 | |
| Code | I10 |
|---|---|
| Rules required | 1st Ed AD&D |
| Character levels | 8–10 |
| Campaign setting | Generic AD&D |
| Authors | Tracy and Laura Hickman |
| First published | 1986 |
| ISBN | 9780880383226 |
| Linked modules | |
| I6 I10 | |
Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill is a Dungeons & Dragons module written for use with the First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons ruleset, by TSR.
Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill shares structural elements with the original Ravenloft module, including variable goals for non-player characters and variable locations of important objects, so that Gryphon Hill does not play the same way each time. [1] The module includes 11 cards that are used to randomly determine the identity of the vampire as well as the location of items that need to be recovered as part of the plot. [2] The module's plot features an artifact known as "The Apparatus" that switches the personality of a monster with that of an ordinary person in town; player characters, therefore, are uncertain about the true identity of the people they meet. [3]
The module introduces Azalin the lich, who was later became an important character in the Ravenloft campaign setting. [3] This module is playable on its own or as a sequel to the original Ravenloft. [1] It details the town of Mordentshire, as well as haunted moors, and a manor house, all laid out on maps in perspective like the original module. [4]
The adventure book is 48 pages and includes a large color map and an outer folder. [4] The pack includes several player handouts, pre-generated player characters and a map, all of which are designed to match the booklet text; also included is an event chart, where daily pre-set events are logged for the Dungeon Master, who can add additional events. [2]
Ravenloft 's success led to this 1986 sequel. Although Tracy Hickman and Laura Hickman were credited with writing Ravenloft II, they left TSR before the module was completed. The writing was done by David "Zeb" Cook, Jeff Grubb, Harold Johnson, and Douglas Niles, following the Hickmans' outline. Each writer pursued a different section of the module in order to meet the deadline. [3] Clyde Caldwell, who had done all of the art for the original Ravenloft module, provided the cover, and interior art was done by Jeff Easley. The adventure is designed for first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons characters of levels 8 through 10. [3]
Carl Sargent reviewed Ravenloft II in issue 87 of White Dwarf magazine, where he stated that it was a "strong sequel to I6 Ravenloft" and recommended it highly. [1] He noted that the plotline is very complex, with interactions between PCs and NPCs being much more important, and that key events help keep the action going and provide direction for the adventure. Sargent criticized the sequel for having over-the-top minor encounters, and warned that the complexity of the plot would require careful preparation. He pointed out that the module includes play and time-keeping aids, and felt that the adventure was worth the extra effort. Sargent highly recommended Ravenloft II for "lots of monsters, plenty of roleplaying, lots of offstage action, items and crucial information to be gathered, and ... an excellent ending." [1] Lawrence Schick also commented on the sequel in his 1991 book Heroic Worlds, describing it as "Gang-written just before deadline by the whole TSR design staff. The vampire Strahd returns in a gothic adventure of Things Man Was Not Meant to Know." [4]
Tom Zunder reviewed Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill for the British magazine Adventurer #8 (March 1987). [2] He declared that "this scenario is one excellent, if not the most excellent example of the genre. Following, as is so totally correct for the genre, the original Ravenloft scenario (I6), Tracy and Laura Hickman have quite superlatively re-created the style and atmosphere of the classic vampire tale, whilst at the same time never allowing the players a plot line transparent in simplicity." [2] He commented that The House on Gryphon Hill was "not quite a sequel to the first adventure, nor is it a prequel, but rather a parallel story, and the idea of running both I6 and I10 in an interweaved nightmare would indeed make for a classic scenario". [2] He felt that the interaction between the entranced player and DM "makes for rapid referee integration of the information, but since the opening days of the adventure are more involved than the inevitable false calm of all horror film beginnings, this should be no problem to do between sessions". [2] He commented that the module is "well-written, with a clear and accurate plot description leading in to atmospheric and well-written chapters on the various major locations" and felt that the event chart made "referee control and understanding of the scenario easy and clear". [2] Zunder went on to say that "the players' sense of reality is excellently broken down, perturbing events are mixed with just enough sanity to never allow any security of expectation. The resolution is subtly tragic, with a mix of scientific and supernatural so necessary in this type of tale. The potential for running this scenario with any other RPG is enormous. Indeed, it would be especially suitable for a late 19th C or early 10th Century RPG, such as Justice Inc. or CoC . All in all, an excellent product, recommended for nearly everyone." [2]
Ravenloft is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. It is an alternate time-space existence known as a pocket dimension or demiplane, called the Demiplane of Dread, which consists of a collection of land pieces called "domains", brought together by a mysterious force known only as the Dark Powers. Each domain is tailored to and mystically ruled by a being called a Darklord who is forever trapped and surrounded by magical mists surrounding the domain. Strahd von Zarovich, a vampire in the original AD&DRavenloft I6 module released in 1983, became the first Darklord, both ruler and prisoner of his own personal domain of Barovia. The story of how Count von Zarovich became Darklord of Barovia was detailed in the 1993 novel I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire. As originally established in the Ravenloft: Realm of Terror boxed set known as "the Black Box" released in 1990, the Ravenloft campaign setting was located in the Ethereal Plane. As a physical manifestation of that plane, lands, monsters and even people were created out of the mysterious mists, and the realm acted as a prison where one could enter or be transported, but means of escape were few. Other Ravenloft Domains and Darklords were eventually added in various AD&D 2nd edition products establishing a core continent attached around Barovia which could be traveled to by others if their respective lords allowed entering or leaving their borders; while some Domains remained isolated in the mists and were referred to as Islands.
Tracy Raye Hickman is an American fantasy author and designer of games and virtual reality (VR) experiences. He co-authored the original Dragonlance novels with Margaret Weis as well as numerous other books. He also designed and created role playing game material while working for TSR and has cowritten novels with his wife, Laura Hickman. He is the author or co-author of over 60 books.
Ravenloft is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. The American game publishing company TSR, Inc. released it as a standalone adventure booklet in 1983 for use with the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. It was written by Tracy and Laura Hickman, and includes art by Clyde Caldwell with maps by David Sutherland III. The plot of Ravenloft focuses on the villain Strahd von Zarovich, a vampire who pines for his lost love. Various story elements, including Strahd's motivation and the locations of magical weapons, are randomly determined by drawing cards. The player characters attempt to defeat Strahd and, if successful, the adventure ends.
Day of Al'Akbar is an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventure module written by Allen Hammack and published by TSR inc. in 1986. The module consists of a forty-page booklet with a large color map and an outer folder. It bears the Dungeons & Dragons code I9, I meaning intermediate and 9 for module 9 in that series.
Count Strahd von Zarovich is a fictional character originally appearing as the feature villain in the highly popular Advanced Dungeons and Dragons adventure module I6: Ravenloft. Later, this character and his world would be explored in follow-up modules, novels, and the Ravenloft campaign setting. Within this setting, Strahd is the first and best-known of Ravenloft's darklords. He is a powerful ancient vampire. He is also a master necromancer, a skilled warrior, and the unquestioned ruler of the domain of Barovia.
The Assassin's Knot is an adventure module written by Lenard Lakofka for the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and published by TSR in 1983. It is designed for 6 to 10 novice and intermediate players with characters of levels 2-5.
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In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a vampire is an undead creature. A humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature can become a vampire, and looks as it did in life, with pale skin, haunting red eyes, and a feral cast to its features. A new vampire is created when another vampire drains the life out of a living creature. Its depiction is related to those in the 1930s and 1940s Hollywood Dracula and monster movies. In writing vampires into the game, as with other creatures arising in folklore, the authors had to consider what elements arising in more recent popular culture should be incorporated into their description and characteristics.
Laura Curtis Hickman is an American fantasy author, best known for her works in game design and fantasy novels cowritten with her husband, Tracy Hickman. She was one of the first women to write and publish a tabletop adventure.
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Dragons of Despair is the first in a series of 16 Dragonlance adventures published by TSR, Inc. (TSR) between 1984 and 1988. It is the start of the first major story arc in the Dragonlance series of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) role-playing game modules, a series of ready-to-play adventures for use by Dungeon Masters in the game. This series provides a game version of the original Dragonlance storyline later told in the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy of novels. This module corresponds to the events told in the first half of the novel Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Its module code is DL1, which is used to designate it as the first part of the Dragonlance adventure series.
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Rahasia is an adventure module, self-published by DayStar West Media in 1980 and published by TSR, Inc. in 1983 and 1984, for the Basic Set rules of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Its product designation is TSR 9115. It was designed by Tracy and Laura Hickman, and features artwork by Jeff Easley and Timothy Truman.
Pharaoh is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The module was published in 1982 by TSR, Inc. for the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules. It formed the first of the three-part Desert of Desolation module series. The module was written by Tracy and Laura Hickman; Tracy Hickman would later go on to help create the Dragonlance campaign setting.
Desert of Desolation is a compilation adventure module published by TSR for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy roleplaying game. It combines three previously published individual modules: Pharaoh, Oasis of the White Palm, and Lost Tomb of Martek. The modules were made for use with the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) rules. Pharaoh was created by Tracy and Laura Hickman soon after the couple married in 1977, and published by TSR in 1982. Oasis of the White Palm was a collaboration between Tracy Hickman and Philip Meyers, and Hickman wrote the Lost Tomb of Martek on his own; both were printed in 1983.
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