Let's do a quick #OldSchoolDungeonsAndDragons before bed! Undermountain: Stardock (1997), by Steven E. Schend.
This adventure has a very dubious distinction: according to DriveThruRPG, it was the last RPG product published by TSR before their bankruptcy! (Though Wizards of the Coast would publish more adventures under the TSR label for several years.) drivethrurpg.com/product/17579/…
The adventure is set in the Forgotten Realms, and in particular in the city of Waterdeep, below which is the "Dungeon of the Mad Mage," the most famous dungeon in the realms.
The dungeon is "managed" by an insane and powerful wizard named Halaster, and he keeps it stocked with monsters and controls gates that allow transport between the different dungeon levels and the surface world.
The premise of the adventure: Halaster has been kidnapped by a powerful organization, and without his supervision, the dungeon gates have spun out of control, disgorging monsters throughout the city!
The PCs are tasked with rescuing Halaster, which involves passing through one of his many dungeon levels and to his asteroid base Stardock, where he is being held.
Stardock thus makes a connection to another huge product line of later TSR: Spelljammer, basically D&D in space!
Before making it to the asteroid to free Halaster, the PCs must travel through a crystal labyrinth which contains a portal to Stardock. The image below gives just a small sample of the map. In play, the PCs must bump against the invisible walls to find their way.
I was actually hoping to use this adventure for my own group at some point, but I found it a little disappointing. There is relatively little variety in the monsters and scenarios featured. What you see on the module cover is largely what the PCs will face.
The most fun happens before the dungeon, in fact: the malfunctioning gates become an event referred to as "Halaster's Harvest," and the adventure gives lots of details of the chaos that ensues throughout the Realms.
I may still use the broad adventure idea in the future, but will tweak it with more variety in its encounters to make it a bit more unpredictable! /END
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