Tomb of Annihilation already seems better written than other hardcovers.

[Deathtongue]

Full disclosure: I've played two hardcovers for 5E D&D so far, both of them almost to completion: Storm King's Thunder and Tales of the Yawning Portal. I've also played a lot of canned adventures for 4E D&D, Pathfinder, and 3.5E D&D along with some hardcovers for Pathfinder.

I've played a couple of 3 hour sessions of Tomb of Annihilation and while I won't go as far as to say that I'm amazed I am impressed with what I've seen so far. It's hard to explain why, but Chult and Port Nyanzaru already just feels more 'real' than the similar starting locale of Triboar from Storm King's Thunder. Maybe I just have a soft spot for dinosaurs and byzantine merchant intrigue, but I think ToA does a better job of making your character care about the setting than SKT and especially TYP. I very pointedly try to avoid spoilers on hardcovers, but I'm hoping that we revisit Nyanzaru and it becomes sort of the focal point of the campaign. I also appreciate ToA at least trying to integrate your background into the starting fracas and also giving you a lot of plot hooks right out of the gate, rather than gently railroading you until you get to the point of 'bloom out and explore the world'. I always preferred the pre-Neverwinter Nights' way of doing things in cRPGs, where games like Dark Sun: Shattered Lands and Baldur's Gate and the Krynn series and even Realms of Arkania trusted you with the reins shortly out of character creation.

[Scathain]

I'm just happy they finally implemented Yuan-ti as a villainous race in a published adventure. Also, I didn't know this until I read the intro, but Pendleton Ward (the creator of Adventure Time) helped write it, and I just think that's the bee's knees.

[Scripten]

No experience with ToA yet, but I hear nothing but good things from friends who have played it. I've been working through Strahd and that definitely has a lot of the features you mention in the OP. I imagine the adventure design is just getting better in general, which is a good sign to me.

[8wGremlin]

Isn’t it a bit like Eberron’s xendric (sp?)
And it’s port -stormhaven.

Is this an updated version of those set in the forgotten realms?

[BlizzardMayne]

Isn’t it a bit like Eberron’s xendric (sp?)
And it’s port -stormhaven.

Is this an updated version of those set in the forgotten realms?

I fully intend to use this book in an Eberron game, setting it in Xen'Drik

[Scathain]

I fully intend to use this book in an Eberron game, setting it in Xen'Drik

That's another thing I like about ToA: since it's not Sword Coast centric, it's a rather specific setting, making it easier to adapt to another campaign world.

I've been running a Guild Wars 1 campaign, and the Maguuma Jungle is the perfect setting for ToA.

[Deleted]

Honestly OP, that really isn't saying much. Quite a few of my friends have stopped playing D&D because there is just so much better things out there than what WotC is putting out.

Yeah, the core mechanics are good, but everything else is quite laughable. My second core group is thinking of leaving D&D behind and finding something that we don't have to put 90% of the effort into in order to make it good (or just not the same crap over and over).

[TrinculoLives]

This sounds like a very subjective set of parameters.

"Feels real"? "Making your character care about the setting"?

Is it just your DM? Because those sounds like the things for which a DM is largely responsible.

Edit: that is to say, I see nothing here in addition to "This is a shiny new adventure!"

[ATHATH]

This sounds like a very subjective set of parameters.

"Feels real"? "Making your character care about the setting"?

Is it just your DM? Because those sounds like the things for which a DM is largely responsible.

Perhaps your DM is just more in-sync with the setting/"feels" the setting better than in your previous pre-made campaigns with him?

[8wGremlin]

My second core group is thinking of leaving D&D behind and finding something that we don't have to put 90% of the effort into in order to make it good (or just not the same crap over and over).

Might I recommend Through the Breach, by Wyrd games. Really good setting, tons of flavour. And good mechanics.

A few hard core d&d players here with decades of d&d prefer it.

[Malifice]

Honestly OP, that really isn't saying much. Quite a few of my friends have stopped playing D&D because there is just so much better things out there than what WotC is putting out.

Cool. I expect you will be leaving this forums then seeing as its about DnD.

[8wGremlin]

Cool. I expect you will be leaving this forums then seeing as its about DnD.

Why?, people can like lots of gaming system, doesn't mean that they have to leave specific forums.
What a silly thing to say.

Anyhow, back to the topic in hand, does anyone know where the tortle race came from, I know it has been around for ages, but never as a major non-human race?

Seems weird to promote them now, is there any new literature that has come out about them?

[mephnick]

I'm hoping it's better than SKT. A lot of great content but the writing and story are laughable. Every major event and NPC is sprung on the players with absolutely no foreshadowing or explanation, so none of them have any impact at all. A lot of prep turns it into a great campaign, but I can't believe it was released as written. Do they hire writers for these things? Or is it just game designers throwing encounters at a page?

[Deleted]

Cool. I expect you will be leaving this forums then seeing as its about DnD.

Nope.

I still play from time to time, non-official stuff, but WotC is just downright laughable.

If you can't handle criticism of something then maybe the I ternet isnt the place for you? (See how that works, how do you like it?)

[mephnick]

If you can't handle criticism of something then maybe the I ternet isnt the place for you?

There's a difference between actual criticism and incessant bleating.

[Sir cryosin]

I'm just happy they finally implemented Yuan-ti as a villainous race in a published adventure. Also, I didn't know this until I read the intro, but Pendleton Ward (the creator of Adventure Time) helped write it, and I just think that's the bee's knees.

I want to know who came up with the goblin stack? Because goblins stack on top of each other is just funny.

[Scathain]

I want to know who came up with the goblin stack? Because goblins stack on top of each other is just funny.

I wouldn't be surprised if PW came up with that one, but either way it's definitely in line with his humor. Another thing I love about ToA and can't wait to see more of.

[Rogerdodger557]

Anyhow, back to the topic in hand, does anyone know where the tortle race came from, I know it has been around for ages, but never as a major non-human race?

Seems weird to promote them now, is there any new literature that has come out about them?

Tortles are from an island of the coast of Chult(at least in 5e), so it does make sense as to why we wouldn't have heard of them until now. As for new literature, there is the Tortle Package, available on DMs Guild, that has the maps and areas for the aforementioned island, the information for Tortle characters, and some new monsters.

[Deathtongue]

This sounds like a very subjective set of parameters.

"Feels real"? "Making your character care about the setting"?

Is it just your DM? Because those sounds like the things for which a DM is largely responsible.

Edit: that is to say, I see nothing here in addition to "This is a shiny new adventure!"

I'm formulating my experience after playing Storm King's Thunder. It opens up in a big way after Triboar of course, but for the first 1-5 levels you're locked pretty firmly onto the rails, Jade Empire style.

ToA throws you into the sandbox almost immediately after you make your characters. I greatly prefer that style of adventure design, because in my unpopular opinion aimlessness is actually a good thing and helps to integrate characters more into the setting as they try to find their own meaning.

Not to mention that ToA takes off the kids' gloves very shortly therein. We rolled (as a level 1 party) T-Rex twice on the random encounter table. Both situations would've resulted in a TPK, were it not for two things: there was a random event in Nyanzaru that resulted in the druid getting an ankylosaurus and we ended up feeling the ankylosaurus to the T-Rex so we could make our escape. The second time, only a lucky Animal Friendship allowed us to 'only' lose a warlock and a rogue. A couple of the party members were like 'dude, we have a T-Rex!' but the druid was adamant on sending it far away because he didn't want the spell wearing off and killing party members.

Mind, I don't want to make it sound like ToA is super-lethal. We got really unlucky with rolls both times. Still, I appreciate it when an adventure has a small chance of a TPK. It'd be obnoxious if it happened too frequently, but the fact that it happens at all is pretty cool.

[jaappleton]

Oh, look, Deleted is crapping on WotC.

I'm so surprised.

He only does that on days that end in 'Y'. Stellar amount of negativity as always, Deleted, we all thoroughly enjoy your toxic posts.

On the subject of ToA:

The book was designed from the beginning to have an air of Indiana Jones about it. They wanted to bring a sense of fun, and plenty of harrowing moments, to the adventure from the start.

[War_lord]

I've bought it on roll20, and from reading it feels like a big leap forward in terms of design compared to the earlier adventures.

[guachi]

Anyhow, back to the topic in hand, does anyone know where the tortle race came from, I know it has been around for ages, but never as a major non-human race?

Seems weird to promote them now, is there any new literature that has come out about them?

Tortles are native to Mystara (aka The Known World), a setting WotC will never, ever do anything with. Specifically, they are from the Savage Coast. As far as I'm aware, they are the first Mystara-only creature to be assimilated by the Forgotten Realms borg.

[darjr]

For this book they had a ton of play testing. I hope that helped. It such a great campaign

[Chugger]

As was said above, a lot of the modules really suffer in the writing (edit, specifically they use poor structure and pacing). You get vague hints that mean nothing - these vague hints get repeated with no additional info of any meaning - and then you finally are railroaded to the boss fight with no real idea what you're doing ... and after the fight is over the DM explains what a great story it is - except it isn't.

This is amateurish, horrible story telling. Massive info dump at the end is terrible. The story should have been developed as the adventurers move into it, and they should go into the final battle knowing most of what is going on - but maybe discover one or two final twists - things that have been _set up_ for goodness sakes. So yeah, I hope this new stuff is better. That would be great.

[Deathtongue]

This is amateurish, horrible story telling. Massive info dump at the end is terrible. The story should have been developed as the adventurers move into it, and they should go into the final battle knowing most of what is going on - but maybe discover one or two final twists - things that have been _set up_ for goodness sakes. So yeah, I hope this new stuff is better. That would be great.

Maybe it's just my preference, but I always feel that D&D modules were at their strongest when they were either A) in wide-open sandbox mode or B) had a goal to attain with multiple paths to get to it. D&D adventures, in every edition, tend to falter in the final act precisely because they tend to lock things on rails and then give a massive infodump at the end.

That said, so far with Tomb of Annihilation our group is having a blast. People at the table, including me, seem to really enjoy arguing over our path through Chult and also how to handle random encounters.

[Malifice]

I wouldn't be surprised if PW came up with that one, but either way it's definitely in line with his humor. Another thing I love about ToA and can't wait to see more of.

The +1 dwarven battleaxe that floats on water... called 'Bob'.

[Malifice]

Oh, look, Deleted is crapping on WotC.

I'm so surprised.

He only does that on days that end in 'Y'. Stellar amount of negativity as always, Deleted, we all thoroughly enjoy your toxic posts.

On the subject of ToA:

The book was designed from the beginning to have an air of Indiana Jones about it. They wanted to bring a sense of fun, and plenty of harrowing moments, to the adventure from the start.

If I ever get a chance to play this i am sooooo doing it as in investigator rogue with the archaeologist background now.

[DracoKnight]

If I ever get a chance to play this i am sooooo doing it as in investigator rogue with the archaeologist background now.

Don’t forget to be VHuman with Weapon Master for Revolvers and Whips.

[HolyDraconus]

Maybe it's just my preference, but I always feel that D&D modules were at their strongest when they were either A) in wide-open sandbox mode or B) had a goal to attain with multiple paths to get to it. D&D adventures, in every edition, tend to falter in the final act precisely because they tend to lock things on rails and then give a massive infodump at the end.

That said, so far with Tomb of Annihilation our group is having a blast. People at the table, including me, seem to really enjoy arguing over our path through Chult and also how to handle random encounters.

From an AL perspective, it feels gimped once the shine rubs off. You aren't really given an idea of WHERE to go, there's some clock ticking that honestly can be ignored, Mezro and places like it are HUGE dead ends... its just ugh at times.

[Malifice]

there's some clock ticking that honestly can be ignored

Huh?

Leaving aside if the clock ticks to midnight Acerak wins, and a new god of evil is created spawning millions of undead and a likely apocalypse, each day every humanoid that's ever been raised loses 1 HP permanently (and dead creatures are 5 percent chance of permadeath), AND the fact the Pcs don't get rewarded if more than 79 days pass.

Every day people are dying. For ever. And the world gets 1 step closer to destruction.

If your PCs are ignoring this still and just bumbling about, drain them of 1 HP per day.