So, The Tails of the Yawning Portal starts by giving you a description of the Yawning Portal Inn, and it sounds very cool. Now I guess the point of including the Yawning Portal is to give you a location that the included adventures can originate from, but the problem is that I know my players and the first thing they are going to want to do is to go down that well. They give you this unique location that literally has direct access to the Undermountain that is evidently full of eminence wealth and magic but then there is no way to play the Undermountain dungeon (short of making it all up yourself or converting some old version).
The Tails of the Yawning Portal seems great, but now I need an Undermountain dungeon to go with it.
Somehow I believe that "Wizard's" will be coming up a full-sized module for Undermountain. Before in 3e this was a huge dungeon and now Wizard's has the struggle of updating it, that being said they also need to invent an extended history for Undermountain for the time in between 3e to 5e. I'd rather have a complete Undermountain campaign for nostalgia purposes then them to have stuffed and shortened it in with "The Yawning Portal".
Now I guess the point of including the Yawning Portal is to give you a location that the included adventures can originate from, but the problem is that I know my players and the first thing they are going to want to do is to go down that well. They give you this unique location that literally has direct access to the Undermountain that is evidently full of eminence wealth and magic but then there is no way to play the Undermountain dungeon (short of making it all up yourself or converting some old version). The Tails of the Yawning Portal seems great, but now I need an Undermountain dungeon to go with it.
Actually, the Yawning Portal is just a framing device. It's a place to hang out and hear people in Waterdeep tell "No naeth, we got out of there by Tymora's grace, and I'll never go back. What, buy a map from me? That eager to die, are ye? Pull up a stool and we'll talk..." stories.
Undermountain was never the same after Halastar Blackcloak died, and while I'm sure that the Sundering, Spellplague, and time did interesting things to the place, odds are it's much like Skullport is: A shattered ruin of former glory.
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So, The Tails of the Yawning Portal starts by giving you a description of the Yawning Portal Inn, and it sounds very cool. Now I guess the point of including the Yawning Portal is to give you a location that the included adventures can originate from, but the problem is that I know my players and the first thing they are going to want to do is to go down that well. They give you this unique location that literally has direct access to the Undermountain that is evidently full of eminence wealth and magic but then there is no way to play the Undermountain dungeon (short of making it all up yourself or converting some old version).
The Tails of the Yawning Portal seems great, but now I need an Undermountain dungeon to go with it.
If you are worried that your players wanting to crawl down the well into the belly of undermountain, don't start them there. Maybe finish the adventures and than have them visit the tavern for one last adventure to rule them all.
There are different ways to get players to where they need to be. For example: In my family game they have a tower and in the basement is a portal that can transport them to different places with the help of a book that has stories and tales of places with the proper runes to press on the portal. I didn't use the Yawning Portal at all.
Have them begin just where they are with a story or lost scroll with a map.
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JT "You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
They get to the bottom of the well to find a scattering of bones and odd bits of equipment that looks like it went through a paper shredder. Around the circular walls of the well are eight doors; faintly visible on the floor are eight arrows radiating out from the centre of the room (Chaos symbol-like). The PCs scratch their heads and pick a door, a door that no matter what leads to the adventure you want them to go through. Done.
They get to the bottom of the well to find a scattering of bones and odd bits of equipment that looks like it went through a paper shredder. Around the circular walls of the well are eight doors; faintly visible on the floor are eight arrows radiating out from the centre of the room (Chaos symbol-like). The PCs scratch their heads and pick a door, a door that no matter what leads to the adventure you want them to go through. Done.
Awesome! Simple and effective!
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JT "You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
Yeah, honestly with the way this whole thing is set up, i'm starting to wonder if one of the books we're getting this year (the one pendleton ward was collaborating with them on) is going to be an updated-and-expanded undermountain campaign that takes place entirely within the super dungeon- complete with it's own eco-system npcs communities and so forth- Yawning Portal is the story season, with a dungeon compilation book, a big unified campaign (undermountain) and some mechanical supplement. After all Volo's was last year, and the only thing we've gotten 2017 is Tales from the yawning portal...
They get to the bottom of the well to find a scattering of bones and odd bits of equipment that looks like it went through a paper shredder. Around the circular walls of the well are eight doors; faintly visible on the floor are eight arrows radiating out from the centre of the room (Chaos symbol-like). The PCs scratch their heads and pick a door, a door that no matter what leads to the adventure you want them to go through. Done.
Good idea Rexx.
It makes me wonder if WotC was planning to do an updated Undermountain but decided to bring back these other dungeons instead and thought they already had this Yawning Portal done and decided to tack it on. It just does not feel like there is any real connection between the Yawning Portal Inn and any of the adventures. Sure you can make it fit but no more than any other generic tavern. The Yawning Portal stuff feels like it would have fit better with an updated Undermountain campaign.
In fact, it makes me think they are NOT going to do an updated Undermountain because why us the Yawning Portal here? To do Undermountain you would need to recycle the Yawing Portal section of this book.
WotC stated that the Yawning Portal is used as a Tavern where tales of adventures are told - that's all it is, it isn't designed for players to go into Undermountain (although they can, and it's up to the DM as to how they handle it). If your players are wanting to jump down the well, maybe they haven't picked up on the plot hooks you've been threading into the convo for the actual adventure?
Getting your hands on the 1991 Ruins of Undermountain would be the easiest route to converting as the 2E --> 5E conversion is pretty painless. That's the top three levels and looking at DriveThruRPG, I am not seeing it. Curious. Guess my physical copy still has value. Anyway, Ruins of Undermountain II is still available in .pdf, as are a lot of the add-on levels that I hadn't even realized were published. Once the D&D Beyond character creation software is up and running, getting the classed NPCs into 5E will be a breeze, at least that's what I've found using Hero Lab thus far.
Personally, I hope WotC continues to create new material rather than falling back on the previous editions' materials. The Yawning Portal's greatest value is showing how to convert 1E-3E materials to 5E the "official" way. Compare the differences and unlock the means to do any adventure you can get your hands on and you'll have 40 years of material to work with. Mine the Dungeon Magazine archive, it's a literal treasure trove of adventures and inspirational reading. I am currently running the Age of Worms adventure path again with 5E and it's a hoot!
I really don't know why they chose the Yawning Portal, unless there will be future content for undermountain. If not, that is a huge miss, and I'd really wonder why they didn't do a different inn. Maybe the Shady Dragon Inn, or something that isn't tied to anything particular. One idea would be to simply give DMs everywhere a big opening to simply create their own "undermountain" and this is just your springboard. But, then, it's a catchy name, and maybe they just wanted a hardcover book with that name as the title? Who knows? We'll wait and see...
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Be careful what you Wish for... your DM may just give it to you!
Naming is a big hurdle to get by for copyrighting. With a number of the adventures originally in the Greyhawk setting, perhaps they should have gone with The Green Dragon Inn. Then again, I am sure that name is tied up legally already.
I've been curious about those adventure paths. The one where you fight demon lords (or whatever) seems to be of great interest.
Mere of Dead Men was the first "adventure path" Dungeon did, issues 69-73, it's Realms specific and really launched the "serial adventure" concept Dungeon went with in full when Paizo was publishing it. The Shackled City was the first, then Age of the Worms, and the demon-related one you're thinking of, Lorathorn, was the Savage Tide AP. The big culmination with Demogorgon, along with lots of other "bad-ass" demon lords, was memorable. I am pretty sure Orcus is involved at some point, it's been a while since I've leafed through those issues. The Savage Tide's end was the end of Paizo's publishing of Dragon and Dungeon, as you may already know.
WotC stated that the Yawning Portal is used as a Tavern where tales of adventures are told - that's all it is, it isn't designed for players to go into Undermountain (although they can, and it's up to the DM as to how they handle it). If your players are wanting to jump down the well, maybe they haven't picked up on the plot hooks you've been threading into the convo for the actual adventure?
Ya, I get that, but the adventures (all great) in the Yawning Portal really don't have any real connection to the Yawning Portal, and the more Yawning Portal backstory you give the more enticing that well is.
"In the center of the tavern is a huge well that leads to the unknown, and nearly every person who has gone down the well has never returned. One of the few exceptions is the Yawning Portal's owner who returned with unimaginable wealth and seems to have found the secret to eternal youth."
"Ok, now some guy want you to find some magic fruit that seems to heal people."
I am exaggerating, but the point is that the portal itself is a strong hook, and I am not improvising an undermountain adventure. To me, it just feels that the Yawning Portal was tacked on. None of these tales are "From the Yawning Portal". The first adventure, The Sunless Citadel literally starts in a different inn (Ol' Boar Inn). Shoot, tales of the Ol' Boar Inn would make more sense. It is not a big deal. I just think the adventures in Tales from the Yawning Portal all work better without the Yawning Portal. I enjoyed reading about the Yawning Portal, but I will not be using that with any of these adventures.
Maybe Goodman Games will bring back the Undermountan adventure. They are supposed to be updating some of the old adventures.
They get to the bottom of the well to find a scattering of bones and odd bits of equipment that looks like it went through a paper shredder. Around the circular walls of the well are eight doors; faintly visible on the floor are eight arrows radiating out from the centre of the room (Chaos symbol-like). The PCs scratch their heads and pick a door, a door that no matter what leads to the adventure you want them to go through. Done.
I'm using it. Thank you=)
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So, The Tails of the Yawning Portal starts by giving you a description of the Yawning Portal Inn, and it sounds very cool. Now I guess the point of including the Yawning Portal is to give you a location that the included adventures can originate from, but the problem is that I know my players and the first thing they are going to want to do is to go down that well. They give you this unique location that literally has direct access to the Undermountain that is evidently full of eminence wealth and magic but then there is no way to play the Undermountain dungeon (short of making it all up yourself or converting some old version).
The Tails of the Yawning Portal seems great, but now I need an Undermountain dungeon to go with it.
Somehow I believe that "Wizard's" will be coming up a full-sized module for Undermountain. Before in 3e this was a huge dungeon and now Wizard's has the struggle of updating it, that being said they also need to invent an extended history for Undermountain for the time in between 3e to 5e. I'd rather have a complete Undermountain campaign for nostalgia purposes then them to have stuffed and shortened it in with "The Yawning Portal".
Undermountain was never the same after Halastar Blackcloak died, and while I'm sure that the Sundering, Spellplague, and time did interesting things to the place, odds are it's much like Skullport is: A shattered ruin of former glory.
⬐ If you thought I added value to the conversation, please let me know!
JT " You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
They get to the bottom of the well to find a scattering of bones and odd bits of equipment that looks like it went through a paper shredder. Around the circular walls of the well are eight doors; faintly visible on the floor are eight arrows radiating out from the centre of the room (Chaos symbol-like). The PCs scratch their heads and pick a door, a door that no matter what leads to the adventure you want them to go through. Done.
We all leave footprints in the sands of time.
JT " You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
My problem with Tales from the Yawning Portal is that I'll get my copy at the end of the month.
Yeah, honestly with the way this whole thing is set up, i'm starting to wonder if one of the books we're getting this year (the one pendleton ward was collaborating with them on) is going to be an updated-and-expanded undermountain campaign that takes place entirely within the super dungeon- complete with it's own eco-system npcs communities and so forth- Yawning Portal is the story season, with a dungeon compilation book, a big unified campaign (undermountain) and some mechanical supplement. After all Volo's was last year, and the only thing we've gotten 2017 is Tales from the yawning portal...
WotC stated that the Yawning Portal is used as a Tavern where tales of adventures are told - that's all it is, it isn't designed for players to go into Undermountain (although they can, and it's up to the DM as to how they handle it). If your players are wanting to jump down the well, maybe they haven't picked up on the plot hooks you've been threading into the convo for the actual adventure?
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I wonder how hard it would be to convert...
Getting your hands on the 1991 Ruins of Undermountain would be the easiest route to converting as the 2E --> 5E conversion is pretty painless. That's the top three levels and looking at DriveThruRPG, I am not seeing it. Curious. Guess my physical copy still has value. Anyway, Ruins of Undermountain II is still available in .pdf, as are a lot of the add-on levels that I hadn't even realized were published. Once the D&D Beyond character creation software is up and running, getting the classed NPCs into 5E will be a breeze, at least that's what I've found using Hero Lab thus far.
Personally, I hope WotC continues to create new material rather than falling back on the previous editions' materials. The Yawning Portal's greatest value is showing how to convert 1E-3E materials to 5E the "official" way. Compare the differences and unlock the means to do any adventure you can get your hands on and you'll have 40 years of material to work with. Mine the Dungeon Magazine archive, it's a literal treasure trove of adventures and inspirational reading. I am currently running the Age of Worms adventure path again with 5E and it's a hoot!
We all leave footprints in the sands of time.
I've been curious about those adventure paths. The one where you fight demon lords (or whatever) seems to be of great interest.
I really don't know why they chose the Yawning Portal, unless there will be future content for undermountain. If not, that is a huge miss, and I'd really wonder why they didn't do a different inn. Maybe the Shady Dragon Inn, or something that isn't tied to anything particular. One idea would be to simply give DMs everywhere a big opening to simply create their own "undermountain" and this is just your springboard. But, then, it's a catchy name, and maybe they just wanted a hardcover book with that name as the title? Who knows? We'll wait and see...
Be careful what you Wish for... your DM may just give it to you!
My 16 year converted Undermountain to run for his friends. Lots of work, but fairly straightforward.
Naming is a big hurdle to get by for copyrighting. With a number of the adventures originally in the Greyhawk setting, perhaps they should have gone with The Green Dragon Inn. Then again, I am sure that name is tied up legally already.
We all leave footprints in the sands of time.
We all leave footprints in the sands of time.
I have the last issue...