Red Hand of Doom

DnDmodule| module_title = Red Hand of Doom
module_

module_code = 953857400
module_rules = 3rd Edition D&D
module_character_levels = (6-12) starting at 6th
module_campaign = Generic D&D
module_authors = James Jacobs and Richard Baker
module_first_published = 2006
series =

"Red Hand of Doom" is a large, 128-page, adventure for "Dungeons & Dragons". It is designed to be used as a "generic" "D&D" adventure, which can be dropped into any campaign world, including a personal one. Instructions are given in the first pages of the module on where to place it in the worlds of Greyhawk, the Forgotten Realms, and Eberron, the three primary campaign settings of "D&D". [cite web
url=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060202a
title=Red Hand of Doom Excerpt
last=James
first=Jacobs
authorlink=James Jacobs
coauthors=Richard Baker
date=2006-02-02
publisher=Wizards of the Coast
accessdate=2008-01-21] The adventure is published as being for levels 6 to 12,cite web
url=http://www.enworld.org/reviews.php?do=review&reviewid=3033519
title=Staff review of Red Hand of Doom
publisher=EN World
last=Kushner
first= Joe
date=
accessdate=2008-01-29] but the designers have stated that it is targeted to levels 5 to 11. It is also the first adventure to make significant use of designer notes. [cite web
url=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ps/20060210a
title=Product Spotlight: Red Hand of Doom
date=2006-02-10
publisher=Wizards of the Coast
accessdate=2008-01-21
last=
first=] The campaign is expected to take weeks - or even months - to complete.cite journal
journal=Black Gate
title=Red Hand of Doom
publisher=New Epoch Press, Inc.
last=Jones
first=Howard Andrew
issue=Summer 2007
year=2007]

It has been ported to the computer game "Neverwinter Nights".

Plot

The plot of "Red Hand of Doom" follows a group of adventurers who have entered the Elsir Vale, a thinly-populated frontier region. The party uncovers and then is placed in the position of stopping a massive hobgoblin horde, fanatically devoted to the dark goddess Tiamat and led by the charismatic half-dragon warlord Azarr Kul. To stop the horde, the players will have to muster the inhabitants of the Vale, battle hobgoblins, giants and dragons, and defeat an overwhelming enemy.

Publication History

Prior to the publication of "Red Hand of Doom" in 2006, no "Dungeons & Dragons" adventures had been published by Wizards of the Coast since early 2002, and only four adventures had been published for other systems in the intervening years. The publication of "Red Hand of Doom" marks something of a turning point, as it was the first of six "Dungeons & Dragons" adventures to be released that year - a publication rate that continued through 2007 and looks to be continued (at a slightly reduced rate) in 2008. [cite web
url=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndlist&brand=All&year=All&type=Adventures&tablesort=5
title=Dungeons & Dragons (Publications)
publisher=Wizards of the Coast
accessdate=2008-02-04]

"Red Hand of Doom" was also the first "Dungeons & Dragons" adventure to include Designer Notes - asides written by the authors to provide additional advice to players and to explain decisions made during the design process,cite web
url=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ps/20060210a
title=Red Hand of Doom: Designer Interview
publisher=Wizards of the Coast
last=Carroll
first=Bart
date=2006-02-10
accessdate=2008-02-04] as well as incorporating downloadable content in the form of PDF "stat blocks".

The authors regard the adventure as being self-contained, and thus don't intend to continue the story in later publications. After the release of 4th Edition on June 6, 2008, Wizards of the Coast revealed that the first Dungeon adventure path of D&D 4th Edition would be a sequel to Red Hand of Doom.

Critical Reception

Generally the publication has been well received, with reviewers rating it as one of the best adventures in many yearscite web
url=http://www.d20zines.com/v7/node/1808
title=Red Hand of Doom Review
publisher=d20zine
last=Grigsby
first= John
date=2006-04-13
accessdate=2008-02-04] and comparing it favorably with both the "The Temple of Elemental Evil" and "The Keep on the Borderlands" in terms of both content and quality.cite web
url=http://www.timewastersguide.com/view.php?id=1259
title=Red Hand of Doom: A Dungeons & Dragons Adventure
publisher=The Official Time-Waster's Guide
last=Wells
first=Daniel
date=2006-02-27
accessdate=2008-02-04] The inclusion of the Designer's Notes was well regarded by critics, as was the provision of downloadable content.cite web
url=http://www.enworld.org/reviews.php?do=review&reviewid=2886231
title=Review of Red Hand of Doom
publisher=EN World
accessdate=2008-02-02
last=Cooper
first=John] The artwork featured throughout the publication received special attention, with Howard Jones describing it as "fabulous".

The 'generic' nature of the campaign was seen as both a strength and as a limitation. While this permitted the material to be inserted into existing campaigns and game worlds,cite journal
journal=Pyramid
title=Red Hand of Doom (for the d20 System)
publisher=Steve Jackson Games
accessdate=2008-02-05
last=Pook
first=Matthew
date=August 3, 2007] it was acknowledged that this may be a difficult task, and that the publication lacked sufficient information to adequately support doing so - especially for non-standard campaigns.

References

External links

* [http://www.d20zines.com/v7/node/1808 d20zine review]
* [http://www.timewastersguide.com/view.php?id=1259 Timewaster review]
* [http://www.enworld.org/reviews.php?do=review&reviewid=2886231 review by enworld staff reviewer John Cooper]