Underdark [4e]

[mobdrazhar]

Hi Playground,

I have just sent my party into the underdark which is where i was going to get them to lvl up through levels 5-11.

I know of Mycanoids, Drow, Druger (sp?), Mind Flayers, Beholders, Goblins, Gnomes and Hook Horrors. But what other creatures dwell down there (both in the Shallows and the Deeps)?

And also what sort of Hazards should be down there too?

[Thomo]

You could throw Umber Hulks and Bulletes at them as well. Maybe have a crossover into the feywild and have them deal with Firbolgs and gnomes?

As for hazards pit falls, lava flows, collapsing caverns, cave-ins, lurkers in the deep type creatures (i.e. a deep, silent underground lake with a large tentacled monster lurking there, waiting for the next meal to walk past), pockets of gas (i.e. methane etc)

[mobdrazhar]

that could work... i completely forgot about the Shadowfell and Feyfell.

Dark Mantles would work as well wouldn't they?

[Ozreth]

do you have the underdark book?

[mobdrazhar]

i have but it's been leant out atm.

my players got to this part of my campaign before i expected them too

[valadil]

do you have the underdark book?

I found the Underdark book underwhelming. It doesn't even have a map of the Underdark! It's just a list of a few places you might find down there and they leave it up to you which locale the players end up in. I've gathered that denizens of the UD are paranoid, but it doesn't explain how a duergar differs from a drow differs from a svirfneblin. I think I'm just going back to 3.5 for UD source material and updating it geographically where I see fit.

[DragonBaneDM]

TOROG! Nah, but some cults to him might work. Also consider cults of Vecna if you wanna get some undead running. Hm... Lolth's reach would also extend there as well.

That's all the evil gods I can think of down there.

[NMBLNG]

I think the book focuses a bit more on the 'flavor' of the underdark, but it's been a while since I've read it. YMMV

Have you ever been inside of a real cave? It is DARK. Not a 'someone turned the lights out' dark, but 'you can't see your hand in front of your face' dark. Barring your entire party has darkvision, light is a resource that can be taken away for a challenge.

Imposing penalties for claustrophobia may also be interesting. Depending on how long you plan on them staying there, supplies may also be a challenge.

To me, the underdark is more about fighting for survival and sanity in addition to monsters.

[KillianHawkeye]

I found the Underdark book underwhelming. It doesn't even have a map of the Underdark!

I hope this was sarcasm.

What, did you really expect them to give you a map of a massive, world-spanning network of caves, caverns, and underground waterways?? Plus it would be different in each setting??



Get real!

[mobdrazhar]

I think the book focuses a bit more on the 'flavor' of the underdark, but it's been a while since I've read it. YMMV

Have you ever been inside of a real cave? It is DARK. Not a 'someone turned the lights out' dark, but 'you can't see your hand in front of your face' dark. Barring your entire party has darkvision, light is a resource that can be taken away for a challenge.

Imposing penalties for claustrophobia may also be interesting. Depending on how long you plan on them staying there, supplies may also be a challenge.

To me, the underdark is more about fighting for survival and sanity in addition to monsters.

unfortunately my gf's char came prepared for things like that. she has a flaming sword... and everlasting provisions. most of the party has low-light vision though (will help a little at the edge of the flaming swords light radius.

TOROG! Nah, but some cults to him might work. Also consider cults of Vecna if you wanna get some undead running. Hm... Lolth's reach would also extend there as well.

i do have undead already as the campaign is based around Orcus and an attempt to take Asmodius' place as a divine power. but clashes between worshiper's of Orcuus and Vecna could work

[valadil]

I hope this was sarcasm.

What, did you really expect them to give you a map of a massive, world-spanning network of caves, caverns, and underground waterways?? Plus it would be different in each setting??

When I picked it up I thought it was Faerun's underdark. Not some generic are loosely inspired by Faerun. That part is my bad.

And no, I didn't want a map of each and every crevasse. I wanted to see where the major cities and points of interest were. Maybe some hints as to what horrible evil things live where.

[Excession]

- Kuo-toa, a race of rather lovecraftian fish people, live in the underdark.
- A lot of aberrations work. Foulspawn have a lot of options for example.
- Troglodytes.
- Grimlocks.
- Oozes, spiders, insects, miscellaneous bugs, etc.
- Purple Dragons.

Unfortunately a lot of the Underdark enemies are paragon teir. Be careful of de-levelling that stuff from paragon tier to heroic, it can end up quite lethal.

[Aroka]

When I picked it up I thought it was Faerun's underdark. Not some generic are loosely inspired by Faerun. That part is my bad.

Pretty sure Greyhawk has an Underdark too, doesn't it? And Eberron has one. How do you determine which one of those is the "official" one?

[Oracle_Hunter]

Has there ever been a map of any Underdark? I thought it's thing was always that it was super-mysterious and undefined

[Mando Knight]

Has there ever been a map of any Underdark?

FR's Underdark has been at least partially mapped, to my knowledge...

[Aroka]

Has there ever been a map of any Underdark? I thought it's thing was always that it was super-mysterious and undefined

Like Mando Knight says, Faerûn's Underdark has some maps - the 3.5 Underdark book, and some AD&D 2nd ed. book had maps that indicates the relative locations and approximate sizes of some main regions, and the locations of important features and settlements.

The value of such maps is questionable at best, since distances are completely arbitrary.

Beyond that, the very idea is ridiculous.

[KillianHawkeye]

LOL If my players wanted a map my response would be:

"You're in a cave. It's very, very dark."