Classic adventures converted to D&D5?

One of my favorite games I'm playing here is The Temple of Elemental Evil game in D&D5. Part of that is, of course, the fabulous players who are both imaginative and post frequently. But I have to admit that part of the appeal for me is getting to play a classic AD&D module converted to fifth edition.

Maybe I'm not alone in that desire...I wonder: is anyone else interested in playing in some classic AD&D modules, if someone (ahem) were to run them here on Gamers Plane? Or how about classic D&D modules? Some of the adventures written for D&D were really great, and what other forum do we have for playing them in the modern era?

I'm happy to convert these to D&D5. Or - does this sound crazy? - would people be interested in playing the original modules in the original systems? BECMI D&D is pretty astounding, even though it was nearly always eclipsed by AD&D. And that's from me, who has a soft spot for AD&D.

I'm just interested in hearing what others think/feel about the idea of playing classic modules, and in which system they like to do it if so.

My regular monday game is playing Temple (although I'm out of the country for 3 months so I'm missing the bulk of it :(). I'm involved in a Castle Ravenloft game here. I'm already running Red Hand of Doom (probably the best official 3.5ed module) here. While I don't want to take on any more games, I can attest that they often survive the test of time.

I find things convert really easily (just pick monsters based on stat blocks and rename them. For example, I was using Copper Dragon Wyrmling as "Hellhond" because at lv1 2 Hell Hounds from 5e is a bad match for a party, especially when backed up by a half dozen 1/2 CR hobgoblins and a hobgoblin captain. But, the Copper Wyrmling fit the encounter difficulty perfectly - a quick rename and the players never knew the difference... well I guess until now :P).

I would LOVE to play some more of the old modules in 5e (or even in their original systems). I have heard so much about many of them, but have never had a chance to play any.

I've got a pdf of Monty Cook's Return to Temple of Elemental Evil, and also the full Queen of the Spiders adventure... I have a few other 1e adventures available to me as well... I do believe this is me offering to run a game (I'm having a hard time resisting... and some of the one shots I'm involved in here are looking to be wrapping up, so by the time such a game gets fully up and rolling I'd be a bit more free).

I also have the S1-4 series (Tomb of Horrors; White Plume Mountain; Expedition to the Barrier Peaks; The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth) -- they're not a continuous adventure, but the first 3 of those are well regarded. I'd be happy to run anything noted above (Queen of the Spiders is a full on campaign, as is Return... Tomb, White Plume and Barrier Peaks are single adventures... but in true 1s style, your character will probably die before the end).

Tomb of horrors is already converted - check for the dungeon magazine PDF! Old modules have the benefit of having high-detail maps made and shared on the web. I am running ToEE into slave lords/queen of spiders up to near l20, so stick around! Converting is really zero effort when you have the monster manual, which is based in part on old modules (they never publicise this. But often the fit is near perfect)

I saw your call for replacement players for ToEE, I didn't sign up because, well, I'm involved in a face-to-face game already doing it.

I've found converting Red Hand of Doom to be very easy, with only a few tweaks here and there. The big trick is figuring out what level the adventure should start at in 5e (with Red Hand we started at level 2, and that seems right - maybe level 3 would've been better looking back, but there are 6 of them).

OK, so it seems like there's interest.

For those of you who are interested, would you prefer if I made it clear which module is being played from the outset? I'd be happy to do that, but some people might prefer not to know, so they wouldn't be tempted to read along as we play.

Thus, as an alternative, I could, as part of adapting it to D&D5, change the names and details so that it's not instantly recognizable as "Hommlet" or "Karakmeikos." I could then, along with XP, inform the players as to which module they just completed at the end of the adventure. "Congratulations! As some of you may have guessed, you've just completed "B2 Keep on the Borderlands!" (a joke example: not only would everyone know that module immediately, it's also just about the only module I would definitely NOT run).

Let me know what you think.

By the way, Candi: I'd be delighted if you were to run some classic modules, too! Many of them I've owned for decades but have never played and don't really remember all that well (as with Biscuitfiend's run of Temple of Elemental Evil), so it would be a delight to play in them. But I'm also ready to run some...

I don't think it's necessary to 'shield' the players from the knowledge of what they are playing.. I mean, it's always been my opinion that a player who goes out and gets a module they are playing and reads ahead is just ruining the game for themselves (and it becomes apparent quite quickly too, especially with these old modules, given how obscure some of the treasure troves, traps and passages are - a player that knows too much *obviously* knows too much). Then, as a GM, I just take them aside, ask frankly if they read the adventure, and deal with it. Then again, I'm a VERY transparent GM.

Also, the more of these the merrier I think. We should co-ordinate a bit though so as to expand reach and try many things. I'm still looking through a few (not reading them, I'm pulling up little 1 paragraph synopses from "top X D&D adventure lists" -- turns out most adventures are on at least 1 such list :P). Some candidates I'm tentatively interested in:

- Desert of Desolation (which I now realize is the adventure my GM ran us through for our 4e game.. we got tired of 4e and never finished, but we got to the last half of the last adventure in the series)
- White Plume Mountain
- Expedition to Barrier Peaks (c'mon, you don't like Sci-Fi in your fantasy? :P)
- The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
- Return to ToEE (Monty Cook adventure)

OK, so Candi's vote is that it's more fun to know which module you're playing. Noted.

Here's some that I'm particularly interested in running:
- Against the Cult of the Reptile God
- Night's Dark Terror
- All that Glitters
- Lost Island of Castanamir
- Secret of Bone Hill
- Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh
- Beyond the Crystal Cave

More fun (especially as some people play these because they are 'legendary' -- like ToEE and my joining a Ravenloft game), but also not necessary to conceal it :)

Happily no overlap :)

I have an interest All that Glitters and Beyond the Crystal Cave (which are, to my knowledge, both from the UK-series of 1e adventures; which I am interested in pretty well all of). Although I do have to say, the names of some of these are really compelling.

Well, I'd never heard of the Red Hand of Doom until your post, and now I'm excited to play it someday. Apparently, with marriage and work and all, I missed a large part of D&D3 (I've never played 3.5, for example).

I think I will start with running the lower-level adventures - I'm leaning toward the Cult of the Reptile God - to start. Even though I plan to run them as discrete games, if people want to continue from one to another, then they may get a sense of a campaign. I've already been working on a connecting framework for these separate games in serial form. Given the popularity of D&D5 (particularly here on GP), I think I'll convert the modules. I should be creating the first game this week.