D&D 5E DMing "Out of the Abyss"
I read "DarkLake District" instead of just "Darklake". Spending too much time in gracklstugh!
Daern
Explorer
I have the same situation. It looks like they are going to Grack but not the Fungus Forest. At least they didn't go straight to Blindenstone. I had to suggest it was easier and quicker to go to the Gracklestugh (and they had rescued a couple of duergar in Sloop). Looking at the travel time chart, I think it might makes sense to make Blindenstone the farthest away, rather than equidistant from Sloop. Perhaps passing through the Fungus Forest provides a shortcut to Blindenstone from Gracklestugh. But if they miss it, oh well. I will drop some hints about the "Wedding" to entice them but I think forcing it is a mistake, especially because there's quite a lot to do in each area so if they make a halfhearted journey, it could really drag.
Daern
Explorer
Also, I've been thinking alot about EXITS from the Underdark. The module basically says to let the characters out after they've discovered that demon lords are infesting the underworld, but does not give actual exit points. I'd like to offer some choices and excitement with the actual escape besides the obligatory drow fight.
IDEA: Use the Elemental Evil dungeons from Princes of the Apocalypse! The closest exit to Gracklstugh is the Earth Temple, the closest exit to Blindenstone is the Air Temple. Perhaps the Water Temple is connected to the Darklake itself. It would require some modifications of course, but they are weird cavernous dungeons that are not too big. If not those dungeons, perhaps some other dungeon breakout scenario might be cool.
IDEA: Use the Elemental Evil dungeons from Princes of the Apocalypse! The closest exit to Gracklstugh is the Earth Temple, the closest exit to Blindenstone is the Air Temple. Perhaps the Water Temple is connected to the Darklake itself. It would require some modifications of course, but they are weird cavernous dungeons that are not too big. If not those dungeons, perhaps some other dungeon breakout scenario might be cool.
That sounds cool Daern!
On the obligatory Drow fight I think the designers are taking a leaf from "The Hero's Journey". It's a classic story component to have a final battle with a foe you thought you'd escaped/dealt with earlier:
On the obligatory Drow fight I think the designers are taking a leaf from "The Hero's Journey". It's a classic story component to have a final battle with a foe you thought you'd escaped/dealt with earlier:
I know this is the classic argument in RPGs and I don't want to get into it. All I'll say is if there are techniques that can be used to make the overall adventure more exciting it seems good to include them. After all the only measurement we should make is whether the party is having fun.
To be honest, the slog through the caverns is much more of a concern than a final confrontation with an old foe when the PCs are 6 or 7 levels higher than they started out.
To be honest, the slog through the caverns is much more of a concern than a final confrontation with an old foe when the PCs are 6 or 7 levels higher than they started out.
CapnZapp
Legend
On the subject of "only 1-2 random encounters a day?" I'm toying with the following ideas:
Require a save DC 10 to gain the benefits of a long rest. Failure means all that time was "wasted" (counting only as a short rest). You still can't long rest more than once a day. What save? I would allow players to choose themselves, given a reasonable rationale. (Con and Wis are the givens; Int: "I sleep in a clever area"; Cha: "I persuade Mr Beefcake into letting me use him as a pillow"; and so on). The point isn't to make this an exceptionally hard save to make; but to put the fear into the players since the long rest is no longer a certainty.
Whenever a random encounter is indicated, roll two d6 and pick the lowest result. This is the number of encounters that really will take place before your next long rest. (Mix things up: sometimes you get four in a row. Next time there is 8 hours between a pair of encounters. Third time you're given a choice of three passages, each with one encounter.) Again, main point isn't playa-killin', but reinforcing the notion players can't just nova themselves out of each encounter and rest right after.
Require a save DC 10 to gain the benefits of a long rest. Failure means all that time was "wasted" (counting only as a short rest). You still can't long rest more than once a day. What save? I would allow players to choose themselves, given a reasonable rationale. (Con and Wis are the givens; Int: "I sleep in a clever area"; Cha: "I persuade Mr Beefcake into letting me use him as a pillow"; and so on). The point isn't to make this an exceptionally hard save to make; but to put the fear into the players since the long rest is no longer a certainty.
Whenever a random encounter is indicated, roll two d6 and pick the lowest result. This is the number of encounters that really will take place before your next long rest. (Mix things up: sometimes you get four in a row. Next time there is 8 hours between a pair of encounters. Third time you're given a choice of three passages, each with one encounter.) Again, main point isn't playa-killin', but reinforcing the notion players can't just nova themselves out of each encounter and rest right after.
GMforPowergamers
Legend
I have a question. My niece and nephew just bought me the book for my birthday, and I turned to the monster stats expecting mindflayer lichs... I know I read in the promo stuff that Orcus took an elder brain and turned it undead and it made a whole city of the flayers crave undeath... but I can't find it in the book itself. even if just flavor with no stats that sounds awesome, where do I look for it?
zingbobco000
Explorer
It's not out yet and is most likely going to be covered in one of the other media outlets. For a mind flayer lich you can check the stats in the monstrous compendium in 3.5, should be a simple enough translation. I'll just put them in a spoiler tag... If I can figure out how to do that... Hmmmm
[sblock]These undead mind flayers are a rising power in the twisted politics of the Underdark. They look much as they did in life, but their skins are dry and wrinkled, not slime-covered as a living illithid’s is. An alhoon possesses all the normal powers of a mind flayer. All alhoons were once wizards or sorcerers (usually at least 9th level), so they possess a deadly mixture of psionic and magical ability. They do not have a lich’s fear aura or paralyzing touch, but have all the standard special qualities (undead immunities, damage reduction 15/+1 (change this to resist from nonmagical stuff), and immunity to cold, electricity, polymorph, and mind-influencing attacks). They retain their illithid spell resistance, which actually hinders their complete adaptation to the lich state. Alhoon are plagued by ongoing skin wrinkling and tissue desiccation, which they counteract by bathing or by drinking water, soup, and other liquids.[/sblock]
