X1: The Isle of Dread

The Isle of Dread is a primeval, monster-infested jungle island in the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse. It is loosely based on Skull Island from King Kong (though not to the same extent as the Isle of the Ape). A prime "pulp fantasy" location, it was the centerpiece of its own B/X module, "X1: The Isle of Dread", and introduced many unique monsters and races, such as the aranea, phanaton and rakasta. It returned in subsequent editions and has become an integral part of the D&D lore, aided by the fact it was packaged as a free inclusion in both D&D Expert Sets, so anybody who bought that rules update in the early 1980s was exposed to the Isle of Dread. It was ranked the 16th greatest D&D adventure module of all time.

The Module

This article contains spoilers! You have been warned.

Written by David "Zeb" Cook and Tom Moldvay, the module X1 debuted in 1981, and was available both on its own and packaged into Moldvay's own Expert Set as an example of an outdoors-based adventure/setting. This original version is laid out in the style characteristic of early D&D adventures: it had no Dungeons & Dragons logo, a diagonal strip in the top left corner indicated which edition of the game it was for, and the back cover featured an illustration and a list of other D&D products of the time. A reprint was made in 1983; this second version was also packaged with Mentzer's revision of the Expert Set, and can be distinguished by its Timothy Truman cover art, the red-orange border on its cover, and its use of typical mid-1980s D&D layout elements: the game's current logo was prominently featured on the cover, the diagonal strip was replaced with a horizontal one across the top, and the back cover featured no illustration but did have a text description of the adventure. There are a few minor differences besides appearance between this and the earlier version, including the replacement of a few monsters, and a mapping error that makes part of the final temple appear to be completely inaccessible.

X1 came with a fairly detailed (for its time) map of a setting then called the Known World, showing at least fifteen distinct nations on the mainland to the north, as well as much of the Sea of Dread in which the Isle of Dread could be found. These nations each received a paragraph or so of description near the beginning of the module, making this the debut of several prominent Mystaran nations - Darokin, Ylaruam and Thyatis and so on. Thus were brought together Jean Wells' princes of Glantri and Karameikos from the 1981 Expert Set.

Described as a medium to high level scenario, X1's plot was simple, even for the standards of the time. The characters somehow find a fragment from a ship's log, describing a mysterious island on which many treasures can be found, and set out to explore it. Typically, the characters will first make landfall near the more or less friendly village of Tanaroa and after possibly dealing with some troublesome factions in the village, set out to explore the interior of the island. In the course of their explorations, they may find a number of other villages of unfamiliar intelligent creatures, numerous hostile monsters and the treasures they guard, and a band of pirates. Many prehistoric creatures, including dinosaurs, are prominently featured, especially in the original printing of the adventure. Near the center of the island is a hidden temple inhabited by monstrous, mind-bending creatures known as Kopru. The characters may stumble across it or learn that they're a source of problems for the other inhabitants of the isle, and the climax of the adventure typically consists of the characters exploring this temple, battling its inhabitants, and uncovering its secrets.

Returning to the Isle of Dread

The Isle is also a minor encounter area in the later adventure Lathan's Gold, and receives some further mention in several later D&D products such as the Poor Wizard's Almanac series.

Issue No. 114 of Dungeon Magazine features an update on the Isle of Dread as a Greyhawk setting, a remake-sequel to The Isle of Dread entitled Torrents of Dread, and a poster-style map of the island, as well some smaller surrounding islands. In this update, the island was located in the Densac Gulf, a region bordered by the Azure Sea to the north, the Pearl Sea to the south, the Amedio Jungle to the west, and Hepmonaland to the east. This large expanse of ocean contains several island chains, one of which is the Isle of Dread itself. The update details a kopru plot that destroyed the city of the original Olman settlers through the power of a giant black pearl imbued with the influence of Demogorgon, the demonic god of the kopru. The isle has become a mad collection of kopru, other aquatic races, demonic beings, dinosaurs, and savage Olman natives.

The Savage Tide

The Isle of Dread made a prominent return towards the end of 3rd edition, as it was the foundation for the first half or so of the Savage Tide adventure path. This version of the Isle of Dread is, like the earlier Torrents of Dread adventure, set in Greyhawk rather than the original's Mystara, but still retains some Mystaran roots, like the presence of the aranea and phanaton races.

Across the Planes

In 4th edition, the Isle of Dread is stated to be a planeshifting island, moving freely between the material plane and the Feywild. 5th edition retained this idea but moved it to the Elemental Plane of Water instead... which is a plane that consists of an infinite underwater expanse. Except this actually makes sense in 5e, because now the inner bits of the Plane of Water have a surface with islands. What happens as you go further out is anybody's guess.

Goodman Games Remake

Part of an ongoing relationship with Wizards of the Coast, Goodman Games (creators of Dungeon Crawl Classics) got the rights to reprint the Isle of Dread as well as do a full 5e conversion as part of their "Original Adventures Reincarnated" (OAR) line, joining In Search of the Unknown and Keep on the Borderlands (and later entries The Lost City, Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, Castle Amber and Temple of Elemental Evil).

This conversion hews closely to the original, addressing a few issues here and there and adding a few adventure sites that were hinted at but not detailed as well. One notable inclusion was how Goodman Games worked in the 5e lore of the Isle being able to move between various worlds and the Plane of Water, introducing a rather dangerous quest to try and halt the planeshifting aspect of Isle once and for all.

Like their other reprints/updates, the 5e conversion keeps the veritable mountains of treasure from the classic module. If the characters from the first OAR game (Into the Borderlands) play through this remake, they should be wealthy enough to be buying small castles and hiring on adventurers themselves to go off looking for trouble.

Races of the Isle

The Isle of Dread is most famous for its many monsters, including dinosaurs, prehistoric beasts, and various forms of unnaturally oversized animals, but it has quite a few sapient creatures dwelling here as well.

In the original X1 module, the Island's primary sapient inhabitants are Humans - primarily the tribal natives, although pirates also make small temporary camps near the coasts or launch brief expeditions into the interior. Other races of significance include Neanderthals, who regard the local apes and monkeys as totem beasts and train them to guard their camps; Lizardfolk; Rakasta; Aranea; and the signature race native to the island, the Phanatons, a race of sapient ringtailed lemurs with gliding patagia.

Special mention should also be made of all of the ogres, cyclopses, bugbears, centaurs, treants, trolls, and an array of both the common therianthrope strains (Werebear, Wereboar, Wererat, Weretiger, Werewolf) and multiple undead created from or by the local sapients - Ghouls, Mummies, Skeletons, Wights, Wraiths, and Zombies.

Subsequent iterations of the module eroded many of these, in particular dropping the Rakasta.