The Secret of Bone Hill is an adventure module written by Lenard Lakofka for the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and published by TSR in 1981. It is designed for novice and intermediate players with characters of levels 2-4. The module received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot summary
The module is described as a low-level adventure scenario that involves evil creatures roaming the unexplored areas of Bone Hill. The campaign setting and scenario featured in the book detail a complete town in the Lendore Isles, along with nearby monster lairs.
Robert Kern reviewed The Secret of Bone Hill in Ares Magazine #12 and commented that "The good news is that TSR is publishing a new module for low level characters. The bad news is that it might require a more experienced DM to overcome it omissions and shotgun method of presenting information. "
The module was positively reviewed by Jim Bambra in issue No. 35 of White Dwarf magazine, who rated it 8 out of 10. Bambra felt that the fishing port of Restenford and its surrounding wilderness were given "particularly colourful" descriptions. He wrote that the module provided some very interesting roleplaying situations and an excellent background for a campaign, but "provides little more than this on a long term basis".
Lawrence Schick in his book Heroic Worlds was critical of the module, calling it "Not one of TSR's more sterling endeavors," and noting that the back cover was "deliberately botched" by the artist (Erol Otus) "who didn't care for the product".
James Maliszewski claimed the module was one of his favorites because it created "a very flexible 'sandbox' framework for a low-level campaign".
Scott Taylor of Black Gate in 2015 gave the Lendore isles series an Honorable Mention in "The Top 10 Campaign Adventure Module Series of All Time, saying "for all its obvious benchmarks, Lendore is a muddle of 1st-5th level adventures without any true coherency."
References
See also
- List of Dungeons & Dragons modules