The third entry in the X series after Isle of Dread and the great Castle Amber, Curse of Xanathon also marks a bit of a change for the series. This is a much more story oriented module than was usual for the time, but it is also a sign of the direction that D&D modules are going. With long story sections, a chain of five quests that all come from plot development and a number of interesting NPCs this is a natural kind of module for Douglas Niles who would also become one of the co-creators of Dragonlance and a prolific novelist (including writing the first Forgotten Realms novels).

Designed for characters between levels 5-7 and set in the world of Mystara, it has the characters start the game in Rhoona, a town who’s ruling Duke has become a bit weird. Successive edicts impose weirder and weirder laws, and probed by a good cleric, Eric of Forsett, the characters have to investigate what is going on.

Well, if you’ve read the module’s title you can probably tell that is all comes down to a curse put on the Duke by the evil priest Xanathon. So the characters go on successive missions, each unveiling a bit more of the plot and those involved and leading the characters to the next scenario. More railroady than other modules of the period, it also shows a greater preoccupation with storytelling than many of the more sandboxy titles.