We're Going To Do Return to the Tomb of Horrors and One Player has Freaked Out!

[jodyjohnson]

ToH and RttToH are great modules to read. And probably fun to play with a 1e feel. Lots of henchmen, retainers, hirelings, and a good total of PCs.

Trap dungeons and even the high level game illustrate why I'm starting to respect the huge parties of 1e vs. the 3.x 4 player party.

To show off traps and all those cool monster abilities you need 'red shirts' to use them on.

Losing a trusty henchman or hireling to 'super cool unavoidable blade of death trap' is tragic but not a session ender.
Having 1/4 of the party killed by said trap is not so cool. And 'realistically' once you lose a PC you retreat (end of session).

The fun of trap dungeons and special creature abilities is getting to show them off. The problem lies in the dynamics of what happens when they work.

I would do either of these with an ongoing campaign. However, the normal 4 person party gets beefed up to several times its normal number in pets, cohorts, hirelings, and NPCs. With 1/2 the party as an acceptable loss and no perma deaths for PCs the party can play through and recover. I'd run a much higher level party. RttToH has at least 2 creatures that have Epic write-ups in 3.x. And with the number of encounters the majority would need to be a EL much lower than the party to avoid: 4 encounter, rest. 1 encounter, rest. 3 encounter, rest. I prefer each locale to be a 'day' of adventuring rather then 10 minutes of adventuring and 23 hours of recovery, repeat.

 

[SweeneyTodd]

You know how a lot of people hype things up to make them sound a lot worse than they are?

We're not doing that.

Dude, none of you are going to make it through with your characters intact. Just do a search on here for "Tomb of Horrors". Nobody survives.

Well, enjoy!

 

[Henry]

ToH and RttToH are great modules to read. And probably fun to play with a 1e feel. Lots of henchmen, retainers, hirelings, and a good total of PCs.

Trap dungeons and even the high level game illustrate why I'm starting to respect the huge parties of 1e vs. the 3.x 4 player party.

To show off traps and all those cool monster abilities you need 'red shirts' to use them on.

My friend, back in Gary Gygax's day, all those characters WEREN'T NPCs. At times when the game was new, he'd be DM'ing for twenty people at a time! Also, character creation time for gameplay was much quicker for the average player.

To look at it another way, they were ALL red shirts...

 

[jodyjohnson]

To look at it another way, they were ALL red shirts...

Or perhaps one was the plucky comic relief.

 

[jrients]

What is he? Chicken?

*bawk*
*bawk*
*bawk*

That was my reaction. Here's an opportunity to show what he's made of as a player and what he's made of apparently is 100% grade 'A' wuss. I'd jump at the chance to take a veteran PC through the Tomb of Horros. Yes, my guy would probably die horribly, but what if he made it through alive? "Hi, I'm Nerdenkainen the Wizard." "The one who made it out of the Tomb alive?" "The same." "Dude! You roxxor!" "Why, yes. Yes, I do. How kind of you to notice."

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Yes, my guy would probably die horribly, but what if he made it through alive? "Hi, I'm Nerdenkainen the Wizard." "The one who made it out of the Tomb alive?" "The same." "Dude! You roxxor!" "Why, yes. Yes, I do. How kind of you to notice."

Dying horribly is one thing. Dying casually is another. There are a lot of save-or-die rolls in this module. It's insanely hazardous.

Frankly, I'd invest in a wand of summoning and have a kobold walk through every door and touch every object first.

 

[rogueattorney]

How in the world did he make it to 15th level if he was afraid his pc was going to die?

PC's were born to die. The only question is how much damage they do on the way. Are they on their way to Valhalla or on their way to Limbo? Are they legend or are they forgotten?

If he doesn't want his 15th level character to die, that character should retire.

R.A.

 

[Gentlegamer]

Frankly, I'd invest in a wand of summoning and have a kobold walk through every door and touch every object first.

Funny that you mention that: that is almost exactly how Lord Robilar made it through the original Tomb of Horrors . . .




[That is, HE PLAYED SMARTLY!]

 

[Bregh]

I'm with Henry and rogueattorney.

It's a game. Step up to the plate and show what you've got--having played this PC from 1st level means he should know the ins and outs of his abilities and should have a strong group dynamic with the rest of the party.

It's a test of player mettle. I'd jump at the chance to take this on with boon companions--win or lose, it'd be a tale worth telling afterward.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

How in the world did he make it to 15th level if he was afraid his pc was going to die?

There's a difference between, "It is very, very important that my character do X, and while doing so, he may die," and "It is very, very important that my character do one of the following 4 things, and if I do the last, he absolutely will die before he can attempt the other three."