FA-1: The Copper Circle (A.M. Jackson/bucolian)
AD&D for PCs of 1st-2nd level
From yesterday's grotesquerie to "Aww...cute." And yet (perhaps surprisingly) it turns out this adventure is solid D&D. Someone was just asking the other day (on a discord server I frequent) for a good adventure for 1st level characters. Here you go.
For my review criteria, you may check out this post. All reviews will (probably) contain *SPOILERS*; you have been warned! Because these are short (three page) adventures, it is my intention to keep the reviews short.
First level AD&D magic-users determine their starting spells randomly...but they're unable to obtain Tenser's Floating Disk from the jump. Jackson has designed an adventure that allows you to find the spell. An inter-dimensional copper UFO...the titular "Copper Circle"...that once belonged to Tenser (name changed to avoid copyright entanglements). Now piloted by a bunch of grey-skinned "psionic pygmies" searching for the lost Tenser, the craft has been temporarily grounded due to "technical difficulties."
Enter the PCs looking to explore the unknown weirdness.
Stocking is pretty much Moldvay: 12 encounters divided amongst four hostile monsters, two potential traps, two "specials" (friendly/non-hostile NPCs) and four "empties" that still have stuff to interact with. Good treasure: nearly 19K if the PCs were to sell every last scrap of magical treasure (enough to level up 8+ characters of 1st level)...but a lot of that x.p. is going to disappear as PCs bargain it away with NPCs, drink potions, etc...expending their wealth to succeed. But still...plenty here, and a good amount for six or seven 1st levels.
1st level adventures are tough to craft. It can't all be giant rats and goblins and skeletons. There have to be encounters that can be overcome, but that still offer danger. The encounters here are pretty close to perfect. An electric eel that can be VERY deadly...once per day (and can be avoided with caution). An automaton that does subdual damage. A grey ooze that can be detected and outrun (if necessary) or put to death quickly with a little ingenuity. The "tech problems" (a pair of Manes demons) have lost their teleportation ability, making them dangerous (because of their multiple attacks)...but not DEADLY (low damage, 1 Hit Dice). This is excellent variety.
Special rewards for solving the puzzles in the adventure (gaining Tenser's iconic spell and/or getting transportation from the pygmies by helping fix the ship) are great EXTRA benefits...but PCs can still get plenty of treasure and x.p. without solving the puzzles. They are gravy...secret content...that aren't necessary for the adventure to be profitable.
Solid map, multiple methods of ingress/egress, nifty interaction, appropriate random encounters (love the occasional "electric shock" that only does 1 point of damage, but still gives a saving throw...great!), fun NPCs (love the guy in the hat). And because of the nature of this "adventure site," it can be dropped down into pretty much any campaign. Heck, it can just appear outside the home town of a group of newly minted 1st level characters.
This is masterful. Five stars (out of five). Good 1st level adventures aren't easy to write. A.M. Jackson wrote a good one.
*****
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