EX1: Dungeonland (EX1) is a module for the Dungeons &Dragons roleplayinggame, written by Gary Gygax for usewith the First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons(AD&D) rules. It is an adaptation of LewisCarroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, with the variouscharacters from the book translated into AD&Dterms.[1][2]
The "EX" module code stands for "extension", as the adventure isdesigned to be inserted as an independent addition to another,ongoing scenario.[3] In Gygax's own campaign, an early version of Dungeonland was an extension of Castle Greyhawk.[2]
Like its source material, the module is intended to be played ina "light-hearted and zany spirit"[4],though, unlike Carroll's Alice, the player characters repeatedlyface potentially lethal combat with monsters. (For example, theCheshire Cat is amagical smilodon eager to eatadventurers.)[2]
In the afterword, Gygax mentions that Dungeonland was anearly part of the Greyhawk dungeon, andthat his players visited it multiple times. Dr. Joyce Brothers ismentioned as having played in a version of the scenario run at aconvention.
The module is paired with TheLand Beyond the Magic Mirror, which is based on Carroll'sThrough the Looking Glass. For unknown reasons, the scene on the cover is actually from the other module, and vice versa.
Receiving 9 out of 10, the module was positively reviewed inIssue 48 of WhiteDwarf magazine. The reviewer Jim Bambra enjoyed its sense ofhumour and exciting role-play, but criticised that it needn't havebeen written for such high level characters (a common problem inearly modules), and could have been modified for lower levelones.[5]
[edit] References
- Gygax, Gary. Dungeonland (TSR, 1983).