#RPGaDay2023 - Day 19 - Favorite Published Module/Adventure

Day 19 of #RPGaDay2023 and I'm finally getting that warm and fuzzy feeling, and it's not from the glass of rye next to me.

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

Day 17's prompt is "Favorite Published Module/Adventure" 

I've rarely been part of the trad gamer demographic, but my most unpopular opinion is D&D module B9 - Castle Caldwell and Beyond is fantastic.  

Now, if you're players get triggered by the classic "imprisoned without weapons or armor" trope or worse yet, "rescue the princess," the other mini-adventures might not be for you, but the namesake on the cover, Castle Caldwell, is a perfect and straight-forward enough 'trainer dungeon' that I have used dozens of times to introduce players to the hobby.   Hell, it was one of my early adventures as a player, run by my cousin, Ben.

• The beloved "Clear out my house/castle/root cellar/chicken coop" adventure starter.
• Most encounters, save the wolves and the basement, are either survivable or avoidable.  Realizing that some of the folks don't want a fight, but also don't want to outright surrender is an important lesson to learn early on.
• The 3,000 copper pieces in room 1 or 2 should be the only introduction someone needs to encumbrance.  Who is going to pack up and carry around 30 lbs  of pennies? Nobody should, until you clear out the place.  
• It is relatively quick, partially because it's only two-fifths of a traditional Basic D&D module.  

Besides using it as a training tool (and most of the players still in the hobby, some after 30 years), Caldwell does have the distinction of being the kick-off for my favorite campaign out of my homebrewed World Georic, The Ballad of the Pigeon God.   Caldwell was the launching point, followed by the dungeon in the AD&D 1st Edition Dungeon Masters Guide, and a sudden castle out of DMGR2: The Castle Guide.  There, I followed the the suggested path from B1-9 and used "Elwyn's Sanctuary" out of B9 with a horribly delicious segue into the version of B3 - Palace of the Silver Princess presented in the anthology.  

Ten Years Ago Today:  No surprise, it was Castle Caldwell as well, a decade ago.