The New D&D Adventure Is - Tomb of Annihilation!

Tomb of Annihilation is in the Forgotten Realms set in the Lost Continent of Chult - Away from the Sword Coast (the hosts of the live stream are very interested with undead dinosaurs). Acererak is, as many predicted, the source of this plotline as the Archlich is more or less "eating" resurrection magic from the rest of the Forgotten Realms and causing a zombie apocalypse. Pendleton Ward from Adventure Time is a creative consultant on this adventure.

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More updates will be coming through the Dungeons & Dragons marathon live stream live on Twitch throughout the weekend.

 

[jgsugden]

Sauce please

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app

http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthed-arcana/unearthed-arcana-update

 

[Pauper]

I wonder what the resurection issue is going to play out in AL. Considering I run a TON of it.

Given how badly the 'lock-in' aspect of Barovia went over in AL, and how any possible implementation of 'perma-death' is loudly decried among more vocal AL folks, I suspect that AL adventurers will either be curiously immune to the resurrection issue in Tomb of Annihilation, or the effect will only apply on such an unlikely series of die rolls that most players won't ever have to deal with the possibility.

I could be proven wrong -- it would be a very Gygaxian thing to come up with a mechanic to effectively drive high-tier characters out of the campaign to get players started up with low tier 'toons' again -- but I won't be holding my breath.

--
Pauper

 

[jgsugden]

Given how badly the 'lock-in' aspect of Barovia went over in AL, and how any possible implementation of 'perma-death' is loudly decried among more vocal AL folks, I suspect that AL adventurers will either be curiously immune to the resurrection issue in Tomb of Annihilation, or the effect will only apply on such an unlikely series of die rolls that most players won't ever have to deal with the possibility...

I imagine that they've carefully considered how the resurrection curse will impact PCs in this entire storyline. However, I doubt they have any hope of pleasing everyone. Nor will they try to please everyone - they'll do what they think is best for a large part of the group and accept that there will be complaints from a vocal group - just like with everything else.

 

[Mouseferatu]

(I have to be honest though, that's my quirk -- I've not been satisfied with anyone's version since Bruce Cordell's Return version in the 90s.)

That hurts, Henry. That's hurtful.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I don't know why people are doubting Ed's claim. Lots of kids write stories. And he never claimed the ones he wrote at eight were any good, merely that they were the first in the setting he continued to develop.

I mean, the games I ran at 10, and the stories I wrote starting at around 12, all sucked. But there were still a few details in them that I've continued to use in some of my settings--both novel and game--even now.

 

[Elderbrain]

Glad to see that Xanathar's Guide to Everything is an actual RPG book, not just another Dungeonology (not that there's anything wrong with that, per see), and that it will include new rules expansion material. (Well, new as in "in hardcover"!). Looking forward to the new books. Re: Elminster and other raised NPCs, perhaps the death curse is local, only affecting the people of the Chult region?

 

[Staffan]

I don't know why people are doubting Ed's claim. Lots of kids write stories. And he never claimed the ones he wrote at eight were any good, merely that they were the first in the setting he continued to develop.

This, "One comes, unheralded, to Zirta" is apparently a story he wrote in 1967 (based on an earlier story he wrote in 1965).

I mean, it's not great literature by any means, but the dude was 8.

 

[JRedmond]

So I have a theory on how this adventure shakes down. I do not believe Acererak is the main villain. I believe he is present but primarily as a fake out.
I think the primary antagonist of ToA is actually Ras Nsi, the Yuan-Ti with the flaming sword. He is an established Chult character and know for his ability to raise undead.

I expect Acererak has a similar role to Tomb of Horrors. Mostly Passive.

I am in agreement on this one. The guy from Gale Force 9 mentioned in passing the main adversary was Ras Nsi which I think was probably a slip up.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Product page is up and live:

http://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/tomb-annihilation

Level range for it is 1-11. No page count listed yet.

This, this bothers me.

I have a vast respect for a well-prepared and clever lich. I've often told my players that if I ever wanted to TPK a party legitimately, even at level 20, that is what I'd pit them against.

Acerak, from what I know, is one of the most famous and powerful liches in the game. And we're supposed to beat him at level 11? Even the MM lists him as a CR 23 within his lair.

So, either the players are supposed to get some ridiculous magical gear, or weaken him somehow so that they can actually fight him... which really is a drag.

Why not make it a LV 5-15 or even (gasp) go all the way up to level 20?

This is an epic adventure just from descriptions, and I might still try and get a copy to steal things from, but ending at level 11 just feels like you're going to break his stuff while he's away and everything will get sucked into a dimensional portal, cause a level 11 party is not going toe-to-toe with a Lich and having any realistic chance at victory.

 

[Jester David]

Given how badly the 'lock-in' aspect of Barovia went over in AL, and how any possible implementation of 'perma-death' is loudly decried among more vocal AL folks, I suspect that AL adventurers will either be curiously immune to the resurrection issue in Tomb of Annihilation, or the effect will only apply on such an unlikely series of die rolls that most players won't ever have to deal with the possibility.

I could be proven wrong -- it would be a very Gygaxian thing to come up with a mechanic to effectively drive high-tier characters out of the campaign to get players started up with low tier 'toons' again -- but I won't be holding my breath.

--
Pauper

Maybe it will be season-limited permadeath. You can resurrect, but only after the season when the problem is "solved".