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## About This Content
## D&D Classics: FRQ3 Doom of Daggerdale

Randal Morn certainly has his hands full! The temple of Lathander, which
burned to the ground eight years ago, seems to be the source of a curse
affecting the entire town. People are taking ill, animals are dying overnight,
crops are failing. All this seems to have started after Eragyn, priestess of
Cyric, disappeared from Daggerdale. Shortly before that, a forgotten mage-
lord’s crypt was discovered and opened, and things just haven’t been the same
since.

Constable Tren is displeased with the situation, what with suspicion being
cast in the Zhentarim’s direction as well as toward Cyric’s priesthood. He’s
undoubtedly making the Dalesfolk’s lives more difficult than usual because of
this upheaval. Randal has sent out the call for aid to all who are interested
and able to help; his freedom riders have their hands full already.

A missing evil priestess, a mage-lord’s crypt-curse, a plague, and possible
Zhentarim involvement: all the elements of a rousing adventure in one place!
Where do your characters sign up? Step right this way, won’t you?

This is the first module created for use with the revised Forgotten Realms
Campaign Setting. However, it is not necessary to have that edition in order
to play this adventure.
## Product History

FRQ3: “Doom of Daggerdale” (1993), by Wolfgang Baur, is the third adventure in
the series of Forgotten Realms “Quest” adventures. It was published in
September 1993.

Origins. Baur was asked to write a short adventure set in the Dalelands and
including Randal Morn – doubtless because of the impending release of The
Dalelandssourcebook in October 1993. “Doom of Daggerdale” was the result. It
was also the first adventure written for use with the Forgotten Realms
Campaign Setting Revised Edition (1993).

Concluding the FRQs… and the Standalone Adventures for the Realms. “Doom of
Daggerdale” was the third and final module in the “FRQ” series of Forgotten
Realms adventures. As with its predecessors, it was designed to work as a
standalone adventure. Whether by accident or by design, the FRQ series managed
to cover Ed Greenwood’s three strongest Realms settings, based on his classic
house campaigns. FRQ1: “Haunted Halls of Evening Star” (1992) was set in
Cormyr; FRQ2: “Hordes of Dragonspear” (1992) was set on the Sword Coast; and
(as requested) FRQ3: “Doom of Daggerdale” was set in the Dalelands.

Somewhat confusingly, though, TSR had already started another series of
standalone Realms adventures by the time “Doom of Daggerdale” was published;
that was the “FRM” series of Forgotten Realms “Missions” modules. Yet the
first and only adventure in that series was FRM1: “Jungles of Chult” (1993),
which was published in May 1993.

Because TSR stopped using module codes in 1994, “Doom of Daggerdale” was the
last Forgotten Realms adventure to have a code on it. It was also the last
standalone adventure for the Realms for some years, since afterward TSR began
concentrating once more on “event” trilogies. It was only three years later
that another standalone Realms adventure finally appeared, when “How the
Mighty are Fallen” was published in November 1996 – after which standalone
adventures would become quite common again.

Sort of Introductory. Unlike the other adventures in the FRQ series, this one
is written for starting adventurers, from levels 1-3. It isn’t exactly an
introductory adventure, but it is set in a well-described home base
(Daggerdale), and it does include a half-dozen ideas for additional adventures
at the end of the module. Particularly in conjunction with FRS1: The
Dalelands(1993), it could easily form the basis of a new campaign.

It’s All about the NPCs. Greenwood has always put the focus in the Realms on
characters, and that also tends to be the case in Realms adventures by other
hands, such as FRQ3. Here, the PCs will get to meet Randal Morn, the deposed
leader of Daggerdale, on page 8 (once more: as requested!). Beyond that, many
of the problems in the adventure are caused by a variety of NPCs – among them
Eragyn the Dark, Colderan the Mage-Lord, and Constable Tren Noemfor.

Despite this focus on NPCs, the PCs are still clearly the main movers and
shakers of this adventure.

Adventuring Tropes. “Doom of Daggerdale” is clearly an adventure of the 90s.
It has a serious underlying plot, a few events, and (as already noted) a solid
focus on the town of Dagger Falls.

That said, over half of the adventure is taken up with dungeons. This was
somewhat rarer in the 90s, but Baur decided to include them because that’s
what hefound fun in low-level adventures. The result works well; one of the
delves is a particularly attractive combination of dungeons, caverns, tunnels,
and streams. The Underdark even gets a mention because Baur had recently been
working on other Underdark material!

Expanding the Realms. The Dalelands first became a viable setting for
adventure with the publication of FRC2: Curse of the Azure Bonds(1989), FRE1:
“Shadowdale” (1989), and Forgotten Realms Adventures(1990). However,
Daggerdale didn’t receive the same attention as some parts of the Dalelands.

Curiously, Greenwood never mentioned Daggerdale in his many Dragonmagazine
articles from the 80s. It thus premiered in the the original Forgotten Realms
Campaign Setting (1987), where it got a mere three paragraphs of coverage.
It’s called “a reclusive settlement” where, it’s said, “No inns, hostels, or
taverns exist in the land.” Curiously, there’s no mention in that first
setting book of Daggerdale being taken over by Zhentil Keep; in fact, it’s
suggested that Morn still rules the land and is holding Zhentil Keep back –
though there’s an off-handed mention to Mourngrym Amcathra and Randal Morn
“resisting Zhentil Keep” that could be taken otherwise. Similarly, Forgotten
Realms Adventures(1990) talks about “the last resistance in Daggerdale.”

The idea of Daggerdale being under the control of the Zhentarim, with Randal
Morn leading the “freedom riders,” seems to have originated with the release
of the Revised Campaign Setting in 1993, though the invasion is backdated some
50 years. It becomes a major plot point from here through the mid-90s. That
supplement also appears to be where Daggerdale’s past as “Merrydale” was first
mentioned.

After “Doom of Daggerdale” gave the eponymous Daleland more detail than had
ever been available before, Daggerdale appeared again just a month later in
The Dalelands, which includes three pages of description that match what’s in
this adventure. After that, Daggerdale would go on to become a recurring
setting within the Realms throughout the 90s; its next major appearance would
be in the adventure trilogy that begins with “The Sword of the Dales” (1995).

About the Creators. Baur joined TSR as an editor in 1991, and in 1992 and 1993
began designing as well. All of his other earliest design work was for Al-
Qadim (1992-93).

Converted by: Scott Geeding

Released on July 12, 2019. Designed for Fantasy Grounds version 3.3.7 and
higher.

Requires: An active subscription or a one time purchase of a Fantasy Grounds
Full or Ultimate license and the included 2E ruleset.

Fantasy Grounds – D&D Classics: FRQ3 Doom of Daggerdale (2E)