The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun, Advanced Dungeon and Dragons Module Wg-4

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Module #WG4

by E. Gary Gygax

This special module is a combined wilderness and dungeon adventure scenario. It contains background information, referee's notes, encoun ter keys, outdoor and dungeon level maps, and new monsters and treasures. While it is designed to interface with THE LOST CAVERNS OF TSOJCANTH, this module is capable of standing alone.

Genres: Fantasy, Role Playing Games, Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons, Games

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

While out searching for the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, (a module with which WG4 is written to interface) the party discovers Gnome Vale, and are cautiously welcomed as guests of the little folk. Gnome Vale is a peaceful, content oasis in the midst of a harsh mountain range, but they have a problem: Groorg. Groorg is a giant, and a relatively intelligent one at that. Having forged an alliance with a number of smaller groups involving them working for him in exchange for not being eaten, Groorg’s turned a nearby temple ruins into a heavily-fortified outpost. Raiding parties frequently target Gnome Vale, carrying off food, livestock, and the occasional gnome. The valiant little folk mount a swift defense which always turns the tide and prevents disaster, but their community is in danger of being overrun if these attacks continue. Groorg’s forces grow fiercer and bolder with each incursion. Eager to pay back the hospitality shown them by the gnomes, the PCs pledge to find Groorg’s lair and put an end to the pillaging once and for all.

And if they think this is nothing more than a straight-forward dungeon crawl, then you’ve got your players right where you want them.

The temple Groorg’s taken over has a dark history dedicated to the worship of a long-forgotten deity, suffused with evil that not even the centuries can diminished. While the giant and his minions are mostly content to remain in the upper portions of the temple, their excursions into the lower levels are stirring the pot, so to speak. And nobody, not Groorg, not his minions, not the gnomes, and definitely not the players, is going to like what’s bubbling to the surface.

* * * * *

The Forgotten Temple works best with teams who aren’t afraid to employ a healthy dose of strategy and stealth. What starts out as a simple mission to kill a giant will likely turn into a protracted siege unless the PCs are exceptionally skilled and fortunate. What makes Tharizdun an undertaker’s delight is the speed with which it can turn from a slaughter-fest in favor of the PCs to one favoring the enemy. The upper level of the temple is almost criminally simple for even the least-prepared group to attack and wipe out; it’s not until the bigger nasties start rolling up out of the depths the PCs will begin to realize the full extent of the problem. This creates a lovely quandary: does the group push forward to capitalize on its gains in hopes of establishing a foothold, or do they pull back and regroup knowing everybody’s now on high alert, and allowing the temple’s inhabitants to rally together and stage a stronger defense? It’s the classic Gygaxian fork of “heads I win, tails you lose” which show up frequently in his adventures. There's no "correct" answer, players just have to work things out for themselves and decide which option is ultimately less unpleasant.

Mean? Maybe, but it's also realistic. By the time PCs reach the module's 5th - 10th level range, they should be facing decisions harder than "how are we going to get all this loot back to town?".

Of course, that’s only the first half of the scenario.

PC’s might well wipe out the giant, cleanse the halls of his norker minions, and never even discover the Undertemple. Maybe that’s for the best, but assuming they do come across it while searching, the real fun begins as Tharizdun’s corruption is strongest there. For the PCs to advance, they will have to perform some dark rituals (hello, alignment checks!) and what they discover in the Black Cyst may not prove worth the risks. PCs who die down here will have only themselves and their insufferable curiosity to blame, and those who make the descent prepared to face off with a “final boss” of some sort are in for quite the shock. This is bloody, creepy, insidious fun for a DM with a flare for the cinematic and atmospheric.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to call this The Forgotten Module of Gygax. It was clearly written to showcase the Fiend Folio; about 2/3 of the monsters are from that book. The adventure itself, meant as an adjunct to S4 Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, starts off similar to its brother with regards to wilderness crawling, but once the Temple is reached, it is more similar to G3 Hall of the Fire Giant King. Its got both the potential for a pitched battle that G3 has, as well as the weird eldritch temple, but with both on steroids, and there's even a head giant to boot. You'll need to work this one into your campaign to get properly satisfying play out of it, otherwise the party may very well not explore the Temple to its fullest. Luckily a better match for Caverns of Thracia you won't find, just equate Tharizdun with Thanatos and you're done. For obvious reasons it is also very playable as a prequel to G1 Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, just place an unsent letter into the ogre room indicating that the head giant is very thankful for Nosnra to have sent him the hill giant emissaries and that he has been very successful at disrupting the gnome vale, per Nosnra's orders, and along with the letter a map to the Steading.

[Ross Kitson · Rating 4 out of 5]

WG4 wasn't a module I'd played or even read back in the day, so I was eager to purchase a copy. It's vaguely a sequel (rather a linked) module to S4, The Lost Caverns of Tsojancth. Essentially the gnome vale from S4 acts as the adventure hook, with exploration to the west along mountain vales and trails.
(I read somewhere the module code of WG4 was for World of Greyhawk, and it starts at 4 as Gygax originally visualised T1 as the first, the Temple of Elemental Evil as secund, and S4 as the third).
Certainly the wilderness aspect is entrenched in Greyhawk, and Tharizdun latterly became a recurrent entity in DnD, although EGG adopted him from a friend's campaign.
WG4 came towards the end of the classic era of modules when authors would primarily focus on settings and populating those settings with monsters and challenges. Unlike most of the earlier modules this one wasn't a tournament adaptation, but it retains some of that ethos, with a solid description of a three level dungeon (two temple layers over a classic dungeon) and it's occupants, including their tactical response to PC assault. The monster stock is hefty and challenging, although well placed Area of Effect spells would certainly thin the hordes. The BBG is a mountain giant, backed up by trolls, hill giants, and ogres. There's some great detail about rock throwing.
The dungeon level has some (at the time) new monsters taken from the Fiend Folio which are used in suitably deadly fashion.
What elevates this above standard early AD&D dungeon-fayre is the creepy temple aspects. I always liked EGG's logical population and set out of dungeons, they always felt 'lived in.' But here his descriptions convey the disturbing nature of the temple very well, with purple rippling stone, strange images, and distorted senses of something at the corner of your eye. It's all quite Lovecraftian, and peaks in the description of the Undertemple.
Now on theory an unhelpful DM could run this module without the PCs ever getting near the hidden area. Personally I'd make sure something tipped off naive PCs that had missed it as the set pieces below are fab, though best delivered as a finale. The hidden shrine is a rather unforgiving environment, especially the 'fruit' part which is utterly fatal if done wrong. The pay-off treasure is pretty cool (like a DnD lightsaber, with added Force powers!!) although I think more could have been made from Tharizdun, and perhaps accidental release etc.
All in all a very atmospheric module with almost parallel components. As common with this era, it creates a setting but not a great deal of event or story beyond the lore. PCs and DMs would create their own story within the setting, perhaps giving a more solid hook or reason to be there ( TBF in the 80s my group just wanted treasure, levels, and laughs).

[Louis Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another "killer" type module from old school AD&D with plentiful instant death, permanent destruction type traps and an array of lesser plagues (insanity, curses, etc). A wilderness trek is followed by a deathtrap dungeon that seems to be ripe for a mass battle to start, followed by slowly exploring the deadly depths below with only a few stray monster encounters. The puzzles seem impossible to solve, and only players who utilize divination spells are likely to succeed with most of them; the final area seems virtually unreachable and a TPK is likely. Still, it's an interesting read and might even be playable with the right group.

[Marko · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very enjoyable to read an old adventure written by Gygax himself even tough the adventure will probably offer one or two TPKs. There was so many silly instakills and masses of enemies and unsolvable puzzles.

[David Winston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good mid-level adventure.

[Loftus Perriwinkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the sneaky, underrated best adventures of all time, written by the Master himself. What really stands out in this one are both player and character challenge and the flavor and atmosphere that Gary imbued the setting with. This is one you and your players will never forget! Game, as the ancients did, in the 1970s and 1980s. Embrace your heritage, the foundations and pillars of which support all that came after!