X3 - Curse Of Xanathon

System: Dungeons & Dragons

Code: #9056

Type: Adventure

Levels: 4-14

Author: Douglas Niles

Year: 1982

Publisher: TSR

Format: 32-page book

X3 - Curse Of Xanathon

X3 Curse of Xanathon is one of those modules I want to like - but I just don't. Are you supposed to go around killing the Ducal Guard? How much of the city needs to be explored? Should everyone be killed in the temple? How do you defeat an adversary that can't be injured? How many of the player characters have to die? Do servants get killed who raise an alarm? I have to admit though, it is a pretty neat adventure. But it is one of those where the lines between law and chaos are blurred - and I just don't like blurry.

How could one make it less blurry? Ah - I thought you'd never ask! For one, have the treasonous wretch stationed in a separate fortified house instead of in the ducal barracks, guarded by loyal men who should die anyway. Destroy everyone and everything possible in the temple in town and the shrine out of town - good clean hack and slash! The antidote - a powder? Make it something you drink - come on man. Why do you have to be different? And the Ducal Palace - have most of the servants just gone and any guards there loyal to the usurper. Just going around killing guards and servants because they are in the wrong place and taking orders from someone that they don't even realize is trying to overthrow their Duke - it just isn't very sporting.

Could there be further adventures? Well, a few are mentioned at the end of the module - including a red dragon, a small band of master thieves, and a not-so-small band of slavers. They also mention marauding packs of giants, ogres, and trolls. Those mountains are dangerous! However, I've never run or played this module. Who wants to go to Vestland anyway? Well - maybe your players do I suppose. And there is always the "The Northern Reaches Gazeteer" if you really want to develop this area - not to mention X13 Crown Of Ancient Glory which is set up right around here...