Erol Otus’ evocative and lurid painting on the back cover of Keep on the Borderlands captures the module’s central themes of adventure, exploration, and enchantment. The darkened silhouette of the Keep rises against the orange afterglow of a summer sunset. This moment suspended in time captures the twilight threshold between safety and peril, certainty and the unknown.

Psionics in First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) are an optional subsystem of mental powers drawn from the minds of creatures. Their inclusion adds a rare and unconventional dimension to a campaign.

Alignment is a founding tradition of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). Present since 1974, it defines the moral compass of player characters, non-player characters, and monsters. By indicating who aligns with Good, Evil, Law, or Chaos — or who chooses Neutrality — alignment distinguishes heroes from villains and permeates the game’s cosmology.

This essay offers a comprehensive exploration of alignment in Dungeons & Dragons. It examines what alignment is, its purpose in the game, its meaning, and how it shapes both characters and monsters on individual and social levels.