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Product Description
Product Description
For generations, the Tomb of Horrors has held an inescapable allure. It draws adventurers to it like a beacon then devours them utterly like some monstrous predator. Within its sepulchral, trap-ridden halls and chambers lay the secrets and treasures of the demilich Acererak and, some say, the demilich himself. This D&D adventure is designed for characters of 10th 22nd level and includes a full-colour, double-sided battle map designed for use with D&D Miniatures
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Well written, good value and deadly these adventures capture the themes and spirit of the original without the horrendous frustration and over-the-top lethality: it actually looks playable and fun, not something that would wipe out the players and put them of the game!
The only real flaw in this book is that the Chapter 2 maps missed out an entire layer of graphics so the large number of Traps and Secret Door locations are unmarked.
Thankfully, after I catalogued the missing markings, the author (Scott Fitzgerald Gray) provided updated maps at his website and via the DDI Forums / Errata / Adventures section.
The only real flaw in this book is that the Chapter 2 maps missed out an entire layer of graphics so the large number of Traps and Secret Door locations are unmarked.
Thankfully, after I catalogued the missing markings, the author (Scott Fitzgerald Gray) provided updated maps at his website and via the DDI Forums / Errata / Adventures section.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
There's a lot of history here.
No I mean it, History with a capital H.
It's been a long time since the original (and overly-deadly) Tomb of Horrors module was released, and we're a long time from the various 'updates' that have happened.
Pleasantly enough, the other modules set around our favourite demi-lich Acererak are considered to have actually occurred - this is not an update of the original (or its 2nd/3rd edition modules) this is an update to the History of the tomb.
This means that, should you have players whom have previously dared Acerereak's halls then their prior knowledge is catered for - the events they will remember will be tales told to them by their grandparents to frighten them to sleep. Intimate knowledge of the original will make players smile and reminisce rather than ruin everything.
The book is presented as four sections, each of which takes the party closer to (da-da-da-dummm) The Truth about our favourite undead monstrosity. The sections are designed to be played as part of a campaign rather than the entirety; the first section is designed for low-paragon tier and the final section for low-to-mid epic tier, with gaps in between.
The adventures cover different planes of existence including the site of the original tomb. I predict more than a few very scared adventures suffering 'nam-like flashbacks as they enter that first tunnel.
This is the first module I've read in a long time that I can't bear to wait to run. I feel like accidentally overloading the PCs with experience so they have the ability to survive the first of the dungeons.. I've not bothered buying Open Grave as yet but I suddenly feel a burning desire to know more about Acererak, plus the fact that a number of monsters in this adventure are defined in that tome rather than the Monster Manual.
Bother, that means I have to buy it too. Quick where's the link? Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead (D&d Supplement) (Dungeons & Dragons) Phew.
You get a poster map, but it only holds only a fraction of the locations you need to run this adventure. Take yourself off to the Wizards website and download the artwork and maps. You'll spend a lot on printer ink, but it'll make running the adventure more fun if your floor plans match :)
This is quality product, well planned and just fills me with too much excitement not to want to run it. The book does say that if you want to make the adventure feel as deadly as the original, run the sections when the party are a couple of levels too low. This will make every battle feel like a boss battle :) So maybe I won't wait for the players to hit tenth level..
(was feeling stingy so upgraded my review to 5 stars)
No I mean it, History with a capital H.
It's been a long time since the original (and overly-deadly) Tomb of Horrors module was released, and we're a long time from the various 'updates' that have happened.
Pleasantly enough, the other modules set around our favourite demi-lich Acererak are considered to have actually occurred - this is not an update of the original (or its 2nd/3rd edition modules) this is an update to the History of the tomb.
This means that, should you have players whom have previously dared Acerereak's halls then their prior knowledge is catered for - the events they will remember will be tales told to them by their grandparents to frighten them to sleep. Intimate knowledge of the original will make players smile and reminisce rather than ruin everything.
The book is presented as four sections, each of which takes the party closer to (da-da-da-dummm) The Truth about our favourite undead monstrosity. The sections are designed to be played as part of a campaign rather than the entirety; the first section is designed for low-paragon tier and the final section for low-to-mid epic tier, with gaps in between.
The adventures cover different planes of existence including the site of the original tomb. I predict more than a few very scared adventures suffering 'nam-like flashbacks as they enter that first tunnel.
This is the first module I've read in a long time that I can't bear to wait to run. I feel like accidentally overloading the PCs with experience so they have the ability to survive the first of the dungeons.. I've not bothered buying Open Grave as yet but I suddenly feel a burning desire to know more about Acererak, plus the fact that a number of monsters in this adventure are defined in that tome rather than the Monster Manual.
Bother, that means I have to buy it too. Quick where's the link? Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead (D&d Supplement) (Dungeons & Dragons) Phew.
You get a poster map, but it only holds only a fraction of the locations you need to run this adventure. Take yourself off to the Wizards website and download the artwork and maps. You'll spend a lot on printer ink, but it'll make running the adventure more fun if your floor plans match :)
This is quality product, well planned and just fills me with too much excitement not to want to run it. The book does say that if you want to make the adventure feel as deadly as the original, run the sections when the party are a couple of levels too low. This will make every battle feel like a boss battle :) So maybe I won't wait for the players to hit tenth level..
(was feeling stingy so upgraded my review to 5 stars)
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
8 reviews
51 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Reminiscent of what came before, but lacking
22 July 2010
Format:Hardcover
This was another one of those releases that I was waiting for the moment I heard about it. I was also very curious about how a book the size of Revenge of the Giants (which had 6 levels worth of material) could cover 12 levels of material.
I'll answer the questions you most likely have.
How does the adventure range from level 10 to 22? It splits the book into 4 adventures of level 10, 14, 17 and 22, in four different locations. There are level gaps between them.
Is it as deadly as the previous Tombs? It has its deadly spots, but not to the degree of "step and die" like the other Tombs.
Is it a recreation or continuation? It builds on the events of Return to the Tomb of Horrors from 2e. Skull City and the original Tomb of Horrors are involved, but not nearly to the same degree. Most of this book is new material and maps.
What do we get? A 160 page hardcover with a poster map detailing 3 of the battle maps. The final battle of the campaign is NOT one of the maps. There are about 40 encounters and various skill challenges, and a fair number of recommended wandering encounters. There are a few pieces of artwork that depict encounters or room contents, but not in the amounts that the previous Tomb products provide.
Even though the adventure states that the PHB, DMG and MM are the only books required to run this adventure, I do recommend The Adventurer's Vault since several treasure items come from that book. A few of the wandering encounters also require the Monster Manual 2.
I think the overall campaign arc suffers with the disjointedness of splitting the book into 4 adventures. Players eager to continue the story will either have to be leveled up after each sub-adventure to begin the next, or toil through other adventures to level up before continuing the arc. Some DMs may welcome the idea of placing these adventures in their own custom arcs, but I was hoping for a continuous campaign in this single volume. Also, I didn't find the read itself to be all that entertaining. Those brand new to the concept of the Tomb of Horrors may take more interest in this product.
I'll answer the questions you most likely have.
How does the adventure range from level 10 to 22? It splits the book into 4 adventures of level 10, 14, 17 and 22, in four different locations. There are level gaps between them.
Is it as deadly as the previous Tombs? It has its deadly spots, but not to the degree of "step and die" like the other Tombs.
Is it a recreation or continuation? It builds on the events of Return to the Tomb of Horrors from 2e. Skull City and the original Tomb of Horrors are involved, but not nearly to the same degree. Most of this book is new material and maps.
What do we get? A 160 page hardcover with a poster map detailing 3 of the battle maps. The final battle of the campaign is NOT one of the maps. There are about 40 encounters and various skill challenges, and a fair number of recommended wandering encounters. There are a few pieces of artwork that depict encounters or room contents, but not in the amounts that the previous Tomb products provide.
Even though the adventure states that the PHB, DMG and MM are the only books required to run this adventure, I do recommend The Adventurer's Vault since several treasure items come from that book. A few of the wandering encounters also require the Monster Manual 2.
I think the overall campaign arc suffers with the disjointedness of splitting the book into 4 adventures. Players eager to continue the story will either have to be leveled up after each sub-adventure to begin the next, or toil through other adventures to level up before continuing the arc. Some DMs may welcome the idea of placing these adventures in their own custom arcs, but I was hoping for a continuous campaign in this single volume. Also, I didn't find the read itself to be all that entertaining. Those brand new to the concept of the Tomb of Horrors may take more interest in this product.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Some parts are great, others are very poorly executed. On par, worth considering.
27 Nov 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
While I love the setting, backstory, and 'flair' that the designers have added to this adventure, things are very hit or miss.
Some encounters are incredibly fun -- such as the grey angels encounter, for example, which is probably the most fun pre-generated book encounter I've ever seen from WOTC, and which is incredibly simple in mechanics to boot. Others involve a lot of the same pattern that plagued Revenge of the Giants, where the DM gets to have a lot more fun than the players by doing chain CC effects repeatedly. For example, the very first encounter in the game has a trio of harpies that can at-will AE push 5 and immobilize the part (each turn!). they also have an exponential damage AE... Kinda a mess -- can TPK players easily on the 'warm up' encounter while playing by the rules DMs should read ahead and polish down some of these problematic encounters, or remove and replace them entirely.
From a DMability standpoint, the book does OK. Parts of the encounters make a lot of sense, but lots of little details are a pain -- such as irregular dungeon layouts that are hard to transcribe to a battlemat or whiteboard, etc. Play balance is all over -- some trivial encounters are TPK material, while some 'boss' encounters are trival. At times, it feels like the book was not well beta-tested for usability by a DM and play balance for a player group.
Pacing was a bit on the low side. By having such a huge mega-adventure, it's easy for specific adventures to not hold the player's interest, and filling in the blanks can be a serious challenge.
The high points of the book are some of the well designed traps, that get players intellectually engaged. From this angle, tomb is a success.
Overall, I think this is a good effort, but it's really held back by inconsistent encounter design and some rough along the edges testing. While I'm somewhat inclined to give 3 stars, I am giving this 4 because I feel that this module does represent a large movement forward in D&D module design from the perspective of cool settings and interesting traps that actually make the traps FUN. This was a major achievement.
But I really hope WOTC can formalize their testing process and train some of the 'hate the player' out of their junior encounter designers. I know they are capable, because the company is bursting with talent... Just a question of getting the right people in to help out. Please guys, do this on the next one!
Some encounters are incredibly fun -- such as the grey angels encounter, for example, which is probably the most fun pre-generated book encounter I've ever seen from WOTC, and which is incredibly simple in mechanics to boot. Others involve a lot of the same pattern that plagued Revenge of the Giants, where the DM gets to have a lot more fun than the players by doing chain CC effects repeatedly. For example, the very first encounter in the game has a trio of harpies that can at-will AE push 5 and immobilize the part (each turn!). they also have an exponential damage AE... Kinda a mess -- can TPK players easily on the 'warm up' encounter while playing by the rules DMs should read ahead and polish down some of these problematic encounters, or remove and replace them entirely.
From a DMability standpoint, the book does OK. Parts of the encounters make a lot of sense, but lots of little details are a pain -- such as irregular dungeon layouts that are hard to transcribe to a battlemat or whiteboard, etc. Play balance is all over -- some trivial encounters are TPK material, while some 'boss' encounters are trival. At times, it feels like the book was not well beta-tested for usability by a DM and play balance for a player group.
Pacing was a bit on the low side. By having such a huge mega-adventure, it's easy for specific adventures to not hold the player's interest, and filling in the blanks can be a serious challenge.
The high points of the book are some of the well designed traps, that get players intellectually engaged. From this angle, tomb is a success.
Overall, I think this is a good effort, but it's really held back by inconsistent encounter design and some rough along the edges testing. While I'm somewhat inclined to give 3 stars, I am giving this 4 because I feel that this module does represent a large movement forward in D&D module design from the perspective of cool settings and interesting traps that actually make the traps FUN. This was a major achievement.
But I really hope WOTC can formalize their testing process and train some of the 'hate the player' out of their junior encounter designers. I know they are capable, because the company is bursting with talent... Just a question of getting the right people in to help out. Please guys, do this on the next one!
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Disappointing...
25 Sep 2010
Format:Hardcover
As C.Yack "waverider2" mentioned, this book is a let down. Since it is broken up into four seperate adventures, having to "fill in the gaps" is a pain in the butt. I am all for a custom campaign with a great storyline, but I don't have time to write one or to put together encounters... I bought a pre-made adventure for just that reason! In many cases in the book, the writers leave a lot of the "writing" to you. Fine if you're just incorporating this into your own campaign world, but a real bummer if you're not. They even leave a lot of the random encounters up to you to generate. Thanks, but I didn't want to buy an adventure "location."
As far as the "deadliness" of the adventure goes, it seems more frustrating than fun. Good ideas seem to be thwarted by tedious dice rolling, especially during the middle parts of the adventure. My PCs are getting angry because they can't "solve" a riddle or puzzle by using their intuition. There is even a statement at the beginning of the book saying that this is how it should be! But no, just a lot of frustrating rooms that do damage with no or few enemies and only dice rolls to save you. Another bummer.
Roleplaying is not rewarded and instead of "instant kill" spots, it features more "slow, boring, almost death" locations. If you're dying to play another pre-generated adventure because you've played all of the rest, then make this one as fun as you can. If you haven't played some of the other WoTC adventures, try those first. And of course, if you have the time, do the best thing and write your own.
As far as the "deadliness" of the adventure goes, it seems more frustrating than fun. Good ideas seem to be thwarted by tedious dice rolling, especially during the middle parts of the adventure. My PCs are getting angry because they can't "solve" a riddle or puzzle by using their intuition. There is even a statement at the beginning of the book saying that this is how it should be! But no, just a lot of frustrating rooms that do damage with no or few enemies and only dice rolls to save you. Another bummer.
Roleplaying is not rewarded and instead of "instant kill" spots, it features more "slow, boring, almost death" locations. If you're dying to play another pre-generated adventure because you've played all of the rest, then make this one as fun as you can. If you haven't played some of the other WoTC adventures, try those first. And of course, if you have the time, do the best thing and write your own.
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