D&D: Lasers, Aliens – Must Be Time For An Expedition To The Barrier Peaks
Revisit the adventure that features a crashed UFO, aliens, robots, lasers, and a host of classic Dungeons and Dragons perils, pits, and plantfolk. Goodman Games brings the Expedition to the Barrier Peaks to 5th Edition D&D this September.
The Expedition to the Barrier Peaks is a storied AD&D Module. One of its biggest claims to fame was slowly spooling out its adventure to players little by little until they realized that they were deep inside a crashed alien ship, surrounded by alien monsters and robots and all kinds of other threats from…beyond. Spoiler alerts should be up, I suppose, but the module has been out for 30 years now. It’s fondly regarded by many in the community as a rollicking example of classic D&D fun mixed in with some science fiction and fantasy.
Following in the footsteps of the Keep on the Borderlands and Isle of Dread, Goodman Games has confirmed their next adventure in the Original Adventures, Reincarnated (OAR) series to be Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. Now you too can step foot into the adventure that introduced Metamorphosis Alpha the RPG to D&D players around the country, and see if you too can stem the tide of monstrous foes and worse that have beset the Grand Duchy of Geoff.
In the meantime, here’s a look at what Goodman Games themselves have to say:
OAR3: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks is slated for a September release. It will be solicited to distributors soon and will be available for pre-order once the book is at the printer.
AdvertisementOriginally run was a tournament adventure at Origins II, the adventure was published by TSR in 1980. Expedition to the Barrier Peaks is a famous adventure module, because it mixes “science fiction” and “fantasy.” For this reason it is both well known, and an enduring favorite for those who played it during its heyday. The 5E conversion is consistent with the original design principles, and also offers new avenues for exploration.
In the adventure, characters come across a spaceship that has crash landed into your fantasy world, and have to deal with the consequences. Which include robots, plant people, and a zoo of alien creatures. And ray guns. It has ray guns.
The OAR volume will also include complete scans of the original 1E publication. This includes both the adventure booklet as well as the extensive book of handouts that was part of the original publication. Dedicated fans may already know that the handout art changed between printings. Three handout illustrations were changed between the first (1980) and second (1981) printings of Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, and most of the remaining handouts were renumbered. The OAR volume will include scans of both versions of the handout booklets. For those of you who have an old ragged copy of Expedition to the Barrier Peaks in your personal collection, you will be able to discover which set of handouts you never had the chance to see before!
September is looking to be an exciting month, folks. So be sure and stay tuned for more news on the Barrier Peaks as the Expedition draws closer.
In the meantime, Happy Adventuring!
