Keep on the Shadowfell
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| Code | H1 |
|---|---|
| Rules required | 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons |
| Character levels | 1-3 |
| Campaign setting | Points of Light |
| Authors | Bruce R. Cordell, Richard Baker |
| First published | 2008 |
| Linked modules | |
| H1 H2 H3 | |
Keep on the Shadowfell is the first official product from the 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons line.[1] It is part one of a three part series of adventures introducing the 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons concept of Points of Light, a loosely connected and open-ended setting designed to allow modules and Dungeon Masters created materials to be seamlessly integrated into either a single, largely unmapped fantasy world or a Dungeon Master custom made setting. The adventure, written by Mike Mearls and Bruce R. Cordell was published in 2008 by Wizards of the Coast, followed by the sequels Thunderspire Labyrinth and Pyramid of Shadows. The adventure is designed for character of levels 1-3 and the module code "H" stands for Heroic Tier.[1] This module is set in a region of the world called the Nentir Vale, the details of which are given in the 4th edition Dungeon Master's Guide.
Contents |
[edit] Contents
- A 16 page 4th Edition quick-start rules booklet including five ready-to-play characters
- An 80-page adventure booklet
- 3 large size, double-sided full-color battlemaps
- A light cardboard portfolio
[edit] Story
The village of Winterhaven in the Nentir Vale is being menaced by kobold raiders. The players are ambushed by these kobolds on their way to Winterhaven; upon arrival at Winterhaven they are asked to clean out the kobold's nest. The players soon discover the kobolds are a pawn of Kalarel, a priest of Orcus, Demon Prince of Undeath. Kalarel is lairing at a local ruined keep which contains a long-sealed rift to the Shadowfell, a plane of shadow and undeath; he plans to open this rift to connect the material world to Orcus' temple in the Shadowfell and thereby unleash an army of undead upon the unsuspecting region. The players journey to the keep and descend through its crypts, resulting in a final climactic confrontation with Kalarel.
[edit] Editions
In April 2009 Wizards of the Coast released an updated PDF version of Keep on the Shadowfell that fixed many of the typographical errors throughout the module, revised the way that many encounters were presented and formatted, and re-tuned the difficulty of certain key sections by adding or subtracting monsters.[2] This updated PDF was made available to the public free of charge through Wizards' D&D Test Drive program.[3]
[edit] Historical context
Keep on the Shadowfell was the first adventure module for D&D 4th Edition released to retail. It was released prior to the core 4th Edition rulebooks becoming available, and therefore includes pre-generated characters and a condensed version of many of the game rules. For early adopters, Keep on the Shadowfell was the first opportunity to play an official D&D 4th Edition product.
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b "Keep on the Shadowfell Spotlight Interview". Wizards of the Coast. http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4spo/20080507a. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
- ^ "Eleven Foot Pole: Keep on the Shadowfell FREE". Greg Tannahill / Blogspot. http://elevenfootpole.blogspot.com/2009/04/keep-on-shadowfell-free.html. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
- ^ "D&D Test Drive". Wizards of the Coast. http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4news/20090428. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
[edit] Bibliography
- Cordell, Bruce R., and Mike Mearls. Keep on the Shadowfell (Wizards of the Coast, 2008).
