D&D 4E Tomb of Horrors (4E version) - anyone run this yet?

[Majoru Oakheart]

Just wondering if you could run the RPGA TOH adventure as a prologue? Would it gel with the super adventure story line?

I just got the RPGA one today and it has hyped me up to run this and then the super adventure. I was going to use the Legacy article for Skull City and run my group through it when they finish messing about in Thunderspire. But from what I've read I'd be retreading some of the same ground as the start of this super adventure.

I am doing just that. We finished the last session of the RPGA Tomb of Horrors last week and I plan on running a transition session before starting the Super Adventure. I want them to be level 11 before starting the Super adventure, since I think it is pretty tough.

My problem appears to be that my players don't really want to play it. I convinced them to try the RPGA adventure, but now that they've reached the end of it, half my group is complaining about there being too many traps. Also, they don't like traps that can't be found with Perception. Also, they don't like dying so much. Also, they want more role playing and less dungeon delving.

I haven't yet had a chance to go through all of the Super Adventure, but I do have a question for those who have read it. The RPGA adventure is pretty much a copy of the original adventure softened slightly to be more in line with 4e rules. Is the Super Adventure extremely trap based and deadly like the RPGA adventure? I'm working on convincing my players to actually give it a try, but they will only accept "It isn't like the adventure you already played" as a reason to play it.

 

[malraux]

My general impression of the superadventure is that it is more trapped based than most other adventures, but still has a decent mix of other forms of encounters (though I also think it has way too many solos). That said, the original ToH was pretty much entirely traps, many of which that were low blows. That's not the case with the new one.

 

[the Jester]

The 4e version has the best mix of puzzle, trap and monster encounters that I have seen in 4e so far, period.

That means it does have a good number of traps (and puzzles, etc) but not nearly as many as the original.

 

[ArcaneSpringboard]

I'm now into running Chapter 2. Some comments in the spoiler tags.

Spoiler

The first encounter was fine, but I completely skipped the big skill challenge through the Tower of Test and the Dark Barrow.

The reason I skipped the Tower of Test was that it's MUCH to big to properly sketch out on a battlemap. It was going to be a huge hassle, so I just skipped it.

The Dark Barrow I skipped because it really didn't add anything to the adventure, beyond just being a monster to fight. It wasn't blocking anything, there really isn't anything important going on.

The fight with the Tortured Vestige took FOREVER. Mind you, this is because my players decided to completely ignore trying to break the wards on the gate, and just try to fight the Vestige. Unfortunately, they didn't realize that they were supposed to be scared of it (the big glowing picture didn't scare them).

It's actually quite winnable...but only after 2+ hours of fighting due to the Level +6 solo hp. I thought that the 'new' monsters in ToH were more appropriately scaled for damage, but not in this case.

It confirmed my feeling that in order to really scare a player you need to do a massive amount of damage in one blow. As it was, the Vestige was more annoying than anything else.

I'd almost consider removing the Wraiths from the Perilous Archways encounter in the Shadow Tomb. The key to the encounter really is the portals and the Devourer, not the Wraiths, who are pretty much a speedbump.

 

[Katana_Geldar]

Spoiler

It confirmed my feeling that in order to really scare a player you need to do a massive amount of damage in one blow. As it was, the Vestige was more annoying than anything else.

I found that out myself with the

Spoiler

statue and the angels, the angels did that much damage that they were running away like scared rabbits

 

[TerraDave]

Thanks for all the play reportage.

I look forward to reading more!

 

[Mercurius]

I found that out myself with the

Spoiler

statue and the angels, the angels did that much damage that they were running away like scared rabbits

Yup. Actually, that encounter KOed half the party. Granted, only four of the five 9th-level characters were there, and 9th level might be a bit over-challenged, but still. They now have a healthy fear of this adventure!

I apologize, btw, for not updating - well, nothing I can do about it because I had to cancel our last session. But we should be playing both this and next Friday so I'll give two more updates shortly.

 

[Katana_Geldar]

Talk about it at some length here. I think I'm one of the few on the Blogosphere to review it. There are spoilers though!

And yes, I am eager to see if the

Spoiler

flamejet trap can fix the lamia encounter

.

 

[Mercurius]

We finally got around to playing a couple nights ago after four weeks off (we normally play every other week but had to cancel a couple times). It was our third session and I think will take one or two more to get through the first chapter, so 4-5 sessions total for chapter one.

I figure that I don't have to use spoiler tags because anyone playing in this won't be sneaking glances into this thread anyhow?

Anyway, we left off last session with a cliffhanger: the room (15, I think) had gone dark and then when light returned they were facing duplicates of themselves. That combat went fairly smoothly and only one PC accidentally attacked another.

They then proceeded to the game room, which was fun at first but became a bit tedious because they got it in their heads that they had to beat each table. I also hadn't run many skill challenges so it was a bit confusing at first. But they did successfully beat the tables but were left with nowhere to go--they didn't find the secret door into room 12--but they did find the secret door back into the underground passage, so--afer an extended rest--made their way back to the beginning and headed over to the maproom and then over the rope bridge to the marble building (rooms 9 and 10). They were leery of the water pool in 10, so went into 9.

What then began was one of their most epic battles yet against the lamia and the scarab swarms. Of the five PCs, only one didn't go below 0 HP at least once; one or two of them went below 0 HP two or three times - it was getting ridiculous. She was a rather nasty creature and almost escaped them, but they finished her off on the pathway towards the rope bridge at 11. We ended there - with the party a mess and in need of major recuperation.

As I said, I think we'll need two more sessions to complete the chapter. I'm a bit worried about them figuring out some of the traps/puzzles; the key puzzle, for instance, might be a bit too clever for them (not because they aren't clever, but because they aren't used to figuring this sort of thing out).

Until next time...

 

[TerraDave]

Thanks! (note, I need to do more XP spreading...)