H1 ''Bloodstone Pass'' is an adventure module for the first edition of the ''

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Several different editions of the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game have been produced since 1974. The current publisher of ''D&D'', Wizards of the Coast, produces new materials only for the most current edition of the ...

'' (''D&D'') fantasy

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out ...

. It was written by

Douglas Niles Douglas Niles (born December 1, 1954, in Brookfield, Wisconsin) is a fantasy author and game designer. Niles was one of the creators of the Dragonlance world and the author of the first three Forgotten Realms novels, the '' Star Frontiers'' spac ...

and Michael Dobson and published by

TSR, Inc. TSR, Inc. was an American game publishing company, best known as the original publisher of '' Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D''). Its earliest incarnation, Tactical Studies Rules, was founded in October 1973 by Gary Gygax and Don Kaye. Gygax had bee ...

, in 1985. While it contained some traditional ''D&D'' elements, the main portion of the module was a series of mass battles using the ''D&D'' Battlesystem.

Plot summary

''Bloodstone Pass'' is an adventure with both a role-playing scenario and Battlesystem combat, in which the town of Bloodstone Pass hires the

player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional Character (arts), character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters tha ...

s to organize a defense against an army of evil humanoid monsters. The army also included human renegades led by a powerful

assassin Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

. The module's action focuses on leading the armies rather than having the battle occur in the background while the players adventure to find a

MacGuffin In fiction, a MacGuffin (sometimes McGuffin) is an object, device, or event that is necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but insignificant, unimportant, or irrelevant in itself. The term was originated by Angus MacPhail fo ...

Publication history

''Bloodstone Pass'' was originally the working name of what became the first edition of Battlesystem. However, it was felt that the name did not convey the feeling of the system. After the developers had settled on the name Battlesystem, they used the "Bloodstone Pass" name for the first Battlesystem game accessory. ''Bloodstone Pass'' was written by

and Michael Dobson and published by

, in 1985 as a

boxed set A boxed set or (its US name) box set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box, hence 'boxed', and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists ...

. The set included a 32-page scenario booklet, a 24-page unit roster, a model-building instruction booklet, 12 cardstock building sheets for constructing a fold-together cardboard village and miniature figures, and 104 cardboard counters. Cover art was by

Jeff Easley Jeff Easley (born 1954) is an oil painter who creates fantasy Work of art, artwork for role-playing games, comics, and magazines, as well as non-fantasy commercial art. Early life Easley was born in Nicholasville, Kentucky in 1954. He spent time ...

. Originally intended as a stand-alone module, it later became the first part of the four-part Bloodstone Pass Saga. The saga is known as the H series and includes ''Bloodstone Pass'' (H1), '' The Mines of Bloodstone'' (H2), ''

The Bloodstone Wars ''H3 - The Bloodstone Wars'' is an Official Game Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons), Adventure or "module" for Dungeons & Dragons, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Plot summary ''The Bloodstone Wars'' consists of a Battlesystem scenario depicting a battl ...

'' (H3), and '' The Throne of Bloodstone'' (H4). When ''The Bloodstone Wars'' was published, the original generic setting of ''Bloodstone Pass'' was

retconned Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in fictional story telling whereby facts and events established through the narrative itself are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subsequently published work ...

into the

Forgotten Realms ''Forgotten Realms'' is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setti ...

campaign setting. Module FR9, '' The Bloodstone Lands'', describes the area of the Forgotten Realms where the Bloodstone Pass Saga occurs. In this module's version of history the events of H series modules have run their course with the pregenerated PCs.

Reception

Ken Rolston Ken Rolston is an American computer game and role-playing game designer best known for his work with West End Games and on the computer game series ''The Elder Scrolls''. Tabletop role-playing games Ken Rolston began working as a professional g ...

reviewed ''Bloodstone Pass'' for ''

Dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

'' magazine #135 (July 1988). He called it a "real nice package" but noted that, because it was designed for use with Battlesystem, "the buildings are not even close to 25mm scale". Rich Baker, one of the designers of the 2006 module '' Red Hand of Doom'', compared that adventure to ''Bloodstone Pass'', saying they provide similar challenges to players.

Notes

References

* * *

External links