Next week's launch of the Dungeons & Dragons Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Set is a throwback to a 1979 original: the adventure module The Keep on the Borderlands. This adventure was packed into the D&D Basic Set some 46 years ago, making it one of the most played (and to this day one of the most popular) D&D adventures ever written.
This new Heroes of the Borderlands adventure is deconstructed into three adventure booklets.
The Keep on the Borderlands adventure booklet is 19 pages and covers the titular military installation. The place is all crenelated walls, pointy wizard hat turrets, and garrisoned soldiers. In addition to the fortress, the Keep has a barn, private apartments, smithy, provisioner's shop (lanterns and rope), trader's shop (weapons and armor), bank, inn, tavern, guild house, and temple.
As far as your D&D adventures are concerned, I think that about covers it.
The Wilderness adventure booklet is 15 pages and leans into the exploration pillar of D&D. While it's only a few miles between the Keep and the Caves, there's still plenty of adventure to be had on (and off) the trail. From the woods to the fens to the tamarack stand, there's wild fey, occult secrets, territorial lizardfolk, and giant spiders.
Sorry, arachnophobes. There's no Session 0 in the Starter Set. No discussion of dealbreaker topics. You will simply have to face your fears—and eat them.
The Caves of Chaos adventure booklet is 27 pages, serving as the meat and potatoes of The Heroes of the Borderlands adventure. Something is attracting an inordinate number of evil creatures to these caves. While they're broken down into bite-sized locations, altogether the caves make up a 65~ish room complex. Welcome to baby's first megadungeon. Just remember to step out for some fresh air every now and again.
Don't come here for the plot. In collaboration with the Dungeon Master, players will come up with emergent storylines. Sure, Curse of Strahd introduces one of the most popular villains in any media. And adventures like Shadow of the Dragon Queen do it for the plot, as they say. But Heroes of the Borderlands is a sandbox. Follow the players' instincts. They'll come up with their own "big bad evil guy."
I love me a good hardbound D&D adventure book. But I'm appreciative of the Starter Set breaking it down into booklets. At any given time, I'm within 15 to 27 pages of all the prep I need. The cover art for each booklet is evocative. And the Keep itself looks safe enough to turn into a base of operations—while promising D&D's bread and butter—of dragons and dungeons—to only be found if you bravely venture forth. Go to.
The Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Set releases September 16. This has been the first face-to-face roleplaying I've done in 30 years. I can't think of a better boxed set to help me through it.
