One can but wonder what became of him?Īs a D&D module this has everything that you could want from a module of the period: mostly lots of monsters (danger) and treasure (reward). D&D wouldn't be what it is without this nigh forgotten artist. Look at the classic modules and you'll see a liberal dose of Otus art. It's a pity that TSR has since stopped using such a distinctive style because D&D art just doesn't get any better. What can I say, even if I can't adequately describe it, it is always a pleasure to behold a work of master Erol Otus. The lines and shapes have the heartwarming characteristic Otus geometric form. Inviting the pinkish cover that surrounds the picture is worked with a blending of pinks, purples, red, orange, yellow, and black. The depiction of the Keep is nicely done: A part of adventurers approach the Keep at both the literal dawn and the figurative dawn of their adventuring careers. Many others are slicker and more professional, but none have ever matched the raw spirit of Erol Otus. On the back cover, Erol Otus' powerful rendition of the stark majesty of the titular Keep, like most of the master's works, bring forth the feeling of the hobby game like no other artist can. Mind you, I don't think that this is all a bad thing, in this case, because as a module for beginning DMs and beginning players it sets a more forgiving hobbyist feel anyone with artistic talent in the group might well feel that they could, with a bit of effort, attempt such covers for their own All in all it comes across as a a rather amateurish attempt. The figures are artificially posed and relatively lifeless. On the front cover, Roslof's painting is a simple one that is very cartoonish. Holding _The Keep on the Borderlands_ in my hands and looking at its simplistic cover alwaysīrings on a moment of peaceful reflection. But the module still has a naive charm to it that makes it endearing (at least to a dedicated hobbyists like myself). OK, so you aren't going to see this book in the Louvre any time soon. Perhaps nostalgia has made my review of this classic a bit biased but, so be it, I'm merely offering my opinion - take it for what it is worth to you. Well, enough reminiscing about my lost youth.
That fateful day we were launched into a world of fascinating wonder that has beheld me entranced ever since. And Craig and Chris were my first players on that sunny day in my dark basement. My first character was 'Valdor' the Cleric (of no god in particular).
The Keep on the Borderlands was my first game both as a Player and as a Dungeon Master. Little did I know it at the time, but this little box would change the very course of my life. Inside this pinkish box, along with a little red rules book, came something called a 'module', which was also of a strange pinkish hue. This is it, the module that launched a thousand campaigns.Īhhhh, I remember it well: the year was 1983, the month was May, and the thing that I wanted most of all for my 12th birthday I actually got! That thing was the Basic D&D boxed set. What follows are twin reviews of both the old and the new "Keep on the Borderlands" modules: The first a nostalgic trip back to my recollections of a classic the second an honest assessment of the current state of TSR's modules.ĭUNGEON MODULE B2 - THE KEEP ON THE BORDERLANDS (1980/1981) What is old is new again, be it Star Wars or D&D.
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