D&D (2024) Polygon takes shots at WotC & D&D

[Parmandur]

The only thing missing from next year's slate is a campaign adventure. And given we've had one or more a year from 2014-2024, that is a notable omission.

But we are getting both the Dragon Anthology adventures and the starter set (an adventure); it is possible we may consider the starter a campaign adventure, especially if it takes inspiration from Keep on the Borderlands and is similarly meaty.

I certainly don't consider 2025 a slow year at present.

Cheers!

Yeah, with the Starter Set having three separate Adventure module books (The Keep, The Wilderness, and the Caves of Chaos) it certainly feels like it fits in the "slot" of a big Campaign book.

 

[Reynard]

The only thing missing from next year's slate is a campaign adventure. And given we've had one or more a year from 2014-2024, that is a notable omission.

It seems even more notable given the 2024 revision. I certainly expected a new showcase campaign adventure.

 

[MerricB]

It seems even more notable given the 2024 revision. I certainly expected a new showcase campaign adventure.

They're exhausted after Vecna, no doubt. Such incompetence takes effort.

I'm so curious about the new starter set. It could be fantastic, but the personnel at Wizards don't inspire hope. (It's not like they're untalented, but I think they're very misdirected).

 

[Parmandur]

They're exhausted after Vecna, no doubt. Such incompetence takes effort.

I'm so curious about the new starter set. It could be fantastic, but the personnel at Wizards don't inspire hope. (It's not like they're untalented, but I think they're very misdirected).

The head designer on the Starter Set is Juatice Armin, who did Quests from the Infinite Staircase, which is very very good.

 

[Reynard]

They're exhausted after Vecna, no doubt. Such incompetence takes effort.

I'm so curious about the new starter set. It could be fantastic, but the personnel at Wizards don't inspire hope. (It's not like they're untalented, but I think they're very misdirected).

Returning to the Caves of Chaos does not fill me with confidence. I know KotBL is a favorite of many because it was their first, but it is not a particularly good adventure. Despite its flaws Lost Mines is one of the best. WotC should have held on to it as the intro.

 

[MerricB]

Returning to the Caves of Chaos does not fill me with confidence. I know KotBL is a favorite of many because it was their first, but it is not a particularly good adventure. Despite its flaws Lost Mines is one of the best. WotC should have held on to it as the intro.

The Caves of Chaos is such an odd choice given the place Wizards is at.

I rather like the adventure - but more for its potential rather than how it is written. (Neither Hommlet or the Keep are great examples of how to write home bases, IMO). Oh, I also rather like just fighting monsters, too!

Cheers!

 

[MerricB]

The head designer on the Starter Set is Juatice Armin, who did Quests from the Infinite Staircase, which is very very good.

That at least gives me some hope!

 

[MonsterEnvy]

It seems even more notable given the 2024 revision. I certainly expected a new showcase campaign adventure.

I think that's the Dragon Anthology.

 

[Parmandur]

The Caves of Chaos is such an odd choice given the place Wizards is at.

I rather like the adventure - but more for its potential rather than how it is written. (Neither Hommlet or the Keep are great examples of how to write home bases, IMO). Oh, I also rather like just fighting monsters, too!

Cheers!

That is precisely the reason that Justice being the designer is encouraging: at least with Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, he basically started out fresh and built a new Dungeon with some elements from the original, rather than a conversion. I expect that is what we will see here, something riffing on B2 but radically different. The Silderbess section was, what, 3 pages in the original, and this time is getting an entire seperate booklet??

 

[Nightfly]

I know KotBL is a favorite of many because it was their first, but it is not a particularly good adventure.

I'm glad to hear someone else say this. Keep on the Borderlands is practically holy sacrament for players of my generation, but I think it's pretty meh. It's just a monster hotel, really. And unlike the G modules, not a very inspired monster hotel.

When I read Return to the Keep on the Borderlands -- which is brilliant -- it made me realize how dull the original is by comparison, and how little Gygax did with the premise. There, I said it. Burn me at the stake if you will.