Waterdeep: Dungeon Of The Mad Mage Preview Roundup!

As the release of Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage closes in (Friday!), here's a quick roundup of all the previews which have snuck out of WotC HQ over the last few weeks!

• Take a peek at these images from Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage, as featured on Fantasy Grounds.
• There is the start of level 19 from Waterdeep: DotMM. It involves a crashed Spelljammer, where the crew is hiding out in an ooze-filled cavern to escape their hungry mindflayer captain. It is for 4 15-level PCs, who should be 16th-level if they don't become ooze or mindflayer food. Mindflayers and oozes are like peanut butter and jelly that eats you.
• WotC's Nathan Stewart has shared another preview of Dungeon of the Mad Mage as part of his Extra Life charity fundraising efforts. This is the introduction to Level 15, the Obstacle Course.
• Issue 22 of Dragon+, WotC online house magazine, is available, and includes information about the upcoming Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage.
• WotC's Nathan Stewart has shared two pages from the overview of the upcoming adventure, Dungeon of the Mad Mage, as a reward tier for his Extra Life charity fundraising efforts. This two-page spread shows a section on adventure hooks and starting quests.
• Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage is due very soon (November 9th), and there have been numerous little previews, screenshots, and more which can be combined for a more comprehensive list of the dungeon levels. Here's the list as best I've been able to make out so far - all but a couple of levels, though some may be misread or misspelled!
• As part of the Extra Life charity event, WotC's Nathan Stewart has shared page 27 of the upcoming book, Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage, showing the start of Level 2: Arcane Chambers.
• With the cryptic line "If you think Waterdeep: Dragon Heist is full of fun surprises, wait till you see Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage", WotC's Chris Perkins has shared an image of Level 19: Caverns of Ooze from the upcoming sequel to Dragon Heist, due out November 13th.

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[LordEntrails]

Due November 13th? Or this Friday, the 9th?

9th for WPN, 20th for general distribution.

The map to level 1 has been shown!!!......and it has 41 numbered locations!!

Is that impressive or depressing? You know the original had something like 400 right?

Here is a link to level 1 if you don't have roll 20.......http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2018...mad-mages-maps-are-intricate-and-massive.html

Thanks!

There are 34!!!!! Different monsters and NPCs to be encountered in level 1!!!!!.....

Again, that impresses you? Cuz you know the original had ten times that right?

 

[Joseph Nardo]

41 FULLY WRITTEN numbered encounters. The originals of which I own were by far mostly left for the DM to populate. EVERY single level of this version is fully written, again a huge difference from the originals.

 

[LordEntrails]

Here's one of the earlier edition maps... http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R6gmmj18_yU/S8bYmbf9Z0I/AAAAAAAAABc/1EIgwGNPJr0/s320/map11_MarkRef.jpg

 

[LordEntrails]

41 FULLY WRITTEN numbered encounters. The originals of which I own were by far mostly left for the DM to populate. EVERY single level of this version is fully written, again a huge difference from the originals.

Absolutely. But 41 isn't sufficient for me. Hence; https://www.facebook.com/UltimateUndermountain

 

[Joseph Nardo]

I own both ruins of undermountain 1 and 2. 98% of those maps are left to the dms imagination. I much prefer a paid professional to write the encounters.

 

[Joseph Nardo]

You have an excellent thing there but much of today's players don't want to spend 5 years in a dungeon campaign. This is the next best thing. The largest FULLY written dungeon ever put out by WOTC is what players around me want, this size. I'm old school but my groups want new things after a year.

 

[Joseph Nardo]

A question.....your facebook page....you fully wrote the encounters for the originals maps? Holy cow!

 

[LordEntrails]

A question.....your facebook page....you fully wrote the encounters for the originals maps? Holy cow!

Yep, well, I'm proofing the first level now. Don't have the other levels done yet, but have lots drafted. Wanted to wait until DoMM so I can better integrate with their storylines etc.

Unfortunately I've had trouble converting from the database to text layout (and then PDF) so only the Fantasy Grounds version will be ready Friday. I'd like to have the PDF ready by the 20th, but, that's unlikely

 

[the_redbeard]

Yep, well, I'm proofing the first level now. Don't have the other levels done yet, but have lots drafted. Wanted to wait until DoMM so I can better integrate with their storylines etc.

Unfortunately I've had trouble converting from the database to text layout (and then PDF) so only the Fantasy Grounds version will be ready Friday. I'd like to have the PDF ready by the 20th, but, that's unlikely

I'm intrigued. I've been using a spreadsheet to key dungeons, but you're using a database? Please, tell me more.

 

[LordEntrails]

I'm intrigued. I've been using a spreadsheet to key dungeons, but you're using a database? Please, tell me more.

Fantasy Grounds. I put in an overview map, and then pin each location. That pin is a link to a story 'object' which has description, boxed text, links to battlemaps, encounters (NPCs with pre-placement on the battlemaps), treasure parcels with items, all that.

FG is all a flat database with a nice UI.