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.

 

[pming]

Hiya!

Somebody missed Return to the Tomb of Horrors from 2e.

LOL! Nope...have my boxed set sitting right behind me, actually. Never played it. Kinda gave it the "once over" and though to myself Yup...par for the course with 2e stuff. (which, btw, wasn't a good thing in my circle...we stuck with 1e after giving 2e a good 1.5 to 2 year shot; only Dark Sun had us playing 2e).

I'm not specifically against taking an old iconic name/item/whatever and putting it into something new or using it as a spring board to come up with something new. Just make it actually be something new. Why didn't they come up with a new lich who may have stumbled upon an old, secret lair/dungeon that Acererak had? No problem...Acererak isn't mentioned in any marketing spin/BS because he has virtually nothing to do with it. But they didn't. They mention him. Specifically. And then he has virtually nothing to do with the actual adventure. Because, well, Acererak is long dead.

After the Tales from the Yawning Portal having virtually nothing to do with the Yawning Portal, and now this Acererak thing...I'm even less likely to buy a WotC book. It makes me sad. I really really was looking forward to spending cash on new D&D stuff! Too bad WotC just keeps cranking out stuff that I have absolutely no interest in...

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Hussar]

I.understand all the business reasons for 5his.

/snip
:shrug:

That is a freaking hilarious typo. Just perfectly fitting.

There's always been a problem in D&D with trying to flog high level adventures. They just don't sell. But, then again, it used to be a truism that modules didn't sell either. That's been proven wrong.

Maybe, just maybe, if you build it, they will come.

Although, thinking about it, isn't this where the DM's Guild should be stepping up? That's a huge hole that's begging to be filled. Even on DM's Guild, there are almost no high level adventures. At a quick count, there are 29 products for 17th level+ on DM's Guild. The 3rd tier has 88, but, a lot of those end at about 13th level.

In comparison there are 770 1st tier (level 1-4) products on DM's Guild.

I'd say WotC isn't doing this because no one is doing it. No one's found the magic bullet yet anyway.

 

[JeffB]

That is a freaking hilarious typo. Just perfectly fitting..

I was waiting for someone to pick up on it. I almost edited it out but I felt I should leave it for posterity

 

[hawkeyefan]

It sounds to me like the story revolves around Acererak's continuing scheme, building upon the adventures in which he's appeared in the past. Similar to how Return to The Tomb of Horrors expanded on his earlier appearance and shed new light on his actual goals, it sounds like this adventure is an extension of that.

As such, it seems that Acererak is essential to the story playing out the way it does. Even if the PCs must thwart his plans without confronting him directly. Using Larloch or Szass Tam would change the story. Sure, they're all liches, but each has their own goals and schemes.

I think Return to the Tomb is a great adventure. And so did Gygax. So I'm hoping this one uses the lore in a cool way to create another good adventure.

 

[Shasarak]

Have they announced the Central Flanaess Adventurer's Guide yet? SO looking forward to that book!

Which part of the Forgotten Realms is the Flanaess in again? I forget.

 

[murquhart72]

Which part of the Forgotten Realms is the Flanaess in again? I forget.

Ugh, FINE: The Dalelands Adventurer's Guide, complete with the lost elven city of Greyhawk nestled deep in the Valley of the Mage (run by a Red Wizard lich of course).

But in slightly more seriousness:
Man, you'd think with all the Greyhawk swiping they do for 'name recognition' that they'd just simply use GREYHAWK as their default setting instead of that book series with What's-His-Name, the elf with the black skin and white hair who's evil, but isn't? Ah well, once Gary was ousted I guess that was the last anybody really wanted to do with D&D's first official setting

 

[SkidAce]

Ashardalon will be the next name drop after Acererak, my prediction, you heard it here first.

 

[Jhaelen]

In other words, it's okay when someone you like does it, but, when someone you don't like does the same thing, it's bad.

Got it in one - congratulations! For some inexplicable reason I just don't care about things I just don't care about.

Like I said, this has been going on for years. No matter what WotC does, they will fold the hundred dollar bill entirely wrong.

My apologies, I didn't realize you were a Justin Bieber fan.
Let's try to be fair: According to the interwebz he actually didn't completely botch his Beatles cover song.

 

[EthanSental]

But in slightly more seriousness:
Man, you'd think with all the Greyhawk swiping they do for 'name recognition' that they'd just simply use GREYHAWK as their default setting instead of that book series with What's-His-Name, the elf with the black skin and white hair who's evil, but isn't? Ah well, once Gary was ousted I guess that was the last anybody really wanted to do with D&D's first official setting

Swiping from Greyhawk for name recognition would be a travesty as Gary had some odd and very weird naming going on. I'm sure FR has example too with as many products that have seen print, but I mentally see Gary sitting around a table like a 14 year old trying to think up what he thinks are cool names with little reasoning behind it.

 

[GarrettKP]

Hiya!



LOL! Nope...have my boxed set sitting right behind me, actually. Never played it. Kinda gave it the "once over" and though to myself Yup...par for the course with 2e stuff. (which, btw, wasn't a good thing in my circle...we stuck with 1e after giving 2e a good 1.5 to 2 year shot; only Dark Sun had us playing 2e).

I'm not specifically against taking an old iconic name/item/whatever and putting it into something new or using it as a spring board to come up with something new. Just make it actually be something new. Why didn't they come up with a new lich who may have stumbled upon an old, secret lair/dungeon that Acererak had? No problem...Acererak isn't mentioned in any marketing spin/BS because he has virtually nothing to do with it. But they didn't. They mention him. Specifically. And then he has virtually nothing to do with the actual adventure. Because, well, Acererak is long dead.

After the Tales from the Yawning Portal having virtually nothing to do with the Yawning Portal, and now this Acererak thing...I'm even less likely to buy a WotC book. It makes me sad. I really really was looking forward to spending cash on new D&D stuff! Too bad WotC just keeps cranking out stuff that I have absolutely no interest in...

^_^

Paul L. Ming

More assumptions. If the WotC team says Acererak is in the book why would we not believe them? He is in the book, he is a major NPC and he built everything you have to face or stop in this adventure. So why do you assume he has nothing to do with it when they have said the exact opposite?