Tomb of Horrors: Difference between revisions

'''Tycho:''' Mission accomplished, then, for the '''Tomb of Horrors'''.|''[[Penny Arcade]]'', [http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/11/10/ That Tomb Tomb Pow]}}

 

 

The original module is, of course, long since out of print, but an updated version for use with the ''D&D'' 3.5 ruleset is available as a free download from [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20051031a the Wizards of the Coast Web site]. This version has elicited strong controversy due to heavy reduction in the lethality, partly due to the differences in edition rules, primarily due to general [[Adaptation Decay]]; rather than a perfect replication under the 3.5 ruleset of the original super-lethal module, the official update is actually a standard, mostly-balanced dungeon crawl, aimed for level 9 characters. Not only are there few of the classic traps from the original left in, {{spoiler|the Acererak encountered at the dungeon's end is actually a [[Sorting Algorithm of Evil|CR12]] "fake demilich construct". This is because there is absolutely no way in 3.5 a true demilich could possibly be beaten by 9th level character without resorting to an obvious plot device that would itself destroy the challenge of the dungeon}}.

* [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]]: [[Word of God|Gary Gygax]], in the introduction to ''Return of the Tomb of Horrors'' tells the story of how at one GenCon, one team actually succeeded in the adventure by using one of the no-saving-throw instant death traps ''against Acererak''. "I put the crown on the demilich's head while my buddy taps it with the wrong end of the scepter." Made doubly awesome by the fact that ''the tournament's DM called in [[Gary Gygax]] himself for backup'', and Gary admitted that it would work, and ruled that Acererak instantly died. First prize!

** Heheh. [[A Worldwide Punomenon|"Crowning" moment indeed!]]

* [[Dangerously Genre Savvy]]: [[Watsonian Versus Doylist|Acererak, apparently]], since he clearly understands the value of [[Schmuck Bait]] and even thought to {{spoiler|make [[Fake Boss|a decoy version of himself]], complete with illusion of a [[Collapsing Lair]] and a bag of (crappy) loot containing a fake map to another dungeon}}.

* [[Embedded Precursor]]: In the follow-up adventure, ''Return to the Tomb of Horrors''.

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[[Category:Tabletop Games]]

[[Category:Tabletop Games]]

[[Category:Adventure Modules]]