adventure atlas the mortuary pdf
Adventure Atlas⁚ The Mortuary Overview
This supplement, primarily designed for D&D Beyond, delves into the infamous Mortuary of Sigil. It’s more of a resource than a structured adventure, offering tools to craft your own stories within its grim walls. The setting is deeply integrated with the Planescape universe, enriching the experience.
What is Adventure Atlas⁚ The Mortuary?
Adventure Atlas⁚ The Mortuary is a digital supplement for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, specifically designed as a companion piece to the Planescape setting. It functions more as a toolbox than a linear adventure, providing a rich collection of resources centered around the Mortuary, a significant location within Sigil. This product, available on D&D Beyond, offers a deep dive into the Mortuary’s unique environment, its inhabitants, and the potential for countless adventures. It’s not a single, pre-written campaign but rather a framework for Dungeon Masters to construct their own narratives, regardless of whether they are explicitly engaging with the Planescape setting or not. The supplement includes detailed descriptions, maps, and character information, enabling players to explore this intriguing location thoroughly. It provides tools applicable for characters ranging from levels 1 to 16. It also provides ready-to-play adventures, adding to the resources available. Overall, it’s a resource that emphasizes flexibility and creativity, allowing DMs to integrate the Mortuary into their campaigns in diverse ways.
Planescape Setting Integration
Adventure Atlas⁚ The Mortuary is deeply interwoven with the Planescape setting, making it an ideal resource for campaigns set in or around Sigil, the City of Doors. The Mortuary itself is a crucial location within this setting, serving as the headquarters of the Heralds of Dust faction, and a place of immense significance, dealing with death and the dead. The supplement provides details on how the Mortuary functions within the larger context of the multiverse, offering insights into its connections to other planes and its unique role in the planar cosmology; This integration allows DMs to seamlessly incorporate the Mortuary into existing Planescape campaigns, using its lore and inhabitants to enrich their narratives. The provided materials highlight the peculiar nature of the setting, acknowledging the themes of planar travel and the strange and unusual occurrences. The content emphasizes the unique philosophy of the Heralds of Dust, adding depth and complexity to adventures set within the Mortuary. It is equally usable in non-Planescape settings, however, providing a versatile resource for DMs.
Content of the Adventure Atlas⁚ The Mortuary
This atlas focuses on the Mortuary, providing tools for adventures. It includes scalable content for levels 1-16 and ready-to-play scenarios. The resource offers a deep dive into the setting and its inhabitants.
Focus on the Mortuary
The core of this supplement is a comprehensive exploration of the Mortuary, a significant location within the Planescape setting. This isn’t just a simple dungeon; it’s a sprawling complex that serves as a morgue, funeral home, and tomb, linked to burial sites across various planes. The Mortuary is run by the Heralds of Dust, a faction deeply entrenched in the themes of death and decay. This location offers a unique atmosphere and a myriad of potential encounters. The supplement provides in-depth details on different sections of the Mortuary, from the Corpse Receiving area to more hidden and mysterious chambers. It’s designed to be a versatile backdrop for a wide range of adventures, allowing Dungeon Masters to craft compelling narratives within its walls. The focus is on creating a rich, immersive experience centered on this iconic Planescape location. It also aims to provide tools to make the Mortuary feel like a real, breathing (or not-so-breathing) place.
Adventure Tools and Levels
This supplement isn’t just a lore dump; it’s packed with practical tools for creating adventures within the Mortuary. It provides resources that enable Dungeon Masters to easily craft encounters, challenges, and storylines suited for characters across a broad range of levels, from 1 to 16. The materials are designed to be flexible, allowing for integration into various campaigns, regardless of whether they are directly set in Planescape or not. This includes detailed descriptions of the environment, NPC interactions, and potential quest hooks. The supplement also includes tactical maps and other aids to assist in running engaging sessions. It provides building blocks, not just pre-written adventures, allowing for significant customization. This ensures that the Mortuary can serve as a recurring location in a campaign, offering new challenges and discoveries each time the party visits. The tools are specifically designed to encourage creativity and allow for diverse game play experiences.
Ready-to-Play Adventures
While the primary focus is on providing tools, the supplement also includes several ready-to-play adventures, offering a quick entry point for players and DMs. These adventures vary in scope and scale, providing options for both short, one-shot sessions and longer, multi-session campaigns. These pre-built scenarios allow for immediate engagement, showcasing the potential of the Mortuary setting. Many of these adventures are inspired by elements from the Planescape setting, specifically the Mortuary and its inhabitants. They offer a mix of combat, social interaction, and puzzle-solving opportunities. The included adventures have a variety of level ranges, allowing for replayability. Some of these adventures specifically reference the events of Planescape⁚ Torment, offering a familiar starting point. These ready-to-play options allow DMs to quickly experience the Mortuary with their players. There are also adventure ideas and hooks, that DMs can use to expand their own stories.
Availability and Format
The Adventure Atlas⁚ The Mortuary is released as a digital-only product. It is available in PDF format, ensuring easy access and portability. This format is specifically designed for online platforms.
Digital-Only Release
The Adventure Atlas⁚ The Mortuary is exclusively available as a digital product, marking a shift towards accessible online resources for D&D enthusiasts. This digital-only release ensures instant access upon purchase, eliminating the wait associated with physical copies and facilitating immediate integration into your campaigns. This format allows for continuous updates and revisions, guaranteeing players always have the most current version at their fingertips. The decision to forego a physical edition also reflects a modern approach to resource delivery, catering to a predominantly digital audience. This digital distribution method also enables more flexible pricing and wider reach, making the supplement more accessible to a global community of players. Furthermore, the digital format reduces environmental impact by eliminating the need for printing and shipping. This method of delivery supports the growing trend of online play and digital tabletop gaming tools, offering a seamless experience for players who prefer digital resources. The digital nature of the product also allows for easy searching and cross-referencing within the document, enhancing the overall user experience.
PDF Format Discussion
While the primary distribution for Adventure Atlas⁚ The Mortuary is through D&D Beyond, the discussion around its availability in PDF format is noteworthy. Many users have expressed a desire for a standalone PDF version, citing the convenience of offline access and the ability to easily share or print sections for use at the table. The absence of a PDF option has been a point of contention for some, who prefer having a downloadable file for personal archiving and modification. The PDF format is also favored by some players for its ease of use with various digital tabletop platforms beyond D&D Beyond. The community has voiced a strong preference for a PDF alternative, highlighting the advantages of having a portable document that is not tied to a specific platform. The potential for a PDF release remains a point of discussion, as it would address the accessibility preferences of many players and allow for a more versatile experience. This ongoing debate emphasizes the diverse needs within the gaming community and the importance of offering flexible format options;
Key Features and Elements
This supplement details the Mortuary’s layout, its unique atmosphere, and key locations within. It introduces notable characters, encounters, and explores the setting’s connection to Planescape⁚ Torment, allowing for immersive gameplay.
The Mortuary’s Description
The Mortuary, a central location within the Planescape setting, is depicted as a vast and unsettling place of death, serving as a morgue, funeral home, and tomb of immense scale. It is intricately linked to burial sites across various planes and worlds, making it a nexus for the deceased and those who tend to them. This location is the home of the Heralds of Dust faction, who oversee the processes within. The Mortuary’s architecture is described as imposing and labyrinthine, filled with corridors, chambers, and hidden areas, creating a sense of both grandeur and decay. It features areas such as the Corpse Receiving area, where the newly deceased are brought, and various other sections dedicated to different aspects of funerary rites. The pervasive atmosphere is one of solemnity and melancholy, emphasizing the finality of death, making it a compelling and thematic setting for adventures. The Mortuary offers a rich backdrop for explorations, encounters, and mysteries, owing to its unique function and design.
Notable Characters and Encounters
Within the Mortuary, players can expect to encounter a range of memorable characters, from the solemn members of the Heralds of Dust faction to the various denizens who have made the Mortuary their abode. One notable character often mentioned is Morte, the curmudgeonly, wise-cracking, floating, undead skull, known for his unique personality and interactions. Encounters within the Mortuary are diverse, ranging from the mundane, like dealing with mourners, to the more extraordinary, such as facing undead creatures or beings from other planes. The supplement provides tools to create these encounters, allowing for both pre-designed adventures and the flexibility to tailor the experience to specific parties. These characters and encounters are designed to be compelling and to draw the players deeper into the mysteries of the Mortuary. The atmosphere encourages interactions that are both engaging and thought-provoking, making them a key element of the supplement.
Connection to Planescape⁚ Torment
The Adventure Atlas⁚ The Mortuary has a clear connection to the acclaimed video game Planescape⁚ Torment. The supplement begins with a scenario familiar to fans of the game⁚ the player characters awaken within the Mortuary. This serves as a direct homage, creating an immediate connection for those who have experienced the game’s narrative. The presence of characters like Morte further cements this link, offering a sense of familiarity and nostalgia. Furthermore, the supplement incorporates the overall atmosphere and themes present in Planescape⁚ Torment, including the exploration of mortality, identity, and the nature of death. The design of the Mortuary and the types of encounters found within are consistent with the tone and setting of the game. This makes the Adventure Atlas a valuable resource for those wishing to recreate the feel of Planescape⁚ Torment in their tabletop campaigns, or even just to explore more of its lore.
Leave a Comment