Keep on the Shadowfell
Points of Light | |
| Authors | Bruce R. Cordell, Mike Mearls |
|---|---|
| First published | 2008 |
| ISBN | 978-0-7869-4850-5 |
| Linked modules | |
| H1 H2 H3 | |
Keep on the Shadowfell is the first official product from the 4th edition
Contents
- 16-page 4th Edition quick-start rules booklet, including five ready-to-play characters
- 80-page adventure booklet
- 3 large size, double-sided, full-color battle maps
- 1 light cardboard portfolio
Story
that contains the Shadow Rift, once a gateway to the Shadowfell and is no longer in use. Kalarel plans to reopen the Shadow Rift to connect the material world to Orcus's temple in the Shadowfell. This unleashes an army of undead upon the unsuspecting region. The player characters journey to the keep and descend through its crypts, resulting in a final climactic confrontation with Kalarel.Publication history
The adventure was designed by
Shannon Appelcline commented that "The fourth edition of Dungeons & Dragons was previewed in May of 2008 in a quick-start adventure, H1: Keep on the Shadowfell (2008), that introduced both the 4e rule system and the Points of Light setting."[2]: 299
Keep on the Shadowfell was the first 4th Edition D&D adventure module to be released. It was released before the core 4th Edition rulebooks were made available, and includes pre-generated characters and a condensed version of many game rules. For early adopters, Keep on the Shadowfell was the first opportunity to play an official D&D 4th Edition product.
In April 2009, Wizards of the Coast released an updated PDF version of Keep on the Shadowfell. This updated version fixed many typographical errors throughout the module, revised the presentation and formatting of many encounters, and re-tuned the difficulty of certain key sections by adding or subtracting monsters.[3] This PDF was made available to the public free of charge through Wizards' D&D Test Drive program.[4]
Reception
A reviewer from the gaming-oriented Pyramid commented that, as the first scenario for the yet-unreleased new edition, Keep on the Shadowfell was "quite a significant item," particularly because Wizards' had included rules from the new edition.[5]
In a May 2008 review for RPG.net, David R. Henry rated the adventure's style as a 4 out of 5 ("Classy & Well Done"), and rated the adventure's substance as a 3 out of 5 ("Average"). He concluded that "as it is now it’s a very average adventure with little to recommend it (but, and this must be stressed, little to complain about either)."[6]
References
Notes
- ^ a b "Keep on the Shadowfell Spotlight Interview". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on January 7, 2010. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
- ISBN 978-1-907702-58-7.
- ^ "Eleven Foot Pole: Keep on the Shadowfell FREE". Greg Tannahill / Blogspot. 29 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
- ^ "D&D Test Drive". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on April 30, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
- ^ "Pyramid: Pyramid Review: H1, Keep on the Shadowfell (For Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition)".
- ^ "Review of H1: Keep on the Shadowfell - RPGnet d20 RPG Game Index".
Bibliography
- Cordell, Bruce R., and Mike Mearls. Keep on the Shadowfell (Wizards of the Coast, 2008).