Idol of the Orcs is an adventure module for the Labyrinth Lords (or B/X D&D) system written by James C. Boney, who has also contributed a number of AD&D-themed adventures to Expeditious Retreat Press’s Advanced Adventures line. I’m quite fond of the B/X system, and I was interested to see what James had done with it.
An orc tribe has discovered a demonic idol which has begun speaking to them and demanding food, causing them to raid the surrounding territory. Such a situation needs adventurers, and so the players make their way to the caves to deal with the orcs. The first level describes the orc lair, and is written in a manner reminiscent of that of the Keep on the Borderlands. Unfortunately, it certainly looks like a “realistic” orc cave-system, it’s rather dull.
Thankfully, there’s more to the caves than that. The great demonic idol in the heart of the caves, in true Edgar Rice Burroughs fashion, is actually hollow, with a ladder leading to a level below where a human magic-user has been trapped; he’s been using the idol to demand food from the orcs, and causing them to raid nearby. He has been hoping that the orcs would be wiped out in the process and he could escape. Unfortunately, they’ve been successful at their raids. This is a lovely touch; unfortunately, it also contradicts the introduction to the adventure where it states that the orcs had been already successfully raiding before the magic-user talked to them.
The lower caverns contain a monsters, traps and tricks, but there are remarkably few actual encounters described, not even ten in all. I really like some of the tricks included, especially a “death-trap” which has a clever escape route.
The problem with Idol of the Orcs is that there just isn’t enough adventure here. It really feels like a great idea has been carelessly thrown away and not developed enough. The orcs just fight defensively; the only nod given to the idol’s existence being that the chief, if badly hurt, will surrender and lead the players to it, hoping his new-found god will deal with them. Thematically, the lower caverns are a mess, with nothing properly uniting them. Ultimately, it reminds me of a misfired Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun.
The adventure has a few formatting and presentation problems, including a map that has been rotated so that the numbers are at 90 degrees from the proper orientation, and instructions for a set of sixteen rumours that state, “Roll 1d8 and 1d4, if the result on 1d4 is 1-2, use the value on the d8. If the result is 3-4, double the number on the d8.” Those are interesting instructions, which make all the odd rumours from 9-15 unavailable! (You should add 8 to the d8 if the d4 came up as a 3-4 to get the proper distribution.)
There is also a midwife in the otherwise undescribed village who has a vital piece of information that she will give to a Lawful party if approached. Why on earth would the party approach her? If she were to approach the group upon learning of their intentions to go into the caves to stop the orcs, it would make much more sense.
Idol of the Orcs has a few memorable encounters and some nice ideas, but it feels underdeveloped and underwritten. It’s not dreadful, but it feels like it should have been capable of a lot more.