FORBES: Out of the Abyss preview

Article here. Mostly just covers NPCs in the campaign and that's it, along with respective portraits. Have to say, so far it seems like I was watching a Saturday morning cartoon reading about them all

Is that bad? This looks absolutely amazing to me.

 

[Mistwell]

Alice and Wonderland whimsy mixed into an Underdark adventure sounds like a great idea for most people here? Really?

Yes. Really. Different people have different tastes. Your tastes might not be the same as many other people's tastes.

 

[wedgeski]

Alice and Wonderland whimsy mixed into an Underdark adventure sounds like a great idea for most people here?

Unequivocally.

Really?

Still yes.

 

[Remathilis]

Didn't read it, since my DM has said he's buying OotA and I didn't want too much spoiled. However, I sent it to him and it confirmed he made a good decision. His two word response upon reading it: PUDDING KING!

We're in good hands, it seems.

 

[casterblaster]

After reading the comments then the article, I don't see how this is anymore "silly" than anything else that has come before. I think this will be a great adventure.

 

[delericho]

Alice and Wonderland whimsy mixed into an Underdark adventure sounds like a great idea for most people here? Really?

Sure. If for no other reason than that it's something different. At this point I have 20+ Adventure Paths from WotC or Paizo, and they tend to follow a very distinct pattern. And, yes, they tend to present that same pattern very well but, frankly, I'm bored.

It is, of course, entirely possible that this combination just won't work, and that OotA will suck. But it's also possible that this will turn out to be the first classic storyline of the 5e era.

 

[Mallus]

I'm really digging the material in the preview. It's got oodles of charm & personality, which reminds me that Pendleton Ward (of "Adventure Time" fame) spent some time up at the WotC campus -- not that I've read anything about him working on this specific project. Absolutely love the Pudding King (who would fit right in in the World of Ooo), the Kuo-Toa cleric who dreams up new deities each night, and the mind-flayer with the capped missing tentacle. They show an oddball, yet oddly appropriate, kind of attention to detail official D&D products could use way more of.

Regardless of whether you like whimsy or not, it's a traditional part of D&D, especially the Underdark. Insane fish people armed with metal pincers who worship something called "Blibdoolpoolp" are a perfect example of how "dark" and "whimsical" can go together like "gin" and "tonic". This is not fantasy in the grand, dignified, tradition of Tolkien. At beast, it's like Moorcock on a bender taking the piss out of Robert Howard.

What might be lost on contemporary audiences is how silly & surreal D&D sounded to young fantasy readers coming straight from the "Lord of Rings", C. S. Lewis, LeGuin's "Earthsea", and the "Chronicles of Prydain". It was a ghastly, goofy, floating eyeball & pudding & ooze-filled mess. Which was also irresistible.

The Underdark should be, well, kinda dark, but also surreal and more than slightly ludicrous/whimsical. It's, again, tradition! (and also like "Adventure Time", one of the best TV shows of the decade).

 

[Desh-Rae-Halra]

But this isn't anywhere near good comic relief, it's rather appalling actually.

Also, enough comic relief comes from the group itself, we don't need a product based around it, especially coming from Chris Perkins.

If they were doing loads of products then sure throw one in there, I just won't buy it and gladly buy something else. Unfortunately they aren't doing that this time around and so I am forced to wait, yet again, for an actual good product.

I am not really getting the appeal of the whimsy stuff here....if this is so great, maybe all the adventurers should be whimsical too, for levity's sake of course.

Can I play my Half-Pixie Centaur Barbarian who has 10 Ranks in Profession: Ballerina, whose exotic weapon proficiency is an Olympic Dance Ribbon, and who's war cry is "Poof on you, smoochums!!" Also, will not wear/use magic items unless they are colored lavender.

That's the kind of stuff this whimsical addition conjures up for me. So I am kind of with Corpsetaker, in that I will just pass on this one.

I'm genuinely glad that this article was up, because up until I read this, I was going to purchase it hands down.

 

[Morrus]

I am not really getting the appeal of the whimsy stuff here....

That's OK. One of the beautiful things about the human condition is that we all like different things, and there's room for all of it. It'd be a dull world if we were all exactly the same!

Can I play my Half-Pixie Centaur Barbarian who has 10 Ranks in Profession: Ballerina, whose exotic weapon proficiency is an Olympic Dance Ribbon, and who's war cry is "Poof on you, smoochums!!" Also, will not wear/use magic items unless they are colored lavender.

If that makes you feel better, I guess.

if this is so great, maybe all the adventurers should be whimsical too, for levity's sake of course.

Eh? So if I like ice cream, I'm only allowed to eat ice cream? But I like steak, too. People can like more than one thing; and some of us happen to like this thing.

 

[exile]

I'm undecided as to how much I'm going to like this mash-up of demons, underdark, and whimsy, but I'll buy it and give it a once over.

Even if I don't like it, I am happy seeing Wizards experimenting a bit with setting, foes, and tone. Yes, I realize that all of these things have been done before (demons, underdark, and whimsy), but I don't think they have all been done in concert with one another.

So, cautiously optimistic. No, scratch that, I'm optimistic-- I have nothing to lose, after all, save a bit of cash to buy the book.

 

[Desh-Rae-Halra]

Right, I see that a lot of other people like it.
I guess for me it just rings a familiar bell that I experienced in playing WoD Vampire with people playing Malkavians,
I get that maybe they want to adventure wearing Hello Kitty pajamas and spend a willpower to fart on people and things like that, but I never saw the sinister madness played out.

So this kind of hits me with the same feel

General Internet Disclaimer: I'm not saying for you to not buy this product. I'm simply not buying this product. I take responsibility for my purchases and choices, not yours.