Post by paleologos on Feb 10, 2013 21:23:45 GMT -6
As a follow-up to my post speculating that B1 was likely written for OD&D and later adapted for use with Holmes (as Zen has subsequently quoted Frank Mentzer as stating) it's interesting to note just how much of Quasqueton was lifted straight from The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures:
The Caverns of Quasqueton contain a museum (room 39), a room filled with giant fungi (room 22), and an arena (room 48). The bowling alley for giants was wisely left out.
Also on pg 4. of U&WA: area 2. from the sample map has a maze of doors, much like the northeast section of the upper level of the caverns of Quasqueton.
Tricks and Traps (pg. 6):
The passage outside the guest chambers (room 35) is a slanting passage which leads to a stairway leading down, although the players actually stay on the same level.
This is the idea behind the trap in the corridor outside the implement room (room 13)
The famous teleportation rooms on the upper level (rooms 15 & 16) contain shiny, sparkling outcroppings of crystalline rock
The wizard's annex (room 7) has an illusion of a pile of treasure
The dead end room (room 20) seems to have been designed with this in mind
This is the concept behind the whole lower level, comprised of natural caverns
The chance for torches to be extinguished is specifically described in the armory (room 34)
Finally, there are also a couple of parts that seem to echo Greyhawk:
The statue in room 56 seems to be pointing in a random direction...
This occurs if the stoppered smoked glass bottle in the wizard’s laboratory (room 9) is opened.
Taken together, it seems pretty obvious that Mike was referring extensively to the LBBs when constructing Quasqueton...
These levels contain such things as a museum from another age, an underground lake, a series of caverns filled with giant fungi, a bowling alley for 20’ high giants, an arena of evil, crypts, and so on (pg. 4)
The Caverns of Quasqueton contain a museum (room 39), a room filled with giant fungi (room 22), and an arena (room 48). The bowling alley for giants was wisely left out.
Also on pg 4. of U&WA: area 2. from the sample map has a maze of doors, much like the northeast section of the upper level of the caverns of Quasqueton.
Tricks and Traps (pg. 6):
- steps which lead to a slanting passage, so the player may actually stay on the same level, descend two levels, or ascend two levels)
The passage outside the guest chambers (room 35) is a slanting passage which leads to a stairway leading down, although the players actually stay on the same level.
- return passage blocked by bars
This is the idea behind the trap in the corridor outside the implement room (room 13)
- intra-level teleportation areas, so that a player will be transported to a similar (or dissimilar) area on the same level, possibly activated by touching some item (such as a gem, door, or the like)
The famous teleportation rooms on the upper level (rooms 15 & 16) contain shiny, sparkling outcroppings of crystalline rock
- illusion, mind control, and geas rooms
The wizard's annex (room 7) has an illusion of a pile of treasure
- sections which dead-end so as to trap players being pursued by monsters
The dead end room (room 20) seems to have been designed with this in mind
- natural passages and caverns which have varying width and direction, so that it is virtually impossible to accurately map such areas
This is the concept behind the whole lower level, comprised of natural caverns
Also, torches can be blown out by a strong gust of wind (pg. 9)
The chance for torches to be extinguished is specifically described in the armory (room 34)
Finally, there are also a couple of parts that seem to echo Greyhawk:
Statues which have from 1-4, 1-6, or 1-8 different actions they perform when approached within 20'. Options are do nothing, point in a random direction, point towards the nearest treasure, recite a meaningless poem, give a rhyming clue to a treasure, emit a loud screaming noise, pursue and attack, offer a real or false map, etc. (pg. 61)
The statue in room 56 seems to be pointing in a random direction...
Rooms which emit rays or gases which cause unexpected reactions or force players entering to do things they do not necessarily desire to do
This occurs if the stoppered smoked glass bottle in the wizard’s laboratory (room 9) is opened.
Taken together, it seems pretty obvious that Mike was referring extensively to the LBBs when constructing Quasqueton...
