Here we go...
So, in my futher research of 4.0, I picked up their marquis product:
H1 Keep on the Shadowfell.
For those not acquainted with 4.0,
H1 is
the introductory module. It is specifically designed for first level characters and for new players of the 4.0 system. There are quick start rules and plenty of "how to" sections.
From the title alone, you have to draw the comparison to
B2 (for most D&D players the first module they ever played). I have to believe that
H1 is designed to be the heir to
B2 (though most might prefer red-headed step child or bastard son). The title alone is clearly designed to make the connection between
H1 and
B2.
And the connection does not end there.
H1 does have the "basic" elements of
B2. The adventure is pretty much a simple dungeon crawl. There are far fewer actual encounters - maybe 20 or so - than
B2. The main villain is an evil priest surrouded by low level undead. The party must first deal with kobolds then goblins and few other creatures - again, same general adventure path.
Larger differences in the two modules are presentation, scope and price.
Like the few other 4.0 products I have read,
H1 is nicely packaged and presented. The adventure book has lots of graphics and it flows very well. Instead of individual room encounters, the encounters are broken down into room area sections (for the most part). That is, a series of rooms is depicted and described as one inclusive encounter. It is an innovative way of presenting a dungeon and I think it works great for the 4.0 system where maps are critical to combat.
The scope of
H1 is pretty much the same as B2: Explore a monster-inhabited dungeon.
B2 is significantly larger in overall scope.
B2 has at least three times the number of encounters. Of course, experience gain is a factor. In 4.0 it only takes 1,000 exp to move up a level and you gain experience at a faster rate (values per monster are generally higher than basic D&D). I would think that overall table time spent with
H1 is significantly less than
B2. I know that combat encounters in 4.0 are longer than traditional D&D, but there are far fewer actual encounters in
H1.
Now we get to the point that originally struck me.
H1 has a retail price of $29.95. Yes, I know you can hunt around and get it cheaper, but that is the price. I know I bought
B2 off the shelf back in the day for around $6 or less. Yes, I get inflation, but 5x the cost is glaring. For $30 I was expecting a great deal more than what I found. Sure, the art and presentation are good, I'd even say excellent, but so what. Where is the beef? It is not there.
For $30 I think this product falls way short of any reasonable expectation. So here we are 30 years after the release of
B2 and out comes its predecessor,
H1. Even considering most contemporary modules run around $10-15, the leap to $30 is a big leap. I have to wonder about the thought process that moved in this direction. Creating your intro module and setting the price at this level just appears contradictory. Why not make it signficantly cheaper and try and put it in as many hands as possible? Afterall,
B2 shares a place in the collective memory of the majority of all
1e and basic D&D players. I can't believe
H1 will achieve that goal in any way.
