WotC's Chris Perkins Describes Tomb of Annihilation

With the adventure coming out in just a few days (September 8th), WotC's Chris Perkins summarises the concept and drops a few hints.

[video=youtube;6cyANArcQYw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cyANArcQYw[/video]

 

[machineelf]

When our group first played the original Tomb of Horrors, our DM pronounced it "Acerack." I quickly realized he was mispronouncing it, based on the spelling of the name, but I always liked how it sounded better than the official spelling and pronunciation. So in our group and in my world, his name is "Acerack," not Acererack."

 

[Queer Venger]

In my world its pronounced Ace-Ray-Ray-Rack, Homie from the Southside.

Word.

 

[Aldarc]

My players and I prefer using the pronunciation "loot piñata".

 

[spongebob1138]

Lastly: I always thought of it as Acerak, and it constantly surprises me to find that there is a rogue ce lurking in the actual name. This adventure is likely to have many more difficult to pronounce names...

I think the problem is that many people write the name out incorrectly, which leads to the different pronunciation. Acerak isn't the same as Acererak. It seems to be an easy mistake to make; you're right, that extra "ce" is a bit cumbersome, at least for me...

 

[Elon Tusk]

I like how the Star Wars group handles pronunciation: differences in the ways words are pronounced just show regional or planetary differences.

 

[BookBarbarian]

I like how the Star Wars group handles pronunciation: differences in the ways words are pronounced just show regional or planetary differences.

Makes sense to me. Just the other day i was talking about the different pronunciations of Cars like Mazda, Nissan, and Celica with my Canadian, and Australian coworkers.

As the Germans say "andere länder, andere sitten"

 

[Morrus]

I have to confess that even though I know better, I leave out the middle "er".

 

[BookBarbarian]

I have to confess that even though I know better, I leave out the middle "er".

Me too. It just flows of easier that way.

 

[pming]

Hiya!

Only problem I have with this...and, honestly, I thought I was going to *hate* it...is the "hook";...now, nobody can be returned from the dead! If that wasn't the hook, I'd be all over this AP! I also wonder how people in campaigns where raise/resurrection magic isn't available. Could make for interesting in-game conversations.

NPC Cleric: You have to help! I can't raise anyone from the dead!
PC: Uh, that's because nobody can raise the dead...you sure you're a cleric?
NPC Cleric: No! I mean, yes! I am a cleric, but no, you're wrong! I have the prayers and rituals to Raise Dead and bring someone back to life....but I tried it four times and it's not working!
PC: ...rrriiiiiiggghttttt....
NPC Cleric: Help! Go investigate for us!
PC: Uh...how much you paying?
NPC Cleric: 5000gp to you group.
PC: Sold! Half up front?
(PC's walk away smiling to themselves thinking 'What a nutbar...a nutbar with money at least...')

Why do I have a problem with that? Er...people don't get raised from the dead or resurrected in 99.9% of my games (even when we play high level; with we only do/did back in 3.5e or 2e...nobody really ever go to high level in our 1e/Hackmaster 4th campaigns, whowuddathunkit?).

Putting that aside, I still have a problem with not being able to cheat death be some sort of "bad thing". IMHO, I've always played that Death gods in my campaigns hate two things the most; undead and resurrection-type magic. Makes no sense otherwise. Always hated seeing adventures where the PC's go into a death-gods temple...and it's guarded/infested with undead! To me, it's the same thing as having the PC's go into a life-god's temple...and it's guarded/infested with undead.

So, uh, yeah. Other than the key premiss (well, and it being specifically set in FR), cool. Too bad that the key premiss is pretty much going to need to be tossed out and something else put in it's place...which basically means I'd be better off writing my own adventure. Ahh well...par for the course with WotC AP's I guess. (for me anyway, ymmv)

Hmmmm....actually, could be an interesting story if the PC's are trying to HELP Acererak. I wonder if there are enough "good guys" trying to stop/oppose/reverse the whole "people can't be brought back to life" thing. I can see the PC's sort of infiltrating the so-called "Good guys" ranks and sabotaging their efforts.

(and it's ACER-er-Rak...the middle "er" is like a drawn-out "ER" from ACER...kinda like the "sp" from "Wasps").

 

[Trellian]

Don't use resurrection magic either. It's difficult enough to die as it is in 5th edition. Either way, a Raise Dead spell costs 500 gp. Add this to any fees for actually using the spell, and raising of the dead is quite a costly affair. I cannot imagine this death curse being put forth like a widespread disease. Now, if the adventurers is hired by a retired adventurer who have been raised and is slowly withering away.. then it's not half-bad.

In addition, I played the Serpent's Skulls campaign for 3 years recently, so we are not too eager going back to the jungle.