Adventurer's Guild Modules

In early 1998, TSR began releasing Adventurer's Guild modules to retailers.  The goal of the Adventurer's Guild program was to get people playing "prequel" adventures to upcoming products.  These new adventures would be played in game stores across the country to build interest in the new series of products due out.  Each adventure was original, but tied into a specific product in some fashion.  Most of the adventures supported AD&D 2nd Edition, but there were quite a few released for both the SAGA and Alternity systems.  These modules were only available to retailers.

The modules were released in "series" of modules, with a new series available every 3 to 4 months (from January 1998 to April 2000).  Any retailer who had signed up with the Adventurer's Guild program would be eligible to purchase a series; each series cost around $25 (except for the last four series, which were distributed electronically via e-mail).  After paying, the retailer would be sent that particular series along with various scoring sheets and RPGA sign-up pads.  Also, various prizes were sent, such as dice bags, T-shirts, and art prints.  These were intended for the top players of the session.  Starting with the third series and continuing through the sixth series, an additional set of adventures was available (for a $25 fee, of course); these were Living City adventures and were only available in this form through the Adventurer's Guild.  During the fifth and sixth series, a retailer actually had to specifically ask for this supplement instead of TSR offering it.

Additionally, around series six or seven, TSR started a scoring system.  If a retailer ran an adventure in his/her store and sent in the scores of the players, they would earn points.  These points let them purchase Living City adventures from the RPGA.  What adventures they received from this system and how much they cost is currently unknown, though we believe the modules offered were simply LC1 through LC4.

Print runs on these adventures are difficult to get exact numbers on.  Starting with Polyhedron #129 and continuing through #142, all of the participating stores in the Adventurer's Guild program were listed on the back of the issue.  According to Scott Magner, the TSR manager of the Adventurer's Guild program, TSR only printed enough copies to mail out to the stores who paid for them.  On an even more difficult note, there is certainly no way to determine how many of those retailers even bothered to purchase the Living City supplemental adventures that were available as well.  Suffice to say, those are even more rare than the standard Adventurer's Guild modules.

The following table is compiled from a quick count of the stores listed on the back of Polyhedron issues #129 to #142:

Issue #	Store Count
129	58
130	153
131	153
132	153
133	?
134	118
135	117
136	117
137	57
138	79
139	84
140	260
141	260
142	81

Most of the series came with an Instruction Booklet telling you about the program, how to run and score the adventures, and how to send in all the information.  All of the Instruction Books are all very much alike, with only slight differences setting them apart.

The modules themselves are nearly identical in appearance.  They are all 16 pages, and most are saddle-stitched; there were a few that were stapled twice along the left spine. In short, most of the Adventurer's Guild modules look similar to the Jade Hare, without the color cover.

In 1999, TSR publicly released the TSR Jam, which was a 64-page compilation of seven of the Adventurer's Guild modules: Vale of the Dragon Oracle and Leviathan's Deep (from Series One), Return of the Pick-Axe, Blood Feud, Folds in the Tapestry, and Manxome Foe (from Series Two), and Heart's Final Beat (from Series Three).

Thanks to Rhea Shelley for most of the information on these modules, as well as the scans; to Adrian Newman for assistance and for the scan of the Series One Instruction Booklet; to Sean Reynolds for info on Of Varsks and Winter Witches; and to Erik Mona for help with this information.

All the adventures below are listed according to their respective series.  Each adventure shows the module title, author(s), setting it was designed for (AD&D, SAGA, or Alternity) and the linking product.  None of the Living City supplement adventures had corresponding products, all were designed for AD&D 2nd Edition, and all are set in the RPGA Living City.

Series One (Jan - Mar 1998)

We are guessing as to the start date of this series, based on the timeline of the other sets.  It should be noted that all the modules in this set have a copyright date of 1997.  Two of these modules (Vale of the Dragon Oracle and Leviathan's Deep) were later reprinted in the compilation module TSR Jam.

Series Two (Apr - Jun 1998)

Four of these modules (Return of the Pick-Axe, Manxome Foe, Blood Feud, and Folds in the Tapestry) were later reprinted in the compilation module TSR Jam.

Series Three (Jul - Sep 1998)

The Living City supplements began appearing with this series.  Heart's Final Beat was later reprinted in the compilation module TSR Jam.

Series Four (Oct - Dec 1998)

The Instruction Booklet to this series was the first to have the year and season on the cover (Fall 1998).

Series Five (Jan - Mar 1999)

Series Six (Apr - Jun 1999)

Series Seven (Jul - Sep 1999)

The Living City supplement was no longer available starting with this series onwards.

Series Eight (Oct - Dec 1999)

As far as we're aware, only five modules (plus the Instruction Booklet) were released with this series.

Series Nine (Jan 2000), Ten (Feb 2000), Eleven (Mar 2000), and Twelve (Apr 2000)

The last four series (Nine through Twelve) were distributed electronically (.pdf files via e-mail, which then had to be printed out).  There were no Instruction Booklets, and there was only one adventure per series.