Looking for a lead-in adventure for Out of the Abyss to start at level 2 or 3.

[YCombinator]

I'm planning to run Out of the Abyss as an adventure for a group of friends. I have some inexperienced players and the book says that the starting level can be 1, 2, or 3. From what I'm hearing the first chapter is rather difficult and I think I'd like to start them at 2 or 3. Does anyone have an idea for a good adventure that could lead the group into Out of the Abyss? A one-shot level up that allows them to get captured at the end.

[Essar]

I don't know that much about Out of the Abyss, but the 20 dollar starter set goes from 1-5. There are several points in that adventure where you could put in a drow raiding party to capture the PCs.

[Aurthur]

You could have them escort a caravan through an old dwarven complex near the Underdark and get captured by a drow patrol. That way, you could make a few caravan defense missions to level them up to three before you put the prisoner label on them.

[Chaosvii7]

I don't know that much about Out of the Abyss, but the 20 dollar starter set goes from 1-5. There are several points in that adventure where you could put in a drow raiding party to capture the PCs.

Also, if you're willing to sort of modify Out of The Abyss, then there's an NPC in the starter set who you can directly tie into the Underdark, and possibly use as a recurring NPC later on in the adventure. I don't want to say much without spoiling things, but once you read up on her in the adventure it should be obvious who I'm talking about.

Your party would have to play through at least level 3, possibly farther, as she doesn't really play into the events of the starter set until the last quarter of it, but it even opens up possibilities for starting Out of the Abyss - maybe if the party gets TPK'd during it, she finds the party and decides to sell them off to the slavers that start the module out.

[Astovidas]

I don't want to say much without spoiling things, but once you read up on her in the adventure it should be obvious who I'm talking about.

I ran the starter set adventure twice now, but I can't figure out who you're talking about. So far, I haven't read OotA, but as you say it, it should be clear, by reading only the starter set. Could you tell me who you mean?

-The Black Spider: Obviously because he's a drow. However, the black spider is male. So why did you say "read up on her"..?

-Agatha, the banshee: because undead.. but other than that..?

-Vyerith, the doppelganger/drow; because (again) drow. But she is a doppelganger who poses as a drow, so not really a drow and it isn't sure if she/he/it has connections to the underdark. you could adjust it, so that she isn't a doppelganger, but a real drow. so that would probably my best guess.

-Hamun Kost: Because Necromancer. But; not female and no apparent ties to the underdark...

so still... I'm a bit lost... :smallsmile:

[Falcon X]

I can tell you what I am doing:

Setting: A Dwarven Mining Colony. The mines have been take over by goblinoids for no apparent reason and the players' mission is to figure out why they are there and put a stop to it.

Reveals:
- There is a group of evil teiflings in the mountains. Players might never know this.
- The goblinoids are being controlled by a "Dark Man" who is a teifling with goblin blood in him. He is trying to run the Dwarves out so the teiflings can easy expand. The goblinoid villages, and the Dark Man, are located several miles away and a confrontation with him solves much of the problem.
- On a lower level of the mines, there is a closed off entrance to the "lowest level" of the mines. It was closed off because dwarves kept dying and it sounded haunted. This is because they had actually broken through to the underdark.
- I also built into the game that nearby there was a drow colony that came up from another exit to the underdark and were establishing themselves closer to the surface. This was part of an alternate plot in my game, but could easily be another few game sessions if someone wanted it.

I have maps and details if you have further interest.

[GlenSmash!]

I'm using Harried in Hillsfar for this exact purpose. It's an Adventurer's League Expedition that was released to the public.

It's five mini adventures each designed to take 1-3 hours and each adventure deals with strange phenomena tied to different Demon Lords.

By the end my players were level 2 plus. I got a lot of positive feedback from my players about it.