I've never run or played this module before, but my idea is to run it as a one shot, and to give my players a pool of characters to use if/when characters die. I was thinking of a pool size of about 8 pre-generated characters. For those out there that have run the 5e conversion from Tales from the Yawning Portal, what level were your characters and was it balanced? As per CR math, my 4 players fighting a CR 18 Demilich at level 12 would make that encounter deadly. I know from experience that the CR mechanics are a little skewed when it comes to solo fights. I guess I'm wondering if a level 12 party is too powerful for the dungeon and the demilich.
Any advice on running the tomb is also greatly appreciated.
It's a total cake walk. Level 12-14 characters will stomp the place. Level 10 might be just right but chance of actual death will be low. Level 8 will be challenging but unlikely that anybody will die. Maybe two of the encounters will kill a level 8-10 party Maybe.
To compromise with the others, ask each player to make up just one back up character; I can't give specific advice about what character level to have the party, as any party makeup + whatever magic items they have creates wildly different experiences. If you play certain things Straight (annihilation holes, rolling juggernaut), characters can die instantly due to just bad luck. I agree with others, combat encounters do seem mismatched and probably underwhelming at most parts; but also keep in mind many dungeons (or any sort of long strung out encounters) have design to just wear down resources and it's your decision to allow/disallow/disrupt short or long rests however you see fit. I've customized the Tomb for my party so that the monster encounters are more challenging and relevant (and less random) but I think the Tomb is more fun when focusing on the traps and such.
What an odd thread bump, but personal attacks are frowned upon on these forums.
The 5e version is far less deadly than the original, but that can be overcome with house rules depending on how deadly you want it to be for your group. I'd remove death saves completely. Also, one of the points of the end boss was to not fight it, but to be very creative before it. Depending on how you choose to run it, it should just be a mystery (in my opinion). In the original there was almost no chance for the characters to have items that could do damage to the demi-lich (which back then meant demigod-lich in this case).
All that being said, I'm thinking of running a version of this, and my plan is to have mind flayers animate some adventurers, or creatures from the underdark and send them in to the tomb. This way, knowledge can be shared, and a "clone" can be created/sent in with a reasonable amount of memories. This is more of a one-shot concept as I plan on playing the dungeon as deadly and unfair as it was originally.
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"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
I don't want to advertise illigal books, but im sure you could find a copy of 1e tomb of horrors on the internet, or even pay for it on ebay or dms guild or something. Otherwise ask around your local game store, or go to amazon or something if youre willing to spend the money. Also, to agree with wysperra, 5e version sucks, im running it for my players too later in our current campaign and im using the 1e version scaled up to 5e, because man is it more deadly.
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I've never run or played this module before, but my idea is to run it as a one shot, and to give my players a pool of characters to use if/when characters die. I was thinking of a pool size of about 8 pre-generated characters. For those out there that have run the 5e conversion from Tales from the Yawning Portal, what level were your characters and was it balanced? As per CR math, my 4 players fighting a CR 18 Demilich at level 12 would make that encounter deadly. I know from experience that the CR mechanics are a little skewed when it comes to solo fights. I guess I'm wondering if a level 12 party is too powerful for the dungeon and the demilich.
Any advice on running the tomb is also greatly appreciated.
Thanks
It's a total cake walk. Level 12-14 characters will stomp the place. Level 10 might be just right but chance of actual death will be low. Level 8 will be challenging but unlikely that anybody will die. Maybe two of the encounters will kill a level 8-10 party Maybe.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
You are a excellent liar Wysperra
I've gone over the details for this dungeon before. The original was deadly, the current 5e version is easy.
Poison traps, not a problem.
Gargoyle, not a problem.
Bolt traps, not a problem.
A swarm of snakes! oh dear! thptphpt
Giant Skeleton might hurt a little. A very little.
Spell traps, pft
Great Zombie! pft
An Ochre Jelly! oh my!
Mummy Lord might hurt, but it has no spells and no legendary actions.
*gasp*! Flying swords! pft
An Efreet! Oh wait, it will grant 3 wishes.
And the demilich. Whatever.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
To compromise with the others, ask each player to make up just one back up character; I can't give specific advice about what character level to have the party, as any party makeup + whatever magic items they have creates wildly different experiences. If you play certain things Straight (annihilation holes, rolling juggernaut), characters can die instantly due to just bad luck. I agree with others, combat encounters do seem mismatched and probably underwhelming at most parts; but also keep in mind many dungeons (or any sort of long strung out encounters) have design to just wear down resources and it's your decision to allow/disallow/disrupt short or long rests however you see fit. I've customized the Tomb for my party so that the monster encounters are more challenging and relevant (and less random) but I think the Tomb is more fun when focusing on the traps and such.
Boldly go
What an odd thread bump, but personal attacks are frowned upon on these forums.
The 5e version is far less deadly than the original, but that can be overcome with house rules depending on how deadly you want it to be for your group.
I'd remove death saves completely. Also, one of the points of the end boss was to not fight it, but to be very creative before it. Depending on how you choose to run it, it should just be a mystery (in my opinion). In the original there was almost no chance for the characters to have items that could do damage to the demi-lich (which back then meant demigod-lich in this case).
All that being said, I'm thinking of running a version of this, and my plan is to have mind flayers animate some adventurers, or creatures from the underdark and send them in to the tomb. This way, knowledge can be shared, and a "clone" can be created/sent in with a reasonable amount of memories. This is more of a one-shot concept as I plan on playing the dungeon as deadly and unfair as it was originally.
"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
Do you have access to a copy of the original?
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
I don't want to advertise illigal books, but im sure you could find a copy of 1e tomb of horrors on the internet, or even pay for it on ebay or dms guild or something. Otherwise ask around your local game store, or go to amazon or something if youre willing to spend the money. Also, to agree with wysperra, 5e version sucks, im running it for my players too later in our current campaign and im using the 1e version scaled up to 5e, because man is it more deadly.