White Plume Mountain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, White Plume Mountain is the name of a lone, geyser-spitting mountain on the plains of the central Flanaess, north of the Nyr Dyv and south of Rift Canyon. White Plume Mountain is one of the most famous Dungeons & Dragons modules.[1] Along with Tomb of Horrors, White Plume Mountain is widely seen as one of the best adventures of the early years of the Dungeons & Dragons game.
Contents |
[edit] History
The earliest known inhabitant of White Plume Mountain was the druid Aegwareth. In circa -800 CY, Aegwareth was slain by the wizard Keraptis, who took over the mountain with his gnomish servitors. Aegwarth now exists as a shade.
[edit] References
[edit] S2 - White Plume Mountain
| White Plume Mountain | |
 |
|
| Code | S2 |
|---|---|
| Rules Required | AD&D (1st Edition) |
| Character Levels | 5 - 10 |
| Campaign Setting | Greyhawk |
| Authors | Lawrence Schick |
| First Published | 1979 |
| Linked Modules | |
| S1 S2 S3 S4 Return to White Plume Mountain |
|
S2 - White Plume Mountain by Lawrence Schick is a module for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, published by TSR in 1979, occurring in the same location.
The premise of S2 - White Plume Mountain involves an evil wizard, Keraptis. Thirteen hundred years ago, Keraptis descended into the volcanic mountain with a company of gnomes, and disappeared. The adventure hinges on the theft of three powerful magical weapons: a trident named Wave, a war hammer named Whelm, and a sword named Blackrazor. The weapons' former owners each received a copy of a taunting poem, each sealed with the symbol of the all-but-forgotten Keraptis. The characters' goal is to rescue the weapons from Keraptis' lair.
S2 - White Plume Mountain is notable[citation needed] for its extensive art by Erol Otus; its bizarre, often puzzle-centric challenges (which include numbered flesh golems, a sphinx's riddle, and a levitating stream); the first appearance of Dragotha, the undead dragon; and the soul-devouring sword Blackrazor. Similarities between Blackrazor and Stormbringer, the soul-devouring sword in Michael Moorcock's Elric saga, have been noted.
The "S" series of classic TSR adventures are stand-alone, complete adventures with unique challenges[citation needed]. The "S" stands for "special"; other adventures in the series include S1 - Tomb of Horrors, S3 - Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, and S4 - Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. These adventures are meant to be especially challenging and unique in the canon of early, first edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons products.
[edit] Critical reception
White Plume Mountain was ranked the 9th greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time by Dungeon magazine in 2004, on the 30th anniversary of the Dungeons & Dragons game. British roleplaying magazine White Dwarf gave it a favorable review (8/10) and noted that the many features of the module, it's focus on solving problems rather than pure combat, made it a worthy addition to the "S" line of adventures.[2]
[edit] Update
Wizards of the Coast have released a version of the module, updated to conform with v3.5 rules, as a free download on their website. The revised module is designed for characters of the seventh level of experience. Similarly, Return to White Plume Mountain has also received a v3.5 update and is likewise housed for free download on their website. In both of the revised modules, the classic weapons associated with them (Blackrazor, Whelm and Wave for White Plume Mountain, Frostrazor for Return to White Plume Mountain) have been converted into Legacy Weapons.
[edit] Sequel
Wizards of the Coast also released a sequel to the adventure in 1999, Return to White Plume Mountain, as part of the TSR 25th Anniversary series of publications. The events in the sequel are assumed to take place 20 years following those in the original module.
[edit] References
- ^ Against the Giants by Ru Emerson. skewedperspective.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-25.
- ^ "Open Box - White Plume Mountain Review" (April 1983). White Dwarf 40.
[edit] References
- Erik Mona, James Jacobs, et al. "The 30 Greatest D&D Adventures of All Time." Dungeon #116 (Paizo Publishing, 2004).
[edit] External links
- White Plume Mountain (Revised) at the WotC Downloads Site
