D&D 5E Vecna: Eve of Ruin Coming May 21st!

[Demetrios1453]

I don't think they even seem shy about it being a Thsnos style situation.

Gathering the pieces of the Rod of Seven Parts = gathering the Infinity Stones.

A group of important, powerful people assemble to stop this from happening.

Yeah, it's not too subtle. But if you're going to do an homage to something, at least it's to one of the most successful works of fiction in recent times...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

That was a past version of Vecna from before he lost his hand and eye and became a god.

I find it hard to believe any version of Vecna would have fought in that sort of scenario.

I would bet on it being retconned as an impostor or some sort of trick. Even pre-ascension, only an idiot wizard would fight in the set-up in that adventure.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Now that I think on it a bit more, yeah, I'm going to take a guess that the remaining Archdevils get stat blocks in this one as members of the "30 high level foes" club. Since it seems pretty certain that the adventure takes place at least in part in the Nine Hells, it would seem likely they would be directly involved (and Asmodeus would certainly want to counter a threat like Vecna appears to be in the adventure), making this the perfect place to finally update them. I'm also wondering if Primus and the remaining upper level heirarch modrons will get stat blocks as well - maybe we'll get a callback to the Great Modron March module, or that Vecna's plan involves messing with the machinery of the multiverse directly in Mechanus. On the more certain side, I'm sure Kas (and, obviously, Vecna) will get statted out in the book.

EDIT: Oh, didn't they say they had Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul statted out for Descent to Avernus, but had to cut them (both the stats and their extended storyline) for room? Well, this seems to be the perfect place to bring them back in, especially since Bhaal's symbol is on the alt cover (perhaps doing double duty symbolizing both him and Avernus!)

The remaining hierarch morons are covered excellently in the Manual of the Planes on the DMsGuild, although I wouldn't say no to an Aspect version of Primus (as they're essentially a deity).

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I find it hard to believe any version of Vecna would have fought in that sort of scenario.

I would bet on it being retconned as an impostor or some sort of trick. Even pre-ascension, only an idiot wizard would fight in the set-up in that adventure.

A bunch of us played it here to test it out. IIRC we beat him once due to grapple-cheese, and then we played it once or twice more with the DM having a better understanding of the Statblock, and he whupped us silly.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Now that I think on it a bit more, yeah, I'm going to take a guess that the remaining Archdevils get stat blocks in this one as members of the "30 high level foes" club. Since it seems pretty certain that the adventure takes place at least in part in the Nine Hells, it would seem likely they would be directly involved (and Asmodeus would certainly want to counter a threat like Vecna appears to be in the adventure), making this the perfect place to finally update them. I'm also wondering if Primus and the remaining upper level heirarch modrons will get stat blocks as well - maybe we'll get a callback to the Great Modron March module, or that Vecna's plan involves messing with the machinery of the multiverse directly in Mechanus. On the more certain side, I'm sure Kas (and, obviously, Vecna) will get statted out in the book.

EDIT: Oh, didn't they say they had Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul statted out for Descent to Avernus, but had to cut them (both the stats and their extended storyline) for room? Well, this seems to be the perfect place to bring them back in, especially since Bhaal's symbol is on the alt cover (perhaps doing double duty symbolizing both him and Avernus!)

Given that Dungeon of the Mad Mage has a higher page count, I don't get having to cut anything.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Artis Cimber?

Maybe Dragonbait too.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

A bunch of us played it here to test it out. IIRC we beat him once due to grapple-cheese, and then we played it once or twice more with the DM having a better understanding of the Statblock, and he whupped us silly.

I forgot about that!

I still don't think 22 Intelligence Vecna would consent to characters confronting him in anything other than a deathtrap inside a deathtrap inside a deathtrap, ad infinitum. There should be layer upon layer of fake Vecnas to go through, etc.

If the PCs want to actually confront the real guy, they should have to figure an extremely clever way of forcing him to come out of hiding.

This is a hard kind of adventure to write well, IMO.

 

[Distracted DM]

Gathering the pieces of the Rod of Seven Parts = gathering the Infinity Stones.

A group of important, powerful people assemble to stop this from happening.

Yeah, it's not too subtle. But if you're going to do an homage to something, at least it's to one of the most successful works of fiction in recent times...

Yeah I don't love the aesthetic of the new vecna, or the focus on a gauntleted hand- BUT it's true that his hand and eye were always big things in D&D. So it's probably just association that we're drawing lines between them. The cynical part of me doesn't see it that way, but I try to shush those thoughts :')

On the other hand, that new wizkids "old school + new school" monster design set, the old school Vecna there is pretty nice.

 

[Mercurius]

Wow, both of those covers are awful.

IMO, of course.

 

[dead]

So, the whole central shtick here are the time-wimey obelisks of timeline resetting, which have apparently already been used by Vecna prior to Icewind Dale and the Shattered Obelisk: this is not a static Newtonian time approach.

It would be great if they give an explanation in the upcoming adventure. Sigil has been reset, too. Only the Realms is ticking forward as it should be.