Expedition to the Demonweb Pits! - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Amaril Jul 21, 2006 17:54:19	A D&D Super-Adventure Expedition to the Demonweb Pits Wolfgang Baur and Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel Expedition to the Demonweb Pits is a D&D super-adventure for characters of levels 9-12. It is usable as a mini-campaign on its own, as a story arc in a Dungeon Master's regular campaign, or as a series of small side adventures with a big payoff. The structure is very flexible and eminently customizable. The adventure uses a new combat encounter format designed to make the DM's job easier and to speed up play. Heroes who become entangled in the adventure's plot soon find themselves squaring off against the agents of Lolth and Graz'zt across several planes, including the Abyss. April 17, 2007 224 page hardcover $34.95/$44.00
#2 mortellan Jul 22, 2006 0:38:19	It seems paizo's harcover mega-adventure / adventure paths are catching on. hmm, would this technically count as a new GH hardcover? ;)
#3 twiceborn Jul 22, 2006 2:11:39	Awesome!!! It doesn't sound like it'll include the "giants" component... but maybe the descent into the vault of the drow, if we're lucky? Thanks for the post, Amaril!
#4 Monteblanco Jul 22, 2006 8:44:30	It seems paizo's harcover mega-adventure / adventure paths are catching on. hmm, would this technically count as a new GH hardcover? ;) I sincerely doubt it. Considering that both Lolth and Graz'zt were already plagiarized into the Forgotten Realms, this adventure probably have stronger links with that setting than Greyhawk.
#5 ripvanwormer Jul 22, 2006 10:19:07	I sincerely doubt it. Considering that both Lolth and Graz'zt were already plagiarized into the Forgotten Realms, this adventure probably have stronger links with that setting than Greyhawk. I doubt that. If it doesn't say Forgotten Realms on the cover, it won't be Forgotten Realms - you could probably adapt it to that setting, but WotC's efforts to seperate FR from the other settings means it probably won't have any FR-specific references. At all. The Forgotten Realms Abyss is supposed to be entirely seperate from Oerth's Abyss, and FR's Lolth lives in yet another plane. That said, I don't expect it to be a retread of Q1 or its prequels - it sounds like an entirely new plot with a similar setting. Maybe some of it will take place in the Lolth-controlled worlds from Q1.
#6 Amaril Jul 22, 2006 11:02:36	I doubt that. If it doesn't say Forgotten Realms on the cover, it won't be Forgotten Realms - you could probably adapt it to that setting, but WotC's efforts to seperate FR from the other settings means it probably won't have any FR-specific references. At all. The Forgotten Realms Abyss is supposed to be entirely seperate from Oerth's Abyss, and FR's Lolth lives in yet another plane. That said, I don't expect it to be a retread of Q1 or its prequels - it sounds like an entirely new plot with a similar setting. Maybe some of it will take place in the Lolth-controlled worlds from Q1. I have a feeling this product's intent might parallel that of Expedition to Castle Ravenloft.
#7 mortellan Jul 22, 2006 16:35:09	Expedition to Castle Ravenloft Format Trade Paperback Page Count 224 Price $34.95 ; C$46.95 Curiously this one is not hardback but has the same page count as the upcoming Demonweb.
#8 Monteblanco Jul 22, 2006 20:32:02	My guess is, being a planar adventure, it will not be tied to any of the campaign worlds. However, considering that two of the main villains are ex-greyhawkers transposed to the Realms, I am pretty sure that they will give more attention on how to integrate it within a Forgotten Realms than a Greyhawk campaign.
#9 Amaril Jul 22, 2006 21:28:40	Personally, I think it will leverage material from Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss, which is primarily Greyhawk material.
#10 ripvanwormer Jul 23, 2006 9:13:30	considering that two of the main villains are ex-greyhawkers transposed to the Realms Graz'zt and Lolth aren't ex-Greyhawkers - they're current Greyhawkers who have spread their influence further without abandoning their old homes. Graz'zt's cameo in For Duty & Deity nonwithstanding, he doesn't have a lot of plot hooks in that setting. Using the FR version of Lolth means embracing a lot of dubious changes they've made to her recently - she's a greater goddess and has her own plane seperate from the Abyss. They can't make much of that in a generic adventure. The FR connections won't merit much more than a sidebar. This is generic D&D, which is to some extent Greyhawk. Tying everything in to the Forgotten Realms was something that happened often in 2nd edition, but happens hardly at all today, where FR stays mostly in between gray covers. There will be a "using this in the Realms" sidebar - a few paragraphs - but I don't expect much more than that.
#11 newoldguy Jul 23, 2006 14:24:44	Well , whichever it is I'm sure I'll be checking it out upon release . If for no other reason then to see if it even mentions Greyhawk . We did that whole series a few times , but seldom got to the demonweb part of things . Just getting through all the underdark encounters was usually enough for our party to hang it up .
#12 zombiegleemax Jul 23, 2006 22:46:48	I like the new modules that are being produced. I just purchased a copy of the Red Hand of Doom and so far I really like what I am seeing. Kale
#13 Monteblanco Jul 24, 2006 3:30:02	I like the new modules that are being produced. I just purchased a copy of the Red Hand of Doom and so far I really like what I am seeing. Kale I agree, this one is really good. As a matter of fact, it is the first D&D adventure I brought in many years. For years I was thinking of doing a militar campaign and I was surprised how well they did it. Although it is pretty easy to fit in Greyhawk, I notice that the designers could give a little bit more of effort as how adapting it to Oerth, as they did it to the Realms.
#14 zombiegleemax Jul 31, 2006 15:10:18	Red Hand of Doom provided details for integrating the adventure into Greyhawk, FR, and Eberron. However, Greyhawk was the easiest fit (probably because it was designed to be a default setting where integration of typical D&D adventures would be easy). I imagine a similar short section on campaign setting adaptation will be found in this adventure. On the whole, I believe this is good news, although I have yet to see anything to support the notion that WotC intends to give GH anything more than lip service. Perhaps they are being persuaded by the success of GH in Dungeon. This adventure is certainly a carrot for Greyhawk fans. The name itself is a play on two old GH adventures. So what does that mean? Time will tell.
#15 ripvanwormer Jul 31, 2006 19:40:38	I doubt it could be adapted to Eberron without having to rework it beyond all recognition, actually. That world doesn't really have an Abyss, and its drow worship a scorpion god instead of Lolth. Possibly the drow could be changed to human cultists and the Demonweb Pits could be put in Khyber, Eberron's underdark, but it hardly seems worth it to go to all that effort to port in what's obviously a Greyhawk adventure. It would fit better with the Forgotten Realms, since that campaign has Lolth and a plane called the Demonweb, though depending on what other planar locations are involved things might get awkward. The Forgotten Realms did its fans a disservice by banishing itself from the standard cosmology. Greyhawk's now the only official world that can use the "classic" planes without adaptation, though many FR fans continue to use the Great Wheel. But that means that this adventure will be primarily a Greyhawk one, and anything else second (in FR's case) or perhaps not at all (in Eberron's case).
#16 vormaerin Aug 01, 2006 1:22:45	However, Greyhawk was the easiest fit (probably because it was designed to be a default setting where integration of typical D&D adventures would be easy). Not really sure where you got this impresssion. GH was an adaptation of an existing campaign from the 70s and was never really used as a 'default' setting until that short period under 3e. While many of the early adventures were also adaptations of Gygax's campaign material, much of what TSR published was literally generic with no ties to any campaign world.

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

Amaril

Jul 21, 2006 17:54:19

A D&D Super-Adventure
Expedition to the Demonweb Pits
Wolfgang Baur and Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel

Expedition to the Demonweb Pits is a D&D super-adventure for characters of levels 9-12. It is usable as a mini-campaign on its own, as a story arc in a Dungeon Master's regular campaign, or as a series of small side adventures with a big payoff. The structure is very flexible and eminently customizable. The adventure uses a new combat encounter format designed to make the DM's job easier and to speed up play.

Heroes who become entangled in the adventure's plot soon find themselves squaring off against the agents of Lolth and Graz'zt across several planes, including the Abyss.

April 17, 2007
224 page hardcover
$34.95/$44.00

mortellan

Jul 22, 2006 0:38:19

It seems paizo's harcover mega-adventure / adventure paths are catching on. hmm, would this technically count as a new GH hardcover? ;)

twiceborn

Jul 22, 2006 2:11:39

Awesome!!! It doesn't sound like it'll include the "giants" component... but maybe the descent into the vault of the drow, if we're lucky? Thanks for the post, Amaril!

Monteblanco

Jul 22, 2006 8:44:30

It seems paizo's harcover mega-adventure / adventure paths are catching on. hmm, would this technically count as a new GH hardcover? ;)

I sincerely doubt it. Considering that both Lolth and Graz'zt were already plagiarized into the Forgotten Realms, this adventure probably have stronger links with that setting than Greyhawk.

ripvanwormer

Jul 22, 2006 10:19:07

I sincerely doubt it. Considering that both Lolth and Graz'zt were already plagiarized into the Forgotten Realms, this adventure probably have stronger links with that setting than Greyhawk.

I doubt that. If it doesn't say Forgotten Realms on the cover, it won't be Forgotten Realms - you could probably adapt it to that setting, but WotC's efforts to seperate FR from the other settings means it probably won't have any FR-specific references. At all. The Forgotten Realms Abyss is supposed to be entirely seperate from Oerth's Abyss, and FR's Lolth lives in yet another plane.

That said, I don't expect it to be a retread of Q1 or its prequels - it sounds like an entirely new plot with a similar setting. Maybe some of it will take place in the Lolth-controlled worlds from Q1.

Amaril

Jul 22, 2006 11:02:36

I doubt that. If it doesn't say Forgotten Realms on the cover, it won't be Forgotten Realms - you could probably adapt it to that setting, but WotC's efforts to seperate FR from the other settings means it probably won't have any FR-specific references. At all. The Forgotten Realms Abyss is supposed to be entirely seperate from Oerth's Abyss, and FR's Lolth lives in yet another plane.

That said, I don't expect it to be a retread of Q1 or its prequels - it sounds like an entirely new plot with a similar setting. Maybe some of it will take place in the Lolth-controlled worlds from Q1.

I have a feeling this product's intent might parallel that of Expedition to Castle Ravenloft.

mortellan

Jul 22, 2006 16:35:09

Expedition to Castle Ravenloft
Format Trade Paperback
Page Count 224
Price $34.95 ; C$46.95

Curiously this one is not hardback but has the same page count as the upcoming Demonweb.

Monteblanco

Jul 22, 2006 20:32:02

My guess is, being a planar adventure, it will not be tied to any of the campaign worlds. However, considering that two of the main villains are ex-greyhawkers transposed to the Realms, I am pretty sure that they will give more attention on how to integrate it within a Forgotten Realms than a Greyhawk campaign.

Amaril

Jul 22, 2006 21:28:40

Personally, I think it will leverage material from Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss, which is primarily Greyhawk material.

#10

ripvanwormer

Jul 23, 2006 9:13:30

considering that two of the main villains are ex-greyhawkers transposed to the Realms

Graz'zt and Lolth aren't ex-Greyhawkers - they're current Greyhawkers who have spread their influence further without abandoning their old homes. Graz'zt's cameo in For Duty & Deity nonwithstanding, he doesn't have a lot of plot hooks in that setting. Using the FR version of Lolth means embracing a lot of dubious changes they've made to her recently - she's a greater goddess and has her own plane seperate from the Abyss. They can't make much of that in a generic adventure.

The FR connections won't merit much more than a sidebar. This is generic D&D, which is to some extent Greyhawk.

Tying everything in to the Forgotten Realms was something that happened often in 2nd edition, but happens hardly at all today, where FR stays mostly in between gray covers. There will be a "using this in the Realms" sidebar - a few paragraphs - but I don't expect much more than that.

#11

newoldguy

Jul 23, 2006 14:24:44

Well , whichever it is I'm sure I'll be checking it out upon release . If for no other reason then to see if it even mentions Greyhawk . We did that whole series a few times , but seldom got to the demonweb part of things . Just getting through all the underdark encounters was usually enough for our party to hang it up .

#12

zombiegleemax

Jul 23, 2006 22:46:48

I like the new modules that are being produced. I just purchased a copy of the Red Hand of Doom and so far I really like what I am seeing.

Kale

#13

Monteblanco

Jul 24, 2006 3:30:02

I like the new modules that are being produced. I just purchased a copy of the Red Hand of Doom and so far I really like what I am seeing.

Kale

I agree, this one is really good. As a matter of fact, it is the first D&D adventure I brought in many years. For years I was thinking of doing a militar campaign and I was surprised how well they did it. Although it is pretty easy to fit in Greyhawk, I notice that the designers could give a little bit more of effort as how adapting it to Oerth, as they did it to the Realms.

#14

zombiegleemax

Jul 31, 2006 15:10:18

Red Hand of Doom provided details for integrating the adventure into Greyhawk, FR, and Eberron. However, Greyhawk was the easiest fit (probably because it was designed to be a default setting where integration of typical D&D adventures would be easy). I imagine a similar short section on campaign setting adaptation will be found in this adventure. On the whole, I believe this is good news, although I have yet to see anything to support the notion that WotC intends to give GH anything more than lip service. Perhaps they are being persuaded by the success of GH in Dungeon. This adventure is certainly a carrot for Greyhawk fans. The name itself is a play on two old GH adventures. So what does that mean? Time will tell.

#15

ripvanwormer

Jul 31, 2006 19:40:38

I doubt it could be adapted to Eberron without having to rework it beyond all recognition, actually. That world doesn't really have an Abyss, and its drow worship a scorpion god instead of Lolth. Possibly the drow could be changed to human cultists and the Demonweb Pits could be put in Khyber, Eberron's underdark, but it hardly seems worth it to go to all that effort to port in what's obviously a Greyhawk adventure.

It would fit better with the Forgotten Realms, since that campaign has Lolth and a plane called the Demonweb, though depending on what other planar locations are involved things might get awkward. The Forgotten Realms did its fans a disservice by banishing itself from the standard cosmology. Greyhawk's now the only official world that can use the "classic" planes without adaptation, though many FR fans continue to use the Great Wheel.

But that means that this adventure will be primarily a Greyhawk one, and anything else second (in FR's case) or perhaps not at all (in Eberron's case).

#16

vormaerin

Aug 01, 2006 1:22:45

However, Greyhawk was the easiest fit (probably because it was designed to be a default setting where integration of typical D&D adventures would be easy).

Not really sure where you got this impresssion. GH was an adaptation of an existing campaign from the 70s and was never really used as a 'default' setting until that short period under 3e. While many of the early adventures were also adaptations of Gygax's campaign material, much of what TSR published was literally generic with no ties to any campaign world.