Day of Al'Akbar: Difference between revisions
Abra Saghast (talk | contribs) m Text replacement - "wouldn't" to "would not" Tags: mobile web edit mobile edit |
Abra Saghast (talk | contribs) m Text replacement - " - " to "—" |
||
| (4 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
| Line 21: | Line 21: | ||
'''''Day of Al'Akbar''''' is a first edition adventure written by Allen Hammack and published by [[TSR]]. in 1986. The | '''''Day of Al'Akbar''''' is a first edition adventure written by Allen Hammack and published by [[TSR]]. in 1986. The adventure consists of a forty-page booklet with a large color map and an outer folder.<ref name="HW">{{cite book|last=Schick |first=Lawrence|author-link=Lawrence Schick|title=Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games|publisher=Prometheus Books |year=1991|isbn=0-87975-653-5 |page=102}}</ref> It bears the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' code ''I9'', ''I'' meaning ''intermediate'' and ''9'' for ''adventure 9'' in that series. | ||
== Plot summary == | == Plot summary == | ||
The ''Day of Al'Akbar'' is an adventure scenario set in a once peaceful desert land reminiscent of the ''Arabian Nights''. The | The ''Day of Al'Akbar'' is an adventure scenario set in a once peaceful desert land reminiscent of the ''Arabian Nights''. The adventure contains two distinct settings, ''Khaibar City'' and the ''Sultan's palace''.<ref name="HW"/> | ||
Khaibar city is ruled by the bandit leader Al'Farzikh, and was once ruled by the sultan [[Al'Akbar]].<ref name="Adventurer6">{{cite journal|last=Zunder|first=Tom|date=January 1987|title=Shop Window|journal=Adventurer|publisher=Mersey Leisure Publishing|issue=6|pages=10–11}}</ref> The people are at risk from a red plague, and the PCs are set on a quest to retrieve the magical artifacts that will save them.<ref name="WD87"/> The scenario involves PCs searching the sewers underneath Khaibar to find the entrance that leads to the tomb of Al'Akbar, which contains the [[Cup and Talisman of Al'Akbar]] that they need.<ref name="HW"/> | Khaibar city is ruled by the bandit leader Al'Farzikh, and was once ruled by the sultan [[Al'Akbar]].<ref name="Adventurer6">{{cite journal|last=Zunder|first=Tom|date=January 1987|title=Shop Window|journal=Adventurer|publisher=Mersey Leisure Publishing|issue=6|pages=10–11}}</ref> The people are at risk from a red plague, and the PCs are set on a quest to retrieve the magical artifacts that will save them.<ref name="WD87"/> The scenario involves PCs searching the sewers underneath Khaibar to find the entrance that leads to the tomb of Al'Akbar, which contains the [[Cup and Talisman of Al'Akbar]] that they need.<ref name="HW"/> | ||
| Line 71: | Line 71: | ||
==Publication history== | ==Publication history== | ||
''Day of Al'Akbar'' was published by [[TSR]] in 1986 as a 40-page booklet with a large color map and an outer folder. The game | ''Day of Al'Akbar'' was published by [[TSR]] in 1986 as a 40-page booklet with a large color map and an outer folder. The game adventure was written and designed by Allen Hammack. [[Jeff Easley]] produced the cover art.<ref name="HW"/> The city map of Khaibar is a 23"x33" poster.<ref name="Adventurer6"/> | ||
The game | The game adventure was developed by [[Bruce Heard]] and the adventure was illustrated by [[Mark Nelson]]. The map was drawn by Diane and [[David C. Sutherland III]]. Typesetting was done by Betty Elmore. The adventure was edited by Kerry Martin. The adventure was distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc., in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. and in the United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd. The adventure's product number was 9178. | ||
During third edition, the events of the adventure were confirmed in official material as part of the artifact's history. The ''Book of Exalted Deeds'' (2003) includes the city of Khaibar and Sultan Amhara in the history of the artifacts.{{csb|DMG24e|152}} It was further confirmed in fourth edition in the ''Dungeon Master's Guide 2''{{csb|DMG24e|152}} as well as [[dragmag|Dragon]] magazine #379{{cite dragon|379|84|Artifacts}} as being the official history of the artifact. | During third edition, the events of the adventure were confirmed in official material as part of the artifact's history. The ''Book of Exalted Deeds'' (2003) includes the city of Khaibar and Sultan Amhara in the history of the artifacts.{{csb|DMG24e|152}} It was further confirmed in fourth edition in the ''Dungeon Master's Guide 2''{{csb|DMG24e|152}} as well as [[dragmag|Dragon]] magazine #379{{cite dragon|379|84|Artifacts}} as being the official history of the artifact. | ||
| Line 80: | Line 80: | ||
== Reception == | == Reception == | ||
Tom Zunder reviewed ''Day of Al'Akbar'' for the British magazine, ''Adventurer'' in January 1987 (issue 6). He first commented on the cover, saying, "Gary Gygax really must have left Lake Geneva at last [as Gygax] was really keen on the 'family' | Tom Zunder reviewed ''Day of Al'Akbar'' for the British magazine, ''Adventurer'' in January 1987 (issue 6). He first commented on the cover, saying, "Gary Gygax really must have left Lake Geneva at last [as Gygax] was really keen on the 'family' image—and these playboy lasses on the front cover would certainly not have passed in the old days". He calls the city map of Khaibar, "a wonderful bundle of colour" and "beautifully done, it has none of those annoying give-away labels, nor does it have the ugly grey squares which obliterated the Lhankmar(sic) map. A nice map, backed with useful hexes, and a good start to the package." He called the first three encounters on the trek to the city of Khaibar "extremely silly and unnecessary", and the subsequent sewer dungeons "so-so", but after that he found a "well-detailed city with some real potential for role-playing". He concluded the review, stating the scenario is "flawed, it does not explain the city in the best way—as an overall. It presents good material in a depressingly linear dungeons-style [...] It is, however, an excellent scenario for ''AD&D'', providing plenty of excitement with a wonderful setting, well detailed and researched. The scenario is not at all bad, and a good referee could easily ignore it and just develop the setting itself, it's certainly worth it. ''D&D''ers should buy this, others would not do badly in investing as well—not at all bad!"<ref name="Adventurer6" /> | ||
In March 1987, ''White Dwarf'' (issue 87), [[Carl Sargent]] noted that although the town map is moderately useful and the adventure's Arabic environment is detailed enough, the | In March 1987, ''White Dwarf'' (issue 87), [[Carl Sargent]] noted that although the town map is moderately useful and the adventure's Arabic environment is detailed enough, the adventure is overall an "uninspired effort". He called the wilderness encounters pointless and silly and noted the existence of errors in the game statistics. Sargent felt that the only noteworthy thing about the adventure was [[Jeff Easley]]'s "sexploitation cover".<ref name="WD87">{{cite journal | last =Sargent | first =Carl | author-link =Carl Sargent | title =Open Box: AD&D Adventures | type = review | journal =White Dwarf | issue = 87 | pages =2–3 | publisher =Games Workshop |date=March 1987 | issn =0265-8712 }}</ref> | ||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
| Line 101: | Line 101: | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Day Of Al'akbar}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Day Of Al'akbar}} | ||
[[Category:Sources]] | [[Category:Sources]] | ||
[[Category:Adventures]] | |||
[[Category:Canonical sources]] | |||
Latest revision as of 14:21, 26 March 2025
| Day of Al'Akbar | |
 |
|
| Cover of Day of Al'Akbar, by Jeff Easley (1986). | |
| Type: | Adventure |
|---|---|
| Code/Abbreviation: | I9 or TSR9178 |
| Edition: | First edition |
| Author(s): | Allen Hammack |
| Editor(s): | Karen S. Martin |
| Cover Artist(s): | Jeff Easley |
| Interior Artist(s): | Mark Nelson |
| Series: | I1, I2, I3, I4, I5, I6, I7, I8, I9, I10, I11, I12, I13, I14 |
| First Published: | 1986 |
| Pages: | 40 |
| ISBN: | 0-88038-320-8 |
| Class: | Officially published material |
Day of Al'Akbar is a first edition adventure written by Allen Hammack and published by TSR. in 1986. The adventure consists of a forty-page booklet with a large color map and an outer folder.[1] It bears the Dungeons & Dragons code I9, I meaning intermediate and 9 for adventure 9 in that series.
Plot summary
The Day of Al'Akbar is an adventure scenario set in a once peaceful desert land reminiscent of the Arabian Nights. The adventure contains two distinct settings, Khaibar City and the Sultan's palace.[1]
Khaibar city is ruled by the bandit leader Al'Farzikh, and was once ruled by the sultan Al'Akbar.[2] The people are at risk from a red plague, and the PCs are set on a quest to retrieve the magical artifacts that will save them.[3] The scenario involves PCs searching the sewers underneath Khaibar to find the entrance that leads to the tomb of Al'Akbar, which contains the Cup and Talisman of Al'Akbar that they need.[1]
The players' choices determine whether the search will involve wilderness encounters, a dungeon crawl through a sewer, tomb robbing, or investigating in a desert town, while the final confrontation takes place in the Sultan's palace.[3]
Table of contents
| Chapter | Page |
|---|---|
| Introduction | 2 |
| Journey to Khaibar | 3 |
| The sewers of Khaibar | 5 |
| Beyond the Walls | 14 |
| The Sultan's Palace | 35 |
| Artifacts | pullout section |
| Glossary of Useful Terms | pullout section |
| Pre-rolled Characters | pullout section |
| Players' Riddle Illustration | 39 |
Notable non-player characters
- Al'Farzikh: 7th level assassin
- Vahtak: 6th level thief
- The Mad Dog of the Desert: 14th level Magic user/16th level assassin
- The Crescent Witch: 8th level Magic user
Publication history
Day of Al'Akbar was published by TSR in 1986 as a 40-page booklet with a large color map and an outer folder. The game adventure was written and designed by Allen Hammack. Jeff Easley produced the cover art.[1] The city map of Khaibar is a 23"x33" poster.[2]
The game adventure was developed by Bruce Heard and the adventure was illustrated by Mark Nelson. The map was drawn by Diane and David C. Sutherland III. Typesetting was done by Betty Elmore. The adventure was edited by Kerry Martin. The adventure was distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc., in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. and in the United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd. The adventure's product number was 9178.
During third edition, the events of the adventure were confirmed in official material as part of the artifact's history. The Book of Exalted Deeds (2003) includes the city of Khaibar and Sultan Amhara in the history of the artifacts.[4] It was further confirmed in fourth edition in the Dungeon Master's Guide 2[4] as well as Dragon magazine #379[5] as being the official history of the artifact.
Anna Meyer's popular fan-created, expanded map of the Flanaess (see also: Meyer map) places the Sultanate of Arir at the eastern end of the Dry Steppes, at the foot of the Crystalmists and Sulhaut mountains, southwest of Sterich. Although, it is somewhat modified, flipping the area east-to-west to help make it correlate to the already known geography.
Reception
Tom Zunder reviewed Day of Al'Akbar for the British magazine, Adventurer in January 1987 (issue 6). He first commented on the cover, saying, "Gary Gygax really must have left Lake Geneva at last [as Gygax] was really keen on the 'family' image—and these playboy lasses on the front cover would certainly not have passed in the old days". He calls the city map of Khaibar, "a wonderful bundle of colour" and "beautifully done, it has none of those annoying give-away labels, nor does it have the ugly grey squares which obliterated the Lhankmar(sic) map. A nice map, backed with useful hexes, and a good start to the package." He called the first three encounters on the trek to the city of Khaibar "extremely silly and unnecessary", and the subsequent sewer dungeons "so-so", but after that he found a "well-detailed city with some real potential for role-playing". He concluded the review, stating the scenario is "flawed, it does not explain the city in the best way—as an overall. It presents good material in a depressingly linear dungeons-style [...] It is, however, an excellent scenario for AD&D, providing plenty of excitement with a wonderful setting, well detailed and researched. The scenario is not at all bad, and a good referee could easily ignore it and just develop the setting itself, it's certainly worth it. D&Ders should buy this, others would not do badly in investing as well—not at all bad!"[2]
In March 1987, White Dwarf (issue 87), Carl Sargent noted that although the town map is moderately useful and the adventure's Arabic environment is detailed enough, the adventure is overall an "uninspired effort". He called the wilderness encounters pointless and silly and noted the existence of errors in the game statistics. Sargent felt that the only noteworthy thing about the adventure was Jeff Easley's "sexploitation cover".[3]
External links
Disclaimer:Any lore presented through the following links does not necessarily adhere to established officially published content, and the views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the editors of this wiki.
- Braggi. Refitting I9 Day of Al-Akbar for Greyhawk. Canonfire! Enterprises.
References
Notes
Citations
- ↑ a b c d Schick, Lawrence (1991) Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games, Prometheus Books, p. 102 ISBN: 0-87975-653-5.
- ↑ a b c Zunder, Tom (January 1987). "Shop Window". Adventurer (6): 10–11. Mersey Leisure Publishing.
- ↑ a b c Sargent, Carl (March 1987). "Open Box: AD&D Adventures". White Dwarf (87): 2–3. Games Workshop. ISSN 0265-8712.
- ↑ a b Dungeon Master's Guide 2 (2009), p.152.
- ↑ "Artifacts". Dragon #379 (Sep 2009), p.84.
Bibliography
- Cook, David "Zeb". Book of Artifacts. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993. Item code TSR2138.
- Hammack, Allen. I9 Day of Al'Akbar. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1986. Item code TSR9178.
- Holian, Gary, Erik Mona, Sean Reynolds and Frederick Weining. Living Greyhawk Gazetteer. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000. Item code 11743.