Temple of the Frog
Temple of the Frog began its life not on a store shelf but inside a supplement called Blackmoor, published in 1975. That original release was one of the first published adventures ever written for a roleplaying game. More than a decade later, the adventure was reworked and published as a standalone 48-page module by TSR in 1986, under the code DA2. The questions worth sitting with: what was this dungeon crawl actually asking players to do, and why did it warrant two separate lives in print?
A baroness is being held captive in a temple, and the only way to reach her is through the Great Dismal Swamp. That is the premise the player characters must navigate in Temple of the Frog. The swamp setting is not incidental. It frames the entire adventure as a journey into hostile, murky terrain before any confrontation with the cult inside the temple itself. The temple belongs to an evil order, and freeing the baroness is the central mission the adventure hands to the players.
Dave L. Arneson co-wrote the 1986 version of Temple of the Frog alongside David J. Ritchie. Arneson's connection to the material ran deep. The original scenario that became this module appeared in the Blackmoor supplement, which Arneson had a central hand in creating back in 1975. The 1986 version adapted that earlier scenario rather than building from scratch, carrying forward a piece of early roleplaying history into a new format. Cover art for the 1986 edition was provided by Denis Beauvais, with interior illustrations by Mark Nelson.
TSR assigned Temple of the Frog the product code TSR 9175 and placed it within the DA series of modules. Every module in the DA series was designed to be compatible with the Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set, not just this one. That alignment meant the adventure was calibrated for a specific tier of play, aimed at players who had moved beyond the introductory rules. The 1986 release took the form of a 48-page booklet packaged inside an outer folder, a physical format TSR used for a number of its adventure products at the time.
Common questions
What is Temple of the Frog in Dungeons and Dragons?
Temple of the Frog is a 48-page adventure module for Dungeons and Dragons, published by TSR in 1986 with the module code DA2 and product code TSR 9175. It tasks player characters with rescuing a captive baroness from an evil temple located deep within the Great Dismal Swamp.
When was Temple of the Frog first published?
The original version of Temple of the Frog was published in 1975 as part of the Blackmoor supplement. A revised standalone version was published in 1986 by TSR as a 48-page booklet.
Who wrote Temple of the Frog?
The 1986 version of Temple of the Frog was written by Dave L. Arneson and David J. Ritchie. Cover art was by Denis Beauvais and interior art was by Mark Nelson.
What Dungeons and Dragons set is Temple of the Frog designed for?
Temple of the Frog is designed to be used with the Dungeons and Dragons Expert Set. It is part of the DA series of modules, all of which were built for compatibility with that set.
What is the plot of Temple of the Frog DA2?
In Temple of the Frog, the player characters must travel through the Great Dismal Swamp to reach the evil Temple of the Frog and rescue a baroness held captive there.
What is the connection between Temple of the Frog and the Blackmoor supplement?
The adventure was originally created as a scenario within the 1975 Blackmoor supplement. The 1986 standalone module DA2 was adapted directly from that earlier Blackmoor scenario.
All sources
6 references cited across the entry
- 6bookHeroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing GamesLawrence Schick — Prometheus Books — 1991