Ken returns to the Dungeon of Dread by Rose Estes, the first of TSR's Endless Quest books for Dungeons & Dragons.

The book places you in the role of a young warrior who befriends a halfling thief. The halfling just escaped the lair of a magic-user, so naturally he's up for going back there with you… It's a classic book, and one that went on to inform a lot of Ken's early D&D campaigns (and his ongoing affection for water weirds…)

Chapters

0:27 A D&D Geek's First Endless Quest0:56 Mechanics and Flavor Text – No Dice Required1:55 Cryptic Warnings and Classic Monsters3:22 The Nostalgia Factor4:27 Next stop … Gamma World?5:00 Outro – Share Your Own Endless Quest Stories

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Show Notes

Overview of Dungeon of Dread (1982) by Rose Estes

Introduction to the Endless Quest series (1982–1987)

Roleplaying without dice: choose-your-own-adventure style

Your character: a slim 5'9" adult human fighter

Gear as flavor text, not inventory

Early monster encounters: water weirds, kobolds, hobgoblins, basilisk

Narrative decisions that lead to death or danger (e.g., falling in holes)

Personal nostalgia: how these books fueled imagination between D&D sessions

The roots of Ken’s love for green slime and traps

Collecting vintage Endless Quest books

Teaser: Gamma World’s Light on Quest Mountain