D&D 5E NewbieDM Posts Avernus Previews

NewbieDM on Twitter has received an early copy of Descent Into Avernus from WotC, and has been busy posting photos of the book. Lot of images of the interior. I've posted a handful below, but check his Twitter stream at the link for many, many more.

 

[Xenonnonex]

Partial fix: In the Monster Manual section of Dragons, page 86 provides a variant with Dragons as innate spellcasters. Applying the rules in the sidebar to Tiamat would give her 9 spells per day of up to 9th level, each usable once per day with no material components, her bonus to hit with those spells would be a +18, and her spell save DC would be 26. (This is in addition to the one spell, Divine Word, that she gets to cast 3/day already per her stat block.) And yes, technically Tiamat is of the Fiend type, not Dragon... but c'mon.

How do you feel about Wizards spoiling the top layer of your abode?

 

[gyor]

Fair enough. I have been there.

We've all been there.

 

[gyor]

Partial fix: In the Monster Manual section of Dragons, page 86 provides a variant with Dragons as innate spellcasters. Applying the rules in the sidebar to Tiamat would give her 9 spells per day of up to 9th level, each usable once per day with no material components, her bonus to hit with those spells would be a +18, and her spell save DC would be 26. (This is in addition to the one spell, Divine Word, that she gets to cast 3/day already per her stat block.) And yes, technically Tiamat is of the Fiend type, not Dragon... but c'mon.

This should have been innate to the stat block, but a good fix none the less.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Am I the only one that feels that Zariel mosaic is like the difficulty levels of Diablo III?

I've said before, it seems to me that this whole adventure has a Diablo vibe going on.

Devils, fallen angels, corruption, trips to Hell...

 

[Ash Mantle]

The Adventure Overview is absolutely bonkers. Image credit goes to TimLanning.

Spoiler

 

[dave2008]

I've said before, it seems to me that this whole adventure has a Diablo vibe going on.

Devils, fallen angels, corruption, trips to Hell...

I don't know anything about Diablo (or III), but that story has been around a lot longer than video games

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I don't know anything about Diablo (or III), but that story has been around a lot longer than video games

True, Diablo draws heavily on Dante and Milton, so you could just say they draw on the same source material.

On the other hand, you can't point to Milton for the art style (stained glass, certain character designs).

 

[DWChancellor]

I don't know anything about Diablo (or III), but that story has been around a lot longer than video games

A rather old story. Diablo is all about (like Avernus and many many past stories) corruption and temptation.

Spoiler: Diablo Plots

Diablo 1 sees a town corrupted as evil contained beneath its church spreads (and worse). Diablo 2 sees the results of corruption as the Hero of Diablo 1 succumbs and becomes the evil he/she fought. Etc... Part of the theme being that evil can only be contained (temporarily), not defeated.

 

[Mercador]

Why not get both?

Yes, I'll get both but I would rather distribuate my "TTRPG money" across the year.

 

[Mercador]

I wasn't speaking of the theme, I know that Dante Inferno is a common trope. I was speaking of the art, the 6 mosaic of Tamriel (sorry, Zariel), when you choose the difficulty level in Diablo III, it's the same art pattern.