Back in the early ’80s, when polyester pants were still a thing and your average fantasy villain had a name like Zargon the Slaughterer, TSR decided it was time to shake things up. Enter A1–4 Scourge of the Slave Lords, a tetralogy of modules that took dungeon delving to the next level with tougher enemies, more complex settings, and, perhaps most shockingly of all, consequences for players who thought heroism meant looting everything that wasn’t nailed down. Spoiler: it wasn’t.

The Slave Lords series ran from 1980 to 1981 in four parts A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity, A2 Secret of the Slavers Stockade, A3 Assault on the Aerie of the Slave Lords, and A4 In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords. These adventures were later collected and edited into a single volume in 1986 as Scourge of the Slave Lords, with some updated text and new material tying everything together like a nice evil bow. While it’s often overshadowed by the likes of Tomb of Horrors or The Temple of Elemental Evil, this saga deserves its own spotlight for sheer ambition, sheer villainy, and a sheer number of pit traps.

The Setting: Welcome to the Pomarj, Try Not to Get Enslaved

The story is set in the World of Greyhawk, TSR’s original campaign setting and spiritual home of much early D&D adventuring. The action takes place along the Wild Coast, in and around the Pomarj peninsula an area notorious for its lawlessness, humanoid tribes, and general sense that OSHA has never even heard of it. If you’re looking for scenic beaches, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for slave trading orcs, now we’re talking.

The premise is classic pulp fantasy: merchants and travelers along the coast are disappearing. Slavery is on the rise. Rumors swirl of a shadowy organization operating behind the scenes, chaining up innocents and carting them off to dark fates. It’s up to the players presumably not morally flexible entrepreneurs themselves to investigate, infiltrate, and ultimately dismantle the operation. With fire. Or magic missiles. Or righteous indignation.

The name “Slave Lords” isn’t just a cool title they’re a literal council of evil masterminds with big personalities, bad attitudes, and the kind of real estate that screams “we should be stopped.”

Let’s break it down module by module.

A1: Slave Pits of the Undercity (1980)

Written by David Cook, Slave Pits kicks off the series by dropping players into the ruined city of Highport a place where, if the buildings aren’t actively on fire, they’re likely full of bugbears. The players are sent in to investigate rumours of slave trafficking and quickly find themselves waist deep in one of the grimiest, creepiest dungeons TSR had printed to date.

This adventure’s got everything: secret passages, giant ants, lava floes, and a sewer system that makes the New York subway look hygienic. There’s an iconic showdown with an Acolyte of the Earth Dragon, who feels a bit like a discount cultist until he tries to feed you to the otyugh.

A1 is notable for its tournament origins it was first run at Gen Con XIII, meaning it was designed to challenge and punish players in timed sessions. Translation: it’s brutal. Traps are everywhere, clues are scarce, and your party will likely end up arguing about who forgot the 10 foot pole.

Still, it sets the tone perfectly: this is going to be gritty, it’s going to be dangerous, and if you make it out alive, you’re just getting started.

A2: Secret of the Slavers Stockade (1981)

Penned by Harold Johnson and Tom Moldvay (of Basic D&D fame), A2 picks up after the players have discovered a trail leading inland. They travel to a stockade in the Drachensgrab Hills an outpost crawling with slavers, ogres, and at least one wolf riding bugbear who never gets invited to parties.

The design of this module is a bit more structured and “fortress like” than A1’s chaotic undercity. The stockade is a well defended military installation with guards, secret tunnels, and a trap or three that will have players questioning whether checking doors for traps is even worth it anymore.

One highlight here is the emphasis on stealth and infiltration. It’s not just “kick down the door and start stabbing.” Clever players can sneak around, eavesdrop, and even impersonate guards. Less clever players can charge in, swords drawn, and experience the joy of being overwhelmed by thirty angry hobgoblins.

A2 also introduces one of the first big Slave Lord lieutenants: Markessa the Enchanter, a wonderfully twisted villainess known for her experiments on slaves and her habit of cloning herself. That’s right if your party kills her, she might come back. Creepy? Absolutely. Memorable? You bet.

A3: Assault on the Aerie of the Slave Lords (1981)

Here’s where things escalate dramatically. In A3, by Allen Hammack, the heroes finally get a shot at the big leagues. They’ve traced the slavers to a hidden mountain city carved into a cliffside. Think Minas Tirith meets Mordor, if both were rented out for a corporate team building retreat for evil executives.

The titular “Aerie” is a multi tiered complex, heavily defended and patrolled by elite guards and monsters. This is where the players can really feel like they’re disrupting something major. Every room suggests activity planning, trade, war.

The true stars of A3, though, are the Slave Lords themselves. We’re talking a proper rogues’ gallery here: the sadistic fighter Stalman Klim, the beast master Brother Milerjoi, the aforementioned Markessa, and others like the illusionist Ajakstu and the half orc assassin Lamonsten. Each has a distinct personality, backstory, and fighting style. Killing them isn’t just a tactical victory it’s personal.

But A3 has a twist: just when you think you’ve won, the Slave Lords spring a trap. The players are captured, the base is destroyed in a volcanic eruption, and plot twist they wake up with nothing. No gear, no weapons, and no friends.

Which brings us to…

A4: In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords (1981)

The ultimate “strip you naked and throw you in a dungeon” module, A4 is the brainchild of Lawrence Schick, who was clearly having a bit too much fun taking away players’ toys.

The adventure begins with the players waking up imprisoned in a bizarre, trap filled cave system beneath the crumbling remains of the Aerie. Their gear? Gone. Their spells? Mostly gone. Their sense of dignity? Rapidly eroding.

What follows is an intense survival scenario where resourcefulness, clever thinking, and willingness to weaponize rocks come to the forefront. It’s less about glorious combat and more about outsmarting the designers. Players must escape, regroup, and survive long enough to reach the surface and maybe, just maybe, get revenge.

A4 is famous (infamous?) for being one of the few official D&D modules that forces players to think like MacGyver. You want a weapon? Better sharpen that chair leg. Need a torch? Start tearing clothes. Healing potions? Ha! Eat some fungus and pray.

It’s frustrating, brilliant, and still one of the most memorable D&D experiences you can have provided your players don’t flip the table first.

The 1986 Compilation: Scourge of the Slave Lords

In 1986, TSR republished the entire series as A1–4 Scourge of the Slave Lords, with new material and transitions to better stitch the four modules into one cohesive campaign. This version added connective tissue between chapters and smoothed out some of the bumpier moments like going from “we just burned a mountain down” to “oops, now we’re prisoners.”

The compilation also added a brand new introductory adventure, giving players a smoother entry point into the series, especially useful if your group skipped the earlier T or G series modules. It helped modernize (well, 1986-modernize) the storyline and unify the tone a bit more.

That said, it retained the grit and cruelty that made the original modules so compelling. These weren’t sanitized, theme park dungeons. These were death traps designed by people who clearly read The Dungeon Master’s Guide like it was a manifesto.

Why the Slave Lords Matter

The Slave Lords series represents a turning point in D&D design. These weren’t just isolated dungeon crawls they were interconnected, narrative driven missions where actions in one module impacted the next. The concept of recurring villains, faction politics, and long term consequences was still fairly new, and A1–4 helped set the tone for future adventure arcs.

More importantly, the series dared to challenge the power fantasy of D&D. Sure, you might be a 7th level hero with a flaming sword and a talking frog familiar, but what happens when you lose it all? A4 asked that question and a lot of players didn’t like the answer. But they remembered it.

The modules also did a great job of making the villains feel… well, villainous. The Slave Lords weren’t faceless threats or cardboard cutouts. They were charismatic, creepy, and uncomfortably competent. You didn’t just fight them you hunted them, and you hated them. That’s good design.

And finally, the setting Grimy, morally ambiguous, packed with danger and weird cults showed that Greyhawk still had teeth. In an era when fantasy often leaned toward the noble and heroic, Scourge of the Slave Lords reminded us that sometimes, you’re not saving the world. You’re just trying to stop people from being sold like cattle. And that’s heroism worth rolling dice for.

Final Thoughts: The Scourge Endures

A1–4 Scourge of the Slave Lords remains a classic not just because of its content, but because of its ambition. It dared to connect modules into a campaign arc long before that was the norm. It blended pulp adventure with espionage, horror, and survival in equal measure. And it introduced villains who felt like they deserved a punch in the face and a round of applause.

For DMs, it’s a rich sandbox of ideas dungeons, fortresses, secret organizations, and volcanic supervillain lairs. For players, it’s a gauntlet. A crucible. A chance to prove you can survive with nothing but your wits, a rusty fork, and the memory of your once beautiful +3 longsword.

It’s not always fair. It’s not always pretty. But it is unforgettable.

So grab your dice, watch your back, and remember: in the world of the Slave Lords, freedom isn’t free and neither are hit points.