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* Johnson, Harold, and Jeff R. Leason. ''The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan''. Lake geneva, WI: TSR, 1980. | * Johnson, Harold, and Jeff R. Leason. ''The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan''. Lake geneva, WI: TSR, 1980. | ||
* [[Erik Mona]], [[James Jacobs]], et al. "The 30 Greatest D&D Adventures of All Time." ''[[Dungeon]]'' #116. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2004. | * [[Erik Mona]], [[James Jacobs]], et al. "The 30 Greatest D&D Adventures of All Time." ''[[Dungeon]]'' #116. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2004. | ||
* [[ | * [[Jeremy Crawford|Crawford, Jeremy]], [[Kim Mohan]], [[Mike MEarls]], et al. ''[[Tales from the Yawning Portal]]''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast. 2017. Item code C2207 ISBN: 9780786966097. | ||
{{index}} | {{index}} | ||
Revision as of 09:35, 30 November 2023
| The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan | |
 |
|
| The original cover of C1, art by Erol Otus (1979). | |
| Type: | Adventure module |
|---|---|
| Code/Abbreviation: | C1 |
| Edition: | AD&D 1e |
| Author(s): | Harold Johnson Jeff R. Leason |
| Cover Artist(s): | Erol Otus |
| Interior Artist(s): | Erol Otus, Jeff Dee, Gregory K. Fleming, David S. LaForce, David C. Sutherland III |
| Series: | C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 |
| Publisher: | TSR |
| First Published: | 1979 |
| Pages: | 40 |
| Class: | Officially published source |
The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan is an adventure module for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, set in that game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting. It is the first in the "C" series of modules, a set of unrelated adventures originally designed for competition play ("C" representing the first letter in the word "competition").
Description
This module was originally used for the Official Advanced Dungeons & Dragons tournament at Origins International Game Expo '79. As well as the adventure itself, the module contains a scoring system and pre-rolled characters for adventuring. The original Origins pre-publication version did not have a module code and was titled Lost Tamoachan: The Hidden Shrine of Lubaatum. Featuring a pastel blue paper cover, this version was only available at Origins 79, although unsold copies subsequently were put up for sale at the Dungeon Shoppe in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Surviving examples of this version are quite rare and are highly prized by collectors.[1]
The first version published for sale to the general public in 1980 was titled The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan and bore the module code "C1". This version featured a monochrome cover of a fire-breathing bat-monster by Erol Otus. Reprint versions dating from later 1980 to the middle of the decade had a dark brown full color cover with cover art of a green giant, also by Otus. A separate booklet of artwork was included in the module, including work by Otus, Jeff Dee, Greg Fleming, David S. LaForce and David C. Sutherland III.
The module was the first to introduce players to the Olman culture of the World of Greyhawk, a society loosely based on Aztec, Mayan and other sources. Most unusual for Greyhawk modules, the adventure therefore references Aztec gods such as Quetzalcoatl and others. The adventure itself takes place in the Amedio Jungle at a disused temple near the ruined city of Tamoachan.
The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan was ranked the 18th greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time by Dungeon magazine in 2004, on the 30th anniversary of the Dungeons & Dragons game.
In 2017 the module was re-released, updated to Fifth Edition rules, as part of the Tales of the Yawning Portal by Wizards of the Coast, along with a number of other "classic" modules including from Greyhawk.
Plot
The player characters explore a stepped pyramid deep in the heart of a tropical jungle—the Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan.[1] The characters must penetrate this Mayan-style temple, which is full of tricks and traps.[2] Some of the traps include cursed items, firebombs, and triggered statues.
The shrine is an ancient Mayan/Aztec pyramid, and the module uses names, monsters, and characters based on that period. It also includes an illustrated booklet with fifteen pictures depicting various parts of the shrine to be shown to the players at the appropriate time. Also included are three pre-made characters for use if the scoring system is used.[3]
Reception
Doug Traversa reviewed the adventure in The Space Gamer No. 29.[3] He stated that "This module is well thought out and is very detailed. The illustrations are accurate and add an extra dimension to the adventure. Reference sheets contain a combat matrix for the three characters included, and a monster index with the statistics of all the creatures in the shrine."[3] He continued: "The shrine has two entrances, but the rules are written based on the assumption that you enter through the tournament entrance. If you choose to use the other, more obvious, entrance, the DM must read the rules from back to front, which can get confusing. Although the map and rules are detailed, they are also confusing. And parts of the scoring system seem less than logical.[3] Traversa concluded his review by saying, "Of all the modules TSR has published (and I have read them all) I would rate this right in the middle. For those DMs who have trouble designing their own dungeons, I say buy it. For those who don't, save your [money] and make your own shrine."[3]
Jim Bambra reviewed The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan for the British RPG magazine White Dwarf, and gave the module an 8 out of 10 overall. Bambra noted the adventure's "Central and South American flavour", and "setting... from Aztec and Mayan culture and mythology".[1] He added, "the room descriptions portray this very well and the accompanying booklet of black and white illustrations enhance the atmosphere even more."[1] He felt that the treasures were skimpy, and that Dungeon Masters running the adventure as part of a campaign would need to increase the total value to make exploration worthwhile to the players. He felt that the recommended levels of 5th-7th was a bit unrealistic, as the lower level characters would have a very hard time in the shrine, and felt that 6th-8th level characters would have a reasonable chance of success. He called the adventure "enjoyable and colourful", especially for players who think and act fast. Bambra said it would appeal more to gamers who like mental challenges and problem solving.[1]
The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan was ranked the 18th greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time by Dungeon magazine in 2004.[4]
Dungeon Master for Dummies includes The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan in its list of the ten best classic adventures, noting the players' destination as a "Mayan-style temple full of surprising traps and devious tricks.[5]
Ken Denmead of Wired listed the module as one of the "Top 10 D&D Modules I Found in Storage This Weekend".[6] According to Denmead, "the whole dungeon is trap-o-palooza, and it's really important to listen, pay attention, and always assume that when something looks too good to be true, you're probably dead already, so go ahead and grab it."[6]
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.
- The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan at the TSR Archive.
- The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan at the Pen & Paper RPG Database.
- Lost Tamoachan / C1 Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan at the Acaeum.com.
References
Citations
- ↑ a b c d Bambra, Jim (April 1983). "Open Box - The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan Review". White Dwarf 40.
- ↑ Schick, Lawrence (1991) Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games, Buffalo, New York⧼colon⧽ Prometheus Books, p. 87 ISBN: 0-87975-653-5.
- ↑ a b c d e Traversa, Doug (July 1980). "Capsule Reviews". The Space Gamer (29): 28. Steve Jackson Games.
- ↑ Mona, Erik (November 2004). "The 30 Greatest D&D Adventures of All Time". Dungeon (116): 68–81. Paizo Publishing.
- ↑ Slavicsek, Bill (2006) Dungeon Master For Dummies, For Dummies, pp. 320 ISBN: 978-0-471-78330-5.
- ↑ a b Denmead, Ken (December 18, 2007). "Top 10 D&D Modules I Found in Storage This Weekend". Wired.
Bibliography
- Johnson, Harold, and Jeff R. Leason. The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan. Lake geneva, WI: TSR, 1980.
- Erik Mona, James Jacobs, et al. "The 30 Greatest D&D Adventures of All Time." Dungeon #116. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2004.
- Crawford, Jeremy, Kim Mohan, Mike MEarls, et al. Tales from the Yawning Portal. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast. 2017. Item code C2207 ISBN: 9780786966097.
Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan | Adventure | Located in: Amedio, | C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan | All |
| C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan | Adventure | Located in: Amedio, | From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess | 72 |
| C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan | Adventure | Located in: Amedio, | Ghosts of Saltmarsh, D&D 5e | 28 |
| C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan | Adventure | Located in: Amedio, | Tales from the Yawning Portal, D&D 5e | 4, 64 |
| C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan | Adventure | Located in: Amedio, | World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) | 30 |
| The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan | Adventure | Adventure - | Ghosts of Saltmarsh, D&D 5e | 28 |
| The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan | Adventure | Adventure - | Reference | SEE ALSO C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan |
| The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan | Adventure | Adventure - | Reference | SEE ALSO Lost Tamaochan: The Hidden Shrine of Lubaatum |
| The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan | Adventure | Adventure - | Tales from the Yawning Portal, D&D 5e | 60-93 |