Tales from the Yawning Portal (or something like that) is a compendium of 7 adventures updated to 5e rules. Classics like Against the Giants, White Plume Mountain and Tomb of Horrors get re-skinned to the new edition.

Considering the zillions of adventures available at rpgnow for peanuts, personally, i think this is not needed as it's basically a piece of piss to convert old adventures to 5e.

Maybe they're running out of steam already.

http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/news/tales-yawning-portal

Very cool. I like books. Don't care for PDFs.

Quote from: One Horse Town;939392Tales from the Yawning Portal (or something like that) is a compendium of 7 adventures updated to 5e rules. Classics like Against the Giants, White Plume Mountain and Tomb of Horrors get re-skinned to the new edition.

Considering the zillions of adventures available at rpgnow for peanuts, personally, i think this is not needed as it's basically a piece of piss to convert old adventures to 5e.

Maybe they're running out of steam already.

http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/news/tales-yawning-portal

To be sure, if they had put out any other book with crunch or a new campaign, I probably wouldn't be interested. A book of mini-adventures, nostalgic or otherwise, holds more interest me right now. There is a large back catalogue to work through if that ends up the direction too.

I think I'm more positive than negative about this. As an old-time gamer I happen to own most of these adventures already, but I know a lot of 5E players who have never experienced any of the classic modules from pre-2000 or so and it seems to me that dusting those off and getting them back in print is a good idea. When I see the final product I may change my mind on this, of course, but my initial reaction is that it's a good idea and I would enjoy seeing even more of the classics getting a similar treatment.

Seems an interesting, if eclectic mix of modules to pack.

Neet idea. But an odd one too.

I am disappointed.

Yes, I very much like to see old modules updated and republished, even bundled. But mixing 1e, 3e, and Next modules?

I was hoping for a more sensible mix, like the S1-S4 reprint, Dungeons of Dread (that btw contained White Plume Mountain, as well).

I don't have a problem with new edition stats for old adventures but for me personally, a big clunky hardback book with all the maps and things inside is too ponderous to be used easily at the table. Had they released this as a set of soft back individual modules complete with detached card stock covers containing the maps all included in a slip case then I would probably pre-order the thing.

Its all about usefulness at the table for adventure content. Thats why I haven't purchased any of their campaign books.

This is a mixed bag. The previous WOC offerings for 5E are mostly adventure path style books, which I detest. So, a book of adventures that you can approach and navigate on your own terms is welcome. And I only have about half of these as original hard copies, so there is stuff here that is new to me and will see use. But how pathetic is it that they can't create new content in this style? There are OSR dungeons getting produced on a regular basis that are as good as or better than anything in the portfolio of great old pastel TSR modules. It isn't a mystery how to make them: activate the creativity and fun centers in your brain, drop the attitude that players need to be led around like babies, keep the word count low, and make sure the map is detailed, complete and looks good. Lost Mines is unremarkable but pretty solid, so there is an existence proof that they can write modules in this basic mode. But as an organization they don't seem committed to really doing this regularly.

I don't mind this. It's nice to have the conversion work done, and they've chosen a very good selection of adventures (Tamoachan is something of a lost classic).

However, this only confirms my fears that WotC has only a skeleton of a budget for D&D. It seems Hasbro are doing just enough to keep the game and license alive. My hopes that 5E would be supported to the extent that 4E was are now completely dashed.

Yeah, I've been seeing plenty of mixed reactions in social media too. Funny how the world works.

I think it's neat that a classic adventure "anthology" is coming out for 5e, and as Larsdangly said above it's encouraging to see WotC think outside the "adventure path" box, but the cold hard truth of the matter is that I don't see anything worth buying here; WotC's offers pale before the OSR and TSR catalogue of truly intriguing and elaborate adventures.

Also, mechanical conversion is not difficult, at least not so difficult as to justify shelling out what they usually ask of it.

If I was in charge I'd be trawling the OSR scene for adventure-writing talent and selling the adventures as cheap as possible. Softcover, B&W, recycled old art, who gives a shit? Make 'em official and make 'em cheap.

Also campaign settings. Sure, everyone loves FR, but where's Eberron for the pulpy magitech fans? Dark Sun for the barbaric S&S crew? One of the few great things 4e had going on for it was the Spelljammer/Planescape mash-up, so you can world hop while you world hop, as Xzibit would put it. Still miffed I never got to run my "Astral Sea Traveller" 4e game.

There's a lot they could be covering with 4e but so far they've gone with the "yearly token adventure path" road that just screams "legacy thingie we're keeping around for the IP". I don't even think 5e is a bad game but there's epic shit happening at the fan-driven old edition scene. I wish WotC the best of luck, really, but I really haven't been a customer since picking up the 5e core rulebooks.

I am more positive than not on this development.  D&D serves best as a gateway to the hobby.  The OSR is a good example of the creativity blossoming in the hobby.  Bringing back good adventures is a reasonable tactic for WotC to continue to put out content that helps new entrants see how good adventures are created.

Sure, really new stuff would be better but this could be well done.  And if it leads people to the awesome small press material, that is even better.

I have to be a little puzzled here, too. I just ran White Plume Mountain for my 5e campaign. Converting was no big deal at all. I don't think it's even possible to run WPM as a 4e style module, but 5e is so lean on rules that it doesn't take much at all. Similarly, I did the Slavers modules, actually running an adventure I hadn't played since, uh, 1988? Not a problem.

I grant that this was an easy/cheap thing for WoTC to do, so I see their point of view here the same way I understand crappy horror movies are made because the ROI is so great but...c'mon, let's get some new material.

Nostalgia is easy money.

I'm not a 5e fan, but I can't blame them.

I expect it will sell well and lead to a sequel.

Thumbs up for converting classics, not that it would be so hard as already mentioned.

For me though, I rather have my Manual of the Planes or Deities and Demigods. Still wondering where those are on the to-do list.

Quote from: JamesV;939617For me though, I rather have my Manual of the Planes or Deities and Demigods. Still wondering where those are on the to-do list.

Personally, I'd prefer them to make a Planescape campaign, with setting material included.