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Apr 24, 2012 -- 2:43PM, Stix_Remix wrote:

I'd also like to add that nowhere on the front or back cover does Halls of Undermountain say that it requires the Monster Vault. 

From the back cover

For use with these D&D products:
[list snipped for brevity]
-Monster Manual core rulebooks

The Monster Vault  is a Monster Manual core rulebook.

At the same time, Undermountian does not require the Monster Vault. It requires the Monster Manual for whatever game you are playing -- it is edition neutral. You could use the Monster Manual for 4e, 3.5, 3e, 2e, 1e, or even BECMI. One could even argue that it is game system neutral, and that Halls of Undermountain could be used with White Wolf, Paizo, or any other fantasy setting RPG.

Apr 25, 2012 -- 3:56AM, Chimpy20 wrote:

It's not [edition neutral] really, because it contains some monster stat blocks at the back of the book, and trap details in 4e format. I think there might even be a skill challenge in there. Oh, and 4e style magic items.

Without being a purely fluff entity, this book is as edition neutral as it gets. (Nearly) The entire adventure can be used with any D&D edition (and any game system, I contend).

• It lists 4e monster stats at the end. Playing 2e? Use a 2e version of the exact same monster.
• It has 4e-style traps. Playing 2e? Just describe trap effects in 2e terms.
• It uses 4e style magic items. Playing 2e? Use the 2e version of the item.

"Converting" this adventure to an earlier edition is a piece of cake. It can be done on the fly. It is still among the most edition-neutral adventures published to date, with lots of fluff that will provide guidance and advice on how to drop this into your world, whether 4e, pre-4e, or another gaming system.

Apr 24, 2012 -- 9:07AM, SwampDog wrote:

Also, regarding a previous poster's comment, every DM should be willing to spend hours of preparation before running any and every adventure.    Anything less is lazy, IMO.

I do not spend $30 on a published "adventure" for the privilege of spending hours of preparation making it usable. Sourcebook, yes. Setting, yes. "Adventure" should be ready to go, out of the box.

That said, cross-referencing a monster book is acceptable, because it's something I can either spend prep time on, *or* something I can do at the table, on the fly.

I remember a couple of months ago, the development team announced in the Encounters forums that they were moving away from the 2-page encounter layout with stat blocks because it freed them to make less restrictive encounters. As a writer and publisher, I can certainly understand that, but as a user of these books, I have to say the 2-page layout was one of the best things to happen to D&D.

Apr 25, 2012 -- 9:28AM, Stix_Remix wrote:

..."window.parent.tinyMCE.get('post_content').onLoad.dispatch();" contenteditable="true" />1)  Does the book have stats for all the monsters it describes (either in the back of the book or elsewhere)?
2)  If there are creatures it doesn't have stats for, does it reference a specific book to find those stats in?  For example: this room has 3 Kobold Slingers (see Monster Vault).

To the best of my knowledge, any monsters that are not from the Monster Vault that are used in the book are included in the book, either in the text of the adventures or at the back. When monsters are mentioned in the adventure, the book and page number are provided right after the monster. So if the monster is from the Monster Vault, it will say something like this: "Standing next to the pie is an orc shaman (Monster Vault, page 100.)" If the monster is in the Halls of Undermountain book itself, it just refers you to the page number where the monster is found.

I hope that helps!