Maure Castle is back. The setting for Mordenkainen’s Fantastic Adventure gets the “return to” treatment in Dungeon #112 in a super-adventure penned by Robert J. Kuntz and Gary Gygax.
It is truly a wonder to behold. The follow-up to the classic 1st edition module details four dungeon levels, and includes two appendixes featuring new magic and monsters. Like the original, it’s set in the World of Greyhawk, not all that far from the setting’s signature city.
I never read Mordenkainen’s Fantastic Adventure (it was released back when I was in grade school, when I didn’t have a heck of a lot of disposable income) so I can’t comment on how true to the original adventure it is. But after having read through level one, I can say that this adventure reads like something torn out of the space-time continuum. It’s a throwback to epic (and brutal) modules of old, with all manner of traps and tricks to slaughter the unwary. Moreover, it contains numerous ties to the history of Greyhawk, including the ancient exodus of the Suel, the more contemporary adventures of the Citadel of Eight, and the myriad fiends that have always played into the setting’s mythos.
It’s a perfect homage to everything that made Dungeons & Dragons great, and an excellent way to celebrate the game’s 30th anniversary.