Upper Underdark encounters (Silver Marches)

[iwatt]

So my PCs are currently in Citadel Adbar, under siege by an orc Horde. They have to travel to Beorunna's Well to deliver an artifact they were sent on a quest for.

To avoid fighting their way through the besieging orcs, they've decided to leave through the underdark using the old dwarven trade routes.

The Party is composed of:

Tarnak "Spirit-Walker": Male CG Uthgardt (Sky Pony Tribe) Cleric 7/Spirit Shaman* 2

Shonal "Fire-Heart": Female CG Uthgardt (Great Wyrm Tribe) Half-Brass Dragon Sorcerer 7

Stor "Fleet-foot": Male CG Uthgardt (Black Lion Tribe) Brb2/Rog7

Durn Iron-foot: Male LG Shield-Dwarf Fighter Clr2/Ftr6/DwD 1.

Durn is a former captain of Citadel Adbar who was dismissed because he defended a small human settlement with his troops instead of returning when ordered back to the Citadel. Durn volunteered to lead the PCs through the underdark, since they helped him hold the town. (He's actually an NPC).

Tarnak is on a spirit quest to lay too rest the spirits of four ancient Uthgardt heroes who dissapeared on an unknown quest 500 years ago. He's the favored apprentice of the oldest shaman od all the Uthgardt tribes. He has the artifact he must return to Beorunna's well. Tarnak is fantaical in sticking to traditional tribal ways.

Shonal is a faithful companion of Tarnak. she's dedictaed to the defense of the Uthgardt way of life, but is quite more flexible than Tarnak.

Stor is a happy go lucky teasure hunter, who joined the group after squandering (read drinking) all his treasure away.

Since I've never really used the underdark before, I wanted to ask fellow Enworlders for cool encounter ideas? So please feel free to share your thoughts. For location ideas, you can use Phineas Crow's excellent maps, as well as HellHound's .

Thanx in advance





* A homebrewed PrC that basically focuses on spirit talking/dreaming etc..

 

[RangerWickett]

The first thing to do is emphasize how difficult the journey will be on a physical level. Spelunking is fun, but it's not a good way to travel quickly. Don't require tons of checks, but have them maybe find the bodies of some dead cavers who already came this way and didn't have a sturdy enough rope.

Do a smidgen of researching into spelunking. Have them descend down a chute that has water running down it, requiring a bit of cautious preparation to avoid falling to their deaths. After that, only occasionally call for checks. They'll at least understand how hard to get around the place can be. I mean, the key thing is that the Underdark is a foreign place. It should always be a foreign place for surface-dwellers, so you should probably avoid things like, "You travel for a day, going 8 miles." Make the journey itself hazardous.

But not too hazardous. Don't kill them with rocks. Use drow for that.

Maybe, instead of the standard "drow raiding party," you could ramp up the evil coolness of the drow by having one outcast drow druid stalk them like a hunter.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I agree with providing them with "encounters" against the physical environment. Underground rivers, chasms, trecherous passages, tight squeezes, tough climbs, etc. Play up the environment when they're fightings actual monsters.

I'm a big fan of using fungus hazards/ monsters in the Underdark. Yellow Mold, Violet Fungus, Shriekers, those creatures.

As for replacing the Standard Drow Rading Party, I've enjoyed using the Duergar against PCs. The combination of invisibility / enlarge can really take them by surprise. That and, unlike the Drow, the Duergar seem to exist under most people radar.

 

[Nightfall]

I'd favor the follow for the standard "drow" raiding party:

Illithid slaving party.

Aboleth slaving party

Beholder on the rampage.

But emphasis MORE of the physical stuff rather than combat.

 

[iwatt]

The first thing to do is emphasize how difficult the journey will be on a physical level.

Yeah I know. The thing is, a sorcerer with fly and a cleric with air walk pretty much take all the fun out of chasms and other stuff. The dwarf has a dire wolverine mount, and the rogue is just spelunking proof (maxed out climb, balance, jump, etc..). Still, the challenges have to be there, they just won't be as challenging as before.

I'm a big fan of using fungus hazards/ monsters in the Underdark. Yellow Mold, Violet Fungus, Shriekers, those creatures.

Check

Aboleth slaving party

Check. I'll use thes instead of the illithids, since my players have never run into them. Thing is, I don't know much of aboleths except they're aquatic and psionic. Never used psionics before (seems a needless complication for what is pretty much a flavor issue). So any ideas for this encounter? Hellhound has some cool underground lake locations. Also, ewhat is the typical conformation of an aboleth slave party?

Beholder on the rampage.

Check. Time to have the PCs mix it up with non-bruiser enemies. What allies does a beholder usually have (gratiutious use of charm person is useful)

As for replacing the Standard Drow Rading Party, I've enjoyed using the Duergar against PCs.

Check. I'll have a small encampment of duergaer in an old rest point of the dwarf route.

What about the scourged legion (tannaruks rock!!)

 

[EricNoah]

I put together an underdark encounter/events table for a 2E game I ran quite a while ago...

http://webpages.charter.net/ericnoah/noahrpg/under-enc.htm

 

[Nightfall]

Two answer questions two and three most effectively, I'd say invest in a copy of Lords of Madness. There is a PDF you can buy or just get a print copy. Either is worth IMHO.