D&D 5E Let's Talk About Yawning Portal

[Reynard]

The original was. It was a masterpiece.

Of course it was. My point is I am not sure we can call the Yawning Portal version of "Tomb of Horrors" successful if it is not a deathtrap for the unwary and a still-terrifying challenge for the wary. It needs more sudden, arbitrary death.

 

[JonnyP71]

And I agree with you... wholeheartedly

 

[pukunui]

Of course the adventure itself takes pains to say the PCs can safely rest with no random encounters.

I'm surprised Acererak would allow adventurers to safely rest in his tomb ... I would've thought he'd have set up some sort of anti-resting field. If I run ToH, I think I'll make it so, if the PCs want to rest, they'll have to leave the tomb and find somewhere to rest outside.

 

[Reynard]

I'm surprised Acererak would allow adventurers to safely rest in his tomb ... I would've thought he'd have set up some sort of anti-resting field. If I run ToH, I think I'll make it so, if the PCs want to rest, they'll have to leave the tomb and find somewhere to rest outside.

Maybe there is some sort of dream plane monster in the place that attacks anyone that tries to sleep. Maybe the ghost of his night hag consort?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using EN World mobile app

 

[Lanefan]

As fate would have it, I just did this very thing to my group (though in a different module where the BBEG is also known to be a lich): they had a dream one night which included a poem, within which was the line "none shall rest till the dead are made dead" - and since then nobody has gained any h.p. from resting. (spells etc. are still recovered as normal...so far...)

For ToH a dream like this would logically come during their last night's sleep before reaching the dungeon.

Lanefan

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I'm surprised Acererak would allow adventurers to safely rest in his tomb ... I would've thought he'd have set up some sort of anti-resting field. If I run ToH, I think I'll make it so, if the PCs want to rest, they'll have to leave the tomb and find somewhere to rest outside.

Maybe you should make them roll a save against Madness if they try to rest, with cripplingly terrifying dreams. (And no healing.)

 

[pukunui]

Maybe you should make them roll a save against Madness if they try to rest, with cripplingly terrifying dreams. (And no healing.)

Yes! I've done that before (when I ran DDEX3-7 Herald of the Moon, in which the madness of the demon lords has oozed up to the surface, making it so anyone who tries to rest in the Cormanthyr Forest has to save against madness).

 

[Flamestrike]

Got my copy, Yeayy!

First look, is just me or there is a real chance to 4 lvl 15 players kill a demilich (even with trap the soul) before first turn end? 80hp even with 20AC and all resistances doesn't look a match for 3 level 15 players attacking.

The Demi Lich targets itself with its anti-magic field.

It is now pretty much immune to everything the party can toss at it.

 

[RichGreen]

Hi,

I'm looking forward to picking this up next week. I'm fine with Dead in Thay taking up a fair bit of space as that's the only one of these adventures I've not read or played and it sounds pretty cool, and I haven't read Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan since the 80s.

Not sure describing the Yawning Portal without providing a level or two of Undermountain makes much sense, and I'm disappointed that there isn't an adventure including from the 4e era – would have been good to have seen Thunderspire Labyrinth in there.

I do think it's good to have some shorter adventures available to run for those who don't know the originals back to front, so I think the book will come in pretty handy.

Cheers


Rich

 

[zaratan]

The Demi Lich targets itself with its anti-magic field.

It is now pretty much immune to everything the party can toss at it.

Good option in deed. But antimagic field can be countered. It work for one round, he can't use it two rounds in a roll and there is 50% of he don't get lair action. And effects like divine smite still damage him in antimagic field.
He still will be destroyed in two rounds max.

But if trap of soul was the lair action and he could use and concentrate in antimagic field (and get a decent initiative), than would like more as Acelerak:
Lair action: use trap of soul in the caster with counterspell
Action: antimagic field
Lair action: any, wait the next for another trap of soul
Action: howl or life drain...

I would let some specific effects bypass Acelerak's antimagic field, like in original ToH