First 32 page module – a huge leap. So from G1 to D3, the page counts are 8, 8, 16, 16, 20, 32. Admittedly 4 of those pages are blank.
The Background is clearly now fully geared to be read to the players, completing the transition that started in a partial form in D2
Finally, the land of the Drow is described
Art
Cover by DCS III as usual, but this time the back cover is by Trampier
Considering the page count, there’s very limited artwork in this module – only 2 pieces by DCS III and 4 by Tramp
General
In D1 and D2, on the way to the main big caverns, there were 2 encounter areas on the way that couldn’t be avoided without taking circuitous routes. In contrast, in D3 there’s basically a choice between 3 paths and the ability to avoid 2 of the encounters. Apparently when this was played in the Gencon tournament, almost all the groups took the same route and died, as related in Dragon 19 and here https://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2021/11/the-deadly-illusion-of-gencon-1978.html
There’s an idol that has a particularly horrifying outcome of turning a player into a spider over the course of 66 days
This is a really impressive setting – the vault of the drow is massive and has a wonderfully alien feel
This module is jam packed! Even though there are 6 pages of maps, there’s still not enough room for maps of the bugbear cave complex, the troglodyte tunnels, nor the multi-level black tower, let alone all the merchant villas and noble houses. Oh yeah, and there’s Erelhei-Cinlu, the city itself, which has roughly 10,000 inhabitants…
I have no idea how this module was supposed to be dealt with in 1 day’s worth of tournament play
There are a number of references to Q1, which wouldn’t come out for ages
