D&D 5E Rebalanced Tyranny of Dragons Coming In January

According to Amazon a 'rebalanced' version of Tyranny of Dragons is being released by WotC in January. There's no indication if there's a new cover, but the "adventure has been rebalanced to be easier for a new Dungeon Master to run and a better play experience".

2019's Tyranny of Dragons combined 2014's Hoard of the Dragon Queen and The Rise of Tiamat with errata and new cover art. It was originally produced for WotC by Kobold Press during the early period of 5E when adventures were outsourced to local companies run by ex-WotC employees, such as Kobold Press, Green Ronin and Sasquatch Game Studios. This will be the third version of these adventures.

Tyranny of Dragons combines and refines two action-packed Dungeons & Dragons adventures—Hoard of the Dragon Queen and The Rise of Tiamat—into a single sweeping campaign. It also includes a gallery of concept art providing a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of an epic adventure spotlighting Tiamat, one of the most legendary foes in D&D.

• A wonderful re-introduction to 5th edition’s first published adventures for new fans
• Begins as a low-level adventure suitable for new players and evolves into an epic, sprawling campaign bringing players all the way from level 1 to level 15
• Adventure has been rebalanced to be easier for a new Dungeon Master to run and a better play experience.
• Book includes gallery of concept art spotlighting Tiamat, one of the most legendary foes in D&D

 

[pukunui]

"Rebalanced to be easier for a new Dungeon Master to run and a better play experience" definitely suggests more than errata. My guess is the rules will be brought in line with other post-Tasha material, which per the designers has all been designed with forward compatibility in mind. And maybe some reorganization and/or supporting material for the "easier to run" part.

I wonder if this is just the start and we might see reworked versions of some of the other earlier adventures.

 

[Hussar]

Having just played Hoard through (well, almost through, we're right near the tail end now) I can see how this module would be good with some groups and very bad with others. The journey up the Sword Coast is potentially a lot of fun, but, it can also drag out really, really badly where, as was mentioned, nothing of note really happens in session after session.

I can see the potential there for it to be a ton of fun, but, it's one of those modules where the DM is really going to make or break it.

 

[JEB]

I wonder if this is just the start and we might see reworked versions of some of the other earlier adventures.

I think it's pretty much a given.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Oh c'mon! How many times am I supposed to buy this adventure?!

I'll soon have 3 sets.

And I'll run all 3 of 'em. Back. to. Back.

I sure hope you love weirdly empty caravanning segment, Mike. Because we'll do it 3 TIMES!

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I wonder if this is just the start and we might see reworked versions of some of the other earlier adventures.

It worked for Tales from the Yawning Portal to rework previous-to-5e adventures. I can see it being relatively cheap quick work (within reason) to spiff-up the best of the 5e adventures to keep them selling longer-term. Heck, I'd like to see some of the better pre-5e adventures get the Yawning Portal treatment (if they're too short for their own book).

 

[darjr]

Only 5e could have lasted long enough to have nostalgia reprints of it's own adventures!

Edit I forget things like the drow series etc…

 

[Jacob Lewis]

Someone new at the offices looked over the history of sales and publications, specifically eyeing how often the same adventures, titles, and supplements were used repeatedly throughout every edition. And then they asked aloud, "How many times do you think we can get people to buy the same stuff over and over?"

The reply came: "Let's find out!"

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It worked for Tales from the Yawning Portal to rework previous-to-5e adventures. I can see it being relatively cheap quick work (within reason) to spiff-up the best of the 5e adventures to keep them selling longer-term. Heck, I'd like to see some of the better pre-5e adventures get the Yawning Portal treatment (if they're too short for their own book).

I would really like to see Tales from the Yawning Portal reworked or -- better -- taken out of print and the individual adventures given a more in-depth treatment, either by WotC or as a Goodman Games OAR book. The Giants series, Tomb of Horrors and White Plume Mountain in particular all deserve better.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Someone new at the offices looked over the history of sales and publications, specifically eyeing how often the same adventures, titles, and supplements were used repeatedly throughout every edition. And then they asked aloud, "How many times do you think we can get people to buy the same stuff over and over?"

The reply came: "Let's find out!"

What's the better choice? See that a book isn't up to today's standards, shrug, and reprint it anyway, knowing that in 2024, a huge new wave of players will be joining, along with a bunch of returning players who have been away for years -- or bring it up to today's standards?

If you are happy with the older version, don't buy the new one.

 

[Reynard]

Only 5e could have lasted long enough to have nostalgia reprints of it's own adventures!

Technically 2E lasted longer but didn't actually publish the whole time, right?