RttToEE any good?

[Thrommel]

I have a ton of opinions on this but I'll boil it down to a few quick points.

For starters, the community on the RttToEE messageboards is hands down one of the best groups of gaming minds I've had the fortune to interact with. The support they've created around this module makes it a STEAL for $30. I don't know of any other module that's supported by its fan community as well as RttToEE is.

Does the module have some warts? Sure - it's a huge adventure, there's bound to be some things that are hinky. But the forum community has already got tons of friendly advice about what to watch out for and options for getting your group out of a bad spot or changing it up when you need a change of pace.

For those who complain that it's a huge dungeon crawl: DID YOU PLAY THE FIRST ONE?? RttToEE definitely pays homage to its predecessor, as I think was expected by the fan base.

The other important point is that it's a big committment. You're realistically looking at a year or more of gaming. Both you as the DM and your group have to be ready for that. It's a big undertaking and if you go for it, both you and your party will feel like they've run the gauntlet by the time you're done.

But I'll tell you one thing: I know I became a better DM by running RttToEE and being involved with the messageboard community around it.

-Thrommel, who notes that at least this time around no one drowns in a giant semi-intelligent pool of acid.

 

[blakwind]

I consider Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil to be *the* quintessential 3E adventure. I believe that gamers will someday reflect back on RttToEE with the same sense of fond nostalgia that they reserve for their favourite 1E edition classics.

I'll try to add a few points that cover new ground.

1) RttToEE can support many different play styles. If your players like lots of roleplay and subterfuge, the adventure can be played as a Byzantine political drama where the PCs manipulate various evil factions, forging and breaking aliances to achieve their goals. If your players like lots of combat, it can be played as a kick-down-the-door hackfest. PCs can switch freely between these modes in different sections.

2) The tone is very dark, similar to that of the Book of Vile Darkness or Call of Cthulhu. The villains are, well, vile.

3) RttToEE is easily portable. Many DMs have transported the adventure to homebrew campaign worlds, or even the Forgotten Realms. While Greyhawk is the default setting, this is easy to change.

4) One section of the module includes a HUGE 300+ room dungeon, chock full of unique NPCs and creative encounters. However, once PCs complete certain goals, they're ready to move on to the next section. They can complete these goals in many different ways -- contrary to what others may imply, PCs do not need to explore the whole dungeon.

5) Some DMs run this adventure with a high body count. In my campaign, despite MANY close calls, I had only two PCs die.

As others have said, definitely check out Monte's RttToEE message forums. The quantity and quality of fan material is staggering.

EDIT: fixed typo

 

[Chingerspy]

I am playing in RTtToEE at the moment. Although we have taken a somewhat overlong break grrr.

As players we have found it
a) Epic - Its a biggun!
b) Great - Had good fun for over a year playing it
c) Scarey at times - Nulb, etc...
d) Deadly - could be easy to die if you don't learn to run

My character died once but was luckily restored thanks to a friendly nearby temple. However this was in a side mission because one of the regulars couldn't make the game!! fecking trolls!!! Aramil has now learnt that fire is the best thing for them!

Give it a go. My DM loves the material within the book.