keeps the same basic set up... It is extraordinarily reminiscent of the U1-3 series. So much so, I wouldn't be surprised if it originally arose from the author's actual play of those adventures. A lot of people talk about the leap in difficulty between U2 and U3, and this adventure seems to be designed to slot right between them.

You would have to make very little, if any, changes in the adventure's back story to make it fit right between the party coming to terms wit the lizard men and going off to fight the sahuaghin.

[tacojohn4547]

So, I have a question: Who did the conversion?

I did the conversion, Rich.

Matthew was the primary editor, and Allan edited the first 1/3 of the book as secondary editor. Allan also worked on a module style guide as we worked through the conversion and editing phases, which will become the defacto template for orgainzing content and physically laying out new and orignal adventures that we have the opportunity to release.

[Juju EyeBall]

What size/level party is this adventure best suited for?

[tacojohn4547]

What size/level party is this adventure best suited for?

Suitable for parties of 4 to 6 PCs, of levels 5-7, though if my past conversions are any indication of how closely I 'hit' that size/level target, that may be a little low.

FWIW, I tend to make the encounters a bit tougher than perhaps they should be for a specific size/level target. That comes, I believe, from my years of experience as a DM in which we have (and had BITD) very experienced players and a large group playing together. My current group for instance, includes 7 players, all of whom have played first edition for years and years. Of the 7 current players, five of us (including me) have played together off and on since 1979 or 1980. And Grodog is one of the other playes in our group.

[grodog]

My current group for instance, includes 7 players, all of whom have played first edition for years and years. Of the 7 current players, five of us (including me) have played together off and on since 1979 or 1980. And Grodog is one of the other playes in our group.

For gaming at least, it is good to be me Jon runs a great game, and we have an excellent crew of players. And he puts us through the wringer, too!

[Keolander]

The review sounds awesome. I'll be getting this module soon, but right at the moment I'm waitin for RJKs Tower of Blood reprint (I managed to snag a Cairn of the Skeleton King reprint). BTW, it is my fervent hope that the DCC module #3.5 The Haunted Lighthouse by Dave Arneson is among the modules that will be converted.

[tacojohn4547]

The review sounds awesome. I'll be getting this module soon, but right at the moment I'm waitin for RJKs Tower of Blood reprint (I managed to snag a Cairn of the Skeleton King reprint). BTW, it is my fervent hope that the DCC module #3.5 The Haunted Lighthouse by Dave Arneson is among the modules that will be converted.

Thanks in advance for your interest (and your support!).

DCC #3.5 is a highly sought after module, to be sure. I don't know whether it's even possible to do a conversion of that adventure, from an IP licensing standpoint, given that the Dave Arneson estate probably has some say in the matter. At some point, we may well make a run at doing this one. But my thoughts are that there are plenty of the DCCs that are worth doing and that are available without having the added burden of another party with an interest in the IP. Of course, that's fairly speculative on my part.

[tacojohn4547]

And, in writing a dissenting opinion, DMPrata took us to task on several points. Here's a link to the review at Dragonsfoot

http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewt ... 38&t=36990

and here's a repost of David's full review:

I know I'm going to be pilloried, but I have to give a dissenting opinion here. I've been biting my tongue since I received my copy a couple of weeks ago, not wanting to cast aspersion on Allan, Jon, et al, but I just can't do it anymore. I was very disappointed with this module. As I've made no secret of elsewhere on these fora, The Secret of Smuggler's Cove is the one DCC that I found to be worth purchasing. After reviewing several of those modules, DCC #7 seemed to be the easiest to convert to 1E, with the fewest distasteful 3E-isms. So, I do own the original d20 version of this module, as well as Rich Franks' 1E conversion document, freely available on Goodman Games' website. Ownership of the two foregoing items makes Black Blade's $16 cover price a superfluous expense, in my opinion. I'll tackle the above review point by point, keeping the same format for my rebuttal. There will be spoilers.

I. Production Values:

I agree with most of Alphonso's points in this respect. The artwork, typesetting, and layout definitely evoke the feel of those old-school modules we all know and love. My one beef is the laminated outer cover; while this may have sounded like a good idea, my copy has been curling outwards, such that the module now refuses to stay closed. Still, this is a durable, attractive product, which would otherwise justify the higher-than-average cover price.

II. 1st Edition Conversion:

Here's where it falls apart for me. I don't think the conversion was "virtually perfect". Alphonso points out the green slime causing CON damage, clearly a d20 artifact. Here are some others:


* Bandit fighters are inexplicably listed as having 2nd-level thieving abilities. (Are they really all dual-classed thief//fighters?)
* I don't mind the "mama" giant rat with 4 HD, but why do all the giant rats have to be 2-HD creatures? That's four times the size of normal giant rats, with no explanation.
* "New" monsters (actually standard d20 monsters that have been converted) are presented with little to no explanation. There should have been an appendix to explain what an allip is, or what a darkmantle is, if this were truly meant to be a stand-alone 1E product. How exactly does the allip's WIS drain work?
* Similarly, "new" magic items and spells are introduced that don't really need to be, in my opinion. Deathward, as a 1st-level spell, seems superior to the 3rd-level spell negative plane protection. Why is this new spell even presented? It's not essential to the adventure. Do the antagonists really need those potions of bear's endurance?

The above two points lead me to a third related issue, which is my biggest complaint. It seems the editorial team, whether intentionally or not, took the path of least resistance in converting the 3E monsters to fit the 1E rule set. 3E modules typically contain a good deal of tactical information for each creature encountered (which is a good thing). It appears, though, that the authors were more willing to change the 1E rules to fit the original monsters' tactics than vice versa. Rather than coming up with new tactics for a standard harpy, they created a "new" harpy that could do the same things as the 3E classed harpy.

In the single most absurd example of the above problem, here's a breakdown of the treatment of one major antagonist from edition to edition:

* Original 3E module: gnome wizard/rogue mounted on a giant weasel (or maybe a badger — I don't recall)
* Rich Franks' 1E conversion: half-elf MU/thief, sans giant weasel
* Black Blade's 1E conversion: dual-classed 4' tall human MU//thief mounted on a giant weasel
Yes, the image of a gnome riding a giant weasel into combat is pretty iconic, but I don't think it's iconic enough to strain credulity in such a ridiculous manner as to make the gnome a 4' tall dual-classed human with white hair and a beard. Make him a gnome illusionist/thief (and get rid of the wizard locked doors), or go the half-elf route and ditch the weasel.

III. Storyline/Gaming Content:

I mostly agree with Alphonso here; unfortunately, the credit for the story doesn't go to Black Blade, who merely adapted the original Goodman Games adventure. Here again, I feel that ownership of DCC #7 plus the free conversion document makes the Black Blade release irrelevant. A problem with the original that Black Blade inherited is that the compass points on the maps don't seem correct. Taken as presented, with north being the top of each map, the path from the front gate leads to the back of the manor house (which faces south), not to the front door. Also, the lighthouse lies to the northwest of the manor house on the surface, yet the underground passage connecting the two runs east from the manor house.

IV. Overall Impressions:

I can't say for sure how I would review this module if I had no knowledge of the original. It seems that this product is neither fully a stand-alone adventure nor fully a companion piece. In some places, familiarity with the 3E version seems required (to have any clue what an allip is, for instance); in others, the same familiarity breeds contempt (such as in the conversion of Erol the gnome).

When I told a friend that I'd ordered this from Black Blade, he asked me if I'd be putting my Goodman Games copy on eBay. In my final analysis, I'm much more likely to run the original with the free conversion document than I am to run the Black Blade version. It pained me to type this review, because I respect Allan, Jon, and Andreas. I wish I had something better to say, guys. I don't buy a whole lot of new gaming products, but I made an exception for this one because I was excited about the launch of this line. I hope they get better (and I'll help if I can).

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I think it's safe to say that we've got the full spectrum of opinions covered in these two reviews!

[JRR]

Heh, due to the truncated subject of this thread, I read it as "Secret of Smuggler's Cow."

[qstor]

Heh, due to the truncated subject of this thread, I read it as "Secret of Smuggler's Cow."

I got a copy a few weeks ago. Its MOOOvalous

I'm looking forward to other Black Blade mods.

Mike

[Benoist]

At least, both reviews indeed present the product from different angles. It made me very interested in purchasing it, actually.

More reviews = good.

[francisca]

Jon, you get the stand-up guy of the year award for not only linking to a negative review, but posting it.