D&D 5E Rebooting Dungeon of the Mad Mage

[Weiley31]

I mostly know them from the Drizzt comic book, where every priestess hangs with a bunch of those demons, so I thought they were like pimped-up quasit or something like that.

Oh noooooo, they are pretty much like a big deal when it comes to Demons that Lolth uses. They don't have the monkier "Handmaidens of Lolth" for nothing. Plus I like the fact that if they turn into a spider, \small or large, it's always a Black Widow.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Oh noooooo, they are pretty much like a big deal when it comes to Demons that Lolth uses. They don't have the monkier "Handmaidens of Lolth" for nothing. Plus I like the fact that if they turn into a spider, \small or large, it's always a Black Widow.

It always felt strange to me that yochlol were buddy-buddy with Lolth when they look like they were taken from a family photo of Juiblex and his brood.

 

[pukunui]

Yeah, yochlol are weird. Perhaps they were originally spawn of Juiblex that Lolth co-opted.

The name “yochlol” looks like it’s some other word turned backwards as well.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Yeah, yochlol are weird. Perhaps they were originally spawn of Juiblex that Lolth co-opted.

The name “yochlol” looks like it’s some other word turned backwards as well.

yep,

it feels that, when Lolth/Juiblex created those, they wrote the name on paper, thinking it looked cool.

But then someone in the room tried to say it out loud, and it lost its coolness factor pretty quick.

Just like the Great Giff Civil War was started because the two faction could not agree on how to pronouce their own name.

 

[Weiley31]

Actually, yeah, I could never figure out why Lolth, whose whole theme is spiders, has like her right-hand demons be Demon Slimes basically. Unless Juiblex owed her a favor, made em, but for the purposes of Copyright, made their true forms take on that ooze look.

Honestly, I pretty much have Juiblex "act" like that annoying roommate that you pretty much can't get rid of. So I could see him being that much of a troll in regard to a situation like that.

 

[pukunui]

Apparently the old 2e Planescape lore has it that Lolth creates yochlols by torturing captured succubi. I note the 5e MM doesn’t specify their origins.


Anyway, the new party has begun to take shape in advance of our session tomorrow night. It looks like I'll have the following:
*A gold dwarf forge cleric / paladin who is the brother of one of the previous PCs
*A gold dwarf berserker barbarian who is the cousin of the above PC and his missing brother
*A human evoker wizard who is the sister of one of the previous PCs (a human champion fighter)
*A unique warforged kensei monk / undying warlock whose goal is to kill Halaster - I've made Jhesiyra Kestellharp her patron


Given that three of the above PCs are motivated by wanting to find their missing relatives, I think I'm going to make it so Halaster has stolen them away and hidden them deeper in Undermountain. Otherwise, it will be somewhat anti-climactic to have three new PCs go into Undermountain on a quest to find their relatives only to find them right at the start. So I will change up T'rissa's prepared spells and perhaps whip up an undead chimera to guard the temple but I won't include undead versions of the previous PCs.

Maybe I can make it so the drow have befriended the phase spiders that live nearby, and those spiders can attack the PCs from the rear while they're fighting the zombified chimera outside the temple entrance.

 

[lichhouse]

Just here to say I can relate. The first time my group tussled with the drow priestess, they ran for their lives. The second time, invading the ruined city from the south, was a near TPK (3 fallen characters became spider-fodder much like your players). After several side adventures, rebuilding their strength with new characters, and copious planning, the group just succeeded in taking down Team T’rissa. Glad to see other DM’s willing to be ruthless with the drow. Undermountain level 3 is amazing. As for your question, I’d bolster level 4 with her remaining forces so she can be a recurring villain.

 

[Lyxen]

Apparently the old 2e Planescape lore has it that Lolth creates yochlols by torturing captured succubi.

Not necessarily succubi, just lesser Tanar'ri, as far as I could find: "The chant’s that Lolth personally creates each of her handmaidens. but this ain’t true. The yochlol are recruited from the numberless ranks of least tanar’ri and subjected to unspeakable cermonies and torture to win their elevated station."

 

[jgsugden]

If you're advancing the time frame a moneth, they could have anything at their beck and call. A month is a long time to renew your defenses. They can access Skullport, hire mercenaries, make deals with a drow city to send more drow, etc...

 

[pukunui]

Not necessarily succubi, just lesser Tanar'ri, as far as I could find: "The chant’s that Lolth personally creates each of her handmaidens. but this ain’t true. The yochlol are recruited from the numberless ranks of least tanar’ri and subjected to unspeakable cermonies and torture to win their elevated station."

OK. I was just going by what I’d read on a wiki that cited a Planescape Monstrous Compendium as the source.

If you're advancing the time frame a moneth, they could have anything at their beck and call. A month is a long time to renew your defenses. They can access Skullport, hire mercenaries, make deals with a drow city to send more drow, etc...

Yeah, that’s true. The thing is: I don’t think I really want to prolong the conflict with this specific group of drow - at least not in this specific location - any longer than necessary. It will get boring fast if we keep fighting the same enemies in the same location over and over.

During that month, the neighbouring hobgoblins could also discover that the drow are in a weakened state and push them back.

Perhaps T’rissa pulls back to aid her sister on level 4. The drow on that level are cut off from the bulk of their forces on level 10 and are slowly being picked off by an aboleth calling itself the Lover in the Dark.