So, what is "4th Edition's Tomb of Horrors"?

[fireinthedust]

Or: a vault with a specific magic item at the end of it (like a Ring of Wishes), with graded challenges for the power of the item(s) to acquire.

I could have it, or them, spread around my setting. PCs who want said item (a radiant item, a frost wizard's implements, the book of exalted deeds/vile darkness), would research it and go to the Vault.

1) Xendrik vaults I can throw in
2) Vampire's tomb
3) Wizard's books/staff, etc.
4) Excalibur is hidden here (get by these challenges, etc.)

I think that would be useful too, just saying. More useful than a whole Adventure Path I may not get through all the way before the players get new jobs or date/break up, or go to school/go on vacation.

Stringing them together is great, sure, but ToH has dungeon-crawl history to it. A series of dangerous dungeons would be more useful.

 

[Jhaelen]

Whatever they'll do, I can only hope it won't be remotely like the original Tomb of Horrors module because that was, well, horrible...

I used it as a campaign ending device and it did that job very well. No one was interested in continuing to play after trying to tackle this thing three times.

 

[Hussar]

You could use the Sphere from the DMG, leveled appropriately. Since many players will have heard of this trap (always been a problem, really) you could change it up by having a group of monsters enter the area as the PCs are studying the thing. Each holds a strange talisman, and as they approach the sphere starts moving up behind the PCs...

There's probably the biggest hurdle right there to any update on the module. Everybody and their mother KNOWS these stories. Green demon face? Floating skull with diamond teeth? Been there, done that.

Every single trap will have to be redone completely to avoid spoilers. They might be able to drop in Easter eggs from time to time, but the dungeon itself will probably only very loosely (as in they're both underground) resemble the original.

/snip

So ultimately, it's less a single adventure than a number of linked adventures that form a recurring plotline, much like you'll see villains and plot points recur in a TV series. (The Shadow involvement in Babylon 5, for instance.)

Very cool. One of my favourite modules was A Hero's Tale from back in the 2e days (gasp a GOOD 2e module) that featured ten or so short modules that you were supposed to sprinkle in throughout your campaign. The modules were linked, but were not meant to be played back to back. This is a groovy idea.

I hope they really start stretching their ideas for skill challenges here.