I got the new ToEE dual slipcase set for 5E

Remove all ads!

I found the new ToEE for 5E dual slipcase on Amazon for $52 so I nabbed it. It just arrived. I need to dig into it. I have the ancient 1E module and the Troika game, I was considering hybriding those and the Return to ToEE module (at least some of the concepts like Tharizdun being the main big baddy - temple priests running around with fiery-eye cloaks is totally him.)

D&D the last few years has been doing a lot with dead gods trying to resurrect themselves in various ways and Tharizdun using the ToEE to gain divine power to fully awaken himself makes sense to me. Not going to play to the idea of Tharizdun = Sargarest/Morgath and the Destroy it All philosophy. That never felt right for Morgoth or Sauron to me. Morgoth just wanted control, Sauron just wanted Morgoth back. Anyways my theory would be that Tharizdun is trying to create a new pantheon with himself as king, Zugtmoy as queen, and the four Elemental Evils as his ally/servants. In the hopes of establishing a real pantheon that can conflict with the others. Perhaps bring in a few of the other Primordials that survived the Dawn War as additional members of the pantheon. Not to destroy everything but to usurp control over everything they can - as they failed to do last time. I'm considering making some of the monster deities like Gruumsh and Kurtulmak and Vaprak be surviving Primordials that made the transition to gods via their mortal worshipers. Most of this won't be very impactful of the campaign, it will be background info. I could even sidestep the temple for a bit with an Against the Giants run using them as additional minions of the temple wreaking havoc while the temple gains strength. A premise of the original temple was them using their monster minions to coerce locals to switch to the temple; and bringing in clans of giants feels like a solid addon idea. I'll have to find out if I can find that 3.5 Against the Giants module. Mythically the Drow manipulating the giants is a bit backwards; in Old Norse the Dark Elves swore allegiance to the giants because Odin and company murdered the eldest giant to craft Midgard and Asgard from his corpse. The Drow weren't the rulers, they were the servants. I'm also imagining having Shadowfel Fomori and such as allies of the cult. It would allow me to step-aside from the long temple slog to investigate other involved forces.

Sound interesting? Or am I biting off more than I can chew?