Tomb of Horrors 4e - Mouseferatu style

[MerricB]

Have we discussed this yet?

Tomb of Horrors
D&D Super-Adventure
Ari Marmell, Scott Fitzgerald Gray
The deadliest dungeon in the D&D world returns!

For generations, the Tomb of Horrors has held an inescapable allure. It draws adventurers to it like a beacon then devours them utterly like some monstrous predator. Within its sepulchral, trap-ridden halls and chambers lay the secrets and treasures of the demilich Acererak and, some say, the demilich himself.

Tomb of Horrors features a modular design that allows Dungeon Masters to build campaigns around the events herein, or pick and choose from the various chapters for use as standalone adventures. It presents a variety of challenges, from intricate combat encounters to traps and tricks evocative of the classic Tomb of Horrors adventure.

This D&D adventure is designed for characters of 10th–22nd level and includes a full-color, double-sided battle map designed for use with D&D Miniatures.

Release Date: July 20, 2010
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 160
Price: $29.95 C$35.00

Cheers!

 

[mach1.9pants]

Count me in, off to Amazon to pre-order

I hope it is a 'b1tch' for my players Mwahahahahaha!

EDIT: I mean with the Char Builder it is a doddle to make a new PC

 

[Mouseferatu]

It presents a variety of challenges, from intricate combat encounters to traps and tricks evocative of the classic Tomb of Horrors adventure.

I have to admit, I'm really excited--but also really nervous--to see how this one's received. The part that I bolded was the most fun aspect of this design, but it was also the hardest--and I know it's the part that's going to see the most scrutiny.

Let's just say that, after working on this, I have a much greater respect for what Bruce Cordell went through writing Return to the ToH back in 2E.

 

[Celebrim]

I have to admit, I'm really excited--but also really nervous--to see how this one's received. The part that I bolded was the most fun aspect of this design, but it was also the hardest--and I know it's the part that's going to see the most scrutiny.

Let's just say that, after working on this, I have a much greater respect for what Bruce Cordell went through writing Return to the ToH back in 2E.

I fully sympathize. The original is such a classic and covers so many of the basics, that there hardly seems to be a trope left over that is isn't well-worn.

Bruce Cordell's work reads like a very great module and is plenty deadly, but for the most part Moil never felt to me evocative of the style of the original Tomb. Some of that was necessary. The dangers of the tomb wouldn't really hold up to characters of a significantly higher level (or significantly better equipment) than the sample characters.

But one of the things that was so cool about the original was that for the most part, a party of cautious 2nd and 3rd level characters could overcome the challenges. Granted, its not likely to happen unless you've read the text, but nonetheless the oppurtunity for player skill to really shine is there. All the extra hit points and stuff really are is a buffer in which you can write your mistakes. They aren't essential to the solution. 'Die, no save' turns out to have a certain fairness in its application that is hard to capture with anything else. Acererak plays fair.

Moil wasn't really like that. Those hit points and strong attacks were necessary in Moil. Avoiding death in Moil required being both high level and lucky, as some amount of damage was unavoidable and many of the challenges morphed from 'Do something, die, no save.' to 'Get hit by a monster, die no save'. It's a bit easier to avoid 'doing something', than it is to avoid 'get hit by a monster'.

The third edition version of the tomb was even further away from the feel of the original than that though. In the 3rd edition vs. I read, it was the monsters that were the chief hazard - the real 'Horror' in the tomb - and the traps were almost secondary.

I'm curious to see how you approached this problem in 4e.

 

[tomBitonti]

Bwahaha, four armed gargoyle, in front of a gaping maw... must be TOH.

Can't wait, myself, even though I am an old hat.

 

[Gort]

Here's hoping for fewer encounters and more plot than your standard 4e module!

"Hey, there is this guy in a tomb who is dead. Crazy, huh? You'd better go and sort him out."

*cue fifty combat encounters*

 

[Crothian]

I'm really looking forward to this. I've taken 4 groups theough the orginal but never had any one willing to do the Return.

Is this linked to or include any of the orginal or is it something new inspired and a similiar theme to the orginal?

 

[Dannager]

Here's hoping for fewer encounters and more plot than your standard 4e module!

"Hey, there is this guy in a tomb who is dead. Crazy, huh? You'd better go and sort him out."

*cue fifty combat encounters*

...have you had any experience with the Tomb of Horrors?

I mean, there's a plot, yeah. Just not much of one. If anything, making the 4th Edition TOH a plot-laden, heavily story-driven experience that goes light on the tactical encounters would be a dramatic departure from the original adventure.

I'd be cool with 50 combat encounters.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Is this linked to or include any of the orginal or is it something new inspired and a similiar theme to the orginal?

Yes.

Sorry, I realize I'm being flippantly cryptic. (Or cryptically flippant.) I'm not allowed to say much this far in advance, but I'll say that you're actually correct--at least partly--on both sides of your "or."

 

[Mercurius]

You better not blow this one, Mouse, or you will have Grognards and Pseudo-Grognards everywhere demanding blood. Yours.

Seriously though, I really look forward to this.