Especially, the 1E AD&D implementation; but all input is welcome here.

I just ordered the giant hardcover 2 volume set, 5E conversion by Goodman Games.  I caught it on a Cyber Monday deal, that I couldn't pass up.  It also includes a reprint, of the original. 

I know Hommlet was a very early module, and I'm curious to examine the roots of this grand hobby.  ToEE is likely just inspirational for me, because I don't care for their choice of the final boss; but I suppose I could swap that ending out, for a surprise ending?

I'm curious to see how Gygax and Mentzer went about laying things out; and describing what the players are seeing, hearing, and smelling.

I ran Village of Hommlet as a 1e PBP on Dragonsfoot, hopefully you can access it starting at https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1964057#p1964057 (mildly NSFW)

It's a good adventure. The village has tons of detail, clearly being set up as a long term home base. It's a bit questionable why the powerful NPCs don't just clear out the Moathouse, and indeed IMC this did happen once the PCs had evidence of Chaos cult activity to give to the local rulers/big men, Rufus & Burne.  The dungeon is nicely designed and substantial enough for several sessions of play. It feels more like a 3rd level dungeon than 1st level, unless you're using Unearthed Arcana weapon specialisation maybe, so not really 'introductory', unless your plan is to introduce your newbie players to the concept of the TPK.

Quote from: S'mon on November 30, 2022, 04:51:17 AM
I ran Village of Hommlet as a 1e PBP on Dragonsfoot, hopefully you can access it starting at https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1964057#p1964057 (mildly NSFW)

It's a good adventure. The village has tons of detail, clearly being set up as a long term home base. It's a bit questionable why the powerful NPCs don't just clear out the Moathouse, and indeed IMC this did happen once the PCs had evidence of Chaos cult activity to give to the local rulers/big men, Rufus & Burne.  The dungeon is nicely designed and substantial enough for several sessions of play. It feels more like a 3rd level dungeon than 1st level, unless you're using Unearthed Arcana weapon specialisation maybe, so not really 'introductory', unless your plan is to introduce your newbie players to the concept of the TPK.

Thank you, for your feedback.

The famous issue with the Village of Homlet is that there are no direct story hooks between the village and the moathouse and not even an indication of where they are in relation to each other. DMs just worked that out themselves back in the day.

I ran the Moathouse portion of the adventure for a 5e pickup game that I am DMing for at my local Game Store.  I swapped out the bandits on the main level for bullywugs but ran everything else as close to the original as I could have.  The Bugbears nearly killed the party but it was 5e so they survived. The party was level 3.

The party retreated after the gnolls and went to rest at the Inn of the Welcome Wench, so I had Lareth The Beutiful ani ate all the creatures that the party killed as zombies, the. He and six veterans met the party as soon as they came down the stairs.  There was some smack talk between Lareth and the Paladin, then the hoedown began with zombies, zombies everywhere. 

Lareth lobbed a few spells at the group and when the zombs were dealt with (the cleric turned many of them and the cleric, ranger and sorcerer picked them off.  Lareth retreated and the Ogre Zombie and six veterans covered his trail.  One of the vets was bull rushed and pushed down the stairs THREE TIMES. So much fun.

Lareth escaped with most of the treasure and all the magic items except for the Cloak of Elvenkind which the party took from the ogre the first time they killed him. 

Hommlet is a great starting home base.  Probably a little too detailed.  The moathouse was fun to run and fun for my players.  I beefed up the opposition to compensate for everyone being level 3. 

I have never run, nor am I likely to run Temple of Elemental Evil.  I would steal elements of it for my own homebrew campaign, but my players and I would get bored to death in a megadungeon.

T1-4 is probably my second favorite adventure series (although it's really just 1 or 2 modules) of all time.  Have played it multiple times, though not since the 90s.  In fact, we were playing it in my basement the day the space shuttle blew up in 1986 because it was a snow day from school.  One of the few mega-dungeon type adventures from those days.  I always loved it, despite the weird disconnect with the big bad.  Hommlet is still the model entry level village IMHO.  Enjoyed it far more than Keep on the Borderlands.