Keep on the Borderlands is a conversion of paper and pencil module written by Gary Gygax, first published by TSR in 1979. The paper and pencil module, The Keep on the Borderlands, was ranked the 7th greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time by Dungeon magazine in 2004, on the 30th anniversary of the Dungeons & Dragons game.
Players arrive at the Keep on the Borderlands, where they base themselves before investigating the Caves of Chaos, a series of nearby caverns full of humanoid tribes poised to destroy the keep. It typifies the dungeon crawls associated with beginning D&D players, while permitting some limited outdoor adventures.
The module is primarily a hack and slash adventure, although I have tried to add opportunities for role playing and there are some tricks and traps.
It is intended for new characters. It should work for multiplayer but I did not have the opportunity to run a multiplayer test.
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In collaboration with original module author ENoa4, the DM-Friendly Initiative (DMFI) is pleased to announce that B2: Keep on the Borderlands - DMFI Edition has just been released and is available for download on this page.
The DMFI edition of the module has additional features designed to enhance multiplayer and DM'd play, including a new DM Guide, revamped Player Guide, DM Plot Wand, the DMFI Tools, and other goodies. We hope you enjoy.
Many thanks to Carlo for all of his hard work preparing the DMFI version of Keep on the Borderlands.
I'm giving this a 10 for nostalgia. Sure it's not the greatest mod ever but it was great fun checking this out. I haven't experienced any kind of interactive game going back almost 30 years since my first impression of D & D and the original PnP module that came with the basic set. Thanks for your efforts and the trip back in time.
Posted by enoa4 at 2009-09-2906:02:38
Thanks for the vote good sir. _________________________ ENoa4 http://enoa4rpg.blogspot.com
Posted by Deadeye_Daxx at on09/26/09
5.0 - Fair, Solid Yet Unremarkable This module is a bit dated because of it's early development. A very faithful but lackluster reproduction of the original PnP mod. To really be fun it needs a group and a DM to fill in the story and flavor that was left out. Nonetheless it's a classic, and I enjoyed running through it quickly. Given when it was made though, it's a solid piece of work.
Posted by enoa4 at 2009-09-0311:13:34
Thanks for the post and very kind words good sir. _________________________ ENoa4 http://enoa4rpg.blogspot.com
Posted by Lanessar at on09/01/09
This is an excellent conversion to the original PnP mod. It's pretty identical to the original (having run about 15 groups through it). But it's missing some... I don't know... DM touches which were never present in the original DnD mods. Don't get me started on how the mods from 2000 onwards spoon-feed DMs everything as opposed to the originals which were left for the DM to craft an intriguing setting. That's not the author's problem, per se. As an example, as you finished clearing certain areas, the townsfolk reacting differently and more interaction with the Castellan would be pretty in-line with the original module. There were also another set of caves which, even sticking with the original PnP mod, could have been fleshed out by the author in his usual flair which would have made this from a copy of the original to a truly breath-taking module. That being said, I really wish there were some features added to the module from SoZ, which I may do myself, to make it more "PnP-like", such as the new party roster and the overland map. I understand that Ernie is on a hiatus/permanent break from modding, which is really sad, as I wanted to see the Halls of Kilgrin for NWN2. That was, perhaps, one of the best dungeon-crawls I've ever played in NWN1. There are many, many good points about this module. On the building side, I wish that the placeables and the keep were more fleshed-out. As well, there should have been some random encounters in the CoC external areas, as per the original module. Aside from the "laid out" encounters, EG did put in quite a few "random encounter" scenarios as I recall. Some of the terrain was also a bit blander than could have been done. While that's due to the author squeezing this out pretty quickly after release, I think some visual face-lift is in order. Forgive my rambling; this is a module pretty much any DM or player should start out playing in NWN. It has excellent scripting, decent conversations, and is generally what we consider a "hack n slash" mod worthy of praise. _________________________ Lan's Placeable Groups v1.5
Posted by Loosifur at on07/21/09
Really enjoyed this, especially as it's a PnP conversion. Good to reminisce about the old game! Very true to classic modules, i.e. no hand-fed plot, and trying to kill everything in the dungeon isn't always the best plan. A great module for starting out a character without playing through the OC for the seventeenth time. Only cons that come to mind are those inherent in the module itself. Fights can be a little too easy depending on your character build, but I suspect that could be because converting from original D&D to current PC incarnation loses some things in translation. Same with the lightness of plot, which would be solved by a decent DM in PnP. Overall, easily worth the download and the two or three hours to play. Please, convert more PnP modules for geezers like me!
Posted by Carlo at 06:08:54 Voted7.50
The DMFI version does not require a DM. (I guess the "DMFI" part throws folks off...) It does have extras for DM-led play included.
Posted by Tauschitz at 10:59:09 Voted9.75
Tx enoa4 - I was just considering the DM version w/out DM due to what looks to be a bit more interaction w NPCs. Hopefully Carlo can give me an answer. Carlo? Also enoa4, for the record I still hope you chane youe mind on Hythem .... ;-)) Tauschitz Cha
Posted by enoa4 at 2009-02-2106:27:46
You can play the regular version multiplayer without a DM, I'm not sure about DMFI. Carlo would need to answer that. I don't recall how much scripting was modified, I suspect you could play either version. _________________________ ENoa4 http://enoa4rpg.blogspot.com
Posted by Tauschitz at 11:18:59 Voted9.75
Is it possible to play the DMFI version multiplayer but *without* a DM? Tauschitz
10 - A Masterpiece, Genuinely Groundbreaking 9 - Outstanding, a Must Have 8 - Excellent, Recommended to Anyone 7 - Very Good, Deserves a Look 6 - Good, Qualified Recommendation 5 - Fair, Solid yet Unremarkable 4 - Some Merit, Requires Improvements 3 - Poor Execution, Potential Unrealized 2 - Very Little Appeal 1 - Not Recommended to Anyone
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