H1 Bloodstone Pass is a 56-page adventure module for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition released in July 1985. It is notable for requiring the Battlesystem mass battle rules, which are used for the majority of the module.
It is the first in the "H" series of adventure modules: H1 Bloodstone Pass (1985), H2 The Mines of Bloodstone (1986), H3 The Bloodstone Wars (1987), and H4 The Throne of Bloodstone (1988).
Official synopsis[]
This adventure is designed for use with the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game and the AD&D Battlesystem Fantasy Combat supplement. It cannot be played without these games
This is the first Battlesystem supermodule.
The tiny village of bloodstone pass s menaced by an army of thousands of brigands - orcs, goblins, giants, and human renegades led by a powerful assassin. Outnumbered and helpless, the villagers must pay tribute in gold, food...slaves.
Two villagers have traveled far to find aid for their people. They have turned to you, brave and powerful adventurers, as their only hope they cannot afford to pay more than a few silver pieces a day, but their need is great.
You are invited to save the people of Bloodstone Pass. Can you organize a defense, train and equip the peasants, recruit allies, gather intelligence?and win the war?
Bloodstone Pass is an exciting good aligned, high-level (15+) adventure that combines role-playing with the thrill of mass combat.
Content[]
Unlike the traditional loose book in one or two cardboard covers this module was actually a small boxed set containing:
- 32-page book, similar to a traditional module
- A 24-page book Roster book with Battlesystem statics for the armies, NPCs and pre-generated player characters, and instructions for foldup buildings
- 12 3-D fold-up sheets of buildings, including a castle, abbey and inn. Note that these are not 25mm scale but are scaled to the ground scale of Battlesystem, where one piece (miniature or counter) represents up to 10 regular troops.
- 104 Battlesystem counters (12 zombies, 15 orcs, 29 human sword, 22 human spear, and 26 peasants).
Plot[]
Backstory[]
The tiny village of Bloodstone Pass is menaced by an army of thousands of brigands—orcs, goblins, giants, and human renegades led by a powerful assassin, Outnumbered and helpless, the villagers must pay tribute in gold, food, and slaves. Two villagers have traveled far to find aid for their people. They have turned to the players as their only hope. They cannot afford to pay more than a few silver pieces a day, but their need is great.
The action of this module uses the unusual focus of players leading the armies, rather than having the battle occur in the background while the players adventure to find a MacGuffin. To be able to succeed the players should rally allies, help local rulers determine strategy, spy out the enemy and directly confront them on the battlefield.
Development and release[]
Development[]
The book was written by Michael S. Dobson and Douglas Niles. Art was provided by Jeff Easley, Dennis Kauth, Marsha Kauth, Dave LaForce and David C. Sutherland III.
Bloodstone Pass was originally the working name of what became the first edition of Battlesystem, however it was felt that the name did not convey the feeling of the game. After Battlesystem was renamed the Bloodstone Pass name was free and it was used instead for this, the first Battlesystem game accessory.[1]
Release[]
Bloodstone Pass was released by TSR in July 1985 for $[missing data] US or $[missing data] Canadian.
On June 07, 2016, it was re-released in digital format. It is currently available on DriveThruRPG and Dungeon Masters Guild for $4.99.
Reception and influence[]
Critical reception[]
As of 2023, Bloodstone Pass reached the rank of Platinum seller on DriveThruRPG.
Influence on other works[]
While originally intended as a stand-alone module H1 later became the first part of the four-part H series Bloodstone Pass Saga. With module H3 The Bloodstone Wars (1987) the places of the original generic setting of H1 were retconned into the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
Module FR9 The Bloodstone Lands (1989) is a game accessory that describes the area of the Forgotten Realms where the Bloodstone Pass Saga occurs. In this module's version of history the events of H series modules have run their course with the pregenerated PCs.
External links[]
- Bloodstone Pass on DriveThruRPG
- Bloodstone Pass on Dungeon Masters Guild
- H Series modules at Acaeum
- H1 Bloodstone Pass at TSR Archive
References[]
- ↑ (Dobson 1985:96)