D&D 5E Scenarios in a Drow City

[Jd Smith1]

Yes, I'm posting again.

So I fell in love with the Drow when the G & D series initially came out in 1979 (or maybe 1980), but I've never really gotten a good scenario outof them. I purchased Oones Drow City maps (For VTT, yiu cannot beat Oones for quality and price-friendly)

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

I have just about every scenario made for the Drow, which is not as many as you would think.

Now, what I am looking at is a take off of Drow Rising, in which the PCs travel to a Drow City to stop surface raids via assassination.

That's a good core plot.

The PCs will be high level (how high, I don't know, because they's about 12-15 sessions away), have no Drow PCs, and will have devices that hide their true alignments as CN. They will be masquerading as merchants, trades, or some such; their cover will be up to the players.

But they should have to spend some time in the Drow city, and there I am coming up with a blank. Being CE, Drow law enforcement should be inefficient, indifferent, and corrupt, except when it comes to keeping tabs on slaves or slave rebellions.

The city should be ripe for sidebar quests, but I can't think of a single one, and so far I haven't found a commercial scenario with much guidance.

Anyone run this sort of thing, or seen a good module to help?

 

[the Jester]

I'd recommend looking at the 4e adventure P2, Demon Queen's Enclave, for a great Drow-focused (section of an) adventure that really plays to their treacherous and politicking nature, putting the pcs in a position to make alliances while fully knowing they are going to get stabbed in the back in the end. Most of the 4e adventures are... not great... but P2, or at least the half that is focused on the Drow, is awesome.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

You could always rip off borrow from Baldur's Gate 2.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

You could always have a good ol'fashioned slave rebellion/revolution in which the enslaved concur the drow and put themselves in the ruling position and they rule justly. Also replacing the church and burning all imagery of lolth. Assisting in such a war could all on its own make for an interesting campaign filled with intrigue, demons, forgotten caverns, fights, high society rp, tge freeing of slaves, and possibly a really easy eventual transition into an even longer term campaign in the abyss (probably extending past level 20)

 

[Jd Smith1]

You could always have a good ol'fashioned slave rebellion/revolution in which the enslaved concur the drow and put themselves in the ruling position and they rule justly. Also replacing the church and burning all imagery of lolth. Assisting in such a war could all on its own make for an interesting campaign filled with intrigue, demons, forgotten caverns, fights, high society rp, tge freeing of slaves, and possibly a really easy eventual transition into an even longer term campaign in the abyss (probably extending past level 20)

I'm looking for sidebars within the city, not a central core to the scenario. Slave revolts very seldom win (in fact, the only one I can think of that was successful did so because the French troops were mowed down by native diseases), so that's out.

Plus I don't have infernals in my setting.

I just hate to waste such an engaging setting as a Drow city without having some sidebars in it.

 

[Jd Smith1]

You could always rip off borrow from Baldur's Gate 2.

The Computer game?

 

[Son of the Serpent]

I'm looking for sidebars within the city, not a central core to the scenario. Slave revolts very seldom win (in fact, the only one I can think of that was successful did so because the French troops were mowed down by native diseases), so that's out.

Plus I don't have infernals in my setting.

I just hate to waste such an engaging setting as a Drow city without having some sidebars in it.

Hmmm. You are correct. Even more rarely against a society ruled by drow. Still, the rarity should only amplify the heroicism of the event occurring. That said, sorry. I slipped up and missed that you were looking for more strictly side bar events.

Side note: demons are abyssals not infernals. Also lolth, though not born an abyssal entity, is an abyssal entity and a demon but also a goddess.

Hmmm. Sidebar event...a front being fought by the city perennially with a small mindflayer colony or a powerful aboleth? Perhaps mind controlled drow spies from both waging a proxy war in the city?

 

[Son of the Serpent]

maybe nighthags are using the city as a way hub for information brokering (that could give you a lot of options)

 

[Son of the Serpent]

Yes, I'm posting again.

So I fell in love with the Drow when the G & D series initially came out in 1979 (or maybe 1980), but I've never really gotten a good scenario outof them. I purchased Oones Drow City maps (For VTT, yiu cannot beat Oones for quality and price-friendly)

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

I have just about every scenario made for the Drow, which is not as many as you would think.

Now, what I am looking at is a take off of Drow Rising, in which the PCs travel to a Drow City to stop surface raids via assassination.

That's a good core plot.

The PCs will be high level (how high, I don't know, because they's about 12-15 sessions away), have no Drow PCs, and will have devices that hide their true alignments as CN. They will be masquerading as merchants, trades, or some such; their cover will be up to the players.

But they should have to spend some time in the Drow city, and there I am coming up with a blank. Being CE, Drow law enforcement should be inefficient, indifferent, and corrupt, except when it comes to keeping tabs on slaves or slave rebellions.

The city should be ripe for sidebar quests, but I can't think of a single one, and so far I haven't found a commercial scenario with much guidance.

Anyone run this sort of thing, or seen a good module to help?

Wow. I dont know how i missed it readibg through the first time but you literally rule out slave rebellions (pretty much) right in the first post. Im sorry. Wow that was situationally a very ironically stupid thing of me.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Hmmm. You are correct. Even more rarely against a society ruled by drow. Still, the rarity should only amplify the heroicism of the event occurring. That said, sorry. I slipped up and missed that you were looking for more strictly side bar events.

Side note: demons are abyssals not infernals. Also lolth, though not born an abyssal entity, is an abyssal entity and a demon but also a goddess.

Hmmm. Sidebar event...a front being fought by the city perennially with a small mindflayer colony or a powerful aboleth? Perhaps mind controlled drow spies from both waging a proxy war in the city?

Now you're cooking!

I don't use any sort of demons or devils or other planes in my campaigns. I have enough trouble keeping tabs on one world.