Any thoughts on sprucing up an Underdark extended chase scene?

[Scalenex]

I have been gently criticized that I put too much emphasis on making combat challenging so rather than loading the climatic battle of this next story arc with a bunch of powerful villains, I'm going to focus on the journey not the destination.

So the basic plot is that the villain or villainess is a evil cannibal witch is planning to ritually eat a proverbial princess on the first day of the new calendar year on a ritual date to increase his/her mystic power.

This gives the heroes a ticking clock to track the bad guys down and save damsel before the ritual date. I am planning to give the PC party two temporary members, an expert dwarf ranger (because the PC party lacks a good tracker or someone who knows the basics of the Underdark ecology) and a captured gnome cannibal (https://www.worldanvil.com/w/scarterra-scalenex/a/collme-the-ollum-person) who has promised to lead the heroes to her former compatriots in return for clemency very much inspired by Gollum from LOTR.

Human cannibals gradually turn into ogres. Dwarf cannibals turn into morlocks. Gnome cannibals gradually turn into ollums. They are like Gollum from LOTR, but they are gnomes so the "g" is silent.

The proverbial princess is an adolescent female dwarf named Kroglesli who is a budding favored soul of the sun goddess Khemra. It just so happens the PC leader is a holy warrior of Khemra that specializes in slaying evil mages and he is currently visiting the dwarf branch of his organized Khemra religion at the time the time of Krogresli's abduction.

The cannibal mage hopes to gain mystic power by stealing a portion of Khemra's blessing. Ritual cannibalism is one way evil witches can cheat their way to greater power in my setting.

I haven't developed my equivalent to the Underdark yet. My world explicitly does not have Drow in it. Between A the dwarf village and Point B the climatic fight with the cannibals, I'm hoping to create some memorable encounters with natural hazards and various monstrous as the PCs treacherous guide tries to escape her chains and/or trick her captors into walking to their death. Also, the cannibal witch has a morlock minion that is going to be setting traps behind them.

In the past I had a tendency to fast forward to the big fights, but I don't want to do that this time. I want to make the chase long and interesting.

[Pauly]

I’d recommend watching Apocalypto and Mad Max Fury Road.

They both follow a non-linear approach to the chases. There are linear story telling elements with goals and foreshadowed events, but what make them great is the chaotic unexpected events that insert themselves into the plot. These elements can be favourable or unfavourable to the protagonists.
They also understand the importance of rest times to recuperate, repair, and ready.

[Glimbur]

What's neat about the Underdark is it can be as linear as you want. Above ground the PCs will want to "go around" all sorts of interesting challenges, but in caves/tunnels the option might not exist. However, you ought not abuse this fact.

No drow, but you could include an ancient trapped ruin. Normal play when traps are afoot is that you move slowly and carefully, let the rogue find and disable them, but there is time pressure. If you're feeling particularly nasty you can add more time pressure, with rising water or swarms of things or something. The challenges here are to make it interactive and make it fun. Playing Minesweeper with your body and no hints about the mines makes it just a test of luck and HP, which is boring. Tiles with different sigils on them are a classic, might be worth lifting. A wall climb could be neat, maybe take inspiration from the agro crag on the old tv show Guts.

A 3rd party is pretty much a given. More cannibals are likely hostile, more Khemra followers are likely helpful, but a bunch of myconoids could go either way. Diplomacy could be the order of the day, or just killing the lot, or sneaking past, or... Make them want something the PCs don't want to give up, or a service the PCs don't want to do (time pressure!) or attach a plot hook to pull on them after this adventure ends.

Variant on the theme, dangerous but passive wild animals. The path goes through a bullette nesting ground, can you sneak/fight/bluff past them?

What level are the PCs? A bridge across a chasm that the cannibals cut is a valid challenge for third level, but not even worth mentioning for tenth level.

Last note, I'd advise allowing a couple branching paths so the players can feel like they are less rail roaded. It's a linear adventure still, but they can trust the ranger that both the slime village and the Sunlit Chasm will link up on the far side to continue the hunt.

[Scalenex]

What's neat about the Underdark is it can be as linear as you want. Above ground the PCs will want to "go around" all sorts of interesting challenges, but in caves/tunnels the option might not exist. However, you ought not abuse this fact.

:smallamused:


No drow, but you could include an ancient trapped ruin. Normal play when traps are afoot is that you move slowly and carefully, let the rogue find and disable them, but there is time pressure. If you're feeling particularly nasty you can add more time pressure, with rising water or swarms of things or something. The challenges here are to make it interactive and make it fun. Playing Minesweeper with your body and no hints about the mines makes it just a test of luck and HP, which is boring. Tiles with different sigils on them are a classic, might be worth lifting. A wall climb could be neat, maybe take inspiration from the agro crag on the old tv show Guts.

I'll keep that in mind.



A 3rd party is pretty much a given. More cannibals are likely hostile, more Khemra followers are likely helpful, but a bunch of myconoids could go either way. Diplomacy could be the order of the day, or just killing the lot, or sneaking past, or... Make them want something the PCs don't want to give up, or a service the PCs don't want to do (time pressure!) or attach a plot hook to pull on them after this adventure ends.

not a bad idea.



Variant on the theme, dangerous but passive wild animals. The path goes through a bullette nesting ground, can you sneak/fight/bluff past them?

That is a very good idea.


What level are the PCs? A bridge across a chasm that the cannibals cut is a valid challenge for third level, but not even worth mentioning for tenth level.

I'm using a homebrew system that is a points buy, no levels, so an apples to oranges comparison of level.

I use a mana system for spell caster where each caster has one mana pool for all their spells. One of the characters can cast fly. Casting five fly spells would take about half his daily magic allotment before they take a long rest. I guess four fly spells would work because someone could carry the gnome.



Last note, I'd advise allowing a couple branching paths so the players can feel like they are less rail roaded. It's a linear adventure still, but they can trust the ranger that both the slime village and the Sunlit Chasm will link up on the far side to continue the hunt.

I will keep that in mind.



Is there any list online with a list of cool Underdark landmarks I can borrow from with out spending $200+ on Underdark sourcebooks?