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'''''White Plume Mountain''''' is an adventure module written for ''[[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]]''. Written by Lawrence Schick, it was released by [[TSR]] in 1979. It is set in the ''[[Greyhawk]]'' campaign setting. The hook of the story is that [[Whelm|three]] [[Wave|legendary]] [[Blackrazor|weapons]] were stolen by a madder-than-usual [[wizard]] named Keraptis. We know this because the wizard left a note at each crime scene shitposting about his escapades in poetic verse. The audacity! The wizard boasts that he has taken the artifacts to reside with him in White Plume Mountain, an active goddamn volcano that he spelunked into 1,300 years ago with a cadre of [[gnomes]], and now it is up to you to go in after him and retrieve these artifact weapons for their owners. | '''''White Plume Mountain''''' is an adventure module written for ''[[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]]''. Written by Lawrence Schick, it was released by [[TSR]] in 1979. It is set in the ''[[Greyhawk]]'' campaign setting. The hook of the story is that [[Whelm|three]] [[Wave|legendary]] [[Blackrazor|weapons]] were stolen by a madder-than-usual [[wizard]] named Keraptis. We know this because the wizard left a note at each crime scene shitposting about his escapades in poetic verse. The audacity! The wizard boasts that he has taken the artifacts to reside with him in White Plume Mountain, an active goddamn volcano that he spelunked into 1,300 years ago with a cadre of [[gnomes]], and now it is up to you to go in after him and retrieve these artifact weapons for their owners. | ||
''White Plume Mountain'' is generally very favorably remembered by [[neckbeards]], usually ranking somewhere in the Top 10 list of the best ''D&D'' dungeons. While it does not have sheer [[TPK|FUCK YOU]] nature of the [[Tomb of Horrors]], it is chock full of fun and memorable encounters and puzzles | ''White Plume Mountain'' is generally very favorably remembered by [[neckbeards]], usually ranking somewhere in the Top 10 list of the best ''D&D'' dungeons. While it does not have sheer [[TPK|FUCK YOU]] nature of the [[Tomb of Horrors]], it is chock full of fun and memorable encounters and puzzles. | ||
That said, the module is not without criticism, with Schick himself being one of the most vocal. By his own admission, the excuse plot of "mad wizard lures you into a wacky dungeon, what do?" was old hat ''even at the time'', he basically just crammed together every cool idea he'd ever had from every other dungeon he'd ever made rather than tried to make them holistically fit together, the ending sucks, and one of the treasures | That said, the module is not without criticism, with Schick himself being one of the most vocal. By his own admission, the excuse plot of "mad wizard lures you into a wacky dungeon, what do?" was old hat ''even at the time'', he basically just crammed together every cool idea he'd ever had from every other dungeon he'd ever made rather than tried to make them holistically fit together, the ending sucks, and one of the treasures just rips the black sword right off Elric's pasty white hand because YOLO. Schick still thinks of it a fun dungeon crawl with cool setpieces, but he doesn't think of it as truly great anymore. | ||
A sequel, ''Return to White Plume Mountain'', was released in 1999 for ''D&D'''s silver anniversary, which takes place twenty years after the original. Having been presumably slain in the original ''WPM'', Keraptis may have returned as his mocking face has appeared in the eponymous plume of smoke which exudes from the volcano which was once his lair. Does this herald the mad wizard's return, or is something even more nefarious afoot? | A sequel, ''Return to White Plume Mountain'', was released in 1999 for ''D&D'''s silver anniversary, which takes place twenty years after the original. Having been presumably slain in the original ''WPM'', Keraptis may have returned as his mocking face has appeared in the eponymous plume of smoke which exudes from the volcano which was once his lair. Does this herald the mad wizard's return, or is something even more nefarious afoot? | ||
Revision as of 17:13, 1 June 2020
White Plume Mountain is an adventure module written for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Written by Lawrence Schick, it was released by TSR in 1979. It is set in the Greyhawk campaign setting. The hook of the story is that three legendary weapons were stolen by a madder-than-usual wizard named Keraptis. We know this because the wizard left a note at each crime scene shitposting about his escapades in poetic verse. The audacity! The wizard boasts that he has taken the artifacts to reside with him in White Plume Mountain, an active goddamn volcano that he spelunked into 1,300 years ago with a cadre of gnomes, and now it is up to you to go in after him and retrieve these artifact weapons for their owners.
White Plume Mountain is generally very favorably remembered by neckbeards, usually ranking somewhere in the Top 10 list of the best D&D dungeons. While it does not have sheer FUCK YOU nature of the Tomb of Horrors, it is chock full of fun and memorable encounters and puzzles.
That said, the module is not without criticism, with Schick himself being one of the most vocal. By his own admission, the excuse plot of "mad wizard lures you into a wacky dungeon, what do?" was old hat even at the time, he basically just crammed together every cool idea he'd ever had from every other dungeon he'd ever made rather than tried to make them holistically fit together, the ending sucks, and one of the treasures just rips the black sword right off Elric's pasty white hand because YOLO. Schick still thinks of it a fun dungeon crawl with cool setpieces, but he doesn't think of it as truly great anymore.
A sequel, Return to White Plume Mountain, was released in 1999 for D&D's silver anniversary, which takes place twenty years after the original. Having been presumably slain in the original WPM, Keraptis may have returned as his mocking face has appeared in the eponymous plume of smoke which exudes from the volcano which was once his lair. Does this herald the mad wizard's return, or is something even more nefarious afoot?
A 5e remake of the original module was included in Tales from the Yawning Portal, among many other classic modules, ported over more-or-less faithfully.