- Curse of Xanathon
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Curse of Xanathon 
Code X3 Rules required D&D Expert Set Character levels 5-7 Campaign setting Mystara Authors Douglas Niles First published 1983 Linked modules X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, X9, X10, X11, X12, X13, XL1, XSOLO, XS2 Curse of Xanathon is a Dungeons & Dragons adventure module designed by Douglas Niles for use with the D&D Expert Set.
Contents
Plot summary
The Duke of Rhoona has begun issuing strange proclamations, such as decreeing that all taxes are to be paid in beer, horses are to be ridden backwards, and all dwarves are to be shaved and stretched to make them "presentable to human sensibilities".[1] Duke Stephan is suffering from a curse which was brought upon him by Xanathon, chief cleric of the Ethengar Khanate immigrants living inside Rhoona's walls, and Stephen's own treacherous guard captain, Draco Stormsailer.
The player characters must discover the nature of the Duke's affliction.[1] They will need to learn how to lift the curse from the Duke of Rhoona, as he is needed to lead his troops against an invading army.[2] They will need to find the antidote for the curse, battling Xanathon, Draco, and their minions to achieve their goal.
Lawrence Schick, in his sourcebook of roleplaying games, Heroic Worlds, describes the module as a town adventure in which the players are tasked with solving a mystery in order to remove a curse.[2] The cursed town is threatened by a dwarven army, and the player characters must save the town.[3]
Publication history
X3 Curse of Xanathon was written by Douglas Niles, with art by Tim Truman, and published by TSR in 1982 as a thirty two page booklet with an outer folder.[2] Curse of Xanathon was designed as an adventure for 5th-7th level D&D characters.[1] Curse of Xanathon was developed by Douglas Niles and Alan Hammack, and edited by Deborah Campbell Ritchie.[4]
Reception
The module received 7 out of 10 overall in a review by Jim Bambra in issue No. 48 of White Dwarf magazine. He called Curse of Xanathon a "detective adventure", though he said that it was "very much a programmed affair" and "players move through a series of distinct and logical stages, discovering clues as they go."[1] He noted that if the players fail to follow the clues, the Dungeon Master must direct them to the next encounter, which cuts down on the amount of freedom available to them. Bambra deemed the module to be not as good as the contemporaneous releases for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, but said it was superior to the two modules preceding it in the series, Isle of Dread and Castle Amber.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e Bambra, Jim (December 1983). "Open Box: Dungeon Modules" (review). White Dwarf (Games Workshop) (48): 10. ISSN 0265-8712.
- ^ a b c Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books. pp. 148. ISBN 0879756535.
- ^ Livingstone, Ian (1982). Dicing with Dragons, An Introduction to Role-Playing Games (Revised ed.). Routledge. ISBN 0710094663. (preview)
- ^ Niles, Douglas. Curse of Xanathon (TSR, 1983)
External links
Categories:- Dungeons & Dragons modules
- Mystara
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