D&D Review - The Isle of Dread

Exploring the classic adventure The Isle of Dread (X1), a wilderness game and hex-crawl that's more of a miniature campaign than a regular Dungeons and Dragons module. Originally included in the 1981 Expert Set for Basic D&D, this scenario has now appeared in multiple editions. Here are my tips, criticisms, praises, and suggestions for Dungeon Masters wishing to give it a spin.

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Guest starring Jack the NPC.

[evilscientistrecords]

The follow-up which concentrates on cursed supermarket employees, The Aisle of Dread, is drastically underrated.

[williamozier]

When I was in college I slapped together a campaign composed of: The Isle Dread, with The Forbidden City on the central plataeu, with The Lost City sittign in the center of the Forbidden city. Then I wrapped it in a Call of Cthulhu feel by using the old Dieties&Demigods Cthulhu.

[BobWorldBuilder]

Love these classic D&D module breakdowns. But also hate em for not having enough time to play any of them!!

[hatimzeineddine]

I like the idea that the two villains were just the two least liked of their species and got stuck down there when the empire collapsed. They could easily get out if they worked together but they hate each other and refuse to.

[ericjome]

Very good recommendation to integrate with Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh. Note that pirates have a presence in the Isle of Dread, so it's easy to make the pirates related. Charts on the ship in Saltmarsh can lead there.

[natebetts]

We played the Savage Tide campaign published in Dragon Magazine, and it was established on the Isle of Dread. I was eaten by a T-Rex, almost melted by a gelatinous cube, attacked by all forms of bandits and cannibals, out maneuvered aboleths, and finally rallied an army against Demogorgon!

10/10 Would visit again!

[kusodm]

If you’re interested in the Mystara setting and want to learn more about the world in the intro, you can always check out Mr Welch’s channel here on YouTube!

[jccusell]

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it: this channel is criminally under-subbed.

[elfbait]

If you did just the tentacle-face you will have them terrified that they are going to run into Mindflayers. As for the cannibals give them pterosaurs they use to attack from on high. Flying down to snatch people from the ground and carry them away to their mountain stronghold.

[WoobooRidesAgain]

Two ideas pop into my mind in regards to some of the suggestions you made:

1. The "stone chief" of the village could simply be just a regular stone statue, no magical powers or anything, but is assigned its importance because the villagers are the descendants of the slaves of the kopru who sided with their masters during the slave revolts, who then made the statue as a kind of cultural coping mechanism when the slave revolt overthrew their masters. The statue is a crude interpretation of the idols the kopru used to enslave populations, but as it was made by human hands, holds no power, and the commands of a slaver are now replaced with guidance the "talking chief" has been trained in by the previous talking chief, like how to farm fish and medical advice both practical and spiritual. The "talking chief" could, as part of the ritual, say something (e.g. "praise to you, benevolent overseer") that the real kopru idol would force a charmed player to say, giving the player characters a bit more of an in-universe warning that something freaky is going on here. Might add some fun tension afterwards with the players unsure if the stone chief tribe is enthralled like they almost were (although I feel any discussion with them would make it clear they aren't--the kopru probably wouldn't be giving out advice for people on how to engage in aquaculture or give couples fertility blessings).

2. An idea that comes to my mind as to what you could have slithering about in the flooded second temple floor is that, in a decidedly pulp-y twist, the monsters are degenerated kopru, devolved to a point where they have lost their limbs, reason and magic abilities, and now dwell in the dark depths of their former glorious civilization, using their tentacled faces to snatch at the small, soft-bodied creatures that dwell within. They aren't particularly choosy about where a meal comes from, as the remains of a few fantons or birds that got in through holes in the ceiling could attest to, and could be another fun way to reveal what the kopru at some point looked like.

[robm]

Goodman Games Hardback edition has all the original versions of the modules in there in addition to the updated 5th edition. It's worth the purchase.

[sunzi]

I love when Seth and Jack argue about stuff.

I would love to see them in the same room!
For example: Jack AND Seth are players in a game (with "The DM" as a the DM).

[petalsinthebreeze]

20:00

Here's an idea, one of the Zombie Masters was kidnapped and their apprentice isn't capable of keeping the zombies under control well, so now there's an element of urgency in the "let's make sure the natives don't get munched on by their dead relatives"

[DerEwigeKodex]

Ahoi! Isle of Dread is one of my all-time favorite adventures. I experienced it years ago as a player and had sleepless nights because of the Kopru. To this day I don't know how we survived.
And about 4 years ago I directed it as a game master. I have revised a lot and adapted it to my group. We played it (once a week) for almost two years. It was one of the best times and players have grown fond of the island and those who died there. I can warmly recommend the module and advise everyone to include the island in their campaign.
By the way: Thank you for your great posts! You are an inspiration and super entertaining!

[pasqualecirone]

I remember playing this module back when I was 12 (I'm 47 now). I really want to play this again now!

[danielrowan]

Seth - your Dwellers review is the reason I found you. I’m running a 1/2e campaign with DotFC as the centerpiece and a Sinbad’s adventures a major inspiration as the action occurs between the jungles that hide the City and tropical cities on a southern continent with an archipelago filled with pirates, giants, and fantastic creatures. Isle of Dread is a lost gem that’d be a great fit. Thanks for the reminder and trip down nostalgia lane.

[robwalker]

Love this not only as the most thorough review ever but for the suggestions; so many great additions and alterations you suggest, most of which will work in any setting. And the plot analysis is superb. Hilarious when someone pokes holes in it many years after everyone had bought into the story.

[Rich_H_]

One of my favourite modules, X1, love it. Played it to death when we were kids and ran it as a campaign. I shipwrecked the PCs on it and they just went bananas. Ended up staying on the island and ruling it but with some fantastic pulp adventures along the way.

[richmcgee]

Jurassic Park has made this module a perfectly legit idea mine for moderns and scifi too. I had a Traveller GM crib from it for a adventure back in 1985, complete with alien dinosaurs and a space pirate lair guarded by a giant mechanical Kong.

[ontaka]

I have fond memories of playing this module in the 80s using AD&D (1st ed.) rules.
The DM got creative and we went on a mission to the island to obtain the scepter of the Arch Demon Orcus.
On our way to the island, I remember fighting pirates, but I have lost all memories of fighting dinosaurs on the island.