Tomb of Annihilation Is Here - What Do You Think?

Today's the day - WotC's latest Dungeons & Dragons adventure, Tomb of Annihilation, is out! Head on down to your friendly (or unfriendly) local (or not so local) gaming (or comic) store and pick up your copy. Alternatively, if you use a virtual table top, it's available for Fantasy Grounds and Roll20.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

For those that have it, how does this adventure and its locations work as a sidequest source? I've got a homebrew campaign on the Sword Coast, and would be perfectly happy to ship my players (or, at least, their characters) down to Chult for a couple months to do a jungle themed exploration story. Will this book have useful stuff for that, or is it all laser-focused on the adventure storyline?

I haven't seen anyone answer you, so I will. IMO it would be really really easy to use this adventure as a Chult sourcebook and run whatever games you want to run there while entirely ignoring the overall storyline.

I'll probably do just that. (As well as run the story, too).

 

[HonorBoundSamurai632]

I believe that particular boat has sailed.

To me it's clear they've concluded the game doesn't need multiple worlds, or it risks confusing future movie and toy customers, which is where the real money is.

At least there can be no doubt they are moving everything and the kitchen sink into the Realms.

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app

For movie and toy purposes, that is understandable. But if you are right, then WoTC shouldn't be putting out products like Dungeonolgy with that Volo's Guide to the Forgotten Realms in the back that mentions Kara-Tur, Zakahara, Greyhawk, and even Sigil. It also is frustrating to see something like Tales from the Yawning Portal, which had 3 of the updated adventures specifically defaulted to Greyhawk. Last, if WoTC is moving everything into the Realms, they should have never mentioned that the default setting is the D&D Multiverse in the core books.

I know many will disagree with me .... but sometimes WoTC reminds me of the Eric Cartman-type child who has the cool toys but won't allow Kyle to touch them because he can. I'm not saying I want the Realms completely wiped out of publication .... but how about a 1 and done campaign book in the vein of Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide? Do one (and only 1) Greyhawk book like that. Same page count, same price point, I'll be more than happy to buy the campaign map and City of Greyhawk map from Mike Schley, and then continue to offer setting suggestions in their two main adventure books they do each year. Same thing with Planescape. Instead of saying everyone from all over the multiverse comes to The Yawning Portal ..... they could have done a 1 and done book on Sigil and the planes. Like I said about the Greyhawk suggestion, let me buy the Sigil map from Schley and do the same page count and price point as SCAG.

If those do well ..... that might even give them enough incentive to possibly do 1 and done books for Eberron and Dragonlance (although that might not work because Eberron is more fleshed out than Greyhawk and Dragonlance has three very detailed time periods available to play in).

 

[Staffan]

Without dredging up too many "best adventures of all time" debates, most "setting-exclusive" modules rarely crack the all-time greats. For example, I6 excluded, is there really an iconic Ravenloft adventure from the setting that could be counted as an all-time great? Or a Dark Sun one? Or a Spelljammer one or Eberron one? The only ones who might be able to vie for "setting-specific and classic" are Dragonlance's War of the Lance modules and Dead Gods from Planescape.

Well, a big reason for that is that the setting-specific adventures have a much smaller potential audience that can have fond memories of them, so in any vote they're at a severe disadvantage.

But I'll put up Dark Sun's Dragon's Crown adventure as the model of what a setting-specific adventure should be. It could not be used in any other setting, because its roots run so, so deep in the Dark Sun setting. For starters, the adventure is psionics-centered, with some people thinking that psionics are misused across the world, so they're using an ancient artifact to inhibit its use. Second, the adventure takes the PCs literally from one side of the setting to the other, and back again (and includes plenty of side adventures you can have along the way). You will have the PCs in a ruin below a raiding tribe's camp, in the arena of Urik, dealing with giants and travel across the Sea of Silt, exploring another ancient ruin there which sheds some light on the setting's history, then travel across the Ringing Mountains and dealing with halfling tribes, then with thri-kreen hordes driven crazy by the anti-psionic effect (because it affects insectoid minds differently), and finally a showdown in the actual Dragon's Crown citadel. All of these elements are deeply embedded in what the Dark Sun setting is about, and in its history. This is the model of what a setting-based adventure should be.

 

[Remathilis]

I know many will disagree with me .... but sometimes WoTC reminds me of the Eric Cartman-type child who has the cool toys but won't allow Kyle to touch them because he can. I'm not saying I want the Realms completely wiped out of publication .... but how about a 1 and done campaign book in the vein of Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide? Do one (and only 1) Greyhawk book like that. Same page count, same price point, I'll be more than happy to buy the campaign map and City of Greyhawk map from Mike Schley, and then continue to offer setting suggestions in their two main adventure books they do each year. Same thing with Planescape. Instead of saying everyone from all over the multiverse comes to The Yawning Portal ..... they could have done a 1 and done book on Sigil and the planes. Like I said about the Greyhawk suggestion, let me buy the Sigil map from Schley and do the same page count and price point as SCAG.

Lets look at the Opportunity Cost of a GHAG.

1. Right now, WotC's model is 2 APs + 1 Sourcebook. A GHAG would fill the role of the single sourcebook. Presumably, WotC would want to release an AP that coincides with the GHAG. So 2/3rds of that year's* releases would have to be related to Greyhawk related books for it to be cost-viable.
2. The Adventurer's League is tightly tied to the current storyline of any given cycle, but it is heavily Realms-centric. A GHAG and GHAP wouldn't be usable to AL. They would be stuck with a terrible dilemma of allowing the existing FR-based AL characters into GH to play the GHAP and use the GHAG or disallowing any previous AL characters in the GHAP, meaning anyone wanting to play that season has to start with brand-new level 1 PCs. (It was a headache when AL tried this with Curse of Strahd, btw). They could, of course, ignore the GHAG/GHAP and do there own Realm-centered thing, but since AL is primarily a marketing tool for WotC, I don't see how that helps sell product.
3. Right Now, the Neverwinter MMO takes stuff from the current Storyline to incorporate into the game. A GHAP/GHAG would be unusable for new content. Like the AL, they'd have to convert it to the Realms anyway OR ignore it do there own thing.
4. Right now, a DM who is running the Realms has no use for a GHAG, and a future GH DM would have no use for the SCAG. Why would WotC put out a book that competes with another book it sells when it could put out a book that compliments it (like how XGtE and VGtM compliment SCAG).

Believe me, I thought I'd see an Eberron book by now myself, but I'm beginning to think that a full-hardcover book dedicated solely to a non-Realms setting alone is too much sacrifice for too little gain (IE the number of people who would/could not use it isn't less than the number of new people who it would attract). The more niche the setting (Dark Sun, Dragonlance, Eberron) the less people will buy it. Now, if WotC was to introduce a 4th book into the mix (say sometime in early summer) all bets are off, but for right now, when you only make 3 books a year, your best bet it to try to not limit who would buy it.

* The sourcebook usually comes out in Nov, APs in March and Sept. So either the Sept module is GHAP and there is a two-month gap before the setting book comes out OR the setting book comes out and then the spring AP is dedicated to GHAP, which leaves a 4 month gap of a setting with no AP to run with it. Again, WotC would have to change its release schedule (and thus, all its project deadlines) to make it work.

 

[Remathilis]

Now, I can easily see a Planescape AP (esp in the Spring) with a chapter dedicated to Sigil (you can give an overview of Sigil in 20-30 pages, if DMG2 and Expedition to Demonweb Pits are any indicator) and then fit a 10-level AP in with enough room for appendixes for new PC options (like bariaurs and githzerai races), monsters, and stuff. Staple a map of Sigil to the back (Cf CoS and ToA) and you have a solid Planescape product.

(It helps that tieflings, aasimar, and genasi are already in 5e, and factions stopped being a thing since late 2e).

 

[Queer Venger]

This book must be selling like hot-cakes, both FLGS' near me have sold out; guess I have to wait for general release! Who knew 5th edition sold so incredibly well?!?

 

[Charles Rampant]

Now, I can easily see a Planescape AP (esp in the Spring) with a chapter dedicated to Sigil (you can give an overview of Sigil in 20-30 pages, if DMG2 and Expedition to Demonweb Pits are any indicator) and then fit a 10-level AP in with enough room for appendixes for new PC options (like bariaurs and githzerai races), monsters, and stuff. Staple a map of Sigil to the back (Cf CoS and ToA) and you have a solid Planescape product.

(It helps that tieflings, aasimar, and genasi are already in 5e, and factions stopped being a thing since late 2e).

I've come to think the factions could be very nicely done with backgrounds, one for each. Their benefits really don't need to as strong as they were in 2e. Otherwise I think and hope you are right here - Sigil is an excellent candidate for an AP.

 

[Charles Rampant]

I haven't seen anyone answer you, so I will. IMO it would be really really easy to use this adventure as a Chult sourcebook and run whatever games you want to run there while entirely ignoring the overall storyline.

I'll probably do just that. (As well as run the story, too).

I have not read the vast majority of the book of course. But I would not say laser focused. However it seems that many small encounters have clues that hint to the big picture. As perkins said the story is designed to slowly unfold. From the little I have read it does look like it does that by using NPCs that you find along the way.

Given that, it looks OK for a side-quest source and a good jungle terrain source (just like Out of the Abyss was good if you plan to run adventures in the under-dark). But most likely a bit costly if that is all you are going to be using it for.

Thanks for the replies. Seems like a good option then.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Now, I can easily see a Planescape AP (esp in the Spring) with a chapter dedicated to Sigil (you can give an overview of Sigil in 20-30 pages, if DMG2 and Expedition to Demonweb Pits are any indicator) and then fit a 10-level AP in with enough room for appendixes for new PC options (like bariaurs and githzerai races), monsters, and stuff. Staple a map of Sigil to the back (Cf CoS and ToA) and you have a solid Planescape product.

(It helps that tieflings, aasimar, and genasi are already in 5e, and factions stopped being a thing since late 2e).

Actually, I could see a Planescape AP as a September release, followed by a Manual of the Planes type sourcebook (in the 5e style of having material for everyone) being the following November release. And given how they've mentioned the Great Modron March in several books, I wouldn't be surprised if that event doesn't play a role, if not being the focus, of the AP...

 

[Staffan]

Actually, I could see a Planescape AP as a September release, followed by a Manual of the Planes type sourcebook (in the 5e style of having material for everyone) being the following November release. And given how they've mentioned the Great Modron March in several books, I wouldn't be surprised if that event doesn't play a role, if not being the focus, of the AP...

Hmm. From what I can tell, the Great Modron March (the adventure) was about the March being about 190 years early. The current date in FR is about 130 years after the events of the adventure. Add a fudge factor on account of planar time dilation and FR being out of synch blah blah Spellplague/Sundering, and it could be time for the proper March.