B10 Night's Dark Terror - A BECMI adventure module review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 พ.ค. 2024
- B10 Night’s Dark Terror was written by Jim Bambra, Graeme Morris, and Phil Gallagher and published in 1986. It was an amazing transition module for moving characters from dungeon play into the wilderness and might be considered a low-level campaign rather than just an adventure module. This is one of the greatest Dungeons and Dragons adventures ever published. If you disagree, roll initiative in the comments!
B10 Credits
Written by: Jim Bambra, Graeme Morris, and Phil Gallagher
Production: Phil Gallagher and the TSR UK Design Team
Cover Art: Brian Williams
Internal Art: Helen Bedford
Cartography and Design: Geoff Wingate
Proofreading: Carole Morris, Mike Brunton
Playtesting: Pat Whitehead, Matt Connell, Helen Freeman, Stuart Bonham, Steve Waters
Link to my BECMI Dungeons and Dragons playlist: • BECMI Dungeon and Dragons
BECMI Berserker logo and artwork created and gifted by the very generous Steve Young, contactable at steveyoungwork@hotmail.com Thank you, Steve!!
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Wait... the map at 2:20 looks like Falcon's Hunting Lodge, really close actually... Seriously, BB, give it a quick google. It is a semi-optional quest location in Dragon of Icespire peak and I'm almost Certain that they intended to pay homage to it, just based on this One Image.
My 5e group had what my fiancée said was one of their best fights there against a summoned Thunder Boar monster and a bunch of orcs that came to get revenge. Wow.. Memories.
Just checked and it looks practically identical. Not played Icespire, but clearly this is homage to an iconic location. I wish I'd known that and mentioned it in the video. In fact...I'm going to pin this post. Thanks!
awesome!!
@vincepale - really good shout there! Well spotted.
It is the otherway around B10 was earlier, and some of the maps and images used were reused as soo often elsewhere. A common trait of TSR
Man, I am Glad you're doing these Becmi modules they really highlight how much is missed if you are unfamiliar with them.
You’re welcome.
I understand now why this module is so beloved. I was too young to fully appreciate it when we first played it. Thanks for this video!
You're very welcome!
I love TSR UK's output, especially Graeme Morris' work. So a BECMI module form them I knew was going to be great. And this module did not disappoint, going above and beyond and creating a masterpiece. It is just loaded with so much. The battle map and tokens are just great, and I'm lucky enough to have a Warhammer goblin army, so I'm well equipped with miniatures! Great review.
Great value PDF. Over 30 three hour sessions for our group for less than $10. Art is evocative and unique. Maps are somehow so pleasing to the eye. Writing is tight, book is packed with good stuff, yet so efficent. Checking the weather each day, stopping to care for horses, arguing over when to honour the Chevals request to release the horses.....and then watch in horror as horses fall to their deaths in the mountain ravines. Good review....so much in here.
This is a great review of a beloved old classic. I ran this adventure so many times in totality but also in parts. Such a gold mine of an adventure.
One of the greatest modules ever, followed closely by Red Arrow Black Shield.
Brilliant video. I'm reading this module at the moment with the intent of taking my players through it.
This really is a fun adventure. Even just the opening siege itself is so memorable. Sometimes we used to replay the siege when we wanted a high octane adventure night and didn't want to worry about plot or our main campaign. In my northlands campaign, I reflavored Sukiskyn to be Ethengarian and I have moved the adventure to be near Rhoona in Vestland. My players only just hit 3rd level and they've visited Sukiskyn twice and fought the iron ring once, so the next time they go down the Kings Road instead of a familiar safe place to rest they're going to find goblin raiders coming out of the Trollheim hills.
This still is my favourite module. I loved running this the other year for my group. They still talk about it now. One of my players still has a hatred for the Iron Ring, and seeks them out even though currently we are miles away in the Minrothad Guilds.
It's the pace of the story that makes this module I think.
It certainly helps.
SPOILERS!!? NOOO!!!!
Just kidding. The module is 38 years old. I know you have to mention it, but I always chuckle imagining someone getting upset about spoilers for a product released in the last century…
Nice, thorough review as always. Makes me wish I had had a group to play with back in the day.
I intend to run this for my summer league. Always great stuff BB! Thank you.
BECMI Forever!
Long Live King Elmore!!
The context helps a lot. I can see why BECMI is beloved. I love it because it explains leveling up to different versions.
Arguably your best work
Helped by great subject matter.
I noticed at 47:35 the Scange leader is called Hrothgar. This set an inch in my brain, which I eventually scratched by digging out Dungeon magazine issue 25. In the issue is a BECMI adventure by Stephen J Smith called "Hrothgar's Resting Place" set in the Kelvin (or Kelven, maybe a discussion for another day) area. Although Hrothgar seems to have given up his former bandit lifestyle in the adventure set up.
Wow…good spot!!
I had watched several Nights Dark Terror reviews, read it myself, but I thought I'd see if you added anything new to it. Yep, yep you did. Totally worth my listening.
Thanks, mate. 🙂
I enjoy all of BECMI Berserker videos
Dude this is a outstanding video. I will be running this adventure foresure.
Have fun!
I’ve never played this adventure. After watching your video though, I’m intrigued, and I think I’ll seek out my own copy and run my group through it. Another great video. Well done.
Thank you for the great breakdown. I've been on full prep mode for weeks as I start to run this with my face to face group in a few weeks. It's been a dream of mine to run it for years.
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent video! Covering a classic!
Thank you kindly!
Great review, easily my number one D&D module by a mile.
Thanks for this dive into past adventure. I'd forgotten so many things about this module, one of the most satisfying moments for me as DM at the time was the parties frustration as a certain yellow clad figure flew away from the gallery tower leaving the heroes shouting insults at his back from the windows.
I also had one of the party captured by the Iron Ring and the rest of the group had to buy him back at a slave auction. This generated a deep hatred for the Iron Ring in a certain halfling who made it his life's mission to eradicate any slavers they met in the future.
Ooh! Enslaved by the Iron Ring! That’s a great twist. 🙂
Can't wait to listen to this on my drive home today. I ran this adventure--or at least the part up to where the party returns from Xitiqa--many years ago via play-by-post. When a certain yellow clad figure tried to make his escape, the cleric in the party hit him with a hold person spell. Golthar sank to the ground like a stone, dead upon landing. The game has been in suspended animation for almost ten years now, with the party back at Sukiskyn, waiting for me to resurrect it. Can't remember whether or not Pyotr had passed out yet at the celebration. I do remember Pytor's wife Darya dope slapping the thief in the party for his bad manners.
The Newschool players would probably Love this.
I think you’re right.
Another most excellent video. Thank you. ❤
Excellent video. I look forward to running this module one day.
Great write up of the module. I have to agree the art style of that era was amazing. It hits the middle ground of not too much or too little detail.
Absolutely!
This was a classic adventure indeed. It came in two styles here in canada. At first it was a shrink wrapped adventure. Later it came in a card stock sleeve. Recently I purchased a POD copy from drive thru. Definitely will be using this to start my Dragonslayer RPG game by greg gillespie....cheers !
You’re welcome!
Fantastic review..this module was so ground breaking in many ways. It inspired me to world build and really give npcs life. I loved all of the stuff the British wing created, all their adventures were well written.
I just noticed that one of the maps in the 5E introductory adventure Phandalin is a near exact copy of the battle map (Sukiskyn) you showed early in your video. It's the "ranch" out in the forest far outside of town that is raided by orcs in the Phandalin adventure.
It does look familiar…
This is what I wish the pathfinder adventure paths had been like, B10 is mildly linear but it doesn't really feel like it, just the right amount of a push here and there, without sacrificing open endedness.
I think the "Kingmaker" series was probably inspired by this module, especially the first adventure, which is probably my favorite PF adventure.
So much adventure just in South of the River!
That chapter evokes a sense of wonder for me. Probably some nostalgic romanticism wrapped up with it, due to the age I was and D&D being the only escapism at the time, but when I think of NDT, I dwell on the events in this chapter.
This is on its way from Drive thru! Looking forward to playing this with my daughers :)
It was indeed very ambitious for the time! Thanks for the in-depth review.
You’re welcome.
Thanks for being both a resource and an motivator. This review couldn't have been timed better for my own playthrough. In fact, I think you've saved it! This is quite a dense module so it was great to have each chapter clearly defined. Might you, by any chance, (cough, cough), be thinking of a review of, say, The Isle of Dread? That classic.
That will be my next video. Probably within a couple of weeks. Real life is in the way at the moment. 🙂
I love watching analyses of modules, and yours has not disappointed. Your style, along with something that feels like mining the old stuff for the core ideas, concepts and principles just feels zen, and something like this offers ways in which more 'from the hip' DM's can store for ideas and mingle in with their own stuff. Loading the creative barrel, so to speak.
Side note, and I don't know if I've mentioned this before so apologies if I'm repeating myself, but I'm loving the new art assets you're using. I'll always be a fan of the original flat Berserker head, but the new one gives some proper heavy Conan the King vibes.
Thanks for these comments. I always wonder how I’m doing comparatively and you’ve eluded to the angle I try to go for.
As for the art, I’m really happy with it and have had mostly positive feedback. I credit the artist in the description of all my uploads if you wanted to look him up.
I loved this one back in the day! It was my first experience with what a real campaign looks like, not just a dungeon environment to pit the party against tactically or a hex-crawl, but a genuine fantasy story with a through-line plot, characters, and factions, mixed up with large amounts of player freedom to seek out encounters and clues, particularly during the second and third chapters. The siege was an amazing tactical battle experience, basically worthy of being its own module by that day's standards (particularly considering the tactical map and cardboard tokens) and it was just the initial encounter! I still consider _Rahasia_ (B7) to be my overall favorite B module, but B10 was utterly unique and compelling.
I’ll be doing B7 in the future.
Thank you for another great video, sir.
Amazing review and suggestions...I've watched it twice and can't wait till the next one. Thank you for the in-depth review and all your effort
Glad you enjoyed it!
What an amazing review and breakdown of this adventure, some really insightful things here that had me muttering to myself 'Oh God yeah that makes sense'. Very interesting and clear how you break down the elements of the adventure. Lots of helpful pointers on how to write well too throughout all of that. The way you brought Sukiskin into the foreground and showed its development was superb. I for one would avidly watch a post game synopsis but I'm sure you're too busy etc but they are entertaining and educational, goat football anyone? All that detailing is so good in world building. Anyway brilliantly done.
I hope you look at the other adventures in Karameikos, their flavour runs through them all so well, something I missed out on at the time as we had migrated to Warhammer and Runequest around then. All those cool hidden ruins and the sense of an untamed wilderness drenched in mysteries from the past, superb stuff.
Thanks, man. Really appreciate those comments.
@@becmiberserkerit is such an artfully done campaign adventure, each section crafted so cleverly with content and flavour. By the end it feels like something out of King Solomons Mines or Conan.
Your point about different outcomes over which faction you side with got me thinking, what if during the chaos there is a confrontation between faction leaders over a rod of hutaakan control. A sceptre of authority maybe? The party become aware of it either through the connivance of a Traldar shaman or a Hutaakan with a conscience. You could weave in a very atmospheric climax of deceit and back stabbing. Especially if the purpose of the rod is to order the undead to kill the other side. Meanwhile some less bloodthirsty types try to carry out their rituals of destroying the creatures. Something like that could see the valley destroyed behind the pcs as they head off to the treasure hoard. Might be possible but it might overshadow the fight with the blob.
WFRP 1st edition author made this adventure. Good stuff!!
Brilliant overview of an amazing module. Potentially one of the greatest of all time.
(wheezes and snickers Beavis & Butt-Head style… hehehehe… Aarth…oll! heheheh)
Not too much to add. It is a wonderful adventure module and very much a campaign even on its own.
My complaints are pretty similar to the ones already expressed, although there are also some scale issues: Threshold is way too built-up to have mere 550 people, and indeed, GAZ 1 increased it to 5500. Now, whether that x10 to all towns and villages in earlier modules was too much in GAZ 1 can be another debate.
I am also not fond of the bald Traldars with their 'Vocals'.
This sounds like a perfect intro to a Slave Lords campaign.
Good idea!
It looks a great scenario, thanks for the video.
No problem!
This is a wonderful review of the product, I do have one question for you BB, or anyone else in the comment thread:
Does the reprinted version on Drivethrurpg have the parts that were originally part of the Cover/Back cover spreads?
I got a PDF from Drivethru. All the maps and art is there, although the scan quality could do with being updated, as it does blur when zooming in.
@@becmiberserker I will probably GREEN Light a copy of the physical reprint from there, It's like $11 USD + Shipping, plus my birthday is at the end of May!
Special treat!
Damn! Once we're finished with Rise of the Runelords (pathfinder 1e), I want to go back to BECMI (rules cyclopeadia). I wanna get this adventure module in original form, but it's $599 on eBay.
It's $11 print on demand on Drivethrurpg.
@@shockerck4465 I'll definitely settle for PDF😄
@@shockerck4465to the PoD store! Lol
@@shockerck4465 Unfortunately the PDF loses most of the goodies it is legendary for.
With DTRPG, you get the maps, and cutout chits as part of the book, so they aren't really useful as play pieces.
Now, I very much want this adventure. I'm not payign the hndreds of dollars it would take to get an oriignal copy, but the POD is there even though it may not be as amazing.
Very good +1
Any advice on getting a copy of these adventures for those of us that didn't live thru this era?
Try DrivethruRPG. The PDFs are there and a lot of them are print on demand. Print quality can vary I’m told.
@@becmiberserkerThe B10 print is very good. You can't pull out the maps, though, and it's worthwhile to get the PDF as well.
Would you consider doing an episode on Wrath of the Immortals and the IM series?
WotI is way off. I’d like to finish the Gazetteer series first. One day!
Has this or any similar module been updated for 5e?
I think there are some fan conversions out there but no official ones.
@@becmiberserker Thank you for your reply. It seems I will have to do some digging. I’m very interested in this now
@@crazyjay2741 You’re welcome ☺️