Wraithdrit
First Post
Got my hands on Underdark (finally) and since I haven't seen much other than the official word here is a quick run down since I flipped through it once.
Chptr 1: Races
The Imaskari are interesting, but other than that the races here are fairly much what you expect. Drow, duergar, etc... plus a new couple of outsider variants (gloamings and slyth) and the spider like chitines. Nothing here that excited me.
Chptr 2: Regions and Feats
Some fun feats here for monsters, not many player based feats. The drow get a few elf hating feats, and there are a couple of feats on tunnelfighting and a few on node magic (more on that later).
Chptr 3: Prestige Classes
WotC previewed a few of these already. They run the gambit from drow to kuo-toa to Imaskari. For surface races going into the underdark, there is the prime underdark guide whose claim to fame is helping others maneuver in the underdark and eventually knowing enough about the underdark races that they are not KoS (kill on sight).
Chptr 4: Magic and Spells
Faezressness is detailed again (for those who own CotSQ) and Node magic is added. Earth nodes have power levels (1-whatever). Any mage in the area of the node can tap into the node (with a roll) to be able to add the level of the node to his caster level to determine spell effect. 5th level mage near a 3rd level node taps it successfully to cast an 8th level fireball. The node feats help you tap into the nodes. Of the spells the major thing I saw there was a 3.5 edition version of Blindsight that replaces the 3.0 Magic of Faerun (stated as a replacement in the text). Lowers the spell level one level and reduces it from 1 hr/level to 1 min/level.
Chptr 5: Equipment and Magic Items
Drow Items are back! Drow Items are back! Items can be given the drowcraft special attribute. In areas of Faezressness and Nodes (all of the underdark) the items are +2. Outside those areas. No bonus. Expose it to sunlight, make a fortitude save per day of exposure or the item turns to dust. Very cool. Drow gear is back! There are plenty of other goodies in this chapter (new poisons, new magic items, couple of new weapons, etc). Oh, and the drow driftdisks are detailed in here as well.
Chptr 6: Monsters
Neat things in here include a few templates (arachnoid, faezress-infused, mineral warrior) and a few strange monsters (half minotaur half tiefling thing...).
Chptr 7: Exploring the Underdark
Charts on encounters, rules for light, air, spelunking, etc.
Chptr 8: Geogrpahy
Only section that is FR only. This section goes over the varies areas of the underdark in the realms. Its a beefy section over 60 some odd pages. Neat stuff if you are a realms junky like me.
Oh, also for you GH guys (gnashing teeth, gnashing teeth) when they detail the new domains in the spell section they have a sidebar for what core deities would have access to those domains. Just put a brown paperbag cover (remember how to make those) over the book and draw a GH Underdark cover of your own.
If you have specific questions on the contents, let me know.
- Wraith
Chptr 1: Races
The Imaskari are interesting, but other than that the races here are fairly much what you expect. Drow, duergar, etc... plus a new couple of outsider variants (gloamings and slyth) and the spider like chitines. Nothing here that excited me.
Chptr 2: Regions and Feats
Some fun feats here for monsters, not many player based feats. The drow get a few elf hating feats, and there are a couple of feats on tunnelfighting and a few on node magic (more on that later).
Chptr 3: Prestige Classes
WotC previewed a few of these already. They run the gambit from drow to kuo-toa to Imaskari. For surface races going into the underdark, there is the prime underdark guide whose claim to fame is helping others maneuver in the underdark and eventually knowing enough about the underdark races that they are not KoS (kill on sight).
Chptr 4: Magic and Spells
Faezressness is detailed again (for those who own CotSQ) and Node magic is added. Earth nodes have power levels (1-whatever). Any mage in the area of the node can tap into the node (with a roll) to be able to add the level of the node to his caster level to determine spell effect. 5th level mage near a 3rd level node taps it successfully to cast an 8th level fireball. The node feats help you tap into the nodes. Of the spells the major thing I saw there was a 3.5 edition version of Blindsight that replaces the 3.0 Magic of Faerun (stated as a replacement in the text). Lowers the spell level one level and reduces it from 1 hr/level to 1 min/level.
Chptr 5: Equipment and Magic Items
Drow Items are back! Drow Items are back! Items can be given the drowcraft special attribute. In areas of Faezressness and Nodes (all of the underdark) the items are +2. Outside those areas. No bonus. Expose it to sunlight, make a fortitude save per day of exposure or the item turns to dust. Very cool. Drow gear is back! There are plenty of other goodies in this chapter (new poisons, new magic items, couple of new weapons, etc). Oh, and the drow driftdisks are detailed in here as well.
Chptr 6: Monsters
Neat things in here include a few templates (arachnoid, faezress-infused, mineral warrior) and a few strange monsters (half minotaur half tiefling thing...).
Chptr 7: Exploring the Underdark
Charts on encounters, rules for light, air, spelunking, etc.
Chptr 8: Geogrpahy
Only section that is FR only. This section goes over the varies areas of the underdark in the realms. Its a beefy section over 60 some odd pages. Neat stuff if you are a realms junky like me.
Oh, also for you GH guys (gnashing teeth, gnashing teeth) when they detail the new domains in the spell section they have a sidebar for what core deities would have access to those domains. Just put a brown paperbag cover (remember how to make those) over the book and draw a GH Underdark cover of your own.
If you have specific questions on the contents, let me know.
- Wraith
