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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Obergnom" data-source="post: 3606426" data-attributes="member: 7145">I spend some more work on my adventure, this is what I have got:Due to time constrains (I need the campaign to be finished in ca. 16 sessions) I chose to cut the lenght of the underdark part of the campaign a bit.The Mykonites Grove will be just that, a peacefull resting place. (Maybe I will do the Gas Spore encounter, to shock my players...)Once the players arrive at Earth' End, the Dragon Shaman will join the group, because she knows a place where she suspects a Drow stronghold. At least, some dangerous monsters live there. She is looking for some Svirvneblin who got lost there.If the characters go there, they will find:A Drow Outpost. There is a half flooded cavern in front of the outpost, with a fungi forest (the drows food source), maybe even some rothe, a huge lake, a river, some waterfalls. (Deep Grotto Map from Dungeon 145). There are some bugbear slaves caring for the rothe and harvesting fungi. A handfull of Bugbear Warriors, too. The cavern does not look heavily guarded.Near the entrance to the Outpost itself, hidden behind a Illusory Wall 4 Minotaur Zombies are hidden (the former inhabitants of the cave, as the players might learn later). The true guardian of the cave is an advanced gauth (10HD, CR7). It works for the drow because they pay with magic it can consume. (Before the Drow arrived, it had to share the cave with the minotaurs)The Outpost itself (Dungeon 146, modified) is surounded by a chasm. There is a stone shaped bridge leading towards the entrance of the outpost itself. This bridge can be overseen by 2 archer ledges. And the door at the other side of the bridge is a fake door. (The actual doors are 2 secrets doors to the left and right of the main entrance leading directly into the archer ledges tunnels and into the outpost)The inside of the outpost is not very large. 2 connected 10ft wide corridors, and a total of 8 rooms for soldier housing, and 4 more chambers.additionaly, on the outside, connected by web bridges is a chapel of lolth and a chamber containing a portal.There is also a prison pit. (Maybe I will throw in some svirvneblin)Another noteworthy feature is a Drider den, build into the chasm surrounding the outpost.Inhabitants:2 Drow Sniper (MM4, Scout6) usually hold guard at the archery ledges. They like to stay away from the other drow.A total of 6 Drow House Soldiers (Fighter3)  led by a House Captian (Marshal 8). These use one half of the barracks.12 Bugbear Slave Warriors (Warrior2) and their Leader (Ranger4). THese share the other half of the barracks.The other 4 Chambers are used by the leaders of the Outpost. A Drow Priestess (Cleric8) and her consort, a house wizard (Warmage8).The Chapel of Lolth is guarded by 2 Web Golems.Deep within the chasm is a lavishly decorated cave, used by two fiercely loyal servants of the priestess. A Drow Vampire (Fighter6) and his consort, a succubus. They are loyal to the priestess (who removed a stack driven thorugh the vampire heart by some adventurers and resurrected the succubus with a miracle scroll) but do not care about the other inhabitants of the outpost.The Drider den within the chasm is occupied by a drider. (Surprise!)The Portal is guarded by a vrock. The Vrock the players are looking for. The Portal leads to Sigil. (I will change the Portal at Earth End to lead directly the the Elemental Plane of Earth)As I do not want the Kuo-Toa to fall completly out of the campaign, I thought it might be cool to have them attack the drow full scale, while the characters fight their way through the outpost. Actually, I want to use the Kuo-Toa to force the party through the portal and into Sigil, thus into the Expedition to the Demonweb Pits. A good idea might be, to have a Kuo-Toa spy in the lake in the Deep Grotto. The players might spot him, or they might even sense the Gauth (Spot +21) seeing him. If they (what will most likely be the case) need more than one attempt to get into the outpost and finding out what is happening around there, the Kuo-Toa attack. (I would just use Whips and Monitors from Drow of the Underdark and many Kuo-Toa Warriors)My players have a party of 5 level 8 characters, how would you stage these encounters to create a memorable (and drow worthy) experience, without killing them outright by a full attack of all inhabitants? How to use the Vampire/Succubus Pair to  good effect? Any recommendations for additional monsters that might spice things up? (I am trying to keep things simple, as my players like it that way, but maybe I am overdoing it?)</blockquote>

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