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Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Module #T1-4
Temple of Elemental Evil
What began years ago with the introduction of the players to the quiet village of Hommlet and the amazing lands of Greyhawk, at last is complete. Here is the long awaited campaign adventure featuring the ruins of the Temple of Elemental Evil! Evil broods and grows beneath those blasted stones. This is your chance to drive it back and scatter its forces again.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 23, 2016
T1-4 puts the Advanced in A #DnD #review
Temple lives up to its reputation and oh so much more: massive, evil, and most likely impossible. It's difficult to imagine any consistent playtest group finishing this. I'd research it, but I'm in my All Gygax Readathon Challenge. Meeting four times a month at a fast five encounter pace, this would take, like, three years. Here are some first SPOILERIFIC impressions:For those with imagination, it's horrific. Adventurers are walking monster food. Even the level one gnolls have tactics guaranteed barbeque some character biscuits and boil them in oil. The monsters aren't waiting to get killed.One of the great DM challenges is scaling to the party; this is level 1-8 for First Edition? I suppose he chose it second in the "All Gygax" order since it gives you all the Greyhawk setting you might need for several years. I'm pushing it up in my personal "All Gygax" order. You can go from Borderlands to Hommlett, but some other adventure needs to come before the Temple.One of the best. I can't wait to read it at a more comprehensible speed. Now I'm going to read, "Isle of the Ape," to see what an eighteen plus Gygax adventure can do. Excelsior!
Temple lives up to its reputation and oh so much more: massive, evil, and most likely impossible. It's difficult to imagine any consistent playtest group finishing this. I'd research it, but I'm in my All Gygax Readathon Challenge. Meeting four times a month at a fast five encounter pace, this would take, like, three years. Here are some first SPOILERIFIC impressions:For those with imagination, it's horrific. Adventurers are walking monster food. Even the level one gnolls have tactics guaranteed barbeque some character biscuits and boil them in oil. The monsters aren't waiting to get killed.One of the great DM challenges is scaling to the party; this is level 1-8 for First Edition? I suppose he chose it second in the "All Gygax" order since it gives you all the Greyhawk setting you might need for several years. I'm pushing it up in my personal "All Gygax" order. You can go from Borderlands to Hommlett, but some other adventure needs to come before the Temple.One of the best. I can't wait to read it at a more comprehensible speed. Now I'm going to read, "Isle of the Ape," to see what an eighteen plus Gygax adventure can do. Excelsior!
June 8, 2008
The quintessential classic dungeon crawl with more attention grabbing history than anything else in D&D 1e...Iuz, Iggwilv, Robilar, St. Cuthbert, Zuggtmoy, Graz'zt, Zagyg, etc.
April 1, 2018
I ran this adventure twice, the first time in the 80s and the second in the 90s. The fist time they won with a very high attrition rate. Very very high, some people had a new character every week, eventually they escaped with their lives, and isn’t that the point.
The second time, it started as a solo ended as a trio. They totally conquered it and ended in a massive battle with the forces of Furyond and Veluna against the Hoarde of Iuz and Zugtomony. It was epic because the characters were smart and the Temple evolved and breathed grew and expanded. Like it was supposed to. During the solo phase the character encountered a Troll with a ring of fire resistance, he eventually defeated the troll but decided to not go that deep in the temple again for a bit… the troll was negotiating with a troll clan chief for support against another troll in s different temple. When he returned to that level, surprise! Ten Trolls were aligned with the Water Temple. It is stuff like that that was in the adventure that made me become a better DM.
Now I am converting it to 5e and sending a new group in to see it they can defeat the temple… yay!
The second time, it started as a solo ended as a trio. They totally conquered it and ended in a massive battle with the forces of Furyond and Veluna against the Hoarde of Iuz and Zugtomony. It was epic because the characters were smart and the Temple evolved and breathed grew and expanded. Like it was supposed to. During the solo phase the character encountered a Troll with a ring of fire resistance, he eventually defeated the troll but decided to not go that deep in the temple again for a bit… the troll was negotiating with a troll clan chief for support against another troll in s different temple. When he returned to that level, surprise! Ten Trolls were aligned with the Water Temple. It is stuff like that that was in the adventure that made me become a better DM.
Now I am converting it to 5e and sending a new group in to see it they can defeat the temple… yay!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2013
This didn't quite maintain the quality of the first part - the Village of Hommlet and the Moathouse - but it remains one of the classic role-playing adventures, and the start of the original super-campaign - starting with this adventure, continuing with the Slavers series, and ending with the Giants / Drow series. This campaign was designed to take beginning characters all the way through to 15th or higher levels.
April 18, 2024
Sets of modules presented in a single volume. You will be subjected to the evils of each element, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Do not enter the temple if you are not ready!
One of the best campaigns written by TSR and Mr. Gygax.
One of the best campaigns written by TSR and Mr. Gygax.
May 9, 2019
The Village of Hommlet is one of the very best adventures every written for any system of D&D, and a great place for me to start introducing new players to the way this game works. The dungeon is creepy and full of flavour, has some tough fights in it, encourages you to be wary and cunning, and there's a story in it that leads you on a journey and gives you some history without actually holding your hand at any time. It tells us all the important bits of the village itself, without wasting time in nonsense we don't care about. Simply amazing, no regrets. Five stars for that alone.
It sets up high expectations for the Temple itself... and, alas, it fails to deliver. It's far more of a standard dungeon romp with inferior design and writing. Still good, you know, but not great.
But pick it up for the Village. You can always lead the players to a different way - perhaps another better module, or something you made up on your own.
It sets up high expectations for the Temple itself... and, alas, it fails to deliver. It's far more of a standard dungeon romp with inferior design and writing. Still good, you know, but not great.
But pick it up for the Village. You can always lead the players to a different way - perhaps another better module, or something you made up on your own.
December 12, 2022
Never played it in the 80s. I don't know the big hype about it after reading it, though I understand most everyone back then played it and has fond memories.
This quote towards the end sums it up pretty well:
"...elaborate and expand on the basics given so that the adventures herein are challenging and meaningful to your players, while offering some slim chance of victory and escape."
This quote towards the end sums it up pretty well:
"...elaborate and expand on the basics given so that the adventures herein are challenging and meaningful to your players, while offering some slim chance of victory and escape."
September 15, 2021
Never got to play this as a player, but played the CRPG years later around 2004, and loved it. Finally got around to reading the modules a decade later: these are really some of the best adventures ever for AD&D.
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December 15, 2015A few years ago a friend dusted this off & ran it for my group...& it is with no small amount of pride that I report that we killed Zuggtmoy. Our party was almost entirely made of elves (or half-elves) & thieves (or multiclass thieves) & so we found all the hidden doors & secret passages, killed everyone who knew those secrets & then just lived in the walls of the temple for months while we raided the Nodes. Good times, & my elf thief ended up becoming the Saint of Slimes & Fungi! --MK
November 29, 2016
One of the classic AD&D products, it's the first "supermodule" designed to take characters from 1st level (starting at the Village of Hommlet) to mid-level. Plenty of the encounters are "a dungeon crawl" of fight to fight, but as the first overarching series it was one of the first to also bring more of a long-term setting and story element to D&D monster fights.
May 15, 2009
Best when personalized, but what an excellent frame for a massive dramatic adventure!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews