The NPC's in this module are fabulous. I love this module . There are Twelve Possible Cynidecean random Encounters. One of these is :A group of four Cynidiceans in feathered robes and bird masks approach. On seeing the party, the Cynidiceans will "fly" (run) forward, flapping their arms and squawking. They will invite the party to fly along and will lead them on a merry chase through the pyramid. If the party refuses to join the Cynidiceans, the Cynidiceans will insult the party as poor creatures who cannot fly ("Thou land-bound slugs!"), circle three times, and "fly" away. If attacked, the Cynidiceans (AC 9; NM; hp 4; MV 40'; Save: Fl) will "fly" away. Crazy Stuff. I got more role play out of my hack and slash PC's than in any five other modules we played. Our group loved it. It did seem set up so anyone in your group could join one of the three groups of worshippers present. You were also set up so at least one member and probably more of your party would also be excluded or minimized by the same group.
Just got my POD the other day and just cracked this open... I always have a little trouble ingesting the old school modules because text just seems so cramped and bleh... but not with this manual. I feel like I'm reading a very exciting novel... cant wait to find out whats in the next room! ( also - just remembered that I joined the Brotherhood of Gorm like 35+ years ago... had totally forgotten! bet I owe a lot of back dues )
Very 'Conan', also very Xoth and it also reminds me of the old White Dwarf scenario 'The Lone and Level Sands' and I think the two would be a really interesting fit for a campaign. I also for some reason started thinking of Newt Newport's 'Savage North' setting when you talked about snow settings. I wonder if you could do a Barbarian wasteland on the brink of a desert or arid plains littered with old ruins and exotic decadent cities with all this..? It is tempting to do some kind of blend of all those, with a sword and sorcery feel. Savage North has goblins and the like and I always fancied running it switching those kinds of creatures out for more sword and sorcery monsters, so cavemen and Neanderthals etc instead of more fantasy humanoids. Tempting!
The Lost City was the first module I bought around 1985 along with the Red Box, so it holds a special place in my heart. We got half the rules wrong and it was a total murder-hobo campaign but I was instantly hooked and have DM'd ever since. I love Jim Holloway's art, especially depicting low-level adventurers being just over their heads. Sadly Jim left us recently. My second module was the Isle of Dread. Between the two, Tom Moldvay's abilty to pack that much adventuring into 32 pages is amazing, and well deserving of an all-time classic label. Now that I have the Goodman Games books for both in my hands now, I think it's time for a 5e but OSR campaign. Great videos and suggestions on this adventure. It gets a sub from me.
I used this module for an Gamma World, Alternity, adventure, as a raccoon city type scenario. I made some of the masks interactive, and a main computer that could project force field holograms that could interact. The people of the city had all kinds of games, but they had genuinely useful technology too - they had fun trying out the toilets. The people of the city had drugs, holodeck interactions for LARP games, and a casino. There were to be three nuclear bombs that were supposed to go off, to protect the scientific projects involved, when the place had a staff. I made things like Rogue nanite puddles that could reform and pretend to be people or objects (ochre jelly, grey ooze, green slime, etc.). I also gave them an NPC that was a reproduction of Horus (a clone slug, for temporary recreational use), and had a memory imprint of a Jesuit Assassin that [in ancient times] had broken into the place, to steal technology and destroy some "abominations" (cat people). He had disabled the nukes, when he was there before, and the nukes reactivated, because the system had rebooted, and the AI was in shock from the staff being such freaks. When I did it with D&D 3.5, I had the place be an entrance to the underdark and had Human psions, instead of wizards. It was what prompted the Alternity idea. Planet of the Apes style psions nearby. AND cannibalism, where the city people were cattle. I forget the name of the plant, but it was one that made "pod-people" that were hollow, in an "Invasion of The Body Snatchers" style scenario out in the ruins to the West, as though it were a farm. I added a lot. Mines, Hobgoblins, and Thule. Plus that plugged entrance to the underdark. I also used different magic items that they were after. In both cases, I enjoyed the demon cult aspects. In the Alternity, Gamma World one, the Jesuit assassin lost his cool on them.
This has to be the most epic comment I've ever seen. To do this in Gamma World, in us dabbers, is absolutely the best thing EVER! You know I'm going to have to steal this idea for my current Mutant Epoch campaign, right? :) Thanks for sharing, I had a great time reading this!
Also, the Cinidecians are white skinned. The blue creature on the cover is a Hobgoblin. (Who, when you look at the wandering monster tables and descriptions of some of the rooms, are some of the followers of the priests.)
Yep! The Cinidecians are covering away from the light under the table in the bottom right and blinded, presumably by a spell in the top right corner. Masks and all.
This is in my top 5 of all time greatest modules. TBH this is a mini campaign in itself. The amount of depth & scope that has gone into this adventure is quite frankly astounding. The massive underground city, the huge dungeon to explore - all this gives the DM so much material in which to conduct a great campaign for a new party or, if you're prepared to do a bit of extra work, tweak it and make it tougher. This is what I have planned once my current group have finished their campaign - I'm going to really toughen it up - replacing various monsters & encounters for a lv 8-10 party. Also the art, by Jim Holloway, is just pure joy :)
Talwyn, I couldn't agree more, but did you listen to my video, lol? I say the exact same thing, this is epic in its scope, and at only 28 pages! Moldvay creates an incredible campaign world. Love the idea of doing it at higher level (well done!) and did you get my reference to going from this into Vault of the Drow instead of going from Against the Giants, since the gnomes and subterranean aspect could go directly to the underdark?
@@artofthegenre6087 - I wrote the comment before watching the video :) But it seems we had the same thought regarding B4 being a mni campaign. For my part I have chosen to use old school modules like B4 etc as points of interest in a homebrew world. For the next campaign I'm moving the group from the current setting [typical medieval fantasy] to Al Qadim as one of the major NPC's hails from that area. So what I have planned is to use the following modules - B4, X3, I3, 4, 5 plus the campaign setting itself. The party will enter the Desert of Desolation and have the freedom of a sandbox in which those modules are scattered about the landscape. Thus it gives them enough freedom & scope to decide where they want to go & what they'd like to do without being railroaded along. There will be no BBG/needing to save the world - just adventure this time.
I like the thought of utilizing those 4 desert adventures as an open sandbox within the setting. They obviously would 'fit'. You might also consider X4 Master of the Desert Nomads (levels 6-9) and I9 Day of Al'Akbar (levels 8-10) for later adventuring.
This is a great module with so many opportunities. I've been considering running this again with a new group but with a twist: what if the Cynidicean language is extinct and no one can speak it? Would this be too much to overcome? Some ideas I've had: 1. Add some random Tongues spell scrolls; 2. A player character (Magic-User or Cleric) has some knowledge from prior studies (maybe recognizes some words/symbols); or 3. add a Cynidicean NPC who speaks a common language in the caravan who (for some reason) ventured out of the pyramid. This would give the party a reason to keep that NPC alive at all costs. Thoughts?
Loved this one back in the day, but never got the chance to run it. Just bought the Goodman's Games Reissue/Expansion. Looks great. Put it together in Roll20 to play this fall. On to the next video in the series.
Legit, I can't pick a 'best' from my Top 3, which are, in no order, Lost City, Palace of the Silver Princess, and Horror on the Hill, so I have no reason to come at you for that pick :)
I am using this adventure as the finale for Isle of Dread mashing it together with Dwellers of the Forbidden city. These are placed inside the caldera at the end and I am using Zargon instead of the kupro at the end of Isle of Dread. The Cinideceans are going to be rethemed as the high culture of the Olman people now having fallen leaving the Isle of Dread to reclaim the remnants of their empire.
There are 2 spots in the lower caverns where the text mentions entrance to the underworld. D3 may be too tough coming out of here. D1 with help from locals who recover, is a closer match. 😊
![B4 The Lost City (DM Guide) (a D&D Mod) [ RPGmodsFan ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/h9FMglhmVAE/mqdefault.jpg)
The NPC's in this module are fabulous. I love this module . There are Twelve Possible Cynidecean random Encounters. One of these is :A group of four Cynidiceans in feathered robes and bird masks approach. On seeing the party, the Cynidiceans will "fly" (run) forward, flapping their arms and squawking. They will invite the party to fly along and will lead them on a merry chase through the pyramid. If the party refuses to join the
Cynidiceans, the Cynidiceans will insult the party as poor creatures who cannot fly ("Thou land-bound slugs!"), circle three times, and "fly" away. If attacked, the Cynidiceans (AC
9; NM; hp 4; MV 40'; Save: Fl) will "fly" away.
Crazy Stuff. I got more role play out of my hack and slash PC's than in any five other modules we played. Our group loved it.
It did seem set up so anyone in your group could join one of the three groups of worshippers present. You were also set up so at least one member and probably more of your party would also be excluded or minimized by the same group.
I was way too young when I first came across this module to really appreciate it's depth - thanks for the great review and remembrences!
Just bought the Goodman games 5e update and may run it so this video is very helpful. Thanks!!!
Just got my POD the other day and just cracked this open... I always have a little trouble ingesting the old school modules because text just seems so cramped and bleh... but not with this manual. I feel like I'm reading a very exciting novel... cant wait to find out whats in the next room! ( also - just remembered that I joined the Brotherhood of Gorm like 35+ years ago... had totally forgotten! bet I owe a lot of back dues )
Very 'Conan', also very Xoth and it also reminds me of the old White Dwarf scenario 'The Lone and Level Sands' and I think the two would be a really interesting fit for a campaign. I also for some reason started thinking of Newt Newport's 'Savage North' setting when you talked about snow settings. I wonder if you could do a Barbarian wasteland on the brink of a desert or arid plains littered with old ruins and exotic decadent cities with all this..? It is tempting to do some kind of blend of all those, with a sword and sorcery feel. Savage North has goblins and the like and I always fancied running it switching those kinds of creatures out for more sword and sorcery monsters, so cavemen and Neanderthals etc instead of more fantasy humanoids. Tempting!
The Lost City was the first module I bought around 1985 along with the Red Box, so it holds a special place in my heart. We got half the rules wrong and it was a total murder-hobo campaign but I was instantly hooked and have DM'd ever since. I love Jim Holloway's art, especially depicting low-level adventurers being just over their heads. Sadly Jim left us recently.
My second module was the Isle of Dread. Between the two, Tom Moldvay's abilty to pack that much adventuring into 32 pages is amazing, and well deserving of an all-time classic label.
Now that I have the Goodman Games books for both in my hands now, I think it's time for a 5e but OSR campaign. Great videos and suggestions on this adventure. It gets a sub from me.
Thanks for these videos. This was the first module I ever DM'd in '85. I have just started running it for my kids.
You are most welcome, and I hope your kids have a great time. My son and his friends sure did!
About to fit B4 into my homebrew campaign for a whole set of Roll20 + Discord new players who have NEVER even heard of it! 1982 >>>>> 2021 !! :D
Thanks so much for doing this!!
Thnx.. been running this since 83
I used this module for an Gamma World, Alternity, adventure, as a raccoon city type scenario. I made some of the masks interactive, and a main computer that could project force field holograms that could interact. The people of the city had all kinds of games, but they had genuinely useful technology too - they had fun trying out the toilets.
The people of the city had drugs, holodeck interactions for LARP games, and a casino. There were to be three nuclear bombs that were supposed to go off, to protect the scientific projects involved, when the place had a staff.
I made things like Rogue nanite puddles that could reform and pretend to be people or objects (ochre jelly, grey ooze, green slime, etc.). I also gave them an NPC that was a reproduction of Horus (a clone slug, for temporary recreational use), and had a memory imprint of a Jesuit Assassin that [in ancient times] had broken into the place, to steal technology and destroy some "abominations" (cat people). He had disabled the nukes, when he was there before, and the nukes reactivated, because the system had rebooted, and the AI was in shock from the staff being such freaks.
When I did it with D&D 3.5, I had the place be an entrance to the underdark and had Human psions, instead of wizards. It was what prompted the Alternity idea. Planet of the Apes style psions nearby. AND cannibalism, where the city people were cattle.
I forget the name of the plant, but it was one that made "pod-people" that were hollow, in an "Invasion of The Body Snatchers" style scenario out in the ruins to the West, as though it were a farm.
I added a lot. Mines, Hobgoblins, and Thule. Plus that plugged entrance to the underdark.
I also used different magic items that they were after. In both cases, I enjoyed the demon cult aspects. In the Alternity, Gamma World one, the Jesuit assassin lost his cool on them.
This has to be the most epic comment I've ever seen. To do this in Gamma World, in us dabbers, is absolutely the best thing EVER! You know I'm going to have to steal this idea for my current Mutant Epoch campaign, right? :) Thanks for sharing, I had a great time reading this!
Yes, this comment is one of the best gaming comments I have ever read. At least the one that strikes closest to home with me!!
Unbelievably creative, sounds like you did an amazing job.
This module also copies part of "Red Nails" from RE Howards conan, also has aspects of Homers blue lotus eaters
Tom has been dead for several decades. Unfortunately, I've never been able to find out much information about him. His stuff was among the very best!
Also, the Cinidecians are white skinned. The blue creature on the cover is a Hobgoblin. (Who, when you look at the wandering monster tables and descriptions of some of the rooms, are some of the followers of the priests.)
Yep!
In Holloway's cover, the Cinidecians are cowering away from the light under the table on the bottom right of the image.
Yep!
The Cinidecians are covering away from the light under the table in the bottom right and blinded, presumably by a spell in the top right corner. Masks and all.
This is definitely one of my favorite classis modules, great overview in this series!
This is in my top 5 of all time greatest modules. TBH this is a mini campaign in itself. The amount of depth & scope that has gone into this adventure is quite frankly astounding. The massive underground city, the huge dungeon to explore - all this gives the DM so much material in which to conduct a great campaign for a new party or, if you're prepared to do a bit of extra work, tweak it and make it tougher. This is what I have planned once my current group have finished their campaign - I'm going to really toughen it up - replacing various monsters & encounters for a lv 8-10 party.
Also the art, by Jim Holloway, is just pure joy :)
Talwyn, I couldn't agree more, but did you listen to my video, lol? I say the exact same thing, this is epic in its scope, and at only 28 pages! Moldvay creates an incredible campaign world. Love the idea of doing it at higher level (well done!) and did you get my reference to going from this into Vault of the Drow instead of going from Against the Giants, since the gnomes and subterranean aspect could go directly to the underdark?
@@artofthegenre6087 - I wrote the comment before watching the video :) But it seems we had the same thought regarding B4 being a mni campaign. For my part I have chosen to use old school modules like B4 etc as points of interest in a homebrew world. For the next campaign I'm moving the group from the current setting [typical medieval fantasy] to Al Qadim as one of the major NPC's hails from that area. So what I have planned is to use the following modules - B4, X3, I3, 4, 5 plus the campaign setting itself. The party will enter the Desert of Desolation and have the freedom of a sandbox in which those modules are scattered about the landscape. Thus it gives them enough freedom & scope to decide where they want to go & what they'd like to do without being railroaded along. There will be no BBG/needing to save the world - just adventure this time.
I like the thought of utilizing those 4 desert adventures as an open sandbox within the setting. They obviously would 'fit'. You might also consider X4 Master of the Desert Nomads (levels 6-9) and I9 Day of Al'Akbar (levels 8-10) for later adventuring.
This is a great module with so many opportunities. I've been considering running this again with a new group but with a twist: what if the Cynidicean language is extinct and no one can speak it? Would this be too much to overcome? Some ideas I've had: 1. Add some random Tongues spell scrolls; 2. A player character (Magic-User or Cleric) has some knowledge from prior studies (maybe recognizes some words/symbols); or 3. add a Cynidicean NPC who speaks a common language in the caravan who (for some reason) ventured out of the pyramid. This would give the party a reason to keep that NPC alive at all costs. Thoughts?
Loved this one back in the day, but never got the chance to run it. Just bought the Goodman's Games Reissue/Expansion. Looks great. Put it together in Roll20 to play this fall. On to the next video in the series.
Best D&D module of all time. Come at me bro.
Legit, I can't pick a 'best' from my Top 3, which are, in no order, Lost City, Palace of the Silver Princess, and Horror on the Hill, so I have no reason to come at you for that pick :)
It's my favorite as well!
I am using this adventure as the finale for Isle of Dread mashing it together with Dwellers of the Forbidden city. These are placed inside the caldera at the end and I am using Zargon instead of the kupro at the end of Isle of Dread. The Cinideceans are going to be rethemed as the high culture of the Olman people now having fallen leaving the Isle of Dread to reclaim the remnants of their empire.
There are 2 spots in the lower caverns where the text mentions entrance to the underworld. D3 may be too tough coming out of here. D1 with help from locals who recover, is a closer match. 😊
Great stuff -- thanks!
Ran this in the summer for my 5E group. (Running a bunch of players who only played 5e through a bunch of the 1E and BX Modules.)
Did they have fun?
Is there a PDF of this anywhere?
I'm pretty sure you can find all the classic modules on DrivethruRPG, and maybe for free on The Trove
Did I miss a giveaway again?
Jay, nope, you got the book! Just send me an email to the address listed in the video description with your shipping info and I'll send it out.
@@artofthegenre6087 Sweet!
One of my all time favorite campaigns