In Search of the Unknown

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For the book of the same name, see Robert W. Chambers

In Search of the Unknown

The cover of the 1981 reprint of In Search of the Unknown, with art

by Darlene Pekul. The artwork depicts a group of adventurers in an

environment filled with mushrooms and other fungus.

Code B1

TSR Product Code 9023

Rules required D&D Basic Set

Character levels 1–3

Campaign setting Generic D&D

Authors Mike Carr

First published 1979

 Linked modules

B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, B1–9, B10, B11, B12, BSOLO

In Search of the Unknown is a module for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game,
designed for use with the Basic Set of rules. It was written by game designer Mike Carr and was
first published in 1979 by TSR, Inc. The module details a hidden complex known as the Caverns
of Quasqueton. Reviewers considered it a good quality introduction to the game that was written
in the so-called dungeon crawl style, where the primary goal of the players is the exploration of a
dangerous labyrinth to battle monsters and obtain treasure.

Contents

 1Publication history

 2Plot summary

 3Reception

 4References

 5External links

Publication history[edit]
The module was included with the first edition of the D&D Basic Set.[1][2] The module was written
by Mike Carr, and printed as a thirty-two page booklet with an outer folder and a two-color cover;
the original version also included a section on page six for "Using this Module with AD&D".
[1]
The AD&D section was deleted in the 1981 printing.[1] The adventure ran through six different
printings in addition to a pre-production version that appeared in promotional artwork. The first
printing was in 1978, although an incorrect copyright lists it as 1979. [citation needed]
In Search of the Unknown was an introductory scenario intended to teach Dungeon
Masters (DMs) how to create dungeons.[1] Mike Carr intended it for use as an instructional
adventure for new players. The module is a beginner's scenario, which allows the DM to add
monsters and treasure.[1][3] The module is coded B1 because it was created as the first adventure
for the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set, though it is possible to convert it to Advanced Dungons
& Dragons.[4] The adventure is designed for characters of first to third level, and was written for
DMs and players with little or no gaming experience. Interior art was by David C. Sutherland III,
while Sutherland and David A. Trampier did the cover of the original monochrome edition.[5] The
updated 1981 edition featured front and back cover art by Darlene Pekul.
A lengthy introduction explains the workings of the adventure and provides many tips for novice
DMs and players. There is a character roster which contains forty-eight first level pre-generated
player characters. The module also contains a section showing the availability of henchmen and
hirelings for use as non-player characters to travel with the party, and details of these characters
for the DM. The module includes a number of rooms and caves meant for the DM to fill in with
monsters and treasure, selected from tables provided in the module.[4]
The 10th Anniversary Dungeons & Dragons Collector's Set boxed set, published by TSR in
1984, included the rulebooks from the Basic, Expert, and Companion sets;
modules AC2 Combat Shield and Mini-adventure, AC3 The Kidnapping of Princess Arelina, In
Search of the Unknown, B2 The Keep on the Borderlands, and M1 Blizzard Pass; Player
Character Record Sheets; and dice. The set was limited to a thousand copies, and was sold by
mail and at GenCon 17.[1]:147
None of the text or background from In Search of the Unknown was included in the compilation
module In Search of Adventure, despite its inclusion in the title.[1] Its map was included in the
back of the book as an extra dungeon that the dungeon master may wish to populate and use.
Although B1 is presented as setting neutral, the first printing suggested locations for placing the
module in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting (namely, Ratik, Tenh, and the Pale). This
information was removed in subsequent printings.

Plot summary[edit]
Many years ago two wealthy adventurers, Roghan the Fearless and Zelligar the Unknown, built
a hidden complex known as the Caverns of Quasqueton. From this base, they conducted their
affairs away from the prying eyes of civilization. While of questionable ethical standing, the two
drove back a barbarian invasion and gained the support of locals. Eventually, they gathered their
own army and went on an expedition against said enemies, where they met their demise.
The player characters (PCs) enter the story at this point, hearing a variety of rumors provided in
the module. Each PC knows one or more of the stories although the veracity of them is
somewhat questionable. The rumors mostly involve a great treasure hidden somewhere in the
Caverns of Quasqueton, which the PCs can enter from a cave-like opening. [6]
A variety of monsters wander through the finished upper level of the dungeon
including orcs, troglodytes, and giant rats. The DM checks periodically to see if the group
encounters these menaces in addition to the dangers in each individual room. Most of the rooms
come with blank spots where the DM fills in whatever monster or treasure is most suitable for
their campaign.
The finished upper level served as a home for Roghan and Zelligar and contains much of their
personal possessions. A number of traps await an unwary group. Some of these rooms include
an area filled with pools (some hazardous and others not) and a wizard's laboratory.
The randomly generated monsters in the lower, unfinished level differ from those above and
include zombies and goblins. Some of the pre-filled rooms on this level include a museum, an
arena, and grand cavern, but many of the caves on this level include no description at all and
the DM must devise contents for these areas.
The end of the module includes a list of foes and treasure for the group to fight and find. It also
includes a list of characters of various classes the group might encounter while exploring the
dungeon. Also included are a number of pre-generated characters the group might use to play
through the adventure.

Reception[edit]
With its simple, straightforward plot and design, In Search of the Unknown was regarded as a
good introduction to running the D&D game.
Don Turnbull reviewed In Search of the Unknown in issue No. 13 of the magazine White
Dwarf (June/July 1979), and gave the module a rating of 9 out of 10. He compared this module
to Against the Giants and Descent into the Depths of the Earth, complimenting In Search of the
Unknown's "excellent format, for instance, and the comprehensive way in which the scenario is
introduced. TSR's high quality has not been in any way compromised". [4] Turnbull criticized the
module's use of Roman numerals as references, stating that ordinary numerals do the job much
better.[4]
The module was reviewed in Shadis magazine in 1996.[2]
Ken Denmead of Wired listed the module as one of the "Top 10 D&D Modules I Found in
Storage This Weekend".[7] According to Denmead, the module is "a classic dungeon crawl for
beginning characters."[7]
John Sprunk of Black Gate commented on his recollections of the adventure, as part of the
basic D&D box set: "I was hooked from the start, controlling this awesome new game that
stretched our imaginations. Even though it’s been more than thirty years, I still remember the
cool tricks and traps. Especially the chamber of pools, the teleportation rooms, and the young
red dragon I placed in one of the dungeon storerooms just for fun."[8]