UK2: The Sentinel (1983) is the first of a two-parter, the “Adlerweg Series.” It has a bit of an underwhelming cover by Pete Young. He fares better in the interiors, though the vibe is distinct from the usual sort of D&D look, a little bit more story-bookish.

The adventure is odd, a fairly open, event-based one that involves a magic gauntlet called, you guessed it, The Sentinel, which was created to protect the region, and was lost, but has awakened in the face of an imminent external threat. The gauntlet caused a skulk to find it, and has altered the skulk’s behavior in hopes a better bearer might come along (AKA: the party). In unraveling the mystery of the not-so-evil skulk, the party also encounters a tribe of Xvarts and a half orc family who are vying to be the most evil group in the region. There are also a lot of other Fiend Folio monsters, like an iron cobra, a sheet phantom and some stunjelly, among others.

It is loose and plotty and feels very UK-ish (read: narrative heavy, I suppose). I like the weird ass selection of monsters, too, but my overall take-away is pretty neutral. This isn’t a very exciting module, and its action proceeds along pretty well-trod paths.