The Eternal BoundaryTag Line: none (for 4 to 6 characters of 1st to 5th level)
Makers: TSR Inc. for AD&D 2nd Edition's Planescape setting
What is it?
The first adventure scenario published for AD&D 2nd ed.'s Planescape setting, serving as an introduction to Sigil and the Planes for Planar characters. The plot: Dead people have been coming back to life and the PCs uncover a scheme that will take them from faction politics to the Elemental Plane of Fire.
Neat Stuff
-A great introduction to the material: You've got a search through Sigil, the City of Doors. You've got the involvement of just the right number of Factions, and how their philosophies impact the multiverse. You've got an inn that could be used as a base of operations later (a cliché, but a useful one). And you've got a trip to one of the simpler planes.
-It's a street level adventure that nonetheless gains the scale of an epic by the end. And for low-level characters to boot!
-As with all the Planescape products, beautiful art and graphics (though some recycling).
Bad Stuff
-Though Planescape is a revolution in AD&D, with its philosophical bent, The Eternal Boundary seems altogether still much too focused on describing every single room in every single featured building. To me, an adventure is built from events, not modular rooms and corridors.
-The Hive Ward map is so simplistic as to be useless, but the way it's built into the cardboard cover/screen, I guess it doesn't spoil anything for players.
Quote
"What do you want here? All of you are still on your feet." - Gate guards of the Mortuary
How I've used it
In the late 90s, I started a Planescape campaign that didn't last long because players started moving away almost immediately, so not many adventures were had. I did use The Eternal Boundary as the introduction, however, and it worked quite well. And I'd use it again if I were to start another. (In fact, I was planning to when I attempted to do so a few years ago, but it just didn't work out beyond a couple of characters being rolled up. And just two years back, I was thinking of running it with Fate after a GURPS campaign fizzled out, but we went DCHeroes instead.)
In conclusion
Planescape is the only AD&D I'd be willing to play, period. Sword and Sorcery doesn't interest me much anymore, especially without any kind of major twist. Planescape has that twist. I love how huge and weird the multiverse is. I love the way belief can impact the world. And The Eternal Boundary is the perfect prefab introduction, in my opinion.
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