D&D 5E (2024) Thoughts on Infinite Staircase?

I don't have the 2024 rules, so I'm not able to gauge it. I just know the 2014 one was rubbish. But the stat block doesn't matter. The problem is "revives in 24 hours" is a non-ability. There is no way the PCs are going to still be around to be affected by it. Regeneration means they either need to split the party and have someone keep whacking him every time he gets up (opportunity for dialogue here) or turn him or otherwise restrain him, whilst they frantically look for his heart.
The mummy lord is in the basic rules, so I can repost the full statblock here:
Screenshot 2025-09-16 180719.png

I had forgotten that, but I really like the idea of giving him all sand themed minions. It's reminiscent of the Brendon Fraser Mummy films, which is the feel I would be aiming for. So, if I had the original text I would make 5e chabang man stat blocks, possibly using ochre jelly as a start point. Ochre Jellies feel really off-brand.
Sure.

Doesn't the lore say he has acolytes?
Not with him in the gauntlet chamber.

There's Munafik, who's more of an undead sorcerer than a mummy lord in the original, plus the Chabang Men, the PC mirror images, the magical wall of fire (which is illusory and has an illusory wall of stone behind it in the original), plus the animated fist (which the original calls a "pet fist") at the top of the gauntlet.

Munafik: AC 7, MV 12", HD 10, hp N/A, #AT 1, Dmg 1-6, AL LE. Munafik can use these spells as a tenth level Magic User: protection from good, magic imissile, push, comprehend languages, forget, levitate, web, fireball, lightning, slow, fumble, polymorph self, animated dead, and distance distortion.

When the party first enters the room, Munafik will cast the comprehend languages so that he can understand what the party is saying. Spells will affect him as they would any tenth level Magic User except the damaging attacks will have no effect. For example, a hold person spell will hold Munafik, but a magic missile can hit him but will cause no damage.

Chabang Man: AC 10, MV 12", HD 5, hp N/A, #AT 1, Dmg 1-8, AL N. They appear, looking thin and drawn, holding swords. They are magical creations of Munafik and will die when Munafik dies. When any cutting blow hits them, it will cut clear through. The severed part and the original body will dissolve into a pile of mud, and then suddenly spring up as two Chabang men, exactly like the original. The Chabang men can be stuck to the walls with spears or other stabbing weapons.

Fire Wall: A wall of fire suddenly descends from the ceiling, roaring and heating the room unbearably. Neither cold nor water will lessen this flame because it is an illusion. The searing heat will do 1-10 points of damage to anyone who believes the flame is real and attempts to cross it. Save vs Spells will be normal if the character is unsuspecting, or at +4 if the character has verbally raised any doubts. Wood will not burn in this illusion. Ten feet behind the wall of fire ... the players are confronted with a solid stone wall that runs from one side of the vast hall to the other. It rises the full height to the ceiling. It is also an illusion with the same modifiers to disbelieve as noted above. Those who run into the wall believing that it is there will take 1-6 points [of] damage.

Mirror Mirror: An exact likeness of each character that steps onto the platform will appear on the landing before them. Each will be armed as the character is armed except that magical weapons, magical armor and other magical items that the party may have will work only as nonmagical items of the same kind. All of the characters' magical items will work. The likenesses of Magic User and Clerical characters will not know of, or be able to use, any spells. Otherwise, these likenesses are the same as the characters in hit points, Hit Dice, etc. The likenesses will only have as many hit points as the characters have remaining, not the characters' normal number of hit points. When killed, the likenesses change to a featureless clay humanoid form and will not move again. They are mindless creatures that want only the destruction of the souls whose likenesses they appear. They will immediately attack and continue to fight until either the party or they are dead.

Pet Fist: AC 7, MV 3", HD 10, hp 50, #AT 2, Dmg 1-10/1-10, AL C. The pet fist will strike at anything that moves within its 15 foot reach.
 
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The mummy lord is in the basic rules, so I can repost the full statblock here:
Same problem with Undead Restoration. Once down he is out until the end of the adventure. The PCs will just knock him down and carry on, destroying his heart at their leisure.

Chabang Man
Medium Undead, Neutral Evil
AC 10 Initiative +0 (10)
HP 54 (8d8 + 16)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR15+2+2
DEX10+0+0
CON14+2+2
[th width="23.8374%"][/th]
[th][/th]
[th]Mod[/th][th width="25.5812%"]Save[/th]

INT8-1-1
WIS14+2+2
CHA4-3-3
[th][/th]
[th][/th]
[th width="23.2556%"]Mod[/th][th width="25.0002%"]Save[/th]

Resistances Acid, Piercing
Immunities Lightning, Slashing; Charmed, Deafened, Exhaustion, Frightened, Grappled, Prone, Restrained
Senses Blindsight 60 ft., Passive Perception 8
Languages --
CR 2 (XP 450; PB +2)
Traits

Sand Form. The chabang man can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch without expending extra movement to do so.
Spider Climb. The chabang man can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Actions

Slam. Melee Attack Roll: +4, reach 5 ft. Hit: 12 (3d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
Reactions

Split. Trigger: While the charbang man has 10+ Hit Points, it becomes Bloodied or is subjected to Lightning or Slashing damage. Response: The chabang man splits into two new chabang men. They act on the original's initiative. The original Chabang Man's Hit Points are divided evenly between the new chabang men (round down).
 
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A rest only takes 8 hours.
Sure, but it depends on when they last took one. They might have to wait the better part of a day before they can take another.

I'm not too fussed about that aspect of the mummy lord. It's more everything else.

Besides, if the PCs rescue Uma from the ghasts, she tells them that she and "her companions cornered a mummy garbed in tattered high priest’s robes near a waterfall not far from here. A fierce battle ensued, and [her] comrades were slain. [She] struck a killing blow on the undead priest — or so she thought. As the mummy crumbled to dust, he claimed his life was 'too precious a thing to carry with him,' cackling as he disappeared."
 

Sure, but it depends on when they last took one. They might have to wait the better part of a day before they can take another
Seems unlikely unless your players are in the habit of taking a long rest after every encounter. There are wandering monsters.

Could reduce his revival time to one hour.
 
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1.The area map? (no page numbers on DDB) why would it need grid squares?

2. Or you could just do what I did and run the adventures with lower level characters than suggested. More tedious bookkeeping isn’t the same as more difficult, and we pretty much ignored that in 1st edition. And cutting out dialogue options is to chop out some of the most important elements from the adventures.
1. You need to see the hex grid for distance. One hex is 4 miles.
2. trying of a first edition feel. And not having food, or too much weight slowing your fast movers down is a difficulty.
 

1. You need to see the hex grid for distance. One hex is 4 miles.
2. trying of a first edition feel. And not having food, or too much weight slowing your fast movers down is a difficulty.
It does have a hex grid - at least the digital version does. It’s just subtle. But you would want a white an blue map for a first edition feel. It wouldn’t be hard to make the digital map white and blue, and that might make the hexes show up more clearly. Wouldn’t have first edition symbols though - that would either require a lot of work or tracking down the original.
 

It does have a hex grid - at least the digital version does. It’s just subtle. But you would want a white an blue map for a first edition feel. It wouldn’t be hard to make the digital map white and blue, and that might make the hexes show up more clearly. Wouldn’t have first edition symbols though - that would either require a lot of work or tracking down the original.
No........ I do want a hex grid which I don't have strain my eyes. AKA it is ART not a useful map. If was a hex grid you would be able to see the hexes plainly. And the current digital map is much more readable than page 49. So, why are you telling me it is okay; if you don't own the physical copy?
 

No........ I do want a hex grid which I don't have strain my eyes. AKA it is ART not a useful map. If was a hex grid you would be able to see the hexes plainly. And the current digital map is much more readable than page 49. So, why are you telling me it is okay; if you don't own the physical copy?
I’m not telling you it’s okay, I’m making suggestions as to what you could do about it.

There is a tension between what makes a good digital map and what make a good tabletop map. Digital maps want eye candy, and it’s easy to make the grid as clear or hidden as you like to suit your play style. A good tabletop map is bi-coloured and as simple as possible so it can be easily reproduced with pencil and paper.

This map is clearly intended to be a VTT map, not a tabletop map.

I found Vecna: Eve of Ruin particularly frustrating as it switches between VTT and tabletop style maps at random, so however you are playing the next map is going to be in the wrong style.

As for this particular map, the area is only about 50 miles across, with lots of habitation. It’s more a ramble in the South Downs than the Oregon Trail. It’s not like anyone is going to run out of food and starve. You can give the players a copy and say “where do you want to go” then tell them how long it takes.
 
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