Frank Mentzer

Though slightly more restricting, it remains a better, more consistent game with clearer organization than 1st ed. AD&D was. Shows its age now, but less so than some of its contemporaries (see again 1st ed. AD&D).

There are some useful items, some amusing items, some "may as well be save vs. death" items, and some items that leave you puzzled as to just why they were chosen for inclusion.

Potentially worth it if you want to throw something unique at the players, but not essential. In addition, some of the puns are just painful.

This adventure includes a nobility financed education, a retrieval mission, and finally an investigation into a magical effect generated by the item retrieved. It is meant to include a year long effort to retrieve a large obelisk from a jungle. The plot is decent, but doesn't have anything that really grabbed me. The book itself has a set of included player-characters and NPCs.

This was the module I've used the couple of times I've run a game. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and I did, too. Good stuff.