Yawning Portal Tavern in 5e

[pukunui]

Hasn't it always been a central Waterdeep location?

Yes, it has. It even features on the cover of at least one FR novel (one of the Time of Troubles books, iirc).

Also I vaguely remember there's some significance to Durnan (the guy who built it) - someone's old PC or something similar (although the current owner is his great-great-great grandson or something).

Yes, Durnan and Mirt were both original FR PCs, iirc. The current owner, as of 5e, is the original Durnan, who bought it back from his descendant (well, the book actually says "ancestor" but that doesn't make any sense).

 

[gyor]

Hasn't it always been a central Waterdeep location? As you say, it's the entrance to Undermountain so was literally the only location in Waterdeep I could have named in 2e (we ran a Dales/Moonsea campaign). Heck, it still is. Also I vaguely remember there's some significance to Durnan (the guy who built it) - someone's old PC or something similar (although the current owner is his great-great-great grandson or something).

Yes it's always been a major Waterdeep location, one of many major locations in Waterdeep and beyond, but this is the first edition where the Yawning Portal appears to anchor most of an edition, like 5e revolves around the Yawning Portal to a fair amount, partly because of the general focus on the Sword Coast, but also more specifically in of itself as a lauching point for adventures.

I wonder if you can mix Dungeon of the Mad Mage and Tales of the Yawning Portal into a single adventure, given they both revovle around Undermountain.

 

[Eltab]

When your character dies in this game, your soul is sent to the Yawning Portal to tell others about your adventures for all eternity.

-cue music-
Let me out, let me o-o-out of here!
Out of the dark they suddenly stirred / "Welcome to the Home By The Sea"
-end music-

Is the Yawning Portal placed near Waterdeep's docks? Don't go in that old abandoned building next door! (It seems to magically attract obnoxious drunks.)

 

[Parmandur]

Yes, it has. It even features on the cover of at least one FR novel (one of the Time of Troubles books, iirc).

Yes, Durnan and Mirt were both original FR PCs, iirc. The current owner, as of 5e, is the original Durnan, who bought it back from his descendant (well, the book actually says "ancestor" but that doesn't make any sense).

Midt, at least, predates the existence of D&D, being a viewpoint character in the short stories young Greenwood wrote. Durnan might be the same.

 

[pukunui]

Is the Yawning Portal placed near Waterdeep's docks?

No. It's pretty much smack dab in the center of the city, iirc.

Midt, at least, predates the existence of D&D, being a viewpoint character in the short stories young Greenwood wrote. Durnan might be the same.

Probably. It's established lore that Mirt and Durnan were the first two adventurers to ever enter Undermountain and return alive.

 

[LordEntrails]

Apparently, it was set to be a central location in the Warner Bros. movie when that was in development, and maybe that is still part of their long termlan.

Yes, given the plans for the movie and DoMM, it only makes since if they needed a location to serve as a focal point for a collection of short adventures (TftYP) that it's the perfect place to pick. Well known plus ties in to future products. Kind of like free advertising.

..
Probably. It's established lore that Mirt and Durnan were the first two adventurers to ever enter Undermountain and return alive.

It might be said that in the lore. But if you actually think about the history and timeline of UM, then it makes no sense. Over a thousand years between Halaster taking over the Undermountain and Durnan arriving, And he and Mirt were the first? Yea, that would be... a poor choice.

 

[pukunui]

It might be said that in the lore. But if you actually think about the history and timeline of UM, then it makes no sense. Over a thousand years between Halaster taking over the Undermountain and Durnan arriving, And he and Mirt were the first? Yea, that would be... a poor choice.

There was no city there for a good chunk of that time, though, I don't think. Maybe they were just the first to descend into the dungeon and return since Waterdeep was founded.

 

[LordEntrails]

No, actually -8500 DR was when elves had a city their and had burial tomes (which I would have always though elves used fires or allowed the bodies to rot, but that's what the books say). They left in -1100 DR, but the dwarves had already built the Underhalls of Melairbode by then. -50DR was when a Illuskans settled where Waterdeep now is, started with farms, became a fortress in 882DR and developed into a city in in 952/974DR (depending upon source and definition).

The Yawning Portal was founded by Durnan in 1306DR.

You can see a good timeline of the Undermountain in this post; https://www.facebook.com/search/str/Ultimate+UnderMountain+timeline/stories-keyword/stories-public

And you can find a good history with dates for the City in this; http://www.dmsguild.com/product/248971/Waterdeep-Primer

In short, there were thousands and thousands of years of history, conflict and probably exploration of the area, both above and below ground.

 

[Parmandur]

No, actually -8500 DR was when elves had a city their and had burial tomes (which I would have always though elves used fires or allowed the bodies to rot, but that's what the books say). They left in -1100 DR, but the dwarves had already built the Underhalls of Melairbode by then. -50DR was when a Illuskans settled where Waterdeep now is, started with farms, became a fortress in 882DR and developed into a city in in 952/974DR (depending upon source and definition).

The Yawning Portal was founded by Durnan in 1306DR.

You can see a good timeline of the Undermountain in this post; https://www.facebook.com/search/str/Ultimate+UnderMountain+timeline/stories-keyword/stories-public

And you can find a good history with dates for the City in this; http://www.dmsguild.com/product/248971/Waterdeep-Primer

In short, there were thousands and thousands of years of history, conflict and probably exploration of the area, both above and below ground.

He wasn't the first to enter the dungeon, but the first to find the yawning portal that he built a tavern around, right?

 

[grimslade]

Bonus for the Genesis reference