D&D General WotC Reveals New Information and Covers for 'Keys from the Golden Vault'

Due in just a few weeks, Keys from the Golden Vault has receoved little fanfare so far. However, a cover and descrioption has appeared on the Wizards Play Network site. Wizards Play Network (WPN) is a network of WotC-approved stores.

An anthology of 13 heist-themed adventures for the world’s greatest roleplaying game.
 
Some jobs require more than simply wielding a sword or slinging a spell. Whether it’s procuring a well-guarded item or obtaining crucial information from an imprisoned contact, these tasks require careful planning and flawless execution. The secretive organization called the Golden Vault specializes in hiring crews for such jobs, and for the most daunting assignments—pursuing fabulous treasures and stopping dire threats—that crew is your characters.
Keys from the Golden Vault™ is a collection of 13 short, standalone Dungeons & Dragons adventures designed for characters levels 1–11. These adventures can be placed in any setting and you can run them as one-shot games or link them together into a campaign. This book also includes in-world maps to help players plan their heists, plus advice for running nontraditional games with high risks and huge rewards.

Contents:

• Book of 13 stand-alone adventures spanning levels 1–11, each focused on a single heist
• Adventures can be set in any D&D or homebrew world and can be played individually or as part of a full campaign
• Introduces the Golden Vault—a mysterious organization for which the player characters can work as heist operatives
• Each adventure includes a map to guide Dungeon Masters and a map to help players plan their heists
• Adventures emphasize player choice with each heist having multiple paths toward success
• Includes advice and detailed information for Dungeon Masters running nontraditional adventures with high risks and huge rewards

There's also an alternate cover.

 

[Parmandur]

So, Amazon still hasn't out anything up for this book, the infonor even the cover, but it has jumped a couple thousand spots in all books #3482 this AM...PHB is #198 in all books, #1 in Puzzle & Game Reference books, and #17 in reference books juat behind the Princeton Review SAT prep.

 

[bedir than]

So, Amazon still hasn't out anything up for this book, the info nor even the cover, but it has jumped a couple thousand spots in all books #3482 this AM...PHB is #198 in all books, #1 in Puzzle & Game Reference books, and #17 in reference books just behind the Princeton Review SAT prep.

The most negative time in WotC's care of D&D with no marketing and it's this strong. That's amazing

 

[dave2008]

Hasn't this kind of been a problem for a lot of WotC 5e art? Characters don't look like they're really interested in the task they're doing, or the viewpoints of the characters are really off, or spectators just look bored even when exciting magic is being thrown about, and so on?

No that has not been a problem with the vast majority of 5e art. There is, of course, always some art that just looks a bit off. However, 5e has some of the best art in any D&D edition IMO. Some of that has come from sharing art / artist with MtG which really prioritizes art.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

As for testing, a lot of the issues are ones an experienced DM would barely notice, used as they would be to adapting everything to their group on the fly.

I think it's about 50/50.

I'd put the issues I commonly see with WotC stuff into 4 categories.

1) Bad presentation of information.

This hits all DMs pretty hard.

2) Poor understanding/use of rules/intentionally ignoring rules but failing to highlight it.

This hits more experienced DMs less for sure.

3) Intentionally missing parts of adventures you need to fill in.

This hits more experienced DMs less but it's still a hell of an imposition lol, because the PCs deviating will always make you need to make stuff up and this is just on top of that!

4) "Derail"-class plot holes.

I think these hit all DMs pretty hard if they're unforeseen.

But there have always been things in D&D adventures that make no sense if you stop to think about it. I mean, I noticed this kind of stuff running The Hidden Shine of Tamoachan in 1983.

Oh for sure! Always been a thing.

But 90% of that stuff is harmless. The other 10% tends to be the "derail"-class stuff. Also, importantly, the less plot an adventure has, the less it matters if it makes sense. The trouble modern adventures on tend to be story-heavy which makes plot holes matter vastly more.

 

[dave2008]

But there have always been things in D&D adventures that make no sense if you stop to think about it. I mean, I noticed this kind of stuff running The Hidden Shine of Tamoachan in 1983.

Yes, but you do hope things improve after 40 years of practice!

 

[Parmandur]

The most negative time in WotC's care of D&D with no marketing and it's this strong. That's amazing

It is pretty astonishing. Clearly the damage from recent events has been enought to alter WotC trajectory, and Mayne have significant impacts on internal office politics, but if they change course I don't see any reason to believe that the brand is harmed yet.

 

[EpicureanDM]

As for testing, a lot of the issues are ones an experienced DM would barely notice, used as they would be to adapting everything to their group on the fly. How many tests are done with inexperienced DMs? But there have always been things in D&D adventures that make no sense if you stop to think about it. I mean, I noticed this kind of stuff running The Hidden Shine of Tamoachan in 1983. [emphasis added]

I am an experienced DM and I noticed right away.

More generally, though, I see this idea a lot and I always marvel at what a gift this attitude is for D&D designers. Your best customers expect that you will produce mediocre work that they will need to improve.

 

[Stormonu]

I think they are supposed to be a gnome. D&D has never really managed a consistent look for gnomes.

Looking again, I think that's supposed to be Lidda and Neblin!

Anyways, the physics on the rope is all wrong. Whoever that is higher up on the rope they're about to lose their left shoulder when the "gnome's" rope goes taut.

 

[dave2008]

I am an experienced DM and I noticed right away.

More generally, though, I see this idea a lot and I always marvel at what a gift this attitude is for D&D designers. Your best customers expect that you will produce mediocre work that they will need to improve.

To be fair, these are not just issues for D&D designers. They exist to more or lesser degrees in all published adventures for all systems by all companies. I here people go on and on about Paizo adventures, but they just seem like a hot mess to me. But I pretty much hold that opinion of all adventures!

 

[Rabulias]

Anyways, the physics on the rope is all wrong. Whoever that is higher up on the rope they're about to lose their left shoulder when the "gnome's" rope goes taut.

I think they are on two different ropes...