I'm interested in buying the Marmoreal Tomb box but I have to ask one question first.
What is the amount of undead in the megadungeon? A very rough percentage in your opinion is all I need. I just finished running Barrowmaze which was undead heavy, and I can't do that again to my PC's.
The product looks interesting, so if you have a chance to write back, I would appreciate it.
I'm interested in buying the Marmoreal Tomb box but I have to ask one question first.
What is the amount of undead in the megadungeon? A very rough percentage in your opinion is all I need. I just finished running Barrowmaze which was undead heavy, and I can't do that again to my PC's.
The product looks interesting, so if you have a chance to write back, I would appreciate it.
GaryCon had this for a special price. I picked it up knowing I had waited for it several years. It would take a long time to do a full and considered review, but here is an overview of the product. Your answers are spoilered at the end.
My Takeaway: The artistry of the maps and the quantity of them are far and away the biggest selling point, IMO. The megadungeon is smaller than the huge ones we've seen lately, but with far more detailed entries and a high amount of variation and novelty.
The campaign starter is two books. Module (182pp) and Appendices (90pp). The module is where you want to spend most of your time. This is the campaign overview, the environmental surroundings, the entryways and references to the maps, and all of the initial dungeon levels and special locations. The appendices are your monster manual, several special rules, handouts, referee cheat sheets, and how to fill in a special blank level map which was a bonus.
The Wilderness Expansion (194pp) book increases the scope to a full-blown campaign setting hundreds of miles wide. It is 40pp of setting info, 52pp of all figures and factions in the area, two full new adventure locations. Both large and with many maps. The Twin Tankard looks fun. The final chapter is encounter tables. Appendix A is for Monsters as PCs. Appendix B for all the hirelings. Appendix C handouts
The Underworld Expansion (250pp) book. This expands the final level of the original module, and adds more levels beyond, 166pp. See the spoilers below. Appendix A New Monsters 34pp, ("special") monsters 20pp, handouts 18pp, and all the dungeons secrets nicely laid bare 14pp.
Free City of Altimira booklet, 20pp. This is pretty light, kind of campaign overview and perhaps a Kickstarter bonus.
Marmoreal (marble) is the key here, moreso than Tomb (the dead and living dead). The largest number of creature types herein are golems. But there is 1 full level and another sublevel full tombs and burial vaults. So there is a good number of undead, but even in those levels half the encounters are with what is living there, not undead. And those are the more interesting monsters here IMO. Those with motives and relationships to other creatures in the dungeon. There are still Undead to be found, but I would say less than a fourth overall. And that is only in the tomb. There might be no undead anywhere in the nearby wilderness. Though I may have missed one or two I recall none. The Wilderness is hugely peppered with variety. Both of any kind of exotic monster you care to name, especially new ones, and all kinds of factions for a lively overworld.
The underworld expansion is where you're going to find a great deal of variety and size added to the tomb itself and very little undead at all.
Of course there are many secrets here and many goings ons for the players to discover.
Given how the wilderness is designed, I don't think the setting expansion is so much to give you a campaign world as to provide a Wilderness Adventure. Yes, there are safe locations to regroup and resupply, but the majority are tied to the mystery of the setting.
My gamer instincts say the design intention is to leave the tomb as the biggest location in an exploratory Overland Game. An experience allowing many clues and mysteries to be learned before ever finding and delving into the tomb itself. But this would require a fuller reading on my part.
GaryCon had this for a special price. I picked it up knowing I had waited for it several years. It would take a long time to do a full and considered review, but here is an overview of the product. Your answers are spoilered at the end.
My Takeaway: The artistry of the maps and the quantity of them are far and away the biggest selling point, IMO. The megadungeon is smaller than the huge ones we've seen lately, but with far more detailed entries and a high amount of variation and novelty.
The campaign starter is two books. Module (182pp) and Appendices (90pp). The module is where you want to spend most of your time. This is the campaign overview, the environmental surroundings, the entryways and references to the maps, and all of the initial dungeon levels and special locations. The appendices are your monster manual, several special rules, handouts, referee cheat sheets, and how to fill in a special blank level map which was a bonus.
The Wilderness Expansion (194pp) book increases the scope to a full-blown campaign setting hundreds of miles wide. It is 40pp of setting info, 52pp of all figures and factions in the area, two full new adventure locations. Both large and with many maps. The Twin Tankard looks fun. The final chapter is encounter tables. Appendix A is for Monsters as PCs. Appendix B for all the hirelings. Appendix C handouts
The Underworld Expansion (250pp) book. This expands the final level of the original module, and adds more levels beyond, 166pp. See the spoilers below. Appendix A New Monsters 34pp, ("special") monsters 20pp, handouts 18pp, and all the dungeons secrets nicely laid bare 14pp.
Free City of Altimira booklet, 20pp. This is pretty light, kind of campaign overview and perhaps a Kickstarter bonus.
Marmoreal (marble) is the key here, moreso than Tomb (the dead and living dead). The largest number of creature types herein are golems. But there is 1 full level and another sublevel full tombs and burial vaults. So there is a good number of undead, but even in those levels half the encounters are with what is living there, not undead. And those are the more interesting monsters here IMO. Those with motives and relationships to other creatures in the dungeon. There are still Undead to be found, but I would say less than a fourth overall. And that is only in the tomb. There might be no undead anywhere in the nearby wilderness. Though I may have missed one or two I recall none. The Wilderness is hugely peppered with variety. Both of any kind of exotic monster you care to name, especially new ones, and all kinds of factions for a lively overworld.
The underworld expansion is where you're going to find a great deal of variety and size added to the tomb itself and very little undead at all.
Just FYI the PDF (along with a bunch of other stuff) is available in the Lost Works of Gygax Humble Bundle for another two weeks. Marmoreal is in the $25 level along with Yggsburgh stuff and more.
