HHQ5 Fighter's Challenge II (2e)

The kingdom of Tramilar was once a powerful state. Now, disease and dissent have left the kingdom weak. The Dreadwoods on the kingdom's northern border are a haunt for evil creatures and plots. Discord stalks the very halls of the king. Only the bravest and most dedicated warrior could overcome the obstacles hidden in the forest and lurking in the throne room.

"Fighter's Challenge II" is a special ONE-ON-ONE Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventure designed for a DM and one player - perfect for very small groups, for those times when the whole group can't get together, or for the player who wants his or her character to earn some extra experience while playing the role of a knight errant.

Can you survive the horrors of the Dreadwoods? Are you ready to face treachery and deceit in high places? Adventure and danger await around every bend in the trail!

*****

Product History

HHQ5: "Fighter's Challenge II" (1994), by Drew Bittner, was the fifth in a series of "Head-to-Head Quests" for AD&D. It was published in April 1994.

Continuing the One-on-One Adventures. By 1994, one-on-one adventures were old hat for AD&D 2e, as TSR had previously produced four HHQ adventures, one for each of the four main classes. "Fighter's Challenge II" continued the trend of offering an adventure in a generic setting for a single adventurer, but it looped back to the beginning and returned to the fighter class.

Still, there are a few differences between this book and HHQ1: "Fighter's Challenge" (1992). First, it's for a higher-level character than its predecessor, running from levels 4-6, where the first "Fighter's Challenge" ran from levels 2-4. Second, it suggests specific subclasses: the cavalier and the noble warrior from PHBR1: The Complete Fighter's Handbook, though it notes it could be used by regular warriors or even paladins and rangers.

Third, it doesn't carry the "HHQ" code, since TSR stopped using codes in 1994. Nonetheless, it's widely accepted to be HHQ5 as it continues the "Challenge" series.

A New Trade. "Fighter's Challenge II" was also one of the earliest books to transition to the 2.5e trade dress - showing a black frame surrounding the cover illustration. It was part of a general change that was applied to "generic" setting books in 1994, including the new "Challenge II" and "Sites" series. The next year, the trade dress would continue to evolve: the AD&D logo would change, including the removal of the phrase "2nd edition." Afterward, the new dress would be applied to revamped editions of the core rule books.

Adapting for Fighter Play. In general, the "Challenge" adventures were focused on the gameplay styles of the different classes. However, "Fighter's Challenge II" (much like its predecessor) reads like a pretty standard D&D adventure, full of stuff to kill - suggesting once more that fighter adventures were the standard for AD&D play.

Adventure Elements for the 90s. The AD&D 2e era is best known for its plotted (or if you prefer, railroaded) adventures that also tend to have moved out of the dungeon. "Fighter's Challenge II" falls right into line, like a good soldier should. The PC stumbles across an imprisoned princess, then must get her home while facing a series of linear wilderness encounters and a small dungeon. There is a bit of a twist at the end, when the player finds that the princess is (perhaps) already at her home castle, but that sort of (easily foreseen) plot twist wasn't that unusual for the 90s either.

About the Creators. Drew Bittner was not a prolific TSR author. He wrote just one other D&D book, "Circle of Darkness" (1995) for Ravenloft.

About the Product Historian

The history of this product was researched and written by Shannon Appelcline, the editor-in-chief of RPGnet and the author of Designers & Dragons — a history of the roleplaying industry told one company at a time. Please feel free to mail corrections, comments, and additions to shannon.appelcline@gmail.com.

We (Wizards) recognize that some of the legacy content available on this website does not reflect the values of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise today. Some older content may reflect ethnic, racial, and gender prejudice that were commonplace in American society at that time. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. This content is presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed. Dungeons & Dragons teaches that diversity is a strength, and we strive to make our D&D products as welcoming and inclusive as possible. This part of our work will never end.