The Keep on the Borderlands is probably the most iconic and well known of the Dungeons & Dragons modules by TSR, the original publisher of the game created by Gary Gygax, who also authored this module. Designed to be an introduction for new dungeon masters and players, B2 — modules from that time followed a nomenclature; this one stands for second module in the Basics series — stood the test of time with enduring popularity. That’s further proven by the recently announced new starter set for Dungeons & Dragons 5e, Heroes of the Borderlands, which borrows the setting and some of the vibes from B2.
But why has The Keep on the Borderlands remained so appreciated for over 46 years? In 1979, B2 became the module included in the Holmes D&D’s Basic Set, replacing B1, In Search of the Unknown (due to a legal dispute between D&D co-creators Gygax and Dave Anderson). B2 remained the included module in the wildly successful Moldvay Basic Set, which began circulation in 1981 and sold nearly 1.3 million copies. Basically, if someone started playing D&D during the late ’70s or the early ’80s, they probably started their journey in The Keep.
It can’t just be nostalgia, though. B2’s excellent design allowed it to remain a popular starting module for several generations of players. While this is a module written for first-time DMs to run, it’s not particularly linear. Rather, it’s a mini-sandbox adventure, where the heroes make their base in the namesake Keep, and from there they can explore nearby locations, including the famous dungeon complex of the Caves of Chaos. The borderlands where the Keep stands function as a liminal space between the civilized lands and the wilderness, offering a chance for adventure in a setting that feels ripe with opportunities and secrets, without the risk of appearing overwhelming to new players like most campaign settings would.
Image: Jim Roslof/Wizards of the Coast
The Keep functions as the archetypal fantasy village or town that can be encountered in almost every D&D adventure: It has a tavern, an inn, shops and traders, a bank, a guildhouse, a chapel, henchmen to hire, and a ruling class to woo or antagonize. Outside, in the wilderness, lie the Caves of Chaos, 11 cave complexes of varying size and complexity overlooking a steep ravine. At the back of the ravine lies the Shrine to Evil Chaos (yes, it’s evil and chaotic!) where players will find the hardest challenge of the module. (Spoiler: It’s undead. Lots of undead.) Another interesting element is that, while the caves are designed to be of increasing difficulty the deeper they are in the ravine, the players can enter any of the complexes at any time. If they are too bold, or too unlucky, they will stumble into perils they can’t overcome, which is unusual for a starter module.
From a modern perspective, B2 could easily look like a lazily designed module, lacking complexity and details in many of its parts. The Caves of Chaos, for example, are home to many tribes of monstrous humanoids: Kobolds, Goblins, Orcs, Hobgoblins, Bugbears, and more. This is meant to offer players increasingly strong enemies to fight, but the module never dwells on the ecosystem of the Caves or the relationship between the different tribes, or how they came to serve the Evil Chaos. There is a mention of two of the tribes forming an alliance, and of one stealing from the other, but it’s an ephemeral lore drop, similar to the “points of interest” that are scattered in the wilderness around the Caves.
That, I believe, is the strength of The Keep on the Borderlands, and the reason it managed to stay so popular that, 46 years later, D&D is going back to it for its next starter set. As a DM who mostly runs published modules or campaigns, I can say that it’s a complex experience. It’s great to have the table set for you, with the locations mapped out, the encounters planned, and a plot already penned. However, we are all creatives; otherwise, we wouldn’t be doing this. We always want to bring our input into these modules, expand them, and leave our imprint on these pre-constructed worlds. B2 has been allowing DMs to do that for 46 years.
It sets up a little region with a good-sized town in the middle (the Keep), which can be developed together by the DM and the players as they adventure through it. The setting is remote and liminal by design, so there are no assumptions about the world around it. It has a dungeon for the group’s hack-and-slash and XP-gathering needs that is complex in its entirety but simple if broken down into its base elements, which can be explored separately, allowing for breathing room between delves. The Keep itself provides the type of structure, opportunities, and intrigue that can usually be found in the big, sprawling cities that are common in D&D settings, such as Greyhawk or Waterdeep, but on a much smaller scale.
Essentially, The Keep on the Borderlands has everything that new players may expect from D&D, and it leaves enough holes to fill that every run of the module will always feel personal and unique.
I’m not sure how much of that experience will be recaptured in Heroes of the Borderlands, which seems tailored to appeal to board game players with quick-start rules and plenty of accessories. However, the fact that Dungeons & Dragons is revisiting the setting of B2 (and not for the first time: There was a sequel for 2nd edition AD&D in 1999, and a re-release for D&D 4e in 2010) is significant. Arguably, D&D reached the apex of its popularity in the ’80s. In recent years, the game has been able to recapture that level of success thanks to the mainstream exposure coming from Netflix’s Stranger Things and actual play shows such as Critical Role. Bridging almost half a century, The Keep on the Borderlands stands as a testament to the magic that can only be created at a D&D table.
