The only module from that era which was so high level Gygax had to actually include a new expanded table of monster attack rolls to make things more challenging! :)
And the environmental effects on the party's property were outstanding. I back ported them to nasty, less magical jungle places in my own world, but they were meant to remind players of the 1E maxim, "Grow ye not overfond of your fancy gewgaws, for the DM shall surely take them away!"* As you and others have pointed out, OSR was in many ways a game about planning and attrition, and this was clearly meant to reinforce that aspect. "No time pressure, but every week you spend here sees more of your magic items rot away! But take as long as you like, really!" *even Gord was not immune. His much vaunted +4 shortsword of true sight got deleted midway through _Sea of Death_ and you could almost hear Gary chuckling in the background, "Well, maybe you shouldn't have slashed a black pudding with it if it was so precious to you!"
We loved this adventure back in the day and I adapted it for Master level BECMI. Just a fun, souped-up Isle of Dread. And those aren't really NPCs; they're pre-gens for use as PCs.
Never ran this one, but it's a great read. I love the two pages of boxed text, for myself, I don't think I could get through monologging it to the party. If I get to run this I would probably copy it out and send it to the players in advance to read. Same with the pre-gens, interesting reads, neat setting flavor additions, no real value to the adventure. Love the foreshadowing that something big was brewing in the world. Gary told me he did have plans for his own Greyhawk Wars. Iuz, the Horned Society, the Fists, and maybe Ket, or possibly some of the Nomads, the memory is hazy, were working together. I love the ending and hope to spring it on my players one day.
I've only heard about this module here and there in passing, which is weird given how long I've been playing D&D. 🙂 Thanks for the low-down. It sounds like it has a few things in common with my much-loved Isle of Dread, if maybe less sandbox-y.
Not only do you need to be high level, you need a high level cleric. Two would be even better but I've never been in a party with two. My Paladin had just reached 13th lvl and I was excited about trying out the extra attack with my two handed holy sword!! And I was swallowed whole by a T Rex in the first hour of our first session. LAME!
Just read this module through again a week or so ago, and I still love its twists and turns of story. It really is challenging, and it does make it really difficult for the "standard" AD&D player. Which is the fun of it all. 🙂 I've never run it, as I burned through my Monty Haul DM proclivities before it was published and therefore had more reasonable level characters in my campaigns. 😀 It might be fun to do as a one-off using the pregens. Maybe someday.
My final comment is regarding the NPC blurbs... I never thought I needed a Rogues' Gallery type supplement; I would just wing it if the PCs got in a fight with someone I hadn't statted out. That was until I played Pathfinder aka D&D 3.75E. With characters and level advancement so complex, I really struggled to come up with stuff on the spur of the moment that was worthy of the party, and while I never expected to like it, the NPC Codex was a lifesaver. It, too, had a blurb for each NPC it threw out there; obviously doing this for WoG would have been much simpler for a 1E game... like Rogue's Gallery ++. Still, an awesome idea.
Thanks for reminding me about this adventure. Will fit perfectly into my campaign as a “side quest” as my PCs patron is Kwalish who is always getting them to do stuff for him to trade for spells or magic items, training etc.
The comment at the end is about not having enough NPC information . What about the City of Greyhawk box set, The Greyhawk Adventure book, and don't forget the Marklands and the Iuz the evil accessories, gave you so many backgrounds and descriptions of the Greyhawk world. Thanks for video, it been to long since I DM this module. Going to take a look at this again.
I was referring specifically to adventure modules. I much prefer world building via adventures, rather than sourcebooks that are just info-dumps. It's more "show" than "tell" to me.
@Greyhawk Grognard I wouldn't call the Greyhawk box set an info dump. I am not trying to argue with you. Just expressing a different point of view. I enjoy your videos, and like yourself, I grew up playing advanced D&D.
A beautiful foldout map of the place where you will die horribly. 😂 EDIT: Would be fun to run at a con and have each player sign on the map where their character croaked.
I bought this back when it was released, but I never ran it; too high level for my players; and it appeared to be tailors for the "pregens" included, which I was never a fan of, personally, then; although, as you say, I do now love how those characters add lore and flavour to the setting. I/we always found it difficult to play PCs we were not familiar with, then, though. So, which is better, in your opinion: "Isle of the Ape" or "The Isle of Dread"? They are similar, but very different animals; The Isle of Dread is surely more popular, it being a part of the Expert Box; but one must be superior to the other in its execution.
