XP
“As a rule, one point of experience will be awarded for one gold piece gained by a character…” (Gygax 1978)
Players have been conditioned to find treasure and avoid monsters that may be too much trouble. Sacrificing those gems to the gargoyle is that much more painful. The irretrievable gold couch that much more frustrating.
Doors
Some of you keen eyed readers may have noticed that the Tomb was published in 1978, but the Origins convention happened in 1975. The Tomb was designed before AD&D was finalized and so there a couple places that make more sense under OD&D.
“Doors in the dungeon are typically stuck and must be forced by strength.” (Bull 2015)
This is an important note for the pits behind the door traps to work properly. It also means mage hand isn’t going to open most doors. I would even rule that if you’re flying or levitating, you’re not going to find enough purchase to open a door either.
Secret door detection
Searching for secret doors had to be an active task and only then had a 33% chance of success. Elves could find them passively at the same rate. I feel it should be possible to roll at the same success rate if in 5e, a PC’s passive perception is high enough to detect the door.
Second Great Hall
1e:
Buff as a color is a muted golden orange. The two false doors are not hidden. The hall is 130’ and there are 13 rows on each table.
The stones of the archway only glow if a PC is within 3’. The stones as written don’t respond or otherwise give clues when touched.
5e:
The doors got rearranged between revisions, but nothing significant. The two false doors are marked as hidden, but I believe this to be a conversion error.
False Doors
1e:
One character in range makes a save vs magic or takes 16% (9 hp) damage. The fighter will save 50% of the time. It’s unclear if the spear is real or a manifestation of magical energy that dissipates, only that there are unlimited charges.
5e:
The fighter would be hit 55% of the time for 8% (9 hp).
Three chests
1e:
Opening the door causes 5% (3 hp) fall damage.
Gold: The snakes are 12 individual monsters. They deal 1 hp per bite, but also cause a save vs poison. The snakes are always there, just vibing.
||Fighter|Asp|Swarm*|
|To Hit %|80%|30%|30%|
|Dam % dealt per round|44% (4) / 4% (4)|0.5% (0.3)|5% (3)|
|Rounds to win|3 / 27|194|20|
|Power Ratio|0.02 / 1.35|
|Instant kill % per round|0% / 0%|11%|99%|
*Does not take into account the diminishing effectiveness as each asp is slain.
Silver: The crystal box is itself valuable to entice removing it. It’s clear so the ring is visible inside. There is no save for triggering the trap dealing 14% (8 hp) damage.
Wood: The skeleton of a giant, not a giant skeleton, teleports into the box. The box is empty before it is opened. It wields two scimitars which could be used later at the adamantium door.
||Fighter|Skeleton|
|To Hit %|60%|60%|
|Dam % dealt per round|9% (3)|14% (8)|
|Rounds to win|11|8|
|Power Ratio|1.38|
5e:
Opening the door causes 3% (3 hp) fall damage.
Gold: This is a really weak foe for a level 12 party and with nerfed poison not much of a threat. I would triple its hp at the very least.
||Fighter|Swarm/2|Swarm|
|To Hit %|75%|30%|30%|
|Dam % dealt per round|55% (20)|3% (3)|4% (4)|
|Rounds to win|1 / 2|38|29|
|Power Ratio|0.03 / 0.07|
|Instant kill % per round|0%|0%|0%|
Silver: The fighter would find the trap 50% of the time. They would be hit 55% of the time dealing 3% (3 hp).
Wood: A giant skeleton teleports into the room. This skeleton only has a single scimitar.
||Fighter|Skeleton|
|To Hit %|60%|40%|
|Dam % dealt per round|14% (16)|16% (18)|
|Rounds to win|8|7|
|Power Ratio|1.1|
Chapel
1e:
There’s a 17% chance for the fighter to find the entrance, unless using the gem of seeing. Even using the True Seeing spell will not help.
The whole chapel fills with gas from the trap in 20 minutes. The gas causes strength loss which could cause problems later as strength will be needed to move the iron statues.
If the altar is first touched by living matter a lightning bolt shoots out dealing 69% (40 hp) damage. If it is then touched by any object, it explodes for 103% (60 hp) damage. The fighter will save 50% of the time for half damage. The explosion alone is enough to kill most characters outright.
Careful inspection reveals the slot in the corner 66% of the time. There’s no obvious reason to check that corner, searching is done 10’ in 10 minute rounds.
If you enter the orange mist your gender and alignment change. Alignment changes were problematic for certain classes. Typically loss of class abilities and unable to level that class further. Gender changes, well…
"I have been accused of being a nasty old sexist-male-Chauvinist-pig, for the wording in D&D isn’t what it should be. There should be more emphasis on the female role, more non-gender names, and so forth. I thought perhaps these folks were right and considered adding women in the 'Raping and Pillaging_ section…” (Gygax. Letter. EUROPA 1975 p. 92)
Gygax codified limitations for female characters in the stat blocks. If your character’s sex was changed by the orange mist, your stats would be adjusted accordingly.
5e:
Our fighter will find the entrance 25% of the time, unless using the gem.
The gas causes disadvantage on attack and ability rolls.
A 3rd level lighting bolt or fireball causes 25% (28 hp) damage on average, 9th level brings it up to 43% (49 hp). The fighter could tank all 86% (98 hp) damage from both and just make it. They will save 35% of the time for half damage. I would suggest just throwing extra damage dice at this one to make it comparable.
Our fighter will find the slot 75% of the time. There’s still no obvious reason to check that corner.
As alignment has no real mechanical meaning, I propose changing the orange mist. Two thoughts, you could have the player choose some major aspect of their personality to become the opposite: Brave are turned meek, the greedy become altruistic. Or you could employ something like the madness table from Out of the Abyss.
Before you decide to use the gender changing mechanic, touch base with your players. Body dysmorphia is a real thing, and some may be uncomfortable with the idea. However, if your group has equal fun playing with and as different genders, this can be a fun and silly mechanic. If you want to tease your players by changing their characters to some inferior gender, then fuck off.
Stone Gate
1e:
It is “just right” for a magic ring, and “only such an item” will open the door. None of the coins from the pews, nor the gem of seeing will open the door, but they will equally be lost and destroyed if dropped in the slot.
The door-before-pit trap assumes that the party is used to breaching doors by shoving or wrenching them open. These particular doors open quite easily and when someone goes to shove it open, they presumably lose balance and fall into the pit. The door opens 100% of the time, but there’s a 33% chance the opener falls in the pit. The third pit holds the hidden, not secret door. If examined from within the pit, it’s found visually 83% of the time, and always when touched.
5e:
Dungeon doors aren’t, by the book, stuck shut so this trap doesn’t translate well. I would take inspiration from the three chest entrance. Once the door is opened, the flag stone covering the area around the door tilts as the door is opened outward, dumping the player into the pit. The fighter will save 55% of the time. The door in the third pit is always found as long as you are in the pit and looking.
Credits
Jeff Dee 1981 Tomb of Horrors Back Cover Art https://wwjdee.blogspot.com/
Simon J. Bull Delving Deeper https://ddo.immersiveink.com/dd.html