Running an Underdark Game

[Navigator]

My players and I wanted to try something different, so they're all playing (chaotic evil) Lolth-touched Drow, and I'm planning on most of the campaign taking place in Menzoberranzan, with house wars, Lolth worship and all that great stuff. This gives them a good reason not to slaughter each other right off the bat, since they (allegedly) have a common purpose. They are going to be ECL 12, and we all have an acceptable degree of maturity.

So... my reason for posting is to ask for advice, good resources, concerns, and/or suggestions. I'm certainly not an Underdark lore buff (Dark Elf Trilogy Book 1 & 2, some short stories), so I'm also looking for good reading material to prime myself so I'm better equipped to immerse the players. This will also be my first time running an "evil" campaign.

Also, so I can avoid the "OMG HES PLAYIN A GIRL LOLZ", I will probably allow male clerics. I know this is a no-no, but how much of a no-no is it? Is there any canon material that touches on this?

[Thrice Dead Cat]

I vaguely recall that males just can't be clerics of Lolth, so whoever the male V-named Drow god would be kosher.

As for reasons to prevent backstabbing, I would recommend throwing either Mindflayers or other Underdark denizens their way for the focus of the plot.

EDIT: If you go this route, I would grab Lords of Madness and maybe Fiend Folio to help get some more info on the opposition. Other than that, I got nothing, sadly.

[hamishspence]

Rai-guy, the drow wizard-cleric of Ched Nasad in the Drizzt books, is described as one of the very rare male clerics of Lolth.

While male clerics of Lolth are practically unheard of, it appears that they do exist.

[BobVosh]

Drow of the Underdark was fairly well written for some information. Lords of madness is great if you want to go with drow.

As for male clerics you can always use the other big drow god, something about surface and males as his profiles.

Biggest suggestion of trying to only involved 3-4 houses as main players for the campaign. Make all your players linked to one house to cut down the backstabbing. So 1 house is your players, 1 house is the apparent main bad, 1 house is used for side contracts, and 1 house is manipulating the AMB behind everyone's back. Fairly basic formula that can be fun.

[Navigator]

Thanks for the replies.

They're going with:

• Fighter/Ninja
• Cleric of Lolth
• Warmage/Warlock/Eldritch Theurge

We're just going to man up and have the cleric be a female, which means she would more or less be the "main character", or at least heir apparent of the house. No one else seemed to mind, and most of the immature jokes would have come from me anyway.

I think the four house idea is exactly what I'm going with, as it's easy to prep and gives the players many options.

The guys over at Candlekeep also suggested Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark.

[nekomata2]

The drow diety of the surface and guys is Vhaerun.

[Edwin]

Plot idea: Have the opposing house of the players be, unbeknownst to the (under)world at large, be infiltrated by Mindflayers and their Duegar slaves, who intend to throw the drow cities in chaos by inciting all encompassing house wars.

Throw in a renegade mindflayer trying to covertly help the PC's for flavor, and bam, campaign!