Customer Reviews

Return to the Tomb of Horrors (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Tomes)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Return to the Tomb of Horrors is a new boxed adventure module based on the old S1: Tomb of Horrors module from tournaments and 1st edition AD&D. The scenario is intended for four to eight characters from 13th to 16th level. Like the original Tomb by Gary Gygax, Cordell's Return is an intense deathtrap challenge even for experienced veterans of the game.

Set in Greyhawk but usable in any campaign, this adventure begins with mysterious villager disappearances and swarms of undead. Your party comes to investigate and becomes entangled in a web of deadly schemes. But what does this have to do with the original Tomb of Horrors? The one that's been dared by many, plundered by few, over the years? Well, it's still in business, and still merrily eating heroes. But if the original deathtrap dungeon was a satisfying meal, this new adventure, wrapped around the original module and set 20 years later, is a murderous banquet. This is the first dungeon adventure I've ever read where I actually felt sorry for the players, and I'm including the original Tomb in that. The new story enfolds the original dungeon crawl in a deadly blanket of new traps and additional story, creating a hideous multi-stage gauntlet for anyone seeking the final mystery at the end. Yes, you get to visit the Tomb itself again, but its significance has changed and deepened.

I have to agree with the author on the use of characters for this adventure: either the group ought to be specifically rolled up for this adventure, or, if the players' regular favorites are to be run through the scenario, tone the thing down, WAAAYYY down. There are sections in this beastly tome that can kill one character per page, and, as the party penetrates the deeper mysteries, the killer trap rate escalates to one or more per room. This makes a party of four-to-eight high-level PCs seem rather puny, and suggests a horde of henchmen, hirelings, and cannon fodder, preferably walking out in front.

Can someone familiar with the original Tomb play or enjoy this? Absolutely. In fact, I'd like to see a group of players, all either DMs who have run Tomb or players who went through it successfully, go through the Return to the Tomb of Horrors. Maybe they'd live long enough to get to the second half of the adventure. Maybe.

This boxed set is stuffed with goodies. There are nine maps and seven new monsters in a full-color maps and monsters book. The maps are very clear, with one exception: Map 3 is so darkly printed that the color-coding is very difficult to make out, but I believe that because of the restricted movement in those areas there should be little impact on play. An illustrated "module" of 160 pages, with appendices of new spells and magic items, includes many "old" spells relying on several other AD&D books (some out of print) but the author urges the DM to make appropriate substitutions when necessary. There is a facsimile of the original S1: Tomb of Horrors module, which is actually used in play. DMs will want to go through this and make detailed adjustments beforehand, since it is not written to 2nd edition AD&D standards. No problem for collectors worried about the value of your original copy: this is not an exact facsimile, as the illustration booklet is bound into the middle. A new illustration book holds scenes to be shown to the players at various points in the adventure, and because since there are two scenes on each page you might want keep a sheet of plain paper folded length-wise handy for covering the second illustration. Lastly, there are handouts for the players, consisting of an eight-page "journal" (in a very difficult font) and a double-sided color card, with special instructions for photocopying and preparation.

In playing this adventure DMs may want to keep in mind their particular players' temperament and game style: are they looking for a real, undiluted challenge, or are they going to be murderously upset by the DM making their PCs into elf flambe, dwarf kabobs, and Halfling hash in one evening? If there is serious risk of you becoming a DM pretzel, you might want to edit this severely and just integrate it into your regular campaign.

Return to the Tomb of Horrors is an excellent adventure in the old module style.

--Sharon Daugherty for Skirmisher Online Gaming Magazine

This was an excellent module, but is not one for a new DM to attempt. I am running this game in two completely seperate groups. One group has nine players and ten characters of 11th-16th level. The other is a slightly smaller, higher level group.

I found this to be one of the most exciting games I've ever run, but also among the most deadly as well. It is certainly the most successful.

There are many opportunities for players to die, and die horribly without chance of resurrection. This puts a great responsibility on the shoulders of the DM, since if you play the module strictly you could kill the entire party with little trouble and without changing a thing in the module!

Overall, if you decide to take on this very challenging adventure as a DM, be prepared to fudge in favor of the characters, or your game will end as swiftly as it has begun.

In my first game, the characters are about 3/4 of the way through the adventure, and they have had five character deaths, two of which were permanent and irrevocable. And I am a very benevolent and kind DM! The players love it, though, and I have written a 70 page adventure log in story form, which my players love and rave about.

Top quality production adds to plain old good writing in this large scale adventure for high level Player Charcaters. It has it all, including a retro return to Gary Gygax' grand tomb itself. Been there in the 80's? Try this one on. Easy to DM, fantastic imagry, great NPC's. This one drew me back to TSR, and shows what gaming product can be.

Although it is out of print and written for 2nd edition, i can't express enough what a high quality product this is. Even if you are running a 3rd edition campaign, this boxed set is definitely worth your picking up if you can find it. The conversion to the new rules might take a little effort on the DM's behalf, but the payoff is the most exciting, deadly, and awe-inspiring campaign ever put to paper. It wraps seamlessly around Gary Gygax's original Tomb of Horrors, and you even get the chance to go back and explore it again if you did so for the first time twenty years ago. My players have no clue what the Tomb really is, and i'm still keeping them in the dark until later. Like other reviewers have said though, be warned. The module is deadly, and about halfway through and all the way to the end, it can eat up PC's like candy. But far as quality, it has some of the best writing, the best traps, the best plot, and over sixty illustrations to mesmerize your players. Definitely try to check this one out, as its going into the history books.

A fine example of adventure gaming at its very best. Fine design, detail that provides but does not overwelm, wonderful visual aids, and great material as its basis. "Return" includes an exact copy of the original "Tomb of Horrors" from the 70's in its box, and takes a well known tale to us aged vets and makes it wholly new. Wonderful. Revived my faith in TSR and Wizards of the Coast. Lets hope Hasbro does not ruin this new adventure gaming renaissance!

I've purchased dozens of probucts from this website, but this is the first time I've felt compelled to write a review.

Return To The Tomb of Horrors is a quality product from top to bottom. The boxed set includes many maps, illustrations, the original Tomb of Horrors, an expansion to the Tomb of Horrors story (the equivalent of 3 more adventures), and more.

I have not yet run this module, but have read all the contents, and plan to implement it as soon as possible. The story is well written, EXTREMELY original, and the many traps are truly inspiring. Despite the fact this boxed set is the equivalent of 4 normal length adventures, all of the encounters are unique and often ingenious. As I read the module, I found myself often wondering what the writers would think of next.

Note to GM's: This module is possibly the most deadly I've ever read. I would only recommend it for experienced players. Even then, expect casualties.

"Iron men, of visage grim,
Do more than meets the viewer's eye.
You've left and left and found my tomb
And now your soul will die!"

These words struck fear into the hearts of players at Origins I. With them, they knew that they had entered the most devious of all the creations to emerge from the mind of E. Gary Gygax. As player after player lost his character to Acererak's tomb, the creator of AD&D looked on, I'm sure, with an evil grin.

Tomb of Horrors was the first module ever published by TSR. It set the bar high for all that would follow. It inspired people like Grmitooth to try to invent increasingly deadly traps. It made AD&D into a game of intellect and wits, not one of hacking and slashing. It is probably the most popular adventure of all time.

So who is the upstart, Bruce R. Cordell, who thinks he can write a sequel? Does he think he can do justice to the master, the father of all adventures, the Great Gygax? Does this sequel, Return to Tomb of Horrors, do anything more than insult the greatest of all dungeon crawls? Read on, you might be surprised.

To answer the question, we must look at Gygax's original intention. Was he trying to smite players everywhere? Was he trying to make them frightened and instill a feeling of hopelessness? Was he just being mean?

No. He had fallen into a trap many of us do. He had characters, Rob Kuntz's Robilar and Ernie Gygax's Tenser, who seemed to walk through whatever challenges he put before them. He needed something that would test them to their limits. Something that would teach them humility. He needed an adventure that not even they could defeat.

Alan Lucien gave him the idea. He locked himself in his writer's room and began to invent the deadliest adventure that ever was. This time, they'd know a challenge.

So what happened? Robilar sacrifice many orc retainers to get to the last tomb. There, he dumped the treasure into a bag of holding and amscrayed. Tenser manage to defeat Acererak himself, proving to Gygax that an ingenious player can negotiate any but the most arbitrary death traps.

Then he continued to carry it in his briefcase, pulling it out whenever a player claimed to have an unbeatable character. More often than not, they remembered things they had to do and quickly left the table as the other players looked down at their dead characters in horror.

The module then debuted at Origins I. It hit the shelves in 1978. The rest is history.

So now Cordell has written a sequel. How, you might ask yourself, can this box set pretend to be a sequel deadliest 12 pages in role playing history? Does this man actually think he can pull it off?

Let me assure you, gentle reader, he not only thinks he has, but he has.

The adventure starts years after treasure hunters spent their blood and souls in Acererak's final resting place. The place is all but forgotten by most, but as of late, and evil necromantic force has been reaching out of the Vast Swamp. The party begins examining the problem and comes across a name, "The Devourer."

This name leads them to the path of a man who sought the Devourer years before, a mage named Desatysso. As the party follows the long-cold trail of this mage, they discover that there is more to the Tomb than anyone has ever suspected.

You see, Acererak wanted to build a series of tests, to lead people toward a final great reward. Unfortunately, the knowledge of the true purpose of the Tomb was lost, and only Desatysso seems to have found it.

The test consists of three parts: a Tomb, a City and a Fortress. Evidently, crawling into the tomb and smashing Acererak's skull is not enough. He must be hunted to his conclusion and stopped in his dreaded apotheosis. Otherwise, his demonic minions will just keep rebuilding his tomb and adventurers will keep spending their souls there.

This dungeon is not for the weak of heart. It suggests that players not take their beloved characters in, and I wholeheartedly agree. The PK rate is extremely high.

I set up a party of fourteen characters, giving each player at least two. They then started the adventure. However, I couldn't see how they could have any guarantee of surviving the original Tomb (which is included in the boxed set), much less get far enough for me to produce an adequate review. I therefore began sending them dreams. Dreams of people who were not them, but they recognized as each other. They were going through this strange tomb, and they knew that all this had taken place years ago. Finally, at the end, they threw themselves against the demi-lich. The Paladin, who had died and failed his resurrection survival (a convenient accident, not a plot element), appeared and got them to vow to kill this force of evil, no matter what it took, no matter how many lives.

It was then that the players realized they were dreaming of a past life. They threw their might against Acererak and were soundly destroyed.

This plot device worked well. They had already played the Tomb by the time they got to it in present day, and were therefore able to get a full compliment of characters through it. It also gave them a sense of purpose that unified them with these characters they didn't know. It was a right proper epiphany, and feel free to use it when you buy this product yourself.

Anyway, this allowed them to progress beyond this most classic of Tombs, into a place where Orcus himself once walked, the city of Moil. This place has claimed four or five characters (though their pact is keeping Acererak from devouring their souls, so they can come back again in another 50 years, should the party fail).

I'll not give away any more of the plot. Buy this product, and you'll see.

I was not convinced I should give it this good of a review, however. You see, I have always loved the Tomb, and I was afraid I was biased. I therefore gave it to a friend who has never (in my memory) liked a TSR module. He gave this his grudging approval, unable to blow any holes in its plot.

A good product. The traps are as deadly as ever, but this adventure is surrounded by intricate plots and histories. There is so much going on here that the players will never even guess it all.

This is one of the things I love about this module. It is filled with information that the players will never know. They will never fully understand the history of the necromantic academy that has sprung up around the tomb. My players have figured out that the City of Moil worshiped Orcus, but they will never figure out that it was put to sleep because it turned to the worship of a God of Morning.

Most writers try to invent complicated and awkward ways of making sure that the players discover the core of all their intricate plans. Not Bruce R. Cordell. If he had James Bond in his clutches, when Bond asked what this was all about, he'd shrug and put a bullet in his head. It's enough that the GM knows, so that he can flush out details as needed. The players will never guess most of what's happened here.

My players have made me promise to tell all when it's done.

Anyway, this adventure tests players to their furthest. Not only have my players latched onto their characters, four of them have married now (the characters, that is), so that they can snatch some joy in the midst of all this horror. It takes a powerful setting to force people to start searching for affirmations of life.

So there it is. I'm rarely impressed with adventures anymore. I'm not forgiving enough. This module needs no forgiveness. Other than an abuse of absolutes ("nothing can save the character if happens"), I can find no criticism for this product. My players have been going through it for months now, and I have rarely had so much success.

So did they survive? I can hear the question in your minds.

The question should be "Will they survive?" The party has begun spending more time on roleplaying than problem solving. They lick their wounds and clutch each other in the night, whispering reassurances. The adventure continues at a slow, methodical pace, and has become a campaign unto itself. If they survive this, I don't think that can convince them to play other characters. I mean, when you've taken someone into the darkest of all pits, you develop a bond.

Too bad they'll all be dead by the time you read this.

Amidst an exceptionally poor batch of releases from AD&D, Return to the Tomb of Horrors stands out as its shining best. Expanding on the original product by Gary Gygax, this module proves challenging, with new monsters, traps, and deadly situations. Your players will not be bored! Finally, to cap off the adventure, there is a nearly unstoppable villain, for whom death seemingly poses no threat! It knocked my socks off! Literally!

The original toh was among the best and worst of modules simply because it was so diffcult. Now updated with plane spanning travels, insane plots and almost unkillable main villian, you really have to hand it to the makers. The original toh is included as well.

It is not unbeatable but even experienced players will find it hard to evade all the devious traps. Monsters are only a secondary problem. Damage is going to be a fact of life, and even if you bring in 100 level characters as per h4, they will be munched into bits just as a first level character will be.

The rewards are up to the challenge as well. Only a single problem remains, why the heck did the main villian just wait for the characters to come? The reason given in the module is very much lacking.

The City That Waits was the city of Moil; Where dreams truly died and bodies yet toil; In slumber unrelenting they lie yet in wait; Biding their time to seal your fate.

So begins the adventure in the City of Moil, a city literally taken out of the Prime Material plane by Orcus and placed within a demi-plane inside the Negative Energy Plane. Why? Because evil city was turning away from evil, and toward good.

Acererak found the city demi-plane and started using it for his own foul purposes after Orcus was killed. But thats not the module beginning. The adventure starts back in Kalstrand (hex L2-84) when a trio of vampires is sent to collect bodies for dark necromantic experiments. Who is doing these experiments? The Black Academy.

The Black Academy has created a small city outside of the grinning skull hill entrance to Acererak's tomb because necromantic spells work better there (this is a side effect of Acererak's machinations in the Negative E! nergy Plane, and its called the "Dark Intrusion"). Mistress Ferranifer (an 18th level Vampire Scion) founded the city/academy after she found a magical amulet which is purported to be the key to entering the demi-plane of the City That Waits (Moil). What she doesn't know is that she has only half the amulet, and the other half is in the demi-lich room of Acererak's original tomb (thats right, the PCs have to go through the entire original module to get it).

Once the PCs obtain both halves of the medallion, they can enter the ancient City of Moil (originally located between Pitchfield and Rieuwood). All we really know about the city is that it was a thriving town dabbling in techno-magic. From the hints in the text, one learns it existed on the Flanaess "hundreds of years ago," but nothing more concrete is given (I would have liked a little more specifics, but thats probably just me). Only one Moil inhabitant is left alive, and she is in the casin! o building (Tower of Gaming). Losers from a high stakes po! ker games were placed in a mirror of life trapping - and Lerxst can be freed if her mirror is broken. She speaks Moilian, and an archaic dialect of the orc tongue. This is good for DM's who want to expand on Moil's history themselves. But I digress....

Fourteen towers of Moil are detailed, but there are even more empty ones. Access to most towers is only by narrow brick bridges between them, or by flying. Falling outside a tower is certain death, as there is no ground - only the Negative Energy Plane. Once all the clues are found, the traps avoided (or sprung!), and hopefully the Wand of Days obtained (it makes it easier to defeat Acererak and his minions), one finds himself traveling across the Negative Energy Plane to the Fortress of Conclusion, Acererak's real tomb.

There the PCs may discover that Acererak captured and enslaved his father, a demon named Tarnhem (true name Maasgheldur). A fight between Acererak and Tarnhem may ensue, depending on the PC ! actions. But in the end, successful PCs wind up at Acererak's final resting place, where his phylactery of his apotheosis resides. Thats right, apotheosis: Acererak wants to merge his essence with the energy in the Negative Energy Plane and become the new god of the undead. There are only three ways to defeat Acererak's plans, one of which allows him to come back later. All 2,692 souls are released, but can only survive by one of the three methods (otherwise they are destroyed in the Negative Energy Plane as they escape). Afterwards, one can rifle through Acererak's library (its unreal - 38,000 books). Escape from the demi-plane requires one to find the whistle which summons a monstrous ride back "home" (there are yet several ways for PCs to die still left).

So what did we think of all this? Its a very good adventure, and stays in line with a story thread that began nearly a score of years ago. Lots of surprises and good writing. The techno-magic seem! s a bit out of place at first, but it is cleverly worked in! and not over done. Only a few machines are working, and there are a few magens who are cyborgs (hmmmm, maybe Murlynd came from Moil?).

Oh, and its definitely a killer module. The adventure killed eight of the nine PCs in my high-level campaign (no bodies left for resurrection, raise dead, or reincarnation), and they ranged from level 12-16. Only the 16th level cleric (a half-silver dragon named Argentiferous Tesmarien) survived the final confrontation.