Publication:Red Arrow, Black Shield

[ Quagmire Red Arrow, Black Shield]

System: Dungeons and Dragons 1e Levels: 10 – 14  Author: Michael S. Dobson  Publisher: TSR  Publication Date: 1985  Format: Paperback  Page Count: 48

Product Blurb A cloud of dust forms over the horizon as a titanic army of evil threatens the entire civilized world! The Master of the Desert Nomads and his legions are back, and they form the greatest threat that you have ever faced. You must persuade powerful rulers to join you cause, stave off threats to the alliance, and lead your armies to victory! This adventure contains a full-color map of the D&D Expert Set game world, 200 counters, and a special expansion of the War Machine mass combat rules that allows you to fight the entire war as a strategic wargame! Major battles and engagements can be fought using the BATTLESYSTEM Fantasy Combat Supplement for incredible tabletop action. Never-before-published information on all the nations of the Expert Set game world provides background and detail that will enrich your campaign. This text is quoted from promotion material. Text and images are copyrighted by the original publisher.

Plot Summary

In Red Arrow, Black Shield, the Desert Nomads are invading Akesoli, and plan to invade Darokin next, and the player characters must organize a defense. This scenario combined role-playing and wargaming to resolve a strategic battle, using rules from both the Companion Set and Battlesystem.

The player characters lead diplomatic missions and armies against the Desert Nomads and their evil leader, The Master. With the Nomadic invasion of Akesoli, the Republic of Darokin prepares for war.

This module is billed as "A BATTLESYSTEM(TM) Game/War Machine Spectacular!" It uses the mass combat "War Machine" rules from the Companion Set, and the BATTLESYSTEM Fantasy Combat Supplement included with the module, as well as a large map of Mystara and strategy game tokens. There are a number of "Chase Flow Charts" used to direct encounters through an abstracted landscape as players pursue others or are pursued themselves through the streets.

Publication History

X10 Red Arrow, Black Shield was written by Michael S. Dobson, with a cover by Jeff Easley, and was published by TSR in 1985 as a 48-page book, large color map, cardboard counter sheet, small zip-locked bag, and an outer folder.

Because of the political ramifications of the war depicted in this module, The Grand Duchy of Karameikos, and the subsequent D&D Gazetteers published in 1987 and later, state that Red Arrow, Black Shield takes place 200 years in the future.

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