There are just so many great games out there, and so many gamers who don't remember them, or just never got a chance to play them. "Lost Treasures" is a semi-regular feature that will highlight some of those games that you can add to your own private gamer library for just a few pennies. All you have to do is be willing to take a peek through the flea market at your local gaming convention.

A4: In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords

"Look out! The kobold's got a short sword!"

Ever heard your players utter something like this? Of course not. Not even the wormiest first level D&D goon would balk at an armed kobold. That's what makes In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords such an exquisite adventure. Here, players use phrases like that on a regular basis - and mean it.

The cumulation of the four module Slavers series, A4 does something that every GM on the planet has secretly longed for - a chance to take the players' goodies away and watch them squirm. After being captured by their adversaries, the characters are stripped of their belongings - right down to a loincloth - and dumped in the cavernous dungeons beneath their hideout. The players must do battle with underground denizens, find a way out, and escape the slavers' island - all with a volcano threatening to go off beneath their feet.

Designed as the climax to a Gen Con tournament a few years ago, A4 contains the usual amount of of clever obstacles that require wits and ingenuity to overcome. The PCs will have to do some thinking if they wish to escape their prison in time. The complete lack of equipment to rely on however, forces the players into the right mindset for such tasks. It's truly breathtaking to watch powerful characters fighting over loincloths full of dirt, or human thigh bones that they can use as clubs.

By making them think on their feet in such a fashion, A4 takes the adventure to a new level. If the players survive, they truly feel as if they have accomplished something, something the no one else could have done. If they play their cards right, they even get a chance to take down the slavers they've been hunting for four modules - and when your characters in nothing but his skivvies, that's something to brag about.

And yes, there are kobolds in the dungeon, and yes, they have short swords. Big, nasty, pointy ones.

Dungeon!

Let's get something clear right away - this is not Talisman. It is not Risk. It is not Axis & Allies. It is the original lowbrow dungeon-crawl boardgame, preceding even Games Workshop's notoriously lethal Dungeonquest. It is TSR's Dungeon! Gameplay is ridiculously simple. You walk around a dungeon, clearing out rooms and accumulating treasure.

Role-playing? Bah. This is total carnage.

When you walk into a room, you draw a Monster card of the appropriate level. Printed on the card is a cheesy color image of the beastie you face, plus what you need to roll to kill it. You throw 2d6, and if your score is high enough, you whack the monster and draw a color-coordinated Treasure card. You must also place a headstone counter in the room to let everyone else know that it's been cleaned out. If you don't make the roll - well, there's a monster attack table, and you can lose turns and treasure or even get killed yourself.

There are several character classes in the game, each with different combat ratings. They also need to accumulate different amounts of treasure to win. For example, the lowly Hero must gather 10,000GP and return to the dungeon entrance to claim victory, while the Superhero needs 30,000GP. To gather this astronomical sum, the Superhero will have to descend into the bowels of the earth, facing terrors such as the Purple Worm and the Vampire.

Dungeon! is a great way to relax and enjoy some mindless slaughter when you find yourself unable to focus on a "real" game. It's also easy to play, and would make a great gift for any little kids you want to make gamers out of. Not that we condone that sort of activity. No, sir. Not at all.

More Reviews:

Marshal Law (Deadlands GM kit)
Requiem: The Grim Harvest (AD&D)
Diablo (Computer Game Dungeon Adventure)
Battletech Explorer Corps
Spherewalker Sourcebook
Star Wars Live Action Roleplaying
Casting Call: Miniatures
Lost Treasures: Slave Lords and Dungeon!