I give you Module SJQ1: Spelljammer--Heart of the Enemy.
The module's in pretty good condition, but still a little banged up, probably due to idiots (and, er, me) taking it out of the plastic bag and reading it. I am, of course, storing it in the bag. No, it's not really this orange--I took this picture at work.
The enclosed map's in near-perfect condition. It details the general layout of and various locales in this weird-ass solar system. But more on that in a bit.
I haven't hunted down a Spelljammer boxset yet, but I already know more than a bit about the basic setting and concept. I mean, this is literally Dungeons & Dragons in space--how could I NOT hunt down every scrap of info I could?
So I already knew this setting was a little bizarre, but it wasn't until I read Heart of the Enemy that I realized just how bizarre. This thing has a solar-system-sized ecosystem, a pyramid-shaped star with pegasi living on the inside, planets flattening out like pizza dough because their sun turned green, a comet shaped like an old man's head that carries things around in its mouth, a wizard who thinks sleight-of-hand tricks are more interesting than real magic...it just never lets up. When talking constellations are the least weird thing in a module, I know I have a winner on my hands.
What, then, is the point of all this oddity? Well, the setting's space-elves (who are as per D&D tradition snobby and condescending, but still somewhat less dickish than elves in other settings) get word that this weird-ass solar system, Darkspace, is home to the control unit of a witchlight marauder (a planet-destroying organic superweapon). They hire the adventurers to travel to Darkspace, find the control unit, and then acquire the marauder before the space-orcs, or "scro" (you see what they did there, they...never mind. I don't understand why the space-elves aren't called "sevle") get ahold of both. Oh, and while you're doing that, be a dear and figure out which one of your ship's crew is a scro double agent, will you?
So yes, this is a very busy module. It's also unusual in another way by 2nd Edition standards: it actually seems survivable. It's no walk on Mount Celestia by any means, but it's no Tomb of Horrors either--of course I say this not having actually played the thing, but it appears pretty well balanced for a mid-level party. There are a few TPK moments, but they're not mandatory to complete the adventure and they'll only come up if the PCs actively look for them. In fact, it looks harder to run than play; the module drops only vague ideas as to how to drop enough hints to reveal the traitor's identity, relying heavily on the DM's ability to do so in a manner both fair and challenging.
Would I play this? Hell, you even need to ASK? Anything which breaks away from the standard D&D template of "walk around an old castle's basement killing monsters and looting the place" is going to be right up my alley. It's fun, don't get me wrong, but sometimes variety is good, you know?
I have a recurring problem when it comes to blog posts: I can never think of a way to end them. So let me just close by saying...um...planets will also turn into rhomboids if their sun turns periwinkle. There we go.
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