Is the original Tomb of Horrors a well-designed adventure module?

[Mycanid]

Yes Philotomy ... that made a little more "sense" to me admittedly. I always like for adventures to make some kind of "sense" to me. And I'm usually willing to stretch the imagination fairly far. But even when I was 11 I was wondering HUH? What for?

 

[Sunderstone]

By today's standards and if EGG was an unknown, the module wouldnt stand a chance.... even for the "first edition feel crowd".

Back then when D&D was much simpler, it was a great module. It was fun as heck to run and run through which is why it was such a fan favorite. Thats all that matters in the long run.



Design wise by today's standards, I'd say The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, The Slavers, ToEE, Ravenloft, etc. ran circles around ToH. They had better story elements and more to build and expand on.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I did not like it the first time I tried to run it, back near when it first came out. (I actually stopped, said 'I'm sorry guys, but this adventure sucks. I'll find something else to run next week.') I continue to dislike it now. If I was a player going through it in a 'tournament game' then I would make a note to never play in a game run by that DM ever again. It was also the last Gary Gygax adventure that I ever bought aside from Dungeonland. He did a much better job with the Village of Hommlet.

The Auld Grump

 

[VirgilCaine]

Yes Philotomy ... that made a little more "sense" to me admittedly. I always like for adventures to make some kind of "sense" to me. And I'm usually willing to stretch the imagination fairly far. But even when I was 11 I was wondering HUH? What for?

I'm confused.

An extremely powerful, extremely evil creature that could live forever, creates a trap-filled maze (with false entrances) to destroy as many invaders as possible, and this DOESN'T make sense?

 

[Mycanid]

I was thinking more of all the stuff around the Tomb in the "Return to the ... " remake. Note I said a "little" more sense. No black and white here!

And no ... it doesn't make sense still. But that's just me. Takes all sorts a musicians to make an orchestra, after all. All right ... I'm going back to practice on the bagpipes. What was that piece in? D flat?

 

[Elfdart]

There's a difference between being the point man in war and being ordered to clear a minefield by walking into it. ToH is the latter.

No honorable armies would use that tactic, and neither should heroes.

Who says PCs are heroes? Or honorable?

 

[shilsen]

I'm confused.

An extremely powerful, extremely evil creature that could live forever, creates a trap-filled maze (with false entrances) to destroy as many invaders as possible, and this DOESN'T make sense?

It doesn't make sense to me either. If I had the resources to create the ToH and I really wanted anyone entering dead, the entire thing would consist of three fake corridors, every 5 ft of which would hit you with half a dozen 8th or 9th lvl "save or die" spells. Why stop halfway and create something that people might actually be able to get through? The only reason that it is the way it is happens to be a metagame reason - the ToH is in a game.

 

[Crothian]

If I had the resources to create the ToH and I really wanted anyone entering dead, the entire thing would consist of three fake corridors, every 5 ft of which would hit you with half a dozen 8th or 9th lvl "save or die" spells. Why stop halfway and create something that people might actually be able to get through?.

Obviously his resources got him exactly what he built. He didn't have the ability to build what you suggest.

 

[shilsen]

Obviously his resources got him exactly what he built. He didn't have the ability to build what you suggest.

Even with just whatever's in the ToH, I could do way better. But then I've always been meaner than Acerak

 

[Numion]

Who says PCs are heroes? Or honorable?

Well, the books claim it's heroic fantasy. In that sense adventure which requires you to use henchmen to clear minefields isn't necessarily good design.