D&D 5E DMing "Out of the Abyss"

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Okay, just had a total blast with the Oozing Temple, played it more or less as written, except that I made Glabagool very intelligent, friendly, and talkative. He uses long words, and loves to use new words all the time. Everything is new to him. He's a blast to roleplay.


The party are intrigued by the Telepathic Ooze (though they have seen so much weird sh*t already, they weren't quite as fazed as I expected!). They are also aware, courtesy of Glabagool, that something is "calling" the oozes (that's the Pudding King).


And then it struck me. Glabagool, Derendil, and Sushaar are essentially affected the same way. They each have permanent insanities, with demonic "input" that have boosted the impacts of those insanities.


I've statted Derendil as a basic Quaggoth, but I give him an additional +1 STR, +1 CON, +1HD, and +1AC per level. the party is now L6, so he has +5 STR etc. That reflects him becoming a smarter warrior, even if he will never actually become the smartest tool in the box.

I also have his elvish improving slightly, level by level. :D



Sushaar has the basic stats of a Kuo-Toa archpriest, but I've given him the basic powers of an Open-Hand monk instead of spells etc. (I might give him spell powers later, but I'll see how it goes.)

He never really uses any of those monk powers of course. I've given him 24 WIS, since he is so wise and mellow. I've also given him Wholeness of Body on himself or others three times per long rest. (The party has no real healing, and he doesn't really even offer to use that power, so that's fine. :) ).



For Glabagool, I've decided to give him all these weird skill proficiencies and knowledges (I'll make them up on the spot as needed). Glabagool was asked what he wants to be when he "grows up". He answered "architect", which makes sense, because all he knows is the Temple that he was in when he was (very recently) Awakened. :)

I think the party will want to keep him, but the speed thing is going to be a killer, possibly literally. :D


At the moment, they have purchased a custom harness (a double backpack, essentially) in which Derendil carries the two Myconid Sprouts.



The players are privy to my statting, though not necessarily all the details. But they are getting increasingly panicked by Derendil, they realise that if he flips "bad" he would take a hell of a lot of stopping. Tee-hee! :D
 
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Funny, I made Glabagool curious and friendly, but a total goober. Like the PCs had to explain the difference between sleeping and being dead. It’s so awesome to see how everyone handles Out of the Abyss and makes it their own.

Okay, just had a total blast with the Oozing Temple, played it more or less as written, except that I made Glabagool very intelligent, friendly, and talkative. He uses long words, and loves to use new words all the time. Everything is new to him. He's a blast to roleplay.
 

Funny, I made Glabagool curious and friendly, but a total goober. Like the PCs had to explain the difference between sleeping and being dead. It’s so awesome to see how everyone handles Out of the Abyss and makes it their own.

I like that. The party hasn't slept yet.

And he didn't recognise the Drow body as anything other than "lunch". (It was already inside him when he was Awakened). :D
 

Our party slaughtered Glabagool the instant they saw him. No one bought a firendly, telepathic, gealatonous cube, and were looking for the hiding wizard trying to fool them. ;)
 



I used the mind flayer early on. He kept his identity secret for most of the encounter. He was experimenting with faerzress and needed some assistance. As a reward, the PCs got a wedge of catoblepas cheese. I was a little worried that they'd automatically attack him, but that section went just fine. I used it to foreshadow the events of Sloobludop with a vision glimpsed through the faerzress.

Has anyone used the Society of Brilliance yet, how did that go, whom did you use?

I suspect these guys are from earlier Canon?
 

I used the mind flayer early on. He kept his identity secret for most of the encounter. He was experimenting with faerzress and needed some assistance. As a reward, the PCs got a wedge of catoblepas cheese. I was a little worried that they'd automatically attack him, but that section went just fine. I used it to foreshadow the events of Sloobludop with a vision glimpsed through the faerzress.

I like that, I'm sure my party will freak the **** out when they see him. :D
 

I just did a Google image search for "fungi"

OMG, so much beauty, diversity, horror. So looking forward to Neverlight.


I'd like to find an image for Yestabrod though, any (truly horrific) suggestions?
 

Has anyone used the Society of Brilliance yet, how did that go, whom did you use?
The Society leapt from the pages for me. They'll be integral to the campaign. I gave Grazilaxx a pet intellect devourer called Crotex and have him tracking maddened purple worms through the Underdark as a means of studying what is happening. The party came upon him just after escaping such a creature and he was quite civil, despite Buppido and JimJar cowering at the back of the party. None of the PC's except the paladin knew what a mind-flayer was, and he didn't arrive until a few minutes into the conversation. The scene was wonderfully tense and very well played by everyone.
 

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