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Message: <blockquote data-quote="werecorpse" data-source="post: 7693046" data-attributes="member: 55491">It has been thought provoking and I have gone back and had a look at the module which I admit I haven't looked at since I played it in the early 80's.---Spoilers below---It still feels like there are too many arbitrary "no save you die gotcha" events or if you do X you get a prize (but you could just have easily died no save so the reward is too capricious to feel earned). Having said that it's not as deadly as I remember and I do credit a fair bit of the deadliness to the DM approach. In Wick's case, and in many others from what I understand, the DM seemed to embrace the DM v player style of game play (which is a style I'm not fond of but you may like) rather than DM as independent arbiter or co-storyteller. The advice for the DM in the module encourages independent arbiter but the competitive style seemed all to common when this was run in my day. I think that the tone of this adventure did imply that style of play.The green devil mouth is a classic example. It doesn't suggest that the DM encourages players climb in and indeed on reading it again and the description of a sphere of annihilation in the DMG once any matter touches it it is destroyed. So unless you jump into it you would know it's destroying matter once you put your hand in, before going further (indeed sensibly the surrounding air would be rushing into it but maybe magic doesn't work that way). I still think it's a beautiful piece of work and a seminal work that inspires and intrigues people 40 years on so kudos. It's not my preferred style of play it feels more like a bunch of puzzle tests, some requiring thought some needing luck, than the RPGs I am used to playing.As a side thought I read about how when it was run at a tournament a group placed the gold crown found in the pillared throne room on the Demi lich's skull and touched the silver end of the sceptre to it. Gary Gygax was there and was called over to adjudicate and he ruled it destroyed the Demi lich. Now in the module it says "touching the silver nob to the crown while wearing it the wearer is instantly snuffed out turning to a fetid powder which cannot be brought back to life no matter what" and it also says abou the final encounter "the skull can be harmed only as follows" and then lists 8 ways you can harm the skull (it doesn't include the crown/sceptre). I know that no one I played with would have allowed the crown thing to work - or anything else other than the 8 ways described. Here's a list of fun ways to traverse tomb of horrors- spend a few months casting divination spells with a list of questions before even approaching it- sit outside for a week or two and send in sheep, summoned beasts, scry, etc- cast find the path, find traps, knock, retreat and rest a day after every encounter. While inside remain flying and invisible. Use summoned monsters, dig past doors, etc- summon earth elemental so to explore, tunnel and map it.- or my personal favourite just strip mine the hill (50 charmed kobolds should do it) and enter every room from above.And don't forget to sell off all the adamantine and mithril doors, vaults, valves etc - woo hoo cashola!Whatever you do don't form up with a hardy band of adventurers and enter the tomb to explore it. This is an excavation not a combat mission.</blockquote>

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