The Isle of Dread (D&D Fantasy Roleplaying, Expert Set, Module X1, Book?(s) by David Cook

Expert #X1

by David Zeb Cook

The Isle of Dread is the first in a series of adventure modules for use with the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Expert Rules. As the first D&D wilderness adventure published by TSR Hobbies, the Isle of Dread is designed as an instructional module to help novice Dungeon Masters design their own wilderness adventures.

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

Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

David "Zeb" Cook is an American game designer best known for his work at TSR, Inc., where he was employed for over fifteen years. Cook grew up on a farm in Iowa where his father worked as a farmer and a college professor. In junior high school, Cook playing wargames such as Avalon Hill's Blitzkrieg and Afrika Korps. "I was primarily a wargamer, but there wasn't any role-playing available then," although in college, he was introduced to the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game through the University of Iowa gaming club. Cook earned his B.A. in English (with a Theater minor) in 1977. He married his high school sweetheart, Helen, with whom he had one son, Ian. Cook became a high school teacher in Milligan, Nebraska, where his students gave him his nickname of "Zeb"; the name derives from his signature, which is dominated by a stroke resembling a 'Z'.

Reviews

[Love of Hopeless Causes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for it's ability to inspire. If in doubt, see the Savage Tide Adventure path that begins in Dungeon #139. While peddled as the expert module, it is to my mind the pinnacle of the ODD Lost World culture, though most sources compare it to "King Kong."

The first printing Blue color is the preferable edition, but you can find the orange cover PDF for comparison. Perhaps the sand box strength is lost on modern readers. The maps are so generic they are expressly reused in encounters. Modules at this stage still had a primer feel, like they were showing you how, instead of railroading you through tunnels.

Gygax would later reboot this archetype for a high level module, "Isle of the Ape." The treetop platforms reminded me of Harley Stroh's early DCC modules. Sorry about the crappy phone review. Maybe I'll second draft this later.

It really does lend itself to higher level fleshed out play, otherwise the adventure drags and turns into wandering monster hell. You either need players truly creating a group story, or you need a DM who is comfortable rearranging the monster deck chairs to keep the tension up. There is no reincarnation store unless you work one in. If you play this one as advertised, you'd likely end up with one living marooned pc. Don't let the dinosaurs chew on the loco weed!

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot going here, but it gets pretty repetitive after a while - the party needs to trawl through a lot of wilderness with a bunch of random encounters for company and little else. What's good is still great, but, as is the case with many classic modules, it's since been eclipsed by the newer and better works.

I'd recommend The Dark of Hot Springs Island for a tighter experience.

[Jason Koivu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like an episode of "Lost," The Isle of Dread was confusingly erratic and intriguingly exciting.

This game module for the old-school "expert rules" version of Dungeons & Dragons tapped Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Lost World" for ideas. The concept is that your party of adventurers sail out in search of the rumored wealth hidden upon a remote island. When you arrive you discover the island is populated with a bizarro world of fantastical beasts, murderous natives and magical monsters.

The Isle of Dread came with every purchase of the Expert D&D Box Set, so just about everyone that played D&D owned this, but search me if you can find anyone who actually played this module. My cousin and I gave it an abortive attempt once, but mostly all I ever did with it was to glance through, half-heartedly trying to figure out what the overall plot was. I'm not sure there was one though. If anyone can settle that for me, please do.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based upon Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel "The Lost World", this adventure has it all - an ocean voyage, pirates, dragons, dinosaurs, natives, spell-casting giant spiders, buried treasure, shipwrecks, sea monsters, a tremendous volcano with a tropical paradise in its crater, and best of all the Lovecraftian horrors encountered at the end. Even if you never run the adventure as written but just mine it for ideas, it is well worth the read.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the second module I ever played. After getting stabbed to death in Grade 4 by some jerk in Castle Amber, I caught some disease and shat myself to death on the beaches of the Isle of Dread. Something tells me my older brother and his friends didn't want me hanging out with them while they played D&D.

[David Sarkies · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the classic Dungeons & Dragons adventures
24 December 2012

This is one of those early modules that is not constructed with a plot, or I don't think it is constructed with a plot. It could be, but it has been quite a while since I have read it, and considering that it is probably sitting at the bottom of a box (carefully stored mind you, since this module is now a collector's item) I don't have ready access to it to see if there is actually a plot. On a side note, I sort of wonder why I collect these things, because it is unlikely that I am going to use it again (if I have ever used it in the first place that is), and I do sort of question whether I can get any value out of it, and even then, sitting in a box (in good condition mind you) does not necessarily mean that it is growing in value. Hey, I could have a first edition copy of Frankenstein, but if nobody wants it, or nobody wants to pay the going price of it, then what good is it anyway.
So, this module is set on an island, but I can't quite remember why you go to this island. It could be the reason why most people go to islands, and that is to find buried treasure, but I don't actually remember there being a map with some 'X' marked on it. I do remember playing a Neverwinter Nights version of this module, but it was so incredibly hard, particularly when you went toe to toe with a bear (not to mention the dinosaurs that also wonder around the island) that I never go to0 far in it, and decided to move on to the next constructed game.
Anyway, as with some of these older modules, they were good because they enable you to create the your own plots. This module was the first in the 'X' series, which was a code for the expert system. The basic system only dealt with characters from first to third level, but the expert system I believed went up to level nine (I think, but once again I do not have it readily at hand to check). However the catch is that dinosaurs should be a lot more powerful than players at this level, and in all honesty, even if you are a mage with a fireball, a Tyrannosaurus Rex is still going to shrug that off and then proceed to tear you a new one. Mind you (and this is one of the things that I liked about third edition) a tiger and a bear would also likely tear you a new one as well.
I guess the expert system was expanding the world as well, and this particular module provided you with a larger map of the region, and I even think it have a few little comments about the countries that were about. However, the main focus was on the island, which, mind you, was so far away that you would need a proper sailing ship to get there. This was not the type of voyage that you would use a coaster for (and I sort of wonder how the players at this level, which wasn't that high, could possibly get their hands on a proper sailing ship, and a crew – consider this, a couple of young punks rocking up at the docks and asking 'say, anybody going to the Isle of Dread?').

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

11/27/2016: This was the first published module for use with the Dungeons & Dragons “Expert Set” – intended as the bridge between Basic D&D and Advanced D&D, although in fact the two systems had enough discrepancies that it was never quite possible to merge them. Expert D&D allowed characters to progress beyond the third level, which was as far as the Basic rules allowed, so fittingly this is an adventure designed for characters or levels 3 to 7 (those just reaching the “Expert” levels, as it were). Surprisingly, however, its focus is not on a standard “dungeon” scenario like “The Keep on the Borderlands,” but instead on a “lost world” setting in which the party travels to an island inhabited by dinosaurs and other extinct beasts, alongside cannibals and exotic tropical flora and fauna.

The possibility of a “lost world” setting has always been somewhat implicit in D&D rules, which have consistently provided combat statistics for dinosaurs etc., although it has rarely been explored in the published materials provided by TSR and Wizards of the Coast, the inheritors of the line. This one is somewhat incomplete in that sense, because actually the adventure focuses on the exploration of an abandoned (and partially flooded) temple in search of a large pearl, and less time is spent exploring the wilderness of the dinosaur ranges than one might like. Wilderness adventures often present a problem in D&D, because of the challenges and choices they offer to players and the difficulty of remaining focused on a clear objective in that situation. It’s always easier to keep things clear when your only decisions are whether to turn left or right and the difficulty of the monsters encountered corresponds to the depth of the dungeon. So, this adventure does actually fall back on the dungeon to re-focus the finale.

The module also includes an expanded map showing the region surrounding the “Duchy” provided as a suggested campaign area in the Expert rules. It is interesting, but seems to me to try to do too much with too little area. In a space apparently not much larger than Greece, it includes climates that vary from tropical Pacific conditions to sub-arctic Scandinavia, Mongolia, and Southern France. Still, with some adjustments, it does give the opportunity for a very diverse range of adventures within an integrated multicultural setting. I have never actually run this adventure, nor attempted to use the campaign world supplied (indeed, I rarely played anything but the AD&D version of Dungeons and Dragons), but there are some interesting concepts here which could be lifted by any DM looking for new ideas.

3/30/2025: The only addition I’d make to the above is the notable difference between a “sandbox” adventure like this one and the carefully-plotted adventures put out by Wizards of the Coast today. The length speaks for itself – this adventure is 32 pages long, and several of those pages are entirely taken up with maps. Compare this to the 320 pages of “Rime of the Frostmaiden,” and you can see that this was a much sketchier sort of adventuring scenario. Speaking as a DM, I’ve come to appreciate having so much of the work done for me beforehand so that I don’t have to dedicate hours between each session just figuring out what the players will have to do this week, but I also detect a general craving among many players for the freedom of the old-school approach. This module could feed that – or be expanded by a team of good writer-players into a fleshed-out scenario.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently picked up a mini zine called Dire Cay by Matthew Morris. In it, Mathew mentions that it's based on this classic D&D module, the isle of Dread. So here I am.

What a module! This is how a sandbox should be written, mind you, it's a bit dated in terms of layout and presentation. Nevertheless, its surprising to me how readable this module is. I mean, many modern OSR dungeon designs cut a lot of the extra fluff in order to make a dungeon that can be easily run at the table. Other more popular game systems like 5e, provide tons of back story and needless details that can be interesting, but generally unimportant to the players. The Isle of Dread is that nice in-between. You still need to read through most of it to get an idea of what's going on, but it also provides the monster stats (mostly) and other gamable aspects of the module up front so you won't be lost flipping through other books at the table.

Still, it could use an update and in fact it has! Enter: Original Adventures Reincarnated #2 - The Isle of Dread from Goodman games. I've not read this yet so I can't comment on improvements, but I'm glad that this classic module is getting the love it deserves.

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

First adventure module in the ancient Expert Set. Looking it over now I marvel at the beginnings of the world of Mystara. Definitely a must have for adventure and maps of the world beyond the Duchy of Karameikos.

[James Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply one of the best adventures ever written. If you ever want to know what a campaign needs for players to have fun in the sandbox, read the Isle of dread. It'll give you all you need to know

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

King Kong.... the hexcrawl.

[Matthew J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beloved classic. I can see why. It was pretty forward looking in some ways. Though, like a lot of similar books of the era, it doesn't have a ton of practical advice for a GM/DM trying their hands at running a game for the first time. It's sort of a 20/80 split on advice VS leaving it up to you. For an experienced GM, that's no problem, and I have lots of cool ideas about how I would modify and flesh this out. But for a teaching module, as it was originally intended? Eh. It's actually a pretty massive setting with a lot of moving pieces, with very little guidance.
It clearly takes a lot of inspiration from "King Kong," as well as some other similar genre offerings. Though there is ultimately no giant ape. Instead, there are some weird mind-controlling critters that don't seem super well thought out, and I don't think they've ever made another appearance in D&D. They fill much the same niche as Aboleth or Mind Flayers. It also suffers from something that was a big problem with adventures and modules of that time (I'm more familiar with Call of Cthulhu adventures, and they're terrible with this...see Shadows of Yog-Sothoth); the "monster hoedown" issue. I understand why there are all kinds of prehistoric monsters. That's on theme. But then there's randomly a green dragon (because there has to be a dragon?), there are nomadic cat people who seem like they're meant to be in a sort of Arabian Nights/desert setting, but they're here for some reason. Ogres, gargoyles & a roc, too? Again, as an experienced GM, subbing more appropriate creatures is easy. But this was a teaching module, and it doesn't really give you a lot to help in that department.
Anyway. In spite of my complaints, mostly stemming from how these were made at the time, this one is definitely one of the better D&D modules I've read from the era. And I really want to bring it to my table. Your players could spend a lot of time on this island. There's a lot of room for building things up, modifications, expansions, and more. Players have a lot of options how to approach things, but also how to carry on. Do they team up with pirates? Do they forge an alliance with the native villages? Do they journey to the center of the island to deal with the nasty critters there? Do they start a dinosaur hunting business? A lot of options.
This is a scaffold. You and your players will have to build upon it, but that could be a lot of fun.

[Ross Kitson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heading now towards the end of 1981, this is the first time I can recall reading the Isle of Dread. Which is odd, as I definitely had the Expert Rulebook in 1983, so must have had the set (also had X2 which is one of my all time favourites).
Perhaps, despite the nostalgic affection this module is held in, it wasn't that memorable for my 12y old self?
X1 is very much a setting module with only the vaguest hint of a plot. There's certainly enough in here to create multiple hooks, but despite stating on the cover it's a special intro module to Expert play (level 4-14 I think?) there's little guidance on running the module. What there is is a wealth of wilderness, including: the first Mystara map with notes; a great map of the Isle of Dead, with keyed encounters, with a range of dinosaurs, sea monsters, caves of humanoids, new monsters, pirates and so forth; plenty of encounter maps, and a 'base' village with tribes and clans described and a rather relaxed approach to undead.
There is, of course, a dungeon; namely, on a ruined island, in a flooded volcanic crater, atop a central plateau. Its-appropriately- a ruined shrine to a strange new monster, which give an almost RE Howard vibe.
Finally, and bizarrely, there's a bunch of suggestions for more adventures on the Isle which could simply be used as the original purpose for the adventure beyond arrive and get treasure. I will note that to most teenagers running adventures in DnD in 1981 that was more than enough.
It's solid on atmosphere and setting, but the lack of even a vague plot and direction sadly drops it in my opinion. Perhaps because it doesn't ring my nostalgia bell I'm being harsher but at the time there were increasing numbers of non-tournament modules with stories and hooks--one of which, U1, I'm heading to next.

[Pádraic]

You'd need to fix up the -- well, it's not fantasy racism, it's just regular racism around the 'primitive' tribes, but it's certainly not the worst thing I've seen in a D&D adventure by any margin. Besides that, this is a very good wilderness sandbox, cool monsters and people to interact with, plus a couple of nifty dungeons.

There's no real plot or hook, though, apart from the usual non-hook of "kill monsters, get gold," so you'd need to provide your players with some reason to climb thousands of feet of cliffs while being attacked by pteranodon, if that doesn't sound like something they'd do for kicks.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only redeeming values of this module are dinosaurs and phanatons.

[Joe B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This module was great for expanding the map of the Known World (Mystara) to the south. The adventure was so-so, but enabled us to learn seafaring adventuring rules.

[Todd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too "open-ended & sandbox'y" IMHO. This needed the DM to do some work to make this outdoor-oriented adventure workable, but honestly, the juice just didn't seem worth the squeeze. A very common and yet also very "meh" module.

[Cimuchowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dave Rooney, Thanks for sharing.