I Need Good Books on the Underdark and Creatures(my players stay out).

[blackshirt5]

OK, Basically, I'm looking forward to designing an Underdark adventure to send my players through, but the problem is that I haven't really designed much for the Underdark yet, beyond what lives there(Mind Flayers, Umber Hulks, Beholders, the usual, but the Drow have been replaced by an irredeemably evil group of elves call Moriquendi, who have a different society and look to them).

What would be some good books to pick up help with Underdark stuff? I was thinking of picking up City of the Spider Queen an Natural 20 Press' Complete Guide to Drow, but what are some other good ones?

 

[haiiro]

Well, Green Ronin also put out a Drow sourcebook that's supposed to be pretty good: Plot & Poison.

On the horizon, Goodman Games is doing Monsters of the Endless Dark, which sounds like it would be worth checking out.

Depending on your needs, you may also want to give FFG's Dungeoncraft a look -- it's quite good, includes a few new underground beasties, and offers lots of tidbits about dungeon design and underearth adventuring.

 

[Arnwyn]

Depending on your access to "old school" books, GDQ1-7 Queen of the Spiders has a whole section discussing how "overland" travel in the Underdark works (and is pretty much directly convertible to 3e), along with an overview map and tunnel template maps (primary, secondary, and tertiary Underdark passages). A book of locations is the 2e FR book "Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark" - don't let the name fool you, it has nothing to do with Drizzt. It's a book that details a myriad of locations in the Underdark, such as cities, lakes, etc.

 

[Gez]

What about this ? It ain't that rich and long, but it's free. You have some underdark creepers there (lurker above, foulwing, false spiders...).

You may also freely download some dungeoncrawl modules here. It's 2e, however.

And for 5 bucks, you may download others 2e resources on the underdark (there's at least 2 for the Realms).

Books about dungeons and the underdark includes AEG's Dungeon and probably Monster, and the aforementioned Dungeoncraft by FFG.

Finally, the Tome of Horror is full of underdark critters, from old timers like the Lurker Above (a pre-D&D creature!) to niceties like dark creeper and skulks.

 

[haiiro]

Finally, the Tome of Horror is full of underdark critters, from old timers like the Lurker Above (a pre-D&D creature!) to niceties like dark creeper and skulks.

I forgot all about the ToH, and Gez is right: it's a great source for Underdark monsters. Definitely worth checking out.

 

[johnsemlak]

It sounds like you want to design your own adventure, but I would receommend looking at the Vault of Larin Karr as well, even if you don't use it. It has a large map of an underdark area, with several 'sample passage' and 'sample cave' maps provided (a la D1-2). Give's wandering monster tables for primary, secondary, and tertiary passages (again, a la that famous Drow module). Plus, several encounters detailed their could easily be ported to a home-brew adventure.

Another old D&D resourse worth checking out might be the 1e Dungeoneer's Survival Guide.

 

[grodog]

If you can't find the old D1-3 modules from 1e, you can pick up Kenzer's new D1-2 module, which has similar maps, background details, etc. (HackMaster-ized, though, FYI).