I converted B2 to 5e for two friends who each ran 2 PCs for a 4 PC party. Told them to expect player deaths and roll up a replacement when it occurred. Had several deaths and one TPK in the Orc caves, but they kept pushing through it and cleared the whole cave system in 3 extra long sessions (6-8 hours each). Everyone had a blast role playing with the original NPCs and cursed items found within. I’ve run a few sessions for strangers at a game store and again it was a hit. I recommend that any DM who hasn’t tried running B2 to do so.
I am currently running my gaming group through the Goodmans Games version of this using Pathfinder 2e. We switched from 5e to Pathfinder in the summer and have been having a blast. They are almost finished and currently going through the "Temple of Chaos" cave. Last night they unlocked the cell holding the Medusa and two of the party members were turned to stone. They bravely averted gaze and managed to take down the chained up Medusa. I allowed them a Arcana check which gave them the idea to use the Medusa's blood to bring back those who have been petrified ! Great times indeed !!
I have used this module in ever edition, I liked the Return to the Keep from 2E, haven't gotten all the 4E stuff yet. I ran 2 groups of friends and co-workers through the module at the same time, it was amazing to see how it changed with each group (using 4E). One player build the caves in minecraft. The magenta box started my gaming adventure, thanks mom.. lol
What a nostalgic leap in the past! I ran the caves of chaos with BECMI in the second part of the eighties and none of my groups made out alive off the first or second cave they explored. They were a bit too much direct in their approach, I suppose. :) I too own the B1-9 module, the very first attempt at building a somewhat consistent adventure path. It wasn't that bad and was also a good way to teach a new DM how to link apparently unrelated adventures into a unified campaign, adapting them to the needs of the moment.
Your copy of B1-9 is in great shape. I used mine quite a bit. Basically it saved the wear and tear on the modules. There is actually a specific path in B2 that allows your characters to survive and advance. Also sometimes I would find the players would forget they could always retire for a bit back at the Keep. Back then the healing rules were actually blah for what we considered heroes, so I and another DM started using the long rest system. Back in 1980. There would be two encounter rolls in the wilderness per night, and three per night in a dungeon or cave type system. That 1-3 hp per day, leave that for the npc folk. There was no short rest. I still use this system in D&D. The game itself is deadly enough and this actually allows for momentum moving forward. B1 was packed into some of the Holmes boxes, but they changed it to B2. TSR was also using a good publisher then. I love modules. I know I've run B2 about 10 times at least over decades. B1 can be quite interesting also. X1 and B1-9 are also the two books that created the campaign world of Mystara for D&D. Excellent stuff.
I dearly love those old Modules. There's just something so classic and mysterious, almost mystical about them. Maybe it's nostalgia on my part. I grew up playing BECMI (I'm 51) my friend Calvert got me into D&D when I was about 11. He's sadly passed on now. But I remember he had Keep in the Borderlands and In Search of the Unknown. We played in Search of the Unknown and started B2 but didn't finished and ended moving into AD&D for some reason. I own a mint copy of Isle of Dread but no others l. I'd collect them all if I could afford it! But the prices are outrageous these days. Sorry for long ramble. All the best from Lancashire, UK.
@@DravenSwiftbow Thanks Dave. Love your channel. Been watching it for many years now. Calverts death was a great shock. Sadly another member of the D&D group from my youth died a few years ago too. . There was about 6 of us. We'd spend most of our school holidays playing D&D, some of the happiest times/memories of my life. It was magical. It's why I love D&D so much and always will.
@@carlwoods4564 Sadly I recently lost a very good freind that played since 1980. I'm 56 now. Sorry to hear of that loss. I've found some very good freinds through D&D that have helped me tremendously.
Nice video. I just got the Goodman Games Into the Borderlands. I had the original module back in 80's when i was a teen. I was going to make my own revision of the Caves of Chaos , but include my version of the Keep itself and a village next to it which i was going to make a version the village of Hommlet / Orlane (cult of the reptile god) to incorporate into the story as well.
Interesting discussion. B2 is a classic strong contender for "best starter module" for a number of reasons (some you obviouly touch on). Another strong candidate for starter module is T1 published for AD&D. It is my 1st choice to run a published setup for a campaign. Competing factions, interesting NPCs with hidden secrets and motives, and lots of rumors to pursue. Lost Mine... is also a really good module as a start for a campaign or as a self-contained mini-campaign, but like the others I mentioned, it also requires a bit of DM experience and/or thoughtful preperation in order to get the most from the published material. There are modules that are probably more suited as a DM's first adventure, but I personally find those starter modules less satisfying in every other way.
Great video! Thank you for sharing. We ran this at a game store and I think we all made it out alive but we had some experienced players. I really miss what DnD provided on their website in support of 4e. The posted a lot of great adventures and supplemental material for the game. The Chaos Scar was a great adventure site. Sadly those days appear to be behind them.
Cool look at all the iterations and nods to the Keep through the years. Speaking of, have you or anyone here used the Beyond the Borderlands OSR ‘zine that Swordfish Islands sells on its website? Only two issues so far but it’s supposed to flesh out the Keep and the surrounding areas in a cool old school way? I’ve almost purchased several times and wanted to see if anyone has used it and had thoughts?
I wanted to lead the OG "Keep on the Borderlands" as a foray into Basic D&D for my players but I was deeply unnerved by the inclusion of non-combatant Orc women and children, and the module even seemingly rewards you if you slaughter them. I thought that shit was lame as hell, so I'd have to change it. Also there's the entire colonist attitude of the module, of the human kingdoms "taking over" the wilderness where there are creatures that are completely unprovoked, so for me the only way to really make this module work is to make the tone of the playing side as being under complete threat. And also the hermit with the tiger. Guy's literally crazy and helpless and I don't see why he should be painted as some sort of bad guy. So what I did instead was to make him an amnesiac who turns out is the REAL castellan, and once you jog his memory, you can enact a ploy to try to help him return, and usurp the current and false castellan who is only hungry for power. That would make the module ten times better in my opinion.
