Descent into the Depths of the Earth

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Descent into the Depths of the Earth
Code D1-2
Rules Required First Ed AD&D
Character Levels 9-14
Campaign Setting Greyhawk / Generic D&D
Authors Gary Gygax
First Published 1978
Linked Modules
G1 G2 G3 D1 D2 D3 Q1

D1-2 Descent Into the Depths of the Earth[1] is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game written by Gary Gygax. It is a compilation of two earlier adventures, module D1 Descent Into the Depths of the Earth[2] and D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa.[3] The original D-Series modules were both published by TSR, Inc. in 1978 and were received with considerable praise[4]. The compilation was later published in 1981. All three modules are profiled in Heroic Worlds, Lawrence Schick's 1991 guide to role-playing games.[5] The combined module was given an extensive overview review by British RPG magazine White Dwarf wherein it cautioned Dungeon Masters that running this module was unlike any they had run before.[6]

The adventures contained in the module are the first two of three adventures in the "Drow" series, which concludes in module D3 Vault of the Drow. The "D" series itself is part of a larger overall campaign of adventures set in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting. The overall campaign begins with the three modules in the Against the Giants series (G1, G2, and G3), continues through the "D" series, and concludes with module Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits. The latter segments of the campaign, including the "D" series and module Q1, are set in a vast network of caverns and tunnels called the Underdark. The entire campaign was eventually combined into a supermodule GDQ1-7 Queen of the Spiders. When combined as the Queen of the Spiders with the rest of GDQ series, this module was voted the single greatest adventure of all time by Dungeon magazine in 2004, on the 30th anniversary of the Dungeons & Dragons game.[7]


Contents

[edit] Module artwork

The original versions of the D1 & D2 modules both featured monochrome cover artwork by David C. Sutherland III, but the 1982 compilation was released with a color cover illustrated by Jim Roslof. Sutherland's interior artwork from the original two publications was included in the compilation, as was that of David A. Trampier. Other artists whose work appears inside the compilation include Jeff Dee, Erol Otus, David S. LaForce, Bill Willingham and Roslof.

1978 version of D1 with monochrome cover art by David C. Sutherland III

1978 version of D2 with monochrome cover art by David C. Sutherland III

[edit] Novelization

Descent into the Depths of the Earth was the basis for a 2000 novel of the same title by Paul Kidd[8]. Published by Wizards of the Coast as part of the Greyhawk Classics series, the novel was the second installment of the "Justicar and Escalla" trilogy.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Gygax, Gary (1981). Descent into the Depths of the Earth. TSR, Inc. 9059. ISBN 0-935696-60-1. 
  2. ^ Gygax, Gary (1978). Descent into the Depths of the Earth. TSR, Inc. 9019. 
  3. ^ Gygax, Gary (1978). Shrine of the Kuo-Toa. TSR, Inc. 9020. ISBN 0-935696-06-7. 
  4. ^ Turnbull, Don (Feb/Mar 1979). "Open Box: Dungeon Modules" (review). White Dwarf (Issue 11): 20. Games Workshop. ISSN 0265-8712. 
  5. ^ Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds. Prometheus Books, 103. ISBN 0-87975-652-7. 
  6. ^ Turnbull, Don (October/November 1979). "Descent into the Depths of the Earth: Running the new TSR D modules". White Dwarf (Issue 15): 19. Games Workshop. ISSN 0265-8712. 
  7. ^ Mona, Erik; James Jacobs, et al. (November 2004). "The 30 Greatest D&D Adventures of All Time". Dungeon (Issue 116): 72. Paizo Publishing. ISSN 0265-8712. 
  8. ^ Kidd, Paul (2000). Descent into the Depths of the Earth. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0786916354. 


[edit] External links