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''The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth'' is an
adventure module An adventure is a playable scenario in a tabletop role-playing game. These can be constructed by gamemasters for their players, and are also released by game publishers as pre-made adventure modules. Different types of designs exist, including l ...
for the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, 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 these roles within ...
. It was written by Gary Gygax and published by TSR in 1982 for the first edition ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (''AD&D'') rules. The 64-page adventure bears the code "S4" ("S" for "special") and is set in the
Greyhawk Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy roleplaying game. Although not the first campaign world developed for ''Dungeons & Dragons''—Dave Arneson ...
campaign setting. It is divided into two parts, a 32-page adventure, and a 32-page booklet of monsters and magic items. The plot involves the
player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional 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 that are not control ...
s investigating rumors of lost treasure. After traversing a wilderness and two levels of dungeons, the players face Drelnza, the vampiric daughter of long-deceased archmage
Iggwilv Iggwilv is a fictional wizard from the ''Greyhawk'' campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' roleplaying game. She was created by Gary Gygax. Iggwilv is characterized as a selfish, evil-aligned magic user with much power and a penchant fo ...
. ''The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth'' is a revised and expanded version of ''The Lost Caverns of Tsojconth'', a tournament adventure that Gygax wrote for the 1976 WinterCon V gaming convention. Gygax expanded the tournament adventure by adding a wilderness area, with part of it based on earlier work by Rob Kuntz. Work on the adventure delayed the completion of ''
The Temple of Elemental Evil ''The Temple of Elemental Evil'' is an adventure module for the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'', set in the game's ''World of Greyhawk'' campaign setting. The module was published by TSR, Inc. in 1985 for the first edition ''A ...
'', another Gygax adventure. ''The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth'' was included in the 1987 supermodule ''
Realms of Horror ''Realms of Horror'' is a "supermodule" compiled from the S–series of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' modules, which were four distinct ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 1st edition adventure modules, designed for use by Dungeon Masters as pre-made scena ...
'', and updated for v3.5 in an online edition in 2007. It was well received by critics, ranked the 22nd greatest ''Dungeons & Dragons'' adventure of all time by '' Dungeon'' magazine in 2004. A ''
White Dwarf A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense: its mass is comparable to the Sun's, while its volume is comparable to the Earth's. A white dwarf's faint luminosity comes fro ...
'' reviewer gave the adventure 9/10, noting its difficulty and rewards of powerful magic. It is part of a series along with '' S1: Tomb of Horrors'', '' S2: White Plume Mountain'', '' S3: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks''. It also has a loosely connected sequel: ''
The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun ''The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun'' is an Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons), adventure module for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') role-playing game, for use in the ''World of Greyhawk'' campaign setting. The module was published by TSR, Inc. ...
''.


Plot summary

The introduction, with instructions that the Dungeon Master read it aloud to the players, outlines that there is a treasure in the
Yatil Mountains Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy roleplaying game. Although not the first campaign world developed for ''Dungeons & Dragons''—Dave Arneson ...
south of the Greyhawk realm of
Perrenland Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy roleplaying game. Although not the first campaign world developed for ''Dungeons & Dragons''—Dave Arneson ...
. The
player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional 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 that are not control ...
s must investigate rumors of a lost treasure that scores of adventurers have perished attempting to find. The treasure is a remnant of the wealth amassed by the archmage
Iggwilv Iggwilv is a fictional wizard from the ''Greyhawk'' campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' roleplaying game. She was created by Gary Gygax. Iggwilv is characterized as a selfish, evil-aligned magic user with much power and a penchant fo ...
, former ruler of Perrenland, prior to her presumed death at the hands of the demon
Graz'zt In the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, "monsters" are generally the antagonists which players must fight and defeat to progress in the game. Since the game's first edition in 1974, a bestiary was included along other game man ...
, whom she had "imprisoned and forced into servitude." The players must first traverse a wilderness area with 20 numbered encounters before arriving at the caverns. The encounters have names such as "Border Patrol" (encounter 1) and "Hill Giants" (encounter 10). After the wilderness are two lettered encounters: the "Gnome Vale", which includes a map for their lair, and "The Craggy Dells", where humans and orcs are capturing hippogriffs to sell. Next, the player characters reach the caverns. They consist of the "Lesser Caverns" with 22 encounters, and the "Greater Caverns" with 20 encounters, each with its own map. The lesser caverns include encounters such as "Stinking Cave" (encounter 5) which contains four
trolls A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...
and "Underground Lake" (encounter 14). The greater caverns include encounters such as "Uneven-Floored Cavern" (encounter 5) where the player characters face an umber hulk and "Canyon of Centaurs" (encounter 9). The 20th and final encounter is titled "The Inner Sphere". Here, a "woman sleeps on an alabaster slab." She is "armored from toe to neck in gold chased
plate mail Plate armour is a historical type of personal body armour made from bronze, iron, or steel plates, culminating in the iconic suit of armour entirely encasing the wearer. Full plate steel armour developed in Europe during the Late Middle Ages, ...
." The woman is actually Drelnza, a fighter/
vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
and the daughter of Iggwilv. After defeating Drelnza, the players are rewarded with treasure, and the adventure ends.


Publication history

''The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth'' is a revised and expanded version of ''The Lost Caverns of Tsojconth'', a tournament adventure that Gygax wrote for WinterCon V, a
gaming convention A gaming convention is a gathering centered on role-playing games, collectible card games, miniatures wargames, board games, video games, or other types of games. These conventions are typically two or three days long, and often held at either a u ...
sponsored by the Metro Detroit Gamers (MDG) in 1976. It is based in part on one of Rob Kuntz's dungeon levels, as Kuntz helped Gygax revise the tournament version. This original version consisted of eight loose sheets, an outer folder, and a zip-locked bag; only several hundred copies were printed. In the May 1980 issue of ''Dragon'', Gygax said "Rob Kuntz has the reworked ''Lost Caverns'' module which must be finalized" and that "We want to get it into print as soon as possible." Lawrence Schick later suggested that "there's evidence that Gary considered Tsojcanth part of a longer
Greyhawk Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy roleplaying game. Although not the first campaign world developed for ''Dungeons & Dragons''—Dave Arneson ...
campaign, placing the adventure between ''T1–T4
The Temple of Elemental Evil ''The Temple of Elemental Evil'' is an adventure module for the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'', set in the game's ''World of Greyhawk'' campaign setting. The module was published by TSR, Inc. in 1985 for the first edition ''A ...
'' and ''WG4
The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun ''The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun'' is an Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons), adventure module for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') role-playing game, for use in the ''World of Greyhawk'' campaign setting. The module was published by TSR, Inc. ...
''. (By this reckoning, ''
The Village of Hommlet ''The Temple of Elemental Evil'' is an adventure module for the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'', set in the game's ''World of Greyhawk'' campaign setting. The module was published by TSR, Inc. in 1985 for the first edition '' ...
'', ''The Temple of Elemental Evil'', and ''Tsojcanth'' are thus the "lost" WG1 through WG3 modules.) So, ''Tsojcanth'' was published in the S series because it got completed out of order, but was too good to delay." In 1980, Gygax began rewriting the adventure for first edition ''AD&D'', expanding it to include outdoor encounters. The redevelopment of ''The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth'' was one of the major delays in the completion of ''
The Temple of Elemental Evil ''The Temple of Elemental Evil'' is an adventure module for the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'', set in the game's ''World of Greyhawk'' campaign setting. The module was published by TSR, Inc. in 1985 for the first edition ''A ...
''. This version of the module was revised and expanded, and included two 32-page books, and an outer folder. In the November 1981 issue of ''Dragon'', Gygax said that TSR needed a competition-level module and that "the effort needed to finish the second hundred or so pages of Elemental Evil went into preparation of ''The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth''. The scenario was initially done for a convention tournament, but the new product has an extensive outdoor adventure and a completely new series of encounters". While in the middle of working on ''Temple of Elemental Evil'', Gygax added a complete outdoor story arc to the original tournament story arc that leads to the caverns. ''The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth'' includes new spells, and many new monsters which were later featured in ''Monster Manual II''. ''
The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun ''The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun'' is an Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons), adventure module for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') role-playing game, for use in the ''World of Greyhawk'' campaign setting. The module was published by TSR, Inc. ...
'' (1982) starts off from an event in ''The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth'' and features monsters from the '' Fiend Folio''. In 1987, ''The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth'' was revised and included in TSR's "supermodule" ''
Realms of Horror ''Realms of Horror'' is a "supermodule" compiled from the S–series of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' modules, which were four distinct ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 1st edition adventure modules, designed for use by Dungeon Masters as pre-made scena ...
''. In 2007, it was updated to v3.5 and included as one of three parts in ''Iggwilv's Legacy: The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth'', an adventure available online from Wizards of the Coast. Both versions of the module included
monsters A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
that were later included other ''Dungeons & Dragons'' products. The monsters introduced in the original un-published version were updated for ''AD&D'' rules and included in the first edition '' Monster Manual''. Monsters appearing in the published version included the
demon princes Demon Princes is a series of five science fiction novels by Jack Vance, which cumulatively relate the story of an adventurer, Kirth Gersen, as he exacts his revenge on five notorious criminals, collectively known as the Demon Princes, who carrie ...
Baphomet,
Fraz-Urb'luu In the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, "monsters" are generally the antagonists which players must fight and defeat to progress in the game. Since the game's first edition in 1974, a bestiary was included along other game man ...
,
Graz'zt In the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, "monsters" are generally the antagonists which players must fight and defeat to progress in the game. Since the game's first edition in 1974, a bestiary was included along other game man ...
, and Kostchtchie, who later appeared in the original '' Monster Manual II''. The published module's cover features an illustration of a behir by Erol Otus. All four modules of the S-series were included as part of the ''Dungeons of Dread'' hardcover collection, released on March 19, 2013. Lawrence Schick writes in the foreword that "''S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth'' marked the end of the S series—and rightly so, because despite being based on a gilded-hole dungeon originally designed for a tournament in 1976, its updated version really belonged more to the '80s campaign-setting school of design than to the wild-and-woolly '70s. S1 through S3 were standalone modules that could be easily dropped into any DM's campaign, but ''Tsojcanth'' is firmly based in Gary's ''World of Greyhawk''."


Reception

''The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth'' was favorably received by critics. Lawrence Schick, in his 1991 book ''Heroic Worlds'', described the adventure as "A monster-filled labyrinth in the classic mode: kill 'em, rob 'em, and leave." It was ranked the 22nd-greatest ''Dungeons & Dragons'' adventure of all time by '' Dungeon'' magazine in 2004, on the 30th anniversary of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game. ''Dungeon's'' editors felt that the "pedestrian character of the caverns echoes the adventure's primordial nature", while its complicated wilderness setting and large second booklet set it apart from other adventures of the time. The booklet introduced 30 new creatures, including the derro and the demon lords Baphomet and Graz'zt. The reviewers felt that the adventure's defining moment was when the players find Iggwilv's "fabled treasure": her vampire daughter Drelzna. Jim Bambra reviewed the adventure for ''
White Dwarf A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense: its mass is comparable to the Sun's, while its volume is comparable to the Earth's. A white dwarf's faint luminosity comes fro ...
''. He gave it 9/10 overall, with 9/10 for presentation, rules, playability, enjoyment, skill, and complexity. Bambra noted that the module ended a long time off for Gary Gygax, and was "very tough" and that good play was stressed in the introduction. Sub par play quickly ended the story, but the rewards of powerful magic and the satisfaction of completing a difficult task made it worthwhile. He also noted that the adventure came with a 32-page booklet with 30 new monsters and a small amount of new magic. Not all the new creatures are featured in the plot, but they can be used by the DM in other adventures. Also, magical diagrams are given an in-depth treatment, including their creation and effectiveness. James Jacobs credits Gary Gygax's work on ''The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth'' for inspiration on Jacobs's work on the "Demonomicon of Iggwilv" column in ''
Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
'' magazine. Jacobs, James. "Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Apocrypha" ''
Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
'' #359 (Paizo Publishing, September 2007)


References


External links


S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
at The Acaeum

at Greyhawk Online

at Greyhawk Online {{DEFAULTSORT:Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth Greyhawk modules Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1982 Subterranean fiction