X4 Master of the Desert Nomads by David “Zeb” Cook is a role playing game supplement published by Wizards of the Coast (originally as TSR) for use with Basic Dungeons & Dragons. This is the first in a two part adventure, the second being X5 Temple of Death, set in Mystara, or The Known World as it was known when this was published. A third module, X10 Red Arrow, Black Shield, follows on from these two but is substantially different. This is an Expert level adventure for Basic Dungeons & Dragons intended for characters of levels 6-9.
This is available as a PDF from RPGNow for $4.99 or as the original printed version which is still available from sites such as Amazon. The original version is the one reviewed. This has 32 pages but, as was common for the time from TSR, the cardboard cover is not attached to the paper. The cover therefore functions as a (small) DM’s screen with two maps on the inside cover. Of the module, one page is the front matter.
Part 1: Introduction gives an overview of the Great Waste west of the Republic (the Republic of Darokin, although it is not mentioned by its full name). The various tribes of the desert have combined under an individual called the Master and have been attacking the western settlements of the Republic; the characters arrive after the main army has departed. There are notes for the Dungeon Master on this supplement, and how it is the first of a two part adventure, and how to handle the encounters. Characters will also need to be stealthy, as there is a large enemy army trundling about the region.
Part 2: Key to the Settled Areas gives a brief overview of the starting lands around the Asanda River, a random encounter table and a d20 list of rumours. There are also details on the starting village of Pramayana. The village is largely deserted, with only a couple of residents left other than reserve forces. There are two encounter to have here, one that gives the characters a rough map and one an attack by enemy forces. The end of this section has The Wilderness Map of the Great Waste. This is a standard for the time hex map with 24 miles per hex. This map is intended to join to the map of the Known World found in X1 The Isle of Dread (and also effectively joins on to the maps form X5, X6 Quagmire! and, perhaps more indirectly, X9 The Savage Coast).
Part 3: Key to the Asanda River is the first part of the journey. An overview is given of the river and the Salt Swamp. The swamp has its own encounter table and there are two non-random encounters for the river and one for the swamp.
Part 4: Key to the Caravan Track gives an overview of the Sind Desert and a caravan that the characters can encounter and join. There are three encounters with the caravan (or without, if it is wiped out in the first); a bandit attack, an underground temple (which may gain the characters a way of getting through a region occupied by hostile troops more safely in a typical arrogant villain act) and with some potentially friendly nomads.
Part 5: Key to the Sind Desert gives an overview of the Plain of Fire and the Desert Hills, with encounter tables for both. There are also two main encounters in this region.
Part 6: Key to the Gates of the Pass has overviews of the foothills and the Black Mountains. There are two set encounters in this area. The second, The Evil Abbey, is the major encounter of the whole module, an abbey that is detailed in full.
Part 7: New Monsters has five new monsters described.
Part 8: Pre-rolled Characters has seven characters. Each only has their class, level, stats and magic items listed.
X4 Master of the Desert Nomads in Review
The text maintains a two column format and appeared to be free of errors. The only colour illustration is on the front cover, which was typical for the period. There are extensive internal black and white illustrations, all custom. Presentation is good.
The Sind region as depicted in this module is rather different to how it was covered later, namely in The Voyage of the Princess Ark series in Dragon Magazine and the box set that largely collected these articles, Champions of Mystara. In this version the Sind Desert is essentially uninhabited; in the later versions the starting area has a substantial population and new countries, not just a few settlers from the Republic of Darokin.
Although this might appear to be a hexcrawl, especially as there is a hex map, it isn’t really such. The encounters do not have specific locations marked on the map; even the Evil Abbey, which has to be near the Great Pass, is not marked (but can’t really be moved from the pass). Instead, the encounters follow in a specific order and happen where the characters are. This adventure is rather more linear than a hexcrawl.
This is definitely, and unsurprisingly, an Old School adventure. Modern adventures are a lot more tolerant, and tend not to have such things as save or die. It also, when combined with the next adventure, is rather more “epic” than was typical for the time and setting. The module has a number of different types of encounters; attacks by small numbers, large numbers, armies to encounter, a small dungeon to explore and a large building occupied by enemies. Today, it would probably be fleshed out a lot more, but PDFs allow much larger adventures to be published with not a great deal of increase in cost. X4 Master of the Desert Nomads is a fun adventure from many years ago and the PDF can be found by clicking here.
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