Using 'Level of the Lost' By Michael Curtis With Troll Lord Games Starship Warden rpg

 "Venture into forgotten territory! When a long-sealed section of the Warden is opened and a renowned explorer goes missing, new opportunities arise for adventure and danger. Rumor has it that one of the fabled Command Rings, potent artifacts of old that grants the wearer complete control over the drifting starship, lies waiting for the taking beyond the forbidding gate. Does your band of daring explorers have what it takes to overcome the threats of The Level of the Lost and claim the ring for themselves? This adventure contains new mutants, new artifacts, and new dangers for the original version of Metamorphosis Alpha." 

Michael Curtis is one of my favorite DCC rpg adventure writers. I don't know the man personally nor his politics, etc. But what I do know is the following he writes some kick ass adventures that I've used over the years. And this adventure has some awesome nods in various old school Science Fiction & Fantasy nods or tributes in Level of The Lost. 
Now because of the Metamorphis Alpha rpg Bundle of Holding I've been able to leap frog into Goodman Games version of MA.  And I've not been disappointed at all. Level of the Lost by Michael Curtis has some incredible adventure ideas, new artifacts, mutants, & dinosaurs! The adventure is a great but lethal in some of the encounters. This isn't always a combat heavy adventure as there is a lot of NPC action in 'Level of the Lost'. What I really like about this adventure are some of the concepts that are put forward in Level. 'Level of The Lost' feels like a mini campaign in true MA fashion. 

Could 'Level of the Lost' be used for the Troll Lords Starship Warden campaign?! In a word yes absolutely it could. And this adventure perhaps more then any other has all of the Amazing Adventures Pulp elements in place. 
Dinosaurs, lost world feel, lizardmen mutants, strange technologies, all of these hit the high marks of Troll Lords material. 

But would I set 'Level of The Lost' on the Warden?! Not necessarily. And this gets into a bit of quandary that has been plaguing me as a DM. 
We know from the timeline of the Warden from the original MA book that there were other ships from the Transplutonian shipyards. And this might be where the 'Level of the Lost' comes in. 

The PC's are actually aboard another of the exploration and colonization ships instead of the Warden. And this is where 'Level of the Lost' shines. The adventure could be used as bridge between MA and B/X Dungeons & Dragons as the level leads into X1 Isle of Dread By Dave Cook & Tom Moldvay.




Before the OSR crowd wants to roast me alive there are several points of interest here. 

1. The mutants of 'The Level of the Lost' fit the profile for the prehistoric animals found in X1 'The isle of Dread'. 
2. Some of the themes of 'Level of the Lost' can be carried over into X1.
3. This is a perfect crossover point for Castles & Crusades PC's or D&D PC's to join in the fray. 
4. The nastiness at the heart of X1 can be alien or mutant in nature.
5. X1 offers crossover potential  for the campaigns & a good point to introduce new mutant species. 

So is 'Level of the Lost' fantastic?! Yes, does it offer the DM quite a lot to think about?! Yes it does. 
The Metamorphis Alpha rpg Bundle of Holding  Is Available Right Over Here