An Adventure Product Review: Temple Tower and Tomb

This scenario is a combination of 3 separate adventures tied together with a framing story.
Each of the three dungeon delving adventures is as deadly as the others and each scenario can easily be played as a separate adventure with almost no additional work by the DM.
New (inexperienced) players will probably not be able to survive this adventure and even highly skilled players will find it very hard to succeed without a good measure of skill and even more of luck.
Otherwise make sure the Players have the PCs make final wishes known to surviving family members...

The Autarch's Vizier's  will ask the PCs to sign waiver forms in case of death or dismemberment and will take care of the arrangements for final resting places if the bodies are returned.

TSR Product Code 9448
Designed for 2nd Edition AD&D.
For 4-8 characters of Levels 7-12.
Designers-Writers: Steve Winter (Temple) and Laura Craig (Tower and Tomb)
Editing by: Allison Lassieur
Cover Illustrations by: Paul Jaquays
Interior Illustrations by: Ken Frank
Cartography by: David C. Sutherland III
Topography by: Angelika Lokotz

Fold over Cover with maps on inside of front and rear cover.
Stapled booklet with 32 pages.
Cover Price was $6.95 (US), Published in 1994

Set in any land where chaos and war are eminent and magic items are rare.
The Autarch of the land where the adventure starts is desperate to protect his realm and has entreated his wizard-priests (Viziers) to find magic that will aid him.

The Vizier's find three powerful magical items, but an exceedingly deadly creature guards each one.
The guardians of the magic that they found are too deadly for the Autarch to risk his own heroes, so he gets the Viziers to find a worthy group who are less afraid and greedier that smart.
And that is where the PCs come in as the Viziers have heard of the PCs exploits and bravery and think that the group might be able to succeed.

The Magical Items are:
The Hesper (a Crystal Ball that also acts as a Gem of Seeing), the Fasces (A combination of three powerful Rods; A Rod of Lordly Might, a Rod of Terror and a Rod of Passage), and the Annulus (a Helm of Comprehending Languages and Reading Magic).

This is one powerfully dangerous group of adventures and only the most skilled players using powerful PCs should even try it.

The  PCs will face a few powerful enemies and must also overcome many cunning and deadly traps.
This is most certainly not a hack and slash adventure module and it would be most surprising if no PCs died during this one… perhaps several or even all of them.

After my first read through I thought WOW!
Then I read it again and thought WOWSERS!!
I am going to read it again….
I just hope my eyes don't pop out and fall to the ground…

SPOILER ALERT!
In the last set of scans below.
Note that room 3 on the map of the Upper Level is shown with no apparent means of access, no connecting halls, or tunnels.
Lots of bodies (other adventurers) are found if/when PCs enter this room.

See scans below:
Front Cover:


Rear Cover


Copyright Page


Framing Story Page.


Map of the Temple: Inside Front Cover


Map of the Tower: Inside Rear Cover


Two Maps of the Tomb: Inside the booklet, pages 23 and 28.

Not only Room 1, but Rooms 6, 7 and two spots at hallway/room 12 also go to room 3.

So... normally the thief checks doorways first, so obviously she/he would be the first to dissapear.    
Then perhaps a fighter...     then another fighter...

If the DM does this right, and the players do not, then the Mage and or Priest would possibly never go there.
And Unless a mage or priest with the correct spell (or spells) goes with them.....
Goodbye guys...  

To make things worse, the PCs are Teleported to each site by powerful magic by the Vizier's and the PCs have no clue where in the world they are afterwards.
They do not even know if they are on the same plane, or planet...
They are given a breakable sphere to shatter OUTSIDE ONLY once the specific task for that adventure is completed.
Once outside and done with that specific task, when the sphere is broken (If outside) the PCs are transported back to the castle (The starting area).
If the thief has that Sphere and gets stuck in Room 3 with no way out, then NONE of them will ever return.

That little bit of trapiness is not even close to being the sneakiest or the most deadly one.

OK.  Jim Bob, Susie, and Doug, you guys roll up another character for you to use in next weeks session...

dbartman wrote:I have run this module and did like it.  The party also enjoyed it immensely.  

I remember our search for the Hesper.  I'll have to go back and check my party history notes to remember more about that adventure.  That was 16 years ago.

ok, you've sold this to me! Might look at scaling it down a few levels if thats possible, without losing its essence

I get the feeling you're going to review Labyrinth of Madness soon

Our association recently converted this entire module to v. 3.75 (Pathfinder), and then ran all 3 parts as separate slots at Legacies Game Day 2016.  We documented the playthrough of it, and you can see plenty of photos and maps in their entirety here:

https://www.facebook.com/orderoftheambe ... 6587436488

The photos should prove valuable to any GMs considering running the module, or even anyone interested in seeing an old 2nd edition module converted and brought back to life.  Enjoy!