On Thu, 25 Jan 2024 16:13:28 +0100, kyonshi <
gmk...@gmail.com> wrote:
>What are your favorite bad modules? The ones that are objectively bad in
>one way or another, but somehow you still kind of like them for one
>reason or another?
>
Tomb of Horrors, despite Dragon magazine's 2004 award. The whole thing
was Gygax's way of saying FU to arrogant high level players. He publicly
challenged people who thought their characters were "invincible." It is
full of his particular brand of small dick energy.
Suprise! You've been annihilated by a demon mask. Surprise! You get
teleported naked back to the beginning of the dungeon. Surpise! Failed
your save against that sleep gas? You just got run over by a juggernaut.
Oh, you all just got dumped into a fire pit. That's too bad. It's TPW
city by arbitrary, rulesless traps from start to finish, and when your
naked bedraggled PCs finally get to the very end and find their stuff,
they are greeted by Acererak and the ultimate TPW. There's no coming back
from that.
This module is pure cruelty. It also, in Gygax fashion, derives some of
its challenge by suspension of game mechanics entirely. Rot grubs (do
they even have hp?). The catoblepas (what do you mean there's no save vs.
death?). He invented stuff just to screw his players.
Those were the times though. Characters died. A lot.
But then it introduced the demilich and is very runnable with a little
modification. It was also the first of its kind. I have written
adventures modeled on the kind of experience it presented, though far
more fair and less lethal (unless the players really ask for it). The
ancient trap/puzzle dungeon is really quite the genre. This put it on the
map. Most dungeon crawls of the day were about combat and predictable
traps.
I think that's why it got the award, because Good Gygax it's not a fair
or well written adventure. Why the hell did this evil wizard build all
this, complete with a counterfeit of himself, when he can suck people's
souls out at will? It's the ultimate in "Why is this even a thing?" What
is he doing there just sitting in that room anyway?
So, IMO, the concept is cool but not the adventure. Played as is, the
whole thing is just an exercise in frustration. There's really no point
to it. It is bad. I doubt anyone at the convention crumpled up their
character sheets. They probably just said, "Nice one, Gary."
P.S.: Remember to prepare multiple castings of that second level "Forget"
spell (that is generally forgotten) or you'll be sorry. Pshaw!
--
Zag
No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten