The Thing in the Portal (KotS Spoilers)

[Klaus]

The Thing in the Portal isn't a tentacled thing. It's an amalgamation of despairing spirits and ghosts (not unlike the "black pool" thing that grabs Imhotep in the end of the first Mummy movie).

 

[pukunui]

The Thing in the Portal isn't a tentacled thing. It's an amalgamation of despairing spirits and ghosts (not unlike the "black pool" thing that grabs Imhotep in the end of the first Mummy movie).

I haven't seen The Mummy, so I don't get the reference. Mechanically speaking, you're right. There are no tentacles. It's just the picture included in KotS that suggests a Far Realmsy tentacled thing (or Yog-Sothoth, as Frank pointed out).

 

[Klaus]

I haven't seen The Mummy, so I don't get the reference. Mechanically speaking, you're right. There are no tentacles. It's just the picture included in KotS that suggests a Far Realmsy tentacled thing (or Yog-Sothoth, as Frank pointed out).

It's a fun movie, I recommend it.

As for the picture, well, KotS doesn't have the best pictures...

 

[pukunui]

It's a fun movie, I recommend it.

I've just never gotten around to it. One day I'll watch it, I'm sure.

As for the picture, well, KotS doesn't have the best pictures...

No it doesn't.

Apropos of nothing, I couldn't help but notice that in the ad at the back of the core books, KotS is a hardback book not a folio. Anyone else notice that?

 

[frankthedm]

The Thing in the Portal isn't a tentacled thing. It's an amalgamation of despairing spirits and ghosts (not unlike the "black pool" thing that grabs Imhotep in the end of the first Mummy movie).

Well, that solves a lot of questions. I heard the KOTS art was inaccurate at times. Guess this is another example.

Still, if the players do Anything Dumb^TM to the portal, like say using it for a body disposal {giving it sacrifices], Something Bad^TM should happen. Not just some undead flying through the portal, but something really nasty, like a Mordant hydra blasting beams of necrotic energy instead of acid, ought to crawl though.

 

[pukunui]

Well, that solves a lot of questions. I heard the KOTS art was inaccurate at times. Guess this is another example.

It's mostly the pregens. The art on the character sheets doesn't match the character -- like the weapons and armor will be different to what's on the sheet. That kind of thing. I haven't noticed many, if any, inaccuracies in the art in the adventure itself (other than the tentacled thing). I suppose the map of Winterhaven's a bit off but that's been discussed ad nauseum already.

 

[frankthedm]

It's mostly the pregens. The art on the character sheets doesn't match the character -- like the weapons and armor will be different to what's on the sheet. That kind of thing.

Yeah, thats what I heard. To me the value of art in a module is equally proportionate to the likelihood of it being shown to a player. Inaccurate art for what a player is supposed to see is a BIG no-no in my book.

 

[pukunui]

Yeah, thats what I heard.

I don't mind too much about the pregens because I'm not using them but it's the principle of the thing, really. To be honest, though, how many novels have cover art that matches what's inside the book? Too many times the protagonist depicted on the front has the wrong hair color or the wrong clothes or whatever. It's nothing new really. The artists generally don't read/aren't given the chance to read the text they're supposed to be rendering visually.

To me the value of art in a module is equally proportionate to the likelihood of it being shown to a player. Inaccurate art for what a player is supposed to see is a BIG no-no in my book.

I agree. From what I remember, Red Hand of Doom had some inaccurate art as well. That and map scales that were off ... which appears to be something with which WotC still has a problem since it seems to me like the scale on the map of Nentir Vale in the 4e DMG is off. Le sigh ...