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Expedition to the Barrier Peaks Hero


Vestnik

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Re: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks Hero

 

Temple of the Frog? Please tell me more -- I have never heard of it. I always thought the first module was Keep on the Borderlands.

 

Egad!

 

OK, Temple of the Frog was an adventure in the Blackmoor supplement, like I said. Basically, it's describes a small town, built around the Temple itself. The latter is essentially a dungeon bash, involving lots of... well... frogs, cultists and frog-like monsters. It's seriously dangerous, and unsuited for low level characters - which is a bit of a shame, given that it was pretty much the original example dungeon. Then again, Arneson's game seems to have been like that, judging from other published material.

 

Keep on the Borderlands was relatively late. In fact, it was numbered B2, not B1, since it was the second module published for Basic DnD. B1 was In Search of the Unknown.

 

Numerous modules were published between Blackmoor/Temple of the Frog and B1. Judges Guild, in particular, produced a whole bucket of stuff. Some of TSR's ADnD modules preceded B1 too.

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Re: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks Hero

 

Thanks. Well that shows how much of a DnD scholar I am not.

 

I think I remember the cover of In Search of the Unknown -- but not the contents.

 

Speaking of this old-school TSR sci-fi fantasy stuff, has anybody ever done anything with Metamorphosis Alpha? I think the setting was just too small (literally) to make an interesting long-term campaign.

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Re: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks Hero

 

Thanks. Well that shows how much of a DnD scholar I am not.

 

It's nothing to worry about. You're a mere youngster of 37. ;)

 

I must confess that I've never actually played Temple of the Frog. My most intense period of playing DnD was ~1981-84. I heard about DnD in 1976, but never saw a copy until 1980, and didn't really get to play it until early 1981.

 

Speaking of this old-school TSR sci-fi fantasy stuff, has anybody ever done anything with Metamorphosis Alpha? I think the setting was just too small (literally) to make an interesting long-term campaign.

 

I looked at Metamorphosis Alpha, and decided it wasn't to my tastes. In any case, Gamma World was out by then - and it wasn't to my tastes either.

 

Traveller was my first RPG - 1979. :thumbup:

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Re: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks Hero

 

I don't think I've ever actually seen a copy of Metamorphosis Alpha. It wasn't in print very long' date=' right?[/quote']

 

I have seen one. I don't think it was out for very one either. It also suffers from "that's nice but what do you do with it?" There's no real long-term goals that I recall. You can't repair the ship, or redirect it, or otherwise use the fact you're inn a gigantic space ship as anything other than window dressing.

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Re: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks Hero

 

How big IS this ship? Doesn't seem like you could get much travelling done.

 

I think it's kind of odd that TSR would choose the "Orphans in the Sky" setting for their second (?) foray into RPGs. It doesn't seem like a very popular genre. Space opera would be more logical.

 

When was Boot Hill?

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Re: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks Hero

 

How big IS this ship? Doesn't seem like you could get much travelling done.

 

I think it's kind of odd that TSR would choose the "Orphans in the Sky" setting for their second (?) foray into RPGs. It doesn't seem like a very popular genre. Space opera would be more logical.

 

When was Boot Hill?

 

Ahhhh... 50 miles long?

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Re: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks Hero

 

Ahhhh... 50 miles long?

 

OK. You can walk across that in 2 days, and much of that is going to be engines, fuel tanks, stuff like that. The place simply isn't big enough to have enough variation for an interesting world, even if you have several decks,

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Re: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks Hero

 

OK. You can walk across that in 2 days' date=' and much of that is going to be engines, fuel tanks, stuff like that. The place simply isn't big enough to have enough variation for an interesting world, even if you have several decks,[/quote']

 

Hey, it dates from 1975 I think. The ship was 50 miles by 25 miles and something like 10 miles deep. Or something like that. Logic wasn't its strong suit.

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Re: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks Hero

 

Oohhh... Melee and Wizard. I still have my copy of In the Labyrinth.

 

Heh. I still have Melee, Wizard and In the Labyrinth. :D We actually played it fairly intensively for about a year and a half, before converting the campaigns over to Hero. IMO, it was .... OK. Not a bad game by any means, and innovative for its time, but a bit limited.

 

We also played Boot Hill (2nd Ed.) pretty intensively for about a year in the early 80's and that was a real blast. It remained a favorite for quick one day games. Mechanically, it was kind of primitive, but with all the source material, gave a very rich game. Damn, now I have Ennio Morricone themes in my head! :)

 

cheers, Mark

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Re: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks Hero

 

I only played the melee and wizard booklets' date=' with the solo adventures. They were pretty fun, simple and easy. Tunnels and Trolls was even more fun, just wild and whacky stuff.[/quote']

 

Strangely enough, I still have a copy of Tunnels and Trolls, too (though the cover fell off that one). And Buffalo Castle!

 

Considering how much stuff I've thrown away over the years, it's kind of odd I still have those....

 

cheers, Mark

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