Trials and Tribulations in the Underdark? 3.5

[gallagher]

so i am planning on sending my group of players (level 11) through the underdark as a way to escape a collapse that was accidently triggered by the party barbarian (dont ask). the party consists of a bearbarian, a beguiler/warmage homebrew class, a skill-oriented rogue, a healbot cleric, and a swift-hunter archer.

i am trying to do two things with these guys right now in the underdark. first, i want them to be forced to use some of their (extensive) resources, as they have kind of been hording wands and scrolls (mostly healing and regeneration, but you know how it goes), and secondly, i want them to get captured after a while with the chance for some of them to escape (i am planning whoever does not escape to be forced into a large maze filled with monsters and other parties of slaves for the entertainment of others, then either sold into slavery or given freedom/mercenary opportunities if they survive with style)

so what are some good encounters to have before they get captured? i already have a plan for their capture, but what are some thigns that i can throw at them? what are some traps that would be cruel, but not too vicious to have them run into?

[dsmiles]

Minor cave-ins, Ropers, Drow, Duergar, Derro, permanent spike stones effects, areas of dead magic, areas of null psionics, areas where running water has eroded a magical structure giving the water the effect of a random potion, chasms with narrow bridges and high subterranean winds, lava, dire corbies, driders, aboleths, ancient ruins of a city swallowed by an earthquake (possibly haunted by the spirits of the former residents; possibly inhabited by the degenerate descendants of the original residents), rock slides, slippery slopes down to a pit inhabited by otyughs, confused myconids (who are normally relatively peaceful), a svirfnelbin city, a mushroom forest, spiders, ettercaps, the list could go on forever. I like to consider the Underdark kind of my speciality.

[Jair Barik]

Minor cave-ins, Ropers, Drow, Duergar, Derro, permanent spike stones effects, areas of dead magic, areas of null psionics, areas where running water has eroded a magical structure giving the water the effect of a random potion, chasms with narrow bridges and high subterranean winds, lava, dire corbies, driders, aboleths, ancient ruins of a city swallowed by an earthquake (possibly haunted by the spirits of the former residents; possibly inhabited by the degenerate descendants of the original residents), rock slides, slippery slopes down to a pit inhabited by otyughs, confused myconids (who are normally relatively peaceful), a svirfnelbin city, a mushroom forest, spiders, ettercaps, the list could go on forever. I like to consider the Underdark kind of my speciality.

And yet you neglected to mention any spiders!
Harpoon spiders in chasm filled areas, phase spiders in areas with restricted movement, massed monstrous/lolth touched/fiendish spiders in web heavy areas, spider swarms, demonic spider swarms...

Also I'd recommend agianst having the party captured. Any point where the party has no choice but to go to jail and not pass go via DM fiat is an unpleasent experience that your players will likely hate.

[dsmiles]

And yet you neglected to mention any spiders!
Harpoon spiders in chasm filled areas, phase spiders in areas with restricted movement, massed monstrous/lolth touched/fiendish spiders in web heavy areas, spider swarms, demonic spider swarms...

Also I'd recommend agianst having the party captured. Any point where the party has no choice but to go to jail and not pass go via DM fiat is an unpleasent experience that your players will likely hate.

I beg to differ, good sir. They're after the mushroom forest and before the ettercaps.

[Jair Barik]

Verily forsoof indeed they are! My humblest apologies sirrah!
Still, at least my post elaborated on where to put specific spiders, so it wasn't completely redundant.

[gallagher]

Minor cave-ins, Ropers, Drow, Duergar, Derro, permanent spike stones effects, areas of dead magic, areas of null psionics, areas where running water has eroded a magical structure giving the water the effect of a random potion, chasms with narrow bridges and high subterranean winds, lava, dire corbies, driders, aboleths, ancient ruins of a city swallowed by an earthquake (possibly haunted by the spirits of the former residents; possibly inhabited by the degenerate descendants of the original residents), rock slides, slippery slopes down to a pit inhabited by otyughs, confused myconids (who are normally relatively peaceful), a svirfnelbin city, a mushroom forest, spiders, ettercaps, the list could go on forever. I like to consider the Underdark kind of my speciality.

... i mean... wow... i think i might have to hire you as a mentor or something. do you take payment in e-high5's?

i checked back on this just in the nick of time

[dsmiles]

No but e-cookies are always welcome.

@Jair: Well played.

[gallagher]

No but e-cookies are always welcome.

@Jair: Well played.

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consider it an advance :P

[rayne_dragon]

I may have not noticed them in previous posts, but I didn't see mindflayers, grell, grick, kuo-toa, troglodytes, or cave fishers.

Mindflayers are the typical 'capture people and force them to do stuff for their amusement' villains of the underdark, so they would serve your purposes admirably.