| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Jan 2017 : 19:43:53
|
So there's a new product dropping in April...
Tales From The Yawning Portal
quote:
When the shadows grow long in Waterdeep and the fireplace in the taproom of the Yawning Portal dims to a deep crimson glow, adventurers from across the Sword Coast spin tales and spread rumors of lost treasures. Some of yarns overheard by Durnan, the barkeep of the Yawning Portal, are inspired by events in far-flung lands, or even other worlds across the Planes, and these tales have been collected into a single volume.
Within this tome are seven of the most compelling dungeons from the 40+ year history of Dungeons & Dragons. Some are classics that have hosted an untold number of adventurers, while others were some of the most popular adventures ever printed.
The seeds of these stories now rest in your hands. D&D’s most storied dungeons are now part of your modern repertoire of adventures. Enjoy, and remember to keep a few spare character sheets handy.
For use with the fifth edition Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master’s Guide, this book provides fans with a treasure trove of adventures, all of which have been updated to the fifth edition rules. Explore seven deadly dungeons in this adventure supplement for the world’s greatest roleplaying game:
- Against the Giants
- Dead in Thay
- Forge of Fury
- Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan
- Sunless Citadel
- Tomb of Horrors
- White Plume Mountain
And Mike Mearls talks about it in an interview:
D&D's 'Tales From The Yawning Portal' Is The Game's Greatest Hits
|
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 05 Jan 2017 19:44:43
|
|
|
Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2017 : 19:56:42
|
That title is such a bait, tho. When I read it, I thought they were writing about Waterdeep and UM post-Sundering.
That said, thanks for sharing. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
Edited by - Irennan on 05 Jan 2017 19:57:23 |
 |
|
|
Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2017 : 20:17:25
|
quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
That title is such a bait, tho. When I read it, I thought they were writing about Waterdeep and UM post-Sundering.
I agree, but at least an explanation was offered in the interview:
quote:
We thought to ourselves these adventures were originally placed in a variety of different settings in D&D's history. Some were in Greyhawk, some weren't really attached to a setting, some were in the Realms. We thought if there was any place where you could go to hear stories of these dungeons, it would be the Yawning Portal in Waterdeep in the Forgotten Realms. The idea is that while obviously most people who go to the Yawning Portal are natives of the Forgotten Realms, there are still sometimes either playing the travelers, or adventurers who've been to other worlds. That's where powerful adventurers congregate and talk.
|
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
|
|
|
Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2017 : 20:22:58
|
| Yeah, I know. But still, it got my hopes up for a moment, before I read that it was actually a collection of dungeons. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
|
|
|
Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2017 : 20:26:19
|
Half of me is elated.
The other half of me is saddened by the 'dilution' of The Realms.
Both halves are currently saying, "I knew it!!!"
The Forgotten Realms have always been the 'crossroads' world. They're finally embracing that. One of the few aspects of 4e I liked is how they shunted many of the adventures into 'side planes', so they could be reached 'from any world'. I feel this is just a logical extension of that.
EDIT: Thanks for sharing, Wooly. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
|
Edited by - Markustay on 05 Jan 2017 20:29:16 |
|
|
|
Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2017 : 20:28:20
|
| To my understanding, they aren't porting these adventures to the Realms. They are reskinning them as tales told in the Yawning Portal Inn, but they actually come even from other worlds (they say exactly that). |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
|
|
|
Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2017 : 20:30:32
|
I get it, but the tales are being told in the Yawning Portal, hence my commentary.
"All roads lead to the Realms", or some-such. It just makes sense. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
|
|
|
|
Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2017 : 20:32:34
|
| Ah, yes, I see your point. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
|
|
|
Brimstone
Great Reader
USA
3285 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2017 : 20:39:57
|
| Sweeeeeet! Looks interesting. |
"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep |
|
|
|
Brian R. James
Forgotten Realms Game Designer
USA
1098 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2017 : 21:51:46
|
| Would have been more appropriate to title this release: "Tales from the World Serpent Inn" |
Brian R. James - Freelance Game Designer
Follow me on Twitter @brianrjames |
|
|
|
Brimstone
Great Reader
USA
3285 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2017 : 22:06:08
|
| Lol probably... |
"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep |
|
|
|
Brimstone
Great Reader
USA
3285 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2017 : 22:07:08
|
| And yet nothing about the GREATEST D&D Dungeon at all: UNDERMOUNTAIN... |
"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep |
|
|
|
Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2017 : 22:13:49
|
quote:
Originally posted by Brian R. James
Would have been more appropriate to title this release: "Tales from the World Serpent Inn"
Indeed. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
|
|
|
KanzenAU
Senior Scribe
Australia
763 Posts |
|
|
Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2017 : 01:12:26
|
| I think this is their response to the many people requesting more one-shots or smaller adventures. I guess Acererak will appear somehow in their Chult storyline (it's one of the probable storylines for 2017, especially since they mentioned the Ring of Winter, Mezro, etc...), given that RAS mentioned him in Hero in reference to his dungeon, which is stated to be in Chult--that's assuming that I got this right and that I didn't misunderstand anything. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
Edited by - Irennan on 06 Jan 2017 01:12:51 |
|
|
|
KanzenAU
Senior Scribe
Australia
763 Posts |
|
|
George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6643 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2017 : 01:35:49
|
Not particulary interested in this. I'll save my $$$.
-- George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
|
|
|
Arivia
Great Reader
Canada
2965 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2017 : 01:56:22
|
quote:
Originally posted by Brian R. James
Would have been more appropriate to title this release: "Tales from the World Serpent Inn"
This was exactly my thought too. I guess they just misused the Yawning Portal because they're dead set on staying in the area they focused on in the SCAG. Blech.  |
|
|
|
KanzenAU
Senior Scribe
Australia
763 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2017 : 01:59:05
|
It seems like it's essentially an anthology of adventures, not particularly FR related past the framing. I'll pick it up for the old adventures rewritten in 5e - I've always wanted to run Tomb of Horrors but never got around to it.
I just finished listening to the Dragon Talk podcast now, where's they're talking about the Yawning Portal in the lore. A couple of interesting tidbits for those who are interested in the 5e Realms:
Durnan has been taking potions of longevity to prolong his life. He has recently returned from adventures elsewhere to retake control of the inn, possibly from a descendant or placeholder (named as Durnan VI in 4th edition).
Halaster is mentioned as a threat in Undermountain, in the current sense. This is not delved into in any depth, and what happened to him in 1375 is unmentioned. It's unclear if this is an accident of language on their part or an unintentional slip, but my money is on Halaster being back.
Most of the rest is flavour and history of the Inn.
Edit: They also mention Waterdeep as one of the main destinations for interplanar travellers in the Realms, and the Yawning Portal as being one of their main hangouts in the city. As an example, they say it wouldn't be that unusual for someone from Greyhawk to appear in the Inn. They emphasize the interconnected-ness of the different worlds.
Edit 2: They also suggest that if DMs want to use the Yawning Portal as a launch pad for one of these adventures, they could use a portal in Undermountain to get to, for example, the swamps of Greyhawk. Or DMs could even insert a "secret portal" into the inn itself, if they so desired. These aren't mentioned as canon things to do, but more as tips for DMs that want to use them. |
Regional maps for Waterdeep, Triboar, Ardeep Forest, and Cormyr on DM's Guild, plus a campaign sized map for the North |
Edited by - KanzenAU on 06 Jan 2017 02:08:34 |
|
|
|
Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2017 : 02:10:37
|
Halaster is back. They ran an UM adventure at some Con (can't remember which), and Halaster was back at the end. They also said that they were interested in making that adventure available to the public at some point (I guess they'll do a Waterdeep/UM AP at some point, especially considering that Ed has also said that the Promenade of Eilistraee has been stealthily retaken, and that stuff is going on down there: https://twitter.com/TheEdVerse/status/796182273288704000)
So Durnan's alive. Heh, looks like they might as well delete the end of 3e, 4e and the timeskip... |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
Edited by - Irennan on 06 Jan 2017 02:12:37 |
|
|
|
Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2017 : 02:12:22
|
quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone
And yet nothing about the GREATEST D&D Dungeon at all: UNDERMOUNTAIN...
To be fair, this product seems to be more of adventures set in dungeons, instead of just "here's a dungeon."
I'll agree that the title alone should have been enough for Undermountain to get some love, but I can also see why they didn't.
And let's face it, unless the entire book was on Undermountain, they'd not do it justice. We have entire regions of the Realms that aren't as well-described as Undermountain. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 06 Jan 2017 02:12:53 |
|
|
|
Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2017 : 02:14:16
|
quote:
Originally posted by Brian R. James
Would have been more appropriate to title this release: "Tales from the World Serpent Inn"
I agree, but the World Serpent Inn never got as much love as it should have. I'm not sure it's well-known enough in the D&D community, anyway. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
|
|
|
KanzenAU
Senior Scribe
Australia
763 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2017 : 02:17:05
|
I'm not 100% up on my Durnan lore, but I always imagined he built the Yawning Portal over the ruins of Halaster's Tower because he had become tied to it in some way, beyond his desire to make money of people delving into the ruin. Perhaps Durnan's life-force was bound to something terrible in Undermountain during his delve, and so he's trying to keep himself alive so it isn't unleashed...
I agree keeping so many important folk from the Realms alive an extra century feels very artificial. But, they're normally very powerful and influential people with the means to prolong their lives if they so wished, so I'm not upset by this. As long as there's a good story there. |
Regional maps for Waterdeep, Triboar, Ardeep Forest, and Cormyr on DM's Guild, plus a campaign sized map for the North |
|
|
|
Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2017 : 02:20:50
|
| I'm not upset either, at all. It was just an observation: they are doing all they can to dress the current era as the older ones. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
|
|
|
KanzenAU
Senior Scribe
Australia
763 Posts |
|
|
Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2017 : 03:32:26
|
| I wish too. But I suspect that the 2nd 2017 storyline will be UM, so we won't have to wait much. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
|
|
|
Rymac
Learned Scribe
USA
315 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2017 : 06:17:42
|
quote:
Originally posted by Brian R. James
Would have been more appropriate to title this release: "Tales from the World Serpent Inn"
That would have been far better. |
- Ryan |
|
|
|
Shadowsoul
Senior Scribe
Ireland
705 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2017 : 13:33:47
|
So basically Wizards doesn't even know their own IP, or just think everyone else is stupid, because The Yawning Portal doesn't contain an actual dimensional portal but a well that serves as an entrance to Undermountain. Also, 99% of the people of Faerun have never been, or even heard, that other worlds exist to the point where it's common tavern talk.
Why would you be sitting in The Yawning Portal discussing dungeons from worlds you don't know exists when the greatest dungeon in Faerun is under your feet?
This product fails on so many levels. |
“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisioned by the enemy, don't we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we're partisans of liberty, then it's our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!”
#8213; J.R.R. Tolkien
*I endorse everything Dark Wizard says*. |
|
|
|
KanzenAU
Senior Scribe
Australia
763 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2017 : 15:11:28
|
quote:
Originally posted by Shadowsoul
So basically Wizards doesn't even know their own IP, or just think everyone else is stupid, because The Yawning Portal doesn't contain an actual dimensional portal but a well that serves as an entrance to Undermountain.
What? Where did they claim it did? They have thus far only talked about the well... no extradimensional portals as far as I've read. I'd be interested to see that quote.
Also, who said it was "common tavern talk"? The impression I'm getting is that Durnan is telling some wild stories about stuff he's heard from passers through. The Realms has received visitors from many planes since the very first books, I don't see they couldn't have visited the most fantastic inn in arguably the #1 on Faerun's TripAdvisor list! And even then, they may have only told Durnan their story, and he only busts out his best stories when the famously reticent old bugger feels like it...
This seems to be just an adventure anthology wrapped up in a little Realms by Durnan telling stories about things that happened elsewhere. No need to buy it if you don't want the old remastered (with Schley maps) adventures, but I don't see it as a reason to claim the designers think we're stupid or that it's a fail. But oh well. |
Regional maps for Waterdeep, Triboar, Ardeep Forest, and Cormyr on DM's Guild, plus a campaign sized map for the North |
|
|
|
Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2017 : 15:51:47
|
And I should think that someone should wait until a product is out and they've seen it, before declaring it a horrible failure.
We have a blurb and an interview, thus far. I would say that it's fair to decide from that information whether or not you'd have an interest in the product, but declaring it a fail based on such limited information? That's like saying you don't like a particular food without tasting it. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
|
|
|
Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2017 : 15:57:13
|
| Well, I can safely say that I'll pass, because I generally don't use or buy premade adventures of any kind. I only do if they include interesting lore (I bought SKT, for example), but 50$/euro for 1 FR adventure--which you can already get through the DMGuild, btw--and 6 Oerth adventures is way too much for my pockets. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
Edited by - Irennan on 06 Jan 2017 15:57:54 |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Tales from the Yawning Portal
