3 Dungeon Magazine Adventures That Changed My DMing Life – Revisiting One of the Greatest Gaming Resources From Back in the Day

Greetings gamers from all systems, places and timelines.

When the subject of gaming from the 80s and 90s comes up, Dragon Magazine often seems to be part of the fabric of that conversation. That makes sense because every issue was packed with tips, game rulings, and unique spells, many of which were provided by the creators of the game itself. However, if you were a DM in that time frame, odds are that Dungeon Magazine was also an essential part of your gaming tool kit. Personally, Dungeon magazine provided several elements of gaming that have always been near and dear to my heart. 

For starters, some of those modules were the most memorable material TSR produced. I mean, isn’t it every game master’s dream to run a highly forgettable adventure? Because hearing that your game wasn’t bad but no one can remember what they did in it sounds like a failure by any other name. And, second, their printed material was made up of one-shot adventures, many of which could be expanded on for later games if so desired.

So, let’s take a look at three unforgettable Dungeon magazine adventures that had such an impact on both my players and I that we can remember them vividly more than 30 years later. 

Dungeon #19: The House of Cards 

While this module from Dungeon #19 had more deadly traps than a movie where the hero’s name is Indiana, that’s not what made it groundbreaking. Rather, this was the first time all of my players and myself were introduced to the infamous Deck of Many Things, and the writers of this issue knew they had something hot and ran with it.

In the back of the magazine were 22 card cutouts, so the players could actually draw from the deck with printed images on it. In that way, you could watch their expressions, which ranged somewhere between wonder and horror as they pulled their cards one by one. So, I drew this card named the talons. … How much treasure did I just lose?!

But those types of crazy overpowered and deadly magical items were built into the foundation of the early versions of D&D. Sure, you could get phenomenal cosmic power or an itty bitty living space, but on the other side of that, trying to remember the game where you came across a +1 sword can be like trying to remember what you had for breakfast on a Tuesday 11 months ago. Overall, this was a fantastic, high-stakes adventure with an ending that is anything but scripted. 

Dungeon #21: The Chest of the Aloeids 

This module from Dungeon #21 not only takes the characters into ancient Greece but sends them on a quest handed to them by the actual Gods. Which, if you’re a character who claims to be an adventurer, I’m not sure how much more of a hook you could possibly ask for. 

The writer does a great deal of leg work to make the players feel like they have gone back in time by handling everything from how their equipment changes to fit the time period to what money can buy. But it doesn’t stop there, as the creatures and encounters are carefully crafted to fit the environment so much that, if it had any more Greek flavor to it, you would actually be playing Hades. 

The writer also used lesser-known Greek figures and had them make appearances to add to the environment. Your party’s barbarian thinks she is unstoppable as the Juggernaut? Great, there is a river God over there who doesn’t feel inclined to give us any useful information, go give him hell. However, as much as punching your way through a problem can be highly entertaining, the players will need both creativity and some luck to finish this quest. 

Dungeon #27: The School of Nekros 

Before Hogwarts, there was the School of Nekros in Dungeon #27. Earlier I mentioned that these Dungeon issues were designed to provide a framework of a story that you could do as much or as little with as desired. For our game where it was introduced, this module was like a solid foundation that skyscrapers were built on.

The actual premise is that there was a sinister school of dark wizards that operated in secret, but rumors of its existence were beginning to circulate. Traditionally, this is where a team of adventures would take on the mission of shutting the operation down, but I had a different idea: Instead, I used this adventure of an aspiring evil wizard’s back story and made him a part of the school. Here, this character went from level 0 to 3 before Morgan, the drow mage in question, even met up with his party. 

After building on the existing story and NPCs of the school, before I knew it, there was a mini solo campaign going on. It looked like something to the effect of a cross between Harry Potter and if the Legion of Doom opened up a villain academy. This was because of the gifted writing of the creator, who basically left portions of the story writing itself, including surprises and plot twists – like the skeletal dragon that was just hanging out in the basement of the school. 

However, the school wasn’t just tucked in the corner of Morgan’s backstory. Rather, it was a key location in my campaign world where the other evil party members could come to gather information via their own contacts or perform research. And, not surprisingly, everyone felt that area of the story seemed extremely well developed, which added a sense of mystery to the entire campaign. This left the players asking, “If there is so much going on here, what else are we missing?” 

Conclusion 

Dungeon magazine did some incredibly fun, memorable and wild things that, if you have not experienced them, are definitely worth checking out. These adventures have so much range that they include everything from traveling between worlds Spell Jamming to Shakespeare’s King Lear done with Storm Giants. And while I am biased, one-shot/side modules can be the spice of the gaming life. These magazines provide enough of them to run several campaigns just using their material. Which, if you’re gaming very regularly or are with players who claim they have seen it all, can be just what the doctor ordered.