D&D (2024) Heroes of the Borderlands

[Micah Sweet]

I like this idea.

For some reason, it made me think of the difference between the first Death Star and the second. It's not my bit, but... the first station was operational. It was a full-on military base and staffed. The second? Not complete, mostly filled with contractors and workers.

The Clerks argument. Their conclusion was that workers on the second Death Star knew what they were getting into working on it.

 

[Zarithar]

Does anyone know if this is available for pre-order yet? Also, most of the Pharaoh changes felt unnecessary and detracted from the feel of the original. There aren't any Thoth or Bastet worshippers around to offend...
I agree though regarding the humanoid children... but I also think we are going to see a lot more emphasis on working out some sort of diplomatic solution with the various bands of monsters. We'll see I guess. If this ends up sucking, I still have the original, the Goodman games version, AND the old "D&D Next" Keep on the Borderlands playtest packet from 2014.

 

[Zarithar]

The Clerks argument. Their conclusion was that workers on the second Death Star knew what they were getting into working on it.

They knew as the Empire enslaved them and conscripted them yes!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

So long as it's considered a different adventure, and not a replacement that changes the past, sure.

There is no "past" of any current D&D setting where Keep on the Borderlands "happened".

 

[Jolly Ruby]

I view D&D monsters like monopoly tokens. They just are what they are. Game tokens. People trying to apply cultures who are just there to be something to over come as part of a game just blow my mind.

Applying culture to the monsters isn't exactly novel. The D-series from the 70's is a good example, showing the drow as evil but as a highly structured society, and the kuo-toa as primitive and evil, but not outright aggressive, and you have the possibility to "appease their customs" instead of killing them.

Applying narratives to the little game tokens is as old as the game itself.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Applying culture to the monsters isn't exactly novel. The D-series from the 70's is a good example, showing the drow as evil but as a highly structured society, and the kuo-toa as primitive and evil, but not outright aggressive, and you have the possibility to "appease their customs" instead of killing them.

Applying narratives to the little game tokens is as old as the game itself.

Oh I get it. Im just saying in the moment. In that module. In that dungeon. It's just a stack of HP to deplete for XP

 

[Zarithar]

Applying culture to the monsters isn't exactly novel. The D-series from the 70's is a good example, showing the drow as evil but as a highly structured society, and the kuo-toa as primitive and evil, but not outright aggressive, and you have the possibility to "appease their customs" instead of killing them.

Applying narratives to the little game tokens is as old as the game itself.

That's true. I remember playing Keep back in the early 80s as a 5th or 6th grader, and even then we came up with complicated plans to send the orc, goblin, etc children back to the Keep where they could be fed and raised rather than killing them. It's been a moral dilemma for as long as that module has existed I would imagine.

 

[Oofta]

Removing things is always easier than adding them. I honestly don't see how the opposite view makes sense.

It's hard to add a note from a child saying "Come home soon daddy" to an NPC you just killed? Throw in children cowering in the back of the cave is hard? Running across the corpses of youngsters that starved in the wilderness because you recently killed the adults isn't easy?

Sorry, I just don't buy it.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Does anyone know if this is available for pre-order yet? Also, most of the Pharaoh changes felt unnecessary and detracted from the feel of the original. There aren't any Thoth or Bastet worshippers around to offend...
I agree though regarding the humanoid children... but I also think we are going to see a lot more emphasis on working out some sort of diplomatic solution with the various bands of monsters. We'll see I guess. If this ends up sucking, I still have the original, the Goodman games version, AND the old "D&D Next" Keep on the Borderlands playtest packet from 2014.

Emphasis on a diplomatic solution would be great.

 

[Micah Sweet]

There is no "past" of any current D&D setting where Keep on the Borderlands "happened".

Then explain to me what you think retcons and/or remakes are.