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Greyhawk Classics #6
Keep on the Borderlands
Rare book
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published November 1, 2001
4 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Ru Emerson
53 books52 followersaka Roberta Cray
Ru Emerson was born on December 15th, 1944 in Montana. She and her husband, Doug, live in Oregon with their only child, a silver mackerel tabby cat named Roberta. She likes to lift weights, run, bike, skate in-line, ski, play basketball, tennis, racquetball, garden, play guitar, scuba dive, and fly stunt kites. Her favorite reading material includes Megan Lindholm, science fiction by Larry Niven, murder mysteries by Patricia Cornwell, plus any other good historical non-fiction.
Ru Emerson was born on December 15th, 1944 in Montana. She and her husband, Doug, live in Oregon with their only child, a silver mackerel tabby cat named Roberta. She likes to lift weights, run, bike, skate in-line, ski, play basketball, tennis, racquetball, garden, play guitar, scuba dive, and fly stunt kites. Her favorite reading material includes Megan Lindholm, science fiction by Larry Niven, murder mysteries by Patricia Cornwell, plus any other good historical non-fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
November 18, 2013
I admit that this was a nostalgia trip fueled by the memories of tearing open a boxed set, devouring a clearly written and evocative rule book in a single sitting, and then becoming thoroughly confused by a skeletal and entirely open-ended adventure module that forces a likely novice DM to hit the ground running from the very start. (A module whose background is essentially "We're going to go beat up monsters. Everyone okay with that?")
Emerson met the challenge of novelizing this scenario by rendering it down to a literal translation of the experience, with only the addition of a hunt-the-bandits preamble to lead into the expedition to the Caves of Chaos. The result is a plodding exercise in mundane matters: logistics, travel, camping, guards, leadership, and discussion.
Emerson met the challenge of novelizing this scenario by rendering it down to a literal translation of the experience, with only the addition of a hunt-the-bandits preamble to lead into the expedition to the Caves of Chaos. The result is a plodding exercise in mundane matters: logistics, travel, camping, guards, leadership, and discussion.
August 19, 2015
This book is super trash, but I still liked it. Do not read this novel as a novel. Read it as the most glorious playthrough of the Keep on the Borderlands module a D&D group could ever possibly pull off. Trust me, you'll enjoy the book way more.
The story starts off with a good old fashioned caravan ambush and ends with a whole lotta Caves of Chaos. Instead of character development you'll get normal adventuring stuff like divvying up loot, hiring retainers (they run 26 people deep), and of course combat.
Of the encounter areas (from the module) outside of the keep, the author chooses #3, the Raider Camp to explore. This is a good choice over other alternatives like the Spider Lair. It counterpoints the monstrous Caves later in the book with a little humanity.
The story starts off with a good old fashioned caravan ambush and ends with a whole lotta Caves of Chaos. Instead of character development you'll get normal adventuring stuff like divvying up loot, hiring retainers (they run 26 people deep), and of course combat.
Of the encounter areas (from the module) outside of the keep, the author chooses #3, the Raider Camp to explore. This is a good choice over other alternatives like the Spider Lair. It counterpoints the monstrous Caves later in the book with a little humanity.
July 24, 2015
Meh.
That's the best I can say about a book that is about the first, ostensibly most important, D&D module I'd ever read.
It gets two stars, not 1, for the sheer fact that it covers such a critical touch point in the history of gaming. But I scanned, skimmed, and delayed reading this because it was just so weakly written.
Furthermore, the game mechanics were REALLY poorly represented. Did the author ever even PLAY D&D? Seems not!
What a travesty to have wasted this idea on such a poor attempt.
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I'm putting this footer on all 7 of my reviews of "Greyhawk Classics", for consistency.
Note that I read them them in LEVEL ORDER, not publication order. I wanted an overall review of the series of 8 in one spot, so here ya go:
1) (6th published) Keep on the Borderlands - Levels 1-3 : 2 stars
2) (4th published) The Temple of Elemental Evil - Levels 1-3 : 3 stars
3) (2nd published) White Plume Mountain - Levels 5-10 : 4 stars
4) (1st published) Against the Giants - Levels 8-12 : 3 stars
5) (3rd published) Descent into the Depths of the Earth - Levels 9-14 : 4 stars
6) (5th published) Queen of the Demonweb Pits - Levels 10-14 : 3 stars
7) (7th published) Tomb of Horrors - Levels 10-14 : 3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's the best I can say about a book that is about the first, ostensibly most important, D&D module I'd ever read.
It gets two stars, not 1, for the sheer fact that it covers such a critical touch point in the history of gaming. But I scanned, skimmed, and delayed reading this because it was just so weakly written.
Furthermore, the game mechanics were REALLY poorly represented. Did the author ever even PLAY D&D? Seems not!
What a travesty to have wasted this idea on such a poor attempt.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm putting this footer on all 7 of my reviews of "Greyhawk Classics", for consistency.
Note that I read them them in LEVEL ORDER, not publication order. I wanted an overall review of the series of 8 in one spot, so here ya go:
1) (6th published) Keep on the Borderlands - Levels 1-3 : 2 stars
2) (4th published) The Temple of Elemental Evil - Levels 1-3 : 3 stars
3) (2nd published) White Plume Mountain - Levels 5-10 : 4 stars
4) (1st published) Against the Giants - Levels 8-12 : 3 stars
5) (3rd published) Descent into the Depths of the Earth - Levels 9-14 : 4 stars
6) (5th published) Queen of the Demonweb Pits - Levels 10-14 : 3 stars
7) (7th published) Tomb of Horrors - Levels 10-14 : 3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 30, 2022
Well, that felt very much like a game around a table. These are dodgy but fun characters occasionally with equally cheesy accents and the story spends a lot of time discussing which way to go next. The party picks up an orphan, then they rename her and bring her along for the adventure.
It's largely a very typical setting, a party are hired to deal with various menaces to the citizens of the Keep. This would be a great one for kids to read, it's straightforward and the party itself is made up of very young heroes.
I had a bit of fun reading this.
It's largely a very typical setting, a party are hired to deal with various menaces to the citizens of the Keep. This would be a great one for kids to read, it's straightforward and the party itself is made up of very young heroes.
I had a bit of fun reading this.
January 22, 2025
Keep on the Borderlands. For those versed in the history of DnD lore this novel covers one of the most iconic scenarios ever penned by Gary Gygax, and it’s principally for that reason alone I wanted to read this novel.
In terms of plot and character development it’s not the best. The plot follows the lives of a group of warriors who guard caravans for a living. Simple enough. Their work takes them to the fabled Keep on the Borderlands. After a few episodic battles with bandits they’re eventually enlisted by the Castellan to clear the Caves of Chaos to the east. Apparently monsters from the caves have been disrupting the trade routes.
This all has echoes of the original scenario but the author drags out the random encounters before the caves too much and it takes half of the novel before the heroes even reach the caves. Apart from one touching chapter where they rescue a waif called Blot from the bandit camp, much of this action is unnecessary. The lion encounter is a nice homage to the original, but they never encounter its owner or the lizard men.
The characters aren’t particularly well drawn either. Much of the tension revolves around the central character, Eddis a level-headed swordswoman, and her clashes with Jerdren, an impulsive, rash warrior, who acts as a contrast to his more cautious and kind brother, Blor. There is something of an unspoken love triangle going on throughout the novel that never really comes to a head. The author definitely could have made a lot more of this. The cult of chaos is also relegated to a bit of a footnote in the novel and only gets a couple of chapters or so at the end of the novel. Again, a missed opportunity. The author could have made so much more of this, perhaps by weaving a traitor mechanic into the story by having the priest in the party double-cross them. The original scenario gives far more focus to this.
Overall, it sounds like I’ve panned the book a little. I did enjoy it, but if I’d not been familiar with its place in the history of the game or recognised the references to the original I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did. Basically, this could have been done so much better. Maybe one day someone else will rewrite this classic - I hope so, it deserves it.
In terms of plot and character development it’s not the best. The plot follows the lives of a group of warriors who guard caravans for a living. Simple enough. Their work takes them to the fabled Keep on the Borderlands. After a few episodic battles with bandits they’re eventually enlisted by the Castellan to clear the Caves of Chaos to the east. Apparently monsters from the caves have been disrupting the trade routes.
This all has echoes of the original scenario but the author drags out the random encounters before the caves too much and it takes half of the novel before the heroes even reach the caves. Apart from one touching chapter where they rescue a waif called Blot from the bandit camp, much of this action is unnecessary. The lion encounter is a nice homage to the original, but they never encounter its owner or the lizard men.
The characters aren’t particularly well drawn either. Much of the tension revolves around the central character, Eddis a level-headed swordswoman, and her clashes with Jerdren, an impulsive, rash warrior, who acts as a contrast to his more cautious and kind brother, Blor. There is something of an unspoken love triangle going on throughout the novel that never really comes to a head. The author definitely could have made a lot more of this. The cult of chaos is also relegated to a bit of a footnote in the novel and only gets a couple of chapters or so at the end of the novel. Again, a missed opportunity. The author could have made so much more of this, perhaps by weaving a traitor mechanic into the story by having the priest in the party double-cross them. The original scenario gives far more focus to this.
Overall, it sounds like I’ve panned the book a little. I did enjoy it, but if I’d not been familiar with its place in the history of the game or recognised the references to the original I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did. Basically, this could have been done so much better. Maybe one day someone else will rewrite this classic - I hope so, it deserves it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2025
Yeah very very much classic D&D and cool, but the lead female character was written annoyingly dependent on her second in command.
October 21, 2022
Great story that follows a mid-level company of mercenaries that make the area around a keep safe for common folk. The chaos cleric was interesting.
February 4, 2016
#DnD Where Rolling and Playing Begins, #B2 : The Keep on the Borderlands Odds are, your first tabletop roleplay encounter was Dungeon's and Dragon's, "Keep on the Borderlands," so is it the best module ever? Nay-nay! Dungeon magazine ranked it 7th (in 2004), but it's a contender for most nostalgic.
In childlike fashion, let's consider the art first. Jim Roslof's impressionistic cover--by impressionistic I mean, compositional nightmare--wouldn't strike most as the work of the TSR Art Director. The tree has a twinge of Monet's-eyes-are-going charm, and this work (or lack of it) qualifies because it gives the perception regardless of the, "I put the background on last to match the module," look. This pink-fuschia-whatever border was a bold move for macho game and time. The first full-color (non-monochrome) module cover does stand out on a shelf.
A trio of blue-nosing hobgoblins won't keep these fashion challenged elves from the Caves of Chaos! Not with this Bow of Recoiling singing its death dirge! If you glance, the orc shields make cave doors. Beware of Senior Assistant Frozen-legs of the Falldown Clan.
If you're unfamiliar with RPG's, this owlbear offering his joy buzzer was the Big Boss to beat. Picture drawn shortly before banning halflings from polearms. After consulting Unearthed Arcana, my best guess is: the dreaded super hobbit poleaxe. Watch out for that tail sweep, Merry!
"I just want hugs! HUGS!!!! B+ on the Roslof Scale.
White, the tennis shoe color of choice? SPOILER ALERT! AVERT! AVERT!
Gary's Monster Condo: Rooms for Rent
A frequent criticism of B2 is bad monster ecology. How do monsters live so close and not fight?
A) Kobold Kamp
B) Orc Love Lounge
C) Second Orc Tribe
G) Don't Buzz the Owlbear
H) Bugbear Lair, “Safety,security and repose for all humanoids who enter." WELCOME!
I) Minotaur's Maze
J) Rollin' Gnolls
K) Shrine of Evil Chaos: "Hellooo, medusa nurse!"
You may also recall the Mad Hermit who lives in the tree with his wildcat.
Gygax later admitted that the result wasn't "ecologically correct," but that wasn't really the point. He intended the module as a primer for DM's and players. By the time a noob finishes he can identify all the beat-on humanoids without having read, The Hobbit.
"Hopefully, they will quickly learn that the monsters here will work together and attack intelligently, if able."
"There are signs beside the entrance cave in kobold, orcish, goblin, etc. Each says: Safety, security and repose for all humanoids who enter - WELCOME! (Come in and report to the first guard on the left for a hot meal and bed assignment.)"
Do people interpret this as: bugbears eat everything? My take: the forces of Chaos won't cooperate, until pressured, as opposed to some race war mentality where no humanoids can get along. Humanoids get sanctioned as player characters in second edition anyhow.
The unbreakable rule is: there are no rules. It could go either way.
Like when a writer says: "My characters have their own minds. I didn't want him to turn into a left-handed, lesbian, midget, albino, but she's such a free spirit now." That sounds like lack of craft or it's just using a more intuitive approach. The first print even had a blurb saying it was for Basic D&D but could be used with Advanced with some modifications.
The Keep allows you to raid, regenerate, and recruit retainers. D&D can be world focused or you can go dungeon diving in the caves. You could try to sack the Keep or focus on the Chaos Caves
Still feel you could build a better dungeon? Many have rebooted Keep, as shown in the history that follows. I imagine Gary would've liked that.
If reading for pleasure, skip the Keep.
This following history draws upon Shannon Appelcline's Designers & Dragons - a history of the roleplaying industry told one company at a time. Please feel free to mail corrections, comments, and additions to shannon.appelcline@gmail.com.
"B2: The Keep on the Borderlands" (1979), by Gary Gygax, was printed by TSR in December 1979. It was probably TSR's twelfth adventure, and the first one to use a full-color cover. . . . Like its predecessor, B1: In Search of the Unknown, this adventure was created for use with the first edition of the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (1977), created by J. Eric Holmes. Once it was printed, "Keep on the Borderlands" immediately replaced In Search of the Unknown in the Basic boxed set.However, "Keep" is much better known as the adventure packaged with the second edition Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (1981), which was revised and updated by Tom Moldvay. It remained a part of that package throughout its life (1981-1983).From 1980-1983, Dungeons & Dragons was seeing its most explosive growth, and the Basic Set was the prime entry point to that game. As a result, B2 ended up the most printed D&D module of all time. Much later estimates suggest there might have been 1.5 million copies printed in all, between the two boxed sets and standalone sales."The Keep on the Borderlands" has been revisited many times, most notably in Wizards of the Coast's Return to the Keep on the Borderlands (1999) for AD&D. In more recent years, the setting made a thematic return as the Chaos Scar, which was spotlighted in D&D Encounters Season 3: Keep on the Borderlands - Season of Serpents (2010-2011) and in Dungeon #171 (October 2009) through Dungeon #197 (December 2011), all for 4e. The adventure may still have a future in D&D too, as it was released as Caves of Chaos at D&D Expo 2012 as a playtest for D&D Next.About the Creators. Gary Gygax wrote The Keep on the Borderlands at the end of his period of greatest adventure productivity, from 1977-1979, shortly after creating T1: The Village of Hommlet. By this time, actually managing TSR was taking up increasing amounts of his time, which kept Gygax from doing more creative work. He hired Jean Wells and Lawrence Schick to form a Design department in 1979. Going forward, this department would be the main source of TSR's adventures, not Gygax."
Five stars. Succeeds as a basic D&D primer and launch mechanism. In conclusion: "You know that you have certainly discovered the Caves Of Chaos." Bree-yark!
Click here for another B2 article on, "How I got started."
For a toasty roast of B2, from Apple to Jellyfish, try Denada's, Let's Read: Keep on the Borderlands.
Free PDF: Beneath the Little Keep 2, Expansion for The Little Keep
Stuff that didn't fit in the module. Thanks JB.
Creator's Blog and article on sacking the Keep: Secret of the Keep on the Borderlands
Careful you don't lose your soul to Blackrazor.
Read my review of B1: In Search of the Unknown. Excelsior!
In childlike fashion, let's consider the art first. Jim Roslof's impressionistic cover--by impressionistic I mean, compositional nightmare--wouldn't strike most as the work of the TSR Art Director. The tree has a twinge of Monet's-eyes-are-going charm, and this work (or lack of it) qualifies because it gives the perception regardless of the, "I put the background on last to match the module," look. This pink-fuschia-whatever border was a bold move for macho game and time. The first full-color (non-monochrome) module cover does stand out on a shelf.
A trio of blue-nosing hobgoblins won't keep these fashion challenged elves from the Caves of Chaos! Not with this Bow of Recoiling singing its death dirge! If you glance, the orc shields make cave doors. Beware of Senior Assistant Frozen-legs of the Falldown Clan.
If you're unfamiliar with RPG's, this owlbear offering his joy buzzer was the Big Boss to beat. Picture drawn shortly before banning halflings from polearms. After consulting Unearthed Arcana, my best guess is: the dreaded super hobbit poleaxe. Watch out for that tail sweep, Merry!
"I just want hugs! HUGS!!!! B+ on the Roslof Scale.
White, the tennis shoe color of choice? SPOILER ALERT! AVERT! AVERT!
Gary's Monster Condo: Rooms for Rent
A frequent criticism of B2 is bad monster ecology. How do monsters live so close and not fight?
A) Kobold Kamp
B) Orc Love Lounge
C) Second Orc Tribe
G) Don't Buzz the Owlbear
H) Bugbear Lair, “Safety,security and repose for all humanoids who enter." WELCOME!
I) Minotaur's Maze
J) Rollin' Gnolls
K) Shrine of Evil Chaos: "Hellooo, medusa nurse!"
You may also recall the Mad Hermit who lives in the tree with his wildcat.
Gygax later admitted that the result wasn't "ecologically correct," but that wasn't really the point. He intended the module as a primer for DM's and players. By the time a noob finishes he can identify all the beat-on humanoids without having read, The Hobbit.
"Hopefully, they will quickly learn that the monsters here will work together and attack intelligently, if able."
"There are signs beside the entrance cave in kobold, orcish, goblin, etc. Each says: Safety, security and repose for all humanoids who enter - WELCOME! (Come in and report to the first guard on the left for a hot meal and bed assignment.)"
Do people interpret this as: bugbears eat everything? My take: the forces of Chaos won't cooperate, until pressured, as opposed to some race war mentality where no humanoids can get along. Humanoids get sanctioned as player characters in second edition anyhow.
The unbreakable rule is: there are no rules. It could go either way.
Like when a writer says: "My characters have their own minds. I didn't want him to turn into a left-handed, lesbian, midget, albino, but she's such a free spirit now." That sounds like lack of craft or it's just using a more intuitive approach. The first print even had a blurb saying it was for Basic D&D but could be used with Advanced with some modifications.
The Keep allows you to raid, regenerate, and recruit retainers. D&D can be world focused or you can go dungeon diving in the caves. You could try to sack the Keep or focus on the Chaos Caves
Still feel you could build a better dungeon? Many have rebooted Keep, as shown in the history that follows. I imagine Gary would've liked that.
If reading for pleasure, skip the Keep.
This following history draws upon Shannon Appelcline's Designers & Dragons - a history of the roleplaying industry told one company at a time. Please feel free to mail corrections, comments, and additions to shannon.appelcline@gmail.com.
"B2: The Keep on the Borderlands" (1979), by Gary Gygax, was printed by TSR in December 1979. It was probably TSR's twelfth adventure, and the first one to use a full-color cover. . . . Like its predecessor, B1: In Search of the Unknown, this adventure was created for use with the first edition of the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (1977), created by J. Eric Holmes. Once it was printed, "Keep on the Borderlands" immediately replaced In Search of the Unknown in the Basic boxed set.However, "Keep" is much better known as the adventure packaged with the second edition Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (1981), which was revised and updated by Tom Moldvay. It remained a part of that package throughout its life (1981-1983).From 1980-1983, Dungeons & Dragons was seeing its most explosive growth, and the Basic Set was the prime entry point to that game. As a result, B2 ended up the most printed D&D module of all time. Much later estimates suggest there might have been 1.5 million copies printed in all, between the two boxed sets and standalone sales."The Keep on the Borderlands" has been revisited many times, most notably in Wizards of the Coast's Return to the Keep on the Borderlands (1999) for AD&D. In more recent years, the setting made a thematic return as the Chaos Scar, which was spotlighted in D&D Encounters Season 3: Keep on the Borderlands - Season of Serpents (2010-2011) and in Dungeon #171 (October 2009) through Dungeon #197 (December 2011), all for 4e. The adventure may still have a future in D&D too, as it was released as Caves of Chaos at D&D Expo 2012 as a playtest for D&D Next.About the Creators. Gary Gygax wrote The Keep on the Borderlands at the end of his period of greatest adventure productivity, from 1977-1979, shortly after creating T1: The Village of Hommlet. By this time, actually managing TSR was taking up increasing amounts of his time, which kept Gygax from doing more creative work. He hired Jean Wells and Lawrence Schick to form a Design department in 1979. Going forward, this department would be the main source of TSR's adventures, not Gygax."
Five stars. Succeeds as a basic D&D primer and launch mechanism. In conclusion: "You know that you have certainly discovered the Caves Of Chaos." Bree-yark!
Click here for another B2 article on, "How I got started."
For a toasty roast of B2, from Apple to Jellyfish, try Denada's, Let's Read: Keep on the Borderlands.
Free PDF: Beneath the Little Keep 2, Expansion for The Little Keep
Stuff that didn't fit in the module. Thanks JB.
Creator's Blog and article on sacking the Keep: Secret of the Keep on the Borderlands
Careful you don't lose your soul to Blackrazor.
Read my review of B1: In Search of the Unknown. Excelsior!
April 1, 2025
This book's odd. I enjoyed it well enough, and Emerson's a decent writer, but I don't agree with many of the choices she made.
The story takes a long time to get around to what everyone who knows the Keep on the Borderlands is waiting for: the Caves of Chaos. Eddis and Company spend a LOT of time searching for bandits and very little time killing them, which makes the whole venture seem more like walking around the woods than adventuring. Then, after the heroes at feted at the Keep and asked to clear out out those caves, they spend way too much time looking for a place to discuss it privately. I get that Emerson wants to show us around the Keep, but there's a way to do that without making the reader impatient.
The adventurers don't get to the Caves nearly two-thirds of the way through the book, so I knew the whole section was going to be rushed, and it was. The monsters they meet--kobolds, goblins, orcs and even an ogre--die awfully easily, and there's no real tension in any of the fights. This is even more true for the evil cult whose defeat takes up the last chapter of the novel. The party's priest nearly ruptures himself warning everyone to be really, really careful in the cultists' temple, but the enemies they find are few and rather inept. The only real damage to the party comes at the hands of one of its own members, who is Driven Mad, presumably because he picked up evil treasure. Or maybe not, who knows.
There's a smart, enjoyable way to tell a dungeon crawl, but I don't think Keep on the Borderlands quite manages. It's not a terrible read, though, so if you properly calibrate your expectations you'll do just fine.
The story takes a long time to get around to what everyone who knows the Keep on the Borderlands is waiting for: the Caves of Chaos. Eddis and Company spend a LOT of time searching for bandits and very little time killing them, which makes the whole venture seem more like walking around the woods than adventuring. Then, after the heroes at feted at the Keep and asked to clear out out those caves, they spend way too much time looking for a place to discuss it privately. I get that Emerson wants to show us around the Keep, but there's a way to do that without making the reader impatient.
The adventurers don't get to the Caves nearly two-thirds of the way through the book, so I knew the whole section was going to be rushed, and it was. The monsters they meet--kobolds, goblins, orcs and even an ogre--die awfully easily, and there's no real tension in any of the fights. This is even more true for the evil cult whose defeat takes up the last chapter of the novel. The party's priest nearly ruptures himself warning everyone to be really, really careful in the cultists' temple, but the enemies they find are few and rather inept. The only real damage to the party comes at the hands of one of its own members, who is Driven Mad, presumably because he picked up evil treasure. Or maybe not, who knows.
There's a smart, enjoyable way to tell a dungeon crawl, but I don't think Keep on the Borderlands quite manages. It's not a terrible read, though, so if you properly calibrate your expectations you'll do just fine.
December 1, 2018
Keep on the Borderlands is the sixth of the Greyhawk Classics novels. It is similar in format and tone to the others in the series, where the author crafts a narrative around an established D&D module. Like the others in the series this is an easy read without a lot of unnecessary plot complexities or subplots. The adventure follows two mercenary leaders and their bands as they join forces to rid the Keep’s surrounding lands of different evils.
I rated this book a 4 but would actually peg it at 3.5. This is not a fantasy epic like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones but it is well written, entertaining and nice break from books that are trying to be the next Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones.
I rated this book a 4 but would actually peg it at 3.5. This is not a fantasy epic like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones but it is well written, entertaining and nice break from books that are trying to be the next Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones.
December 31, 2018
I don't know what I was expecting from a novelization of an old-school sandbox D&D module, but I probably got it.
The first half of the book gives you the impression that the author is going to try to develop some characters and some motivation, but then somewhere around the midway point the characters start raiding the local church for clerics and the keep's dungeon for thieves and from that point on you're reading a play-by-play mêlée runthrough of the Caves of Chaos.
(If a play-by-play mêlée runthrough of the Caves of Chaos sounds good to you, this one gets the job done. I'm not sure there was a good reason for this book to be written, but if someone had to do it, I have no complaints about Emerson's effort.)
The first half of the book gives you the impression that the author is going to try to develop some characters and some motivation, but then somewhere around the midway point the characters start raiding the local church for clerics and the keep's dungeon for thieves and from that point on you're reading a play-by-play mêlée runthrough of the Caves of Chaos.
(If a play-by-play mêlée runthrough of the Caves of Chaos sounds good to you, this one gets the job done. I'm not sure there was a good reason for this book to be written, but if someone had to do it, I have no complaints about Emerson's effort.)
August 30, 2024
On the one hand, it's fun to have a short novel take place in the location of one of the most famous D&D adventure modules ever. My memories of this module align well with the sites in the book. There are differences, of course. Half of the book goes by before the adventure ever gets to the Caves of Chaos, and much of the book reads like an adventure log with tedious, repetitious combats; it lacks much character depth. In the second half of the book, the weak female "lead" makes poor decisions like bringing a child along on the deadly assault against dozens of monsters. She never seems to demonstrate superior fighting skills, either. It never makes much sense why people follow her. Eventually, the book delivers on its stated premise, bringing things to a satisfactory end.
March 15, 2023
A big change having the main character as female, and a welcome one. Though I've both run this adventure as a DM and played in it as a character, I never felt like Ru was confined by the structure of the original adventure. I really enjoyed the overall story, but more importantly, I really liked how Ru did it. For the first time, I really appreciate the direction the author took on this. The characters are interesting and really feels like a D&D game that was played back when the adventure first came out.
Very enjoyable.
Very enjoyable.
December 8, 2018
Not up to par with the other Greyhawk novels I've read so far. The adventures and dungeon crawls were on the bland side (my old D&D group enjoyed many adventures far better than those within this book). None of the characters was particularly likeable and when one of them dies it was a shrug of the shoulders 'oh well' moment.
Unless one already has this book, I can't recommend this one; unfortunately for me, I had already bought this one in the past and just got around to reading it.
Unless one already has this book, I can't recommend this one; unfortunately for me, I had already bought this one in the past and just got around to reading it.
April 9, 2018
It was fun to be the translator of the spanish edition.
The story is a good adventure. If you are a Greyhawk fan, you'll discover the story is really soft.
If you just want a good adventure of sword & sorcery, then this is your book.
The story is a good adventure. If you are a Greyhawk fan, you'll discover the story is really soft.
If you just want a good adventure of sword & sorcery, then this is your book.
May 13, 2022
A Great D&D Adventure Based on A Classic Module. This was a really fun adventure to read. The characters were great and each had an interesting back story. it felt like I was a the gaming table with my friends. I highly recommend this book.
January 25, 2023
I really like Bernard Santaro Clarke but this story was OK. There isn't much material to work with as the Keep on the Borderland being the first original D & D Module didn't have much of a story to begin with.
April 12, 2019
I enjoyed the book overall. A few concepts for one of the characters was really out of place but otherwise the story unfolded well.
March 6, 2023
One of the most boring books I’ve read
July 8, 2024
Can't all be winners. Lol
July 22, 2024
More like 1.5 stars because I did finish this book. Total garbage, but I've had far worse entertainment for a couple of hours while staring at a screen.
September 16, 2024
A fun story that brings back a lot of memories from playing D&D with friends.
December 23, 2024
Way too long
May 29, 2025
Brutal. Don't understand how it was published.
December 21, 2025
Good meat and potatoes dungeon crawl. Thoroughly enjoyed.
August 12, 2016
Ru Emerson’s Keep on the Borderlands is her novelization of the original Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set module of the same name. Though I have not played D&D since the last millennium, I have memories of a 12 year old nerd sitting on the floor in the living room and adventuring forth from the Keep to clear the Caves of Chaos with his friends - Good times. That would have been about 1000 years ago in 1982.
I picked up Keep on the Borderlands when I was perusing through the aisles of Half Price Books a few months ago. The familiar title conjured up old memories. I had never heard of the author before, so I did a quick amazon search and found that many of the book’s reviews were less than stellar. I briefly considered not buying it, but nostalgia got the better of me and I headed to the register.
The book starts with a female warrior named Eddis, and two brothers, Jers and Blorys. The three spent longer than I would have liked gathering their band of adventurers at a place ambiguously known only as the Keep. In the original module, having a nameless Keep in a nameless land worked, because you could always make up your own name to fit it into your campaign. However, in the book I don’t think it worked that well. It felt unfinished. Emerson did do a good job describing the outfitting and equipping of the party, but I would have preferred less time at the Keep. I couldn’t wait for the party to get to the Caves.
So the party left the Keep and headed straight for the Caves of Chaos, right? No, not even close. They spent half the book trudging through the wilderness and slugging it out with bandits. They picked up an orphan and then headed back to the Keep to refit. While there, they recruit some expendable guys and then finally hit the trail for the Caves.
When they finally arrived and began clearing the Caves, the book started to turn into the story I wanted when I first saw the name on its spine. The party was slaughtering old school D&D bad guys, left and right. The red shirted expendables were dropping like flies. Eventually the heroes killed some evil cleric and then called it quits. On one hand, I wanted it to continue. If my memory of the original module serves me right, I think they left about half of the Caves untouched. On the other hand, after spending so much time with the bandits, I was glad it was over.
Emerson never quite got there with character development. I liked the relationship dynamic between Eddis and Jers as they attempted to put aside their differences for the good of the party, but it needed a lot more. I wish she had focused on that instead of the “love story” that popped up between Eddis and Blorys.
I rate Keep on the Borderlands three stars. While I may seem harsh in some of my criticisms above, overall I did enjoy the book. It’s not one that I would keep on my shelf to read a second time, but it did briefly take me back to a time when my childhood friends and I cleared the Caves of Chaos armed only with our imagination, some funny looking dice, and and endless bags of Doritos.
I picked up Keep on the Borderlands when I was perusing through the aisles of Half Price Books a few months ago. The familiar title conjured up old memories. I had never heard of the author before, so I did a quick amazon search and found that many of the book’s reviews were less than stellar. I briefly considered not buying it, but nostalgia got the better of me and I headed to the register.
The book starts with a female warrior named Eddis, and two brothers, Jers and Blorys. The three spent longer than I would have liked gathering their band of adventurers at a place ambiguously known only as the Keep. In the original module, having a nameless Keep in a nameless land worked, because you could always make up your own name to fit it into your campaign. However, in the book I don’t think it worked that well. It felt unfinished. Emerson did do a good job describing the outfitting and equipping of the party, but I would have preferred less time at the Keep. I couldn’t wait for the party to get to the Caves.
So the party left the Keep and headed straight for the Caves of Chaos, right? No, not even close. They spent half the book trudging through the wilderness and slugging it out with bandits. They picked up an orphan and then headed back to the Keep to refit. While there, they recruit some expendable guys and then finally hit the trail for the Caves.
When they finally arrived and began clearing the Caves, the book started to turn into the story I wanted when I first saw the name on its spine. The party was slaughtering old school D&D bad guys, left and right. The red shirted expendables were dropping like flies. Eventually the heroes killed some evil cleric and then called it quits. On one hand, I wanted it to continue. If my memory of the original module serves me right, I think they left about half of the Caves untouched. On the other hand, after spending so much time with the bandits, I was glad it was over.
Emerson never quite got there with character development. I liked the relationship dynamic between Eddis and Jers as they attempted to put aside their differences for the good of the party, but it needed a lot more. I wish she had focused on that instead of the “love story” that popped up between Eddis and Blorys.
I rate Keep on the Borderlands three stars. While I may seem harsh in some of my criticisms above, overall I did enjoy the book. It’s not one that I would keep on my shelf to read a second time, but it did briefly take me back to a time when my childhood friends and I cleared the Caves of Chaos armed only with our imagination, some funny looking dice, and and endless bags of Doritos.
October 25, 2012
Often, novels based on D&D adventure modules feel a bit stilted. However, the problems with this book go far beyond that.
First, it was rather poorly edited. However, I can overlook typos. Other books in this series (the recent Greyhawk books) have some typos, but not quite this many.
The main problem is that the storyline meanders about. This may be due to the transition from module to novel, but the central task of the author is to create a compelling story that fits within the confines of the module in question. The author failed to do that, unfortunately.
Additionally, the romantic subplot felt tacked on and contrived. Also, the "tragic" bit at the end was likewise a bit hackneyed and totally unneeded.
All in all, the characters were rather unlikable. The interesting characters were the minor ones on the sidelines.
I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't really enjoy it. I did read it to the end, but mainly because I read everything to the end unless it is truly horrendous.
This isn't a good book, but hey, I've read worse, I guess!
First, it was rather poorly edited. However, I can overlook typos. Other books in this series (the recent Greyhawk books) have some typos, but not quite this many.
The main problem is that the storyline meanders about. This may be due to the transition from module to novel, but the central task of the author is to create a compelling story that fits within the confines of the module in question. The author failed to do that, unfortunately.
Additionally, the romantic subplot felt tacked on and contrived. Also, the "tragic" bit at the end was likewise a bit hackneyed and totally unneeded.
All in all, the characters were rather unlikable. The interesting characters were the minor ones on the sidelines.
I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't really enjoy it. I did read it to the end, but mainly because I read everything to the end unless it is truly horrendous.
This isn't a good book, but hey, I've read worse, I guess!
October 19, 2013
Ok, I tried, I REALLY tried to finish this book. And I couldn't. The ONLY thing REMOTELY like ANY game, let alone Greyhawk was the looting of every and all dead bodies after each fight. Except the poor kobolds slaughtered in their own home. They didn't have anything worth taking. Ok, I know, kobolds are evil, but that doesn't give our "heroes" the right to go into their home and slaughter them all. The kobolds fought, but to DEFEND themselves from the home invaders. Yes, two tried to jump the group outside of the caves and they were "evil" as per the priest, but they were like zero level characters just chilling at home. Why kill them at all? It left a really bad taste in my mouth. Also, the fight scenes STUNK. They made SO many STUPID mistakes and do the Keep men have to be so obviously red shirts? Not even named. Really bad book and if this was how a group I was with played, I wouldn't go back. Blech!
January 22, 2013
A true adventure. This book brought the essence of the game to life in my opinion. It showed the basics of bringing a group together with both player and non-player characters after finding a misson, getting prepared and showing the hit and miss situations that would happen in an actual game.
January 31, 2015
This was a fun read. The writer has skill, but the story was basically a D&D adventure module. I knew that going in so I wasn't disappointed in that regard, I was just hoping that the translation might have brought out a better tale. Fast read and worth it if you are an old school D&Der.
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