Queen of the Spiders
Encyclopedia
Queen of the Spiders is an adventure module
for the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy role-playing game
. It was published by TSR, Inc.
in 1986 and is a compilation of seven previous related modules, often referred to as a "supermodule." Together, the seven adventures form an integrated campaign that begins in the World of Greyhawk, continues underground into the Underdark
, and concludes in the Demonweb Pits
, the abyssal
lair of the demonic goddess Lolth
. The campaign was originally intended for use with the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules.
The 152-page supermodule bears the code "GDQ1-7" for "Giants, Drow and Queen," and can be further combined with two other campaigns to form an even larger campaign. The larger campaign begins with T1-4 - The Temple of Elemental Evil
, continues on to A1-4 - Scourge of the Slave Lords
, and then concludes with GDQ1-7.
The next module, Descent into the depths of the earth, was on a larger scale than the others, and comprised a map covering many kilometres of a deep underground region, later known as the Underdark, with many unique monsters hitherto unknown to surface adventurers, including the drow, which had been considered legendary. Troglodytes, and new monsters jermlaine and svirfneblin (deep gnomes) made their first appearance in D&D literature. This is followed by Shrine of the Kuo-Toa, a subterranean complex populated by the Kuo-toa, a race of fish-frog monsters in the service of the lobster goddess Blibdoolpoolp. Finally, players make their way to the Vault of the Drow a deep subterranean eldritch land in a huge cyst deep under the earth.
All of the component modules were originally written by Gary Gygax
, except for Queen of the Demonweb Pits, which was written by David C. Sutherland III
and Gygax. The omnibus collection was produced with assistance from Jeff Grubb
and David Cook
. The book was published by TSR in 1986 as a 128-page book with a 24-page map booklet. There had been a lengthy delay in the publishing of the final chapter after the first six modules had appeared. Gygax had had trouble developing ideas for it until he received Sutherland's development, and was highly impressed by it. The seven prior modules were repackaged as a sequel to A1-4
. GDQ1-7 is credited to Gygax. Artist Keith Parkinson
provided the cover art for the supermodule, which also features art by George Barr
.
#85. Green lamented that "roleplaying has now come full circle. Death and gore are again the order of the day, and talking to NPCs
is a thing of the past." Green felt that players looking for "the mindless mayhem of high level slaughter" would not be disappointed, although players looking for "a chance to interact meaningfully with creatures will be". Green found the new beginning intriguing, getting the adventure off to a good start, but felt let down by the outdated adventures which follow. He felt that, while in their day these adventures were excellent and deserved acclaim, dungeons had become old hat compared to more sophisticated adventures available for AD&D. He cited the example of the Dungeoneer's Survival Guide
, which added greatly to the realms below the earth, none of which was incorporated into Queen of the Spiders. He further expressed his disappointment, "What Queen of the Spiders gives you is slaughter on a grand scale. There are supposed to be various power struggles in progress in the depths, but the players never really get to see any of this." Green summed up his feelings in his conclusion to the review, "TSR
have proven over the years that they are capable of better products than this. Instead of wasting time with old material, they should concentrate on presenting new roleplaying ideas."
Queen of the Spiders was ranked as the single greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time by Dungeon
magazine in 2004, on the 30th anniversary of the Dungeons & Dragons game.
Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, an adventure or module is a pre-packaged book or box set that helps the Dungeon Master manage the plot or story of a game...
for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. It was published by TSR, Inc.
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
in 1986 and is a compilation of seven previous related modules, often referred to as a "supermodule." Together, the seven adventures form an integrated campaign that begins in the World of Greyhawk, continues underground into the Underdark
Underdark
The Underdark is a fictional setting which has appeared in Dungeons & Dragons role-playing campaigns and Dungeons & Dragons-based fiction books, including the Legend of Drizzt series by R. A. Salvatore...
, and concludes in the Demonweb Pits
Demonweb Pits
Demonweb Pits, in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, is the 66th layer of the chaotic evil-aligned plane of existence known as the Infinite Layers of the Abyss...
, the abyssal
Abyss (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Abyss or more fully, the Infinite Layers of the Abyss, is a chaotic evil-aligned plane of existence. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Planes that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons cosmology, used in the Planescape...
lair of the demonic goddess Lolth
Lolth
Lolth is a fictional goddess in the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Lolth , the Demon Queen of Spiders, is the chief goddess of drow elves...
. The campaign was originally intended for use with the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules.
The 152-page supermodule bears the code "GDQ1-7" for "Giants, Drow and Queen," and can be further combined with two other campaigns to form an even larger campaign. The larger campaign begins with T1-4 - The Temple of Elemental Evil
The Temple of Elemental Evil
The Temple of Elemental Evil is an adventure module for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, set in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting. The module was published by TSR, Inc. in 1985 for the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules...
, continues on to A1-4 - Scourge of the Slave Lords
Scourge of the Slave Lords
Scourge of the Slave Lords is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published by TSR, Inc. in 1986...
, and then concludes with GDQ1-7.
Plot summary
A new beginning was added to the adventure. Giants have been raiding civilized lands in increasing numbers, and the player characters have been asked to deal with them and also investigate the reasons or forces behind them. The first module (Steading of the Hill GIant Chief) takes place in a gigantic wooden fort populated by hill giants and ogres. Here the players also uncover evidence of an alliance with other types of giants, as well as some mysterious letters from those behind the scenes. The action moves to north to colder lands in the second module (Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl), the setting a system of caves clustered around a deep and narrow chasm in glacial ice. Here, the protagonists encounter frost giants, yeti and winter wolves among other monsters. The third chapter (Hall of the Fire Giant King) takes place in a volcanic region where King Snurre has assembled a horde of fire giants, trolls and hell hounds. A secret passage from this module leads deep into the earth, where the adventurers discover the true nature of the forces behind the raids - the drow in the service of Lolth the demoness.The next module, Descent into the depths of the earth, was on a larger scale than the others, and comprised a map covering many kilometres of a deep underground region, later known as the Underdark, with many unique monsters hitherto unknown to surface adventurers, including the drow, which had been considered legendary. Troglodytes, and new monsters jermlaine and svirfneblin (deep gnomes) made their first appearance in D&D literature. This is followed by Shrine of the Kuo-Toa, a subterranean complex populated by the Kuo-toa, a race of fish-frog monsters in the service of the lobster goddess Blibdoolpoolp. Finally, players make their way to the Vault of the Drow a deep subterranean eldritch land in a huge cyst deep under the earth.
Publication history
There are seven total adventures compiled in the GDQ1-7 supermodule. These include:- The three modules in the Against the GiantsAgainst the GiantsAgainst the Giants is an adventure module written by Gary Gygax and published by TSR in 1981 for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. It combines the G series of modules previously published in 1978: Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl, and Hall of...
series: G1 - Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, G2 - Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl, and G3 - Hall of the Fire Giant King - The three modules in the "Drow" series: D1-2 - Descent into the Depths of the EarthDescent into the Depths of the EarthDescent Into the Depths of the Earth is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game coded D1–2. It was written by Gary Gygax, and combines two previously published modules from 1978, the original Descent into the Depths of the Earth and Shrine of the Kuo-Toa...
(which incorporates the earlier D1 - Descent into the Depths of the Earth and D2 - Shrine of the Kuo-Toa), and D3 - Vault of the Drow - Module Q1 - Queen of the Demonweb PitsQueen of the Demonweb PitsQueen of the Demonweb Pits is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game written by David Sutherland. The "Q" in the module code represents the first letter in the word "queen." This module is a sequel to the D series of modules...
All of the component modules were originally written by Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
, except for Queen of the Demonweb Pits, which was written by David C. Sutherland III
David C. Sutherland III
David C. Sutherland III was an early Dungeons & Dragons artist. Sutherland was a prolific artist and his work heavily influenced the early development of Dungeons & Dragons.-Early life and inspiration:...
and Gygax. The omnibus collection was produced with assistance from Jeff Grubb
Jeff Grubb
Jeff Grubb is an author and game designer. He has worked on a number of computer and role-playing games and has written a number of successful novels, short stories and comics...
and David Cook
David Cook (game designer)
David "Zeb" Cook is an American game designer best known for his work at TSR, Inc., where he was employed for over fifteen years.-Early life:...
. The book was published by TSR in 1986 as a 128-page book with a 24-page map booklet. There had been a lengthy delay in the publishing of the final chapter after the first six modules had appeared. Gygax had had trouble developing ideas for it until he received Sutherland's development, and was highly impressed by it. The seven prior modules were repackaged as a sequel to A1-4
Scourge of the Slave Lords
Scourge of the Slave Lords is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published by TSR, Inc. in 1986...
. GDQ1-7 is credited to Gygax. Artist Keith Parkinson
Keith Parkinson
Keith Parkinson was an American fantasy artist and illustrator known for book cover and game artwork for games such as EverQuest, Guardians, Magic: The Gathering and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes.-Early life:...
provided the cover art for the supermodule, which also features art by George Barr
George Barr (artist)
George Barr is a US science fiction and fantasy artist.-Career:Barr's work shows influences from Arthur Rackham, Hannes Bok and Virgil Finlay. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction describes him as one of the least appreciated SF/fantasy artists. His work is often romantic and whimsical...
.
Reception
Peter Green reviewed Queen of the Spiders for White DwarfWhite Dwarf (magazine)
White Dwarf is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop. Initially covering a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing and board games, particularly the role playing games Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest and Traveller...
#85. Green lamented that "roleplaying has now come full circle. Death and gore are again the order of the day, and talking to NPCs
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
is a thing of the past." Green felt that players looking for "the mindless mayhem of high level slaughter" would not be disappointed, although players looking for "a chance to interact meaningfully with creatures will be". Green found the new beginning intriguing, getting the adventure off to a good start, but felt let down by the outdated adventures which follow. He felt that, while in their day these adventures were excellent and deserved acclaim, dungeons had become old hat compared to more sophisticated adventures available for AD&D. He cited the example of the Dungeoneer's Survival Guide
Dungeoneer's Survival Guide
Dungeoneer's Survival Guide is a supplement to the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The book was written by Douglas Niles, and published by TSR, Inc...
, which added greatly to the realms below the earth, none of which was incorporated into Queen of the Spiders. He further expressed his disappointment, "What Queen of the Spiders gives you is slaughter on a grand scale. There are supposed to be various power struggles in progress in the depths, but the players never really get to see any of this." Green summed up his feelings in his conclusion to the review, "TSR
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
have proven over the years that they are capable of better products than this. Instead of wasting time with old material, they should concentrate on presenting new roleplaying ideas."
Queen of the Spiders was ranked as the single greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time by Dungeon
Dungeon (magazine)
Dungeon Adventures, or simply Dungeon, was a magazine targeting consumers of role-playing games, particularly Dungeons & Dragons. It was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1986 as a bimonthly periodical. It went monthly in May 2003 and ceased print publication altogether in September 2007 with Issue 150...
magazine in 2004, on the 30th anniversary of the Dungeons & Dragons game.
External links
- Queen of the Spiders at the Pen & Paper RPG Database
- Supermodules at Acaeum.com