James Bell and Mike Mearls, To Stand on Hallowed Ground: The Ghost Machine / Swords Against Deception
****
I got nostalgic Chaos Engine vibes from James Bell's contribution to this generic D&D third-edition double feature, and planned to reuse the ghosties from The Haunting of Equestria to make a child-friendly version, but expecting her to find her own way around and decipher the clues is too much of an ask. I wouldn't even know what I was doing. I enjoyed reading them anyway, and getting more insight into how these things work.
2001 / Ebook / 16 pages
***
These economical pamphlet adventures are a nice idea, and Mearls' sensory detail breathed necromantic life into an otherwise bogstandard exploration.
2014 / Paperback / 87 pages
****
Basic as advertised, untroubled by concerns of realism like where the tower's guard creatures take their dumps.
Gavin Norman, Old-School Essentials Official Adventure Scenario: The Hole in the Oak
****
This could be a fun entry point when she's ready for something more traditional, provided she doesn't plan on getting attached to her character. Even if not, seeing it all laid out and the usual florid descriptions whittled down to efficient bullet points was educational.
2019 / Ebook / 256 pages
*****
I've been sleeping on D&D books as literature all these years. This is like reading through a writer's extraordinarily detailed world-building notes before the plots are finalised. There's so much more impractically here than necessary. It's glorious.
