D&D General Is it dark in your underdark adventures?

[Benjamin Olson]

My semi-derived from Out of the Abyss campaign had the "faerzress", residue of ancient Elven High Magic, giving a soft glow to the tops of all the great caverns of the Underdark. Having actual darkness is awesome for when players are exploring particular locations where I have an interesting idea for how to use darkness, but just having it be dark for days on end of travel wasn't my jam and would sacrifice a lot of spectacular scenery for some fussy immersion and general spookiness.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Mostly.

I am using Downcrawl to develop my underground, after years and years of dissatisfaction with TSR/WOTC’s Underdark, finding Downcrawl was a revitalizing for me.

Downcrawl has large caves filled with a nearly ever present phosphorescent fungus that can also function as an orientation system. Smaller or distant caves can be utter dark.

 

[Horwath]

I have no problem with darkvision in lots of races, but... penalties must be enforced and maybe broaden for not having a light source.

So outside attack rolls, everything remotely depending on sight should be at disadvantage:

Perception as normal, Investigation, Insight, Survival, using most if not all tools, Medicine(you cant see clearly to stop bleeding or similar), Sleight of hands,

Because of mentioned above, except warlocks or other special darkvision cases, most underdark is illuminated where there is some work doing.

Underdark races might even cultivate glowing fungi so the can have cheap and reliable light source. Continual flame is very important commodity.

 

[Buzzqw]

From my manual "A dungeon is a recipe made of humidity, stench, stale air, dirt, mud, remains of creatures, traps, treasures, traps (abound ...), monsters, enemies, monsters (abound!), Darkness, sinister noises, mushrooms , creaks, yelps, screams, moans .. but also of fear, tension, thrill, terror, horror,ecstasy, pain, disappointment, joy and treasures!"
and yes, my dungeon are very dark..

BHH

 

[Oofta]

My version of the underdark is actually a different realm altogether, Svartleheim. It can be reached from portals and connections deep underground, but it is suffused with dark radiation*. In many places there are phosphorescent mosses that convert the radiation into dim light which those who dwell underground spread wherever they can.

There are large caverns with enough of this moss that plants and even crops can grow, the area is about as bright as daytime with heavy clouds. I did this because it never made sense to me that you had all these predatory creatures running around - what are they eating? If you have herbivores or creatures lower on the food chain, how many can survive just eating moss and mushrooms?

*Drow and svirfeneblin have gray skin because of the radiation.

 

[Torpid]

Keep in mind when the underdark was conceptualized the inhabitants had infravision not dark vision this was changed in third Ed so originally it was pitch black pretty much everywhere even the cities aside from certain areas ultimately this had to be changed with the infravision change so now it's generally pictured as fairly well lit from a number of different sources.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Basically nothing sees in the dark. Everyone's carrying around light sources like actual cultured people, and not ninjas who live in a permanent state of black-and-whiteness.

 

[James Gasik]

Even with infravision though, you don't have perfect sight of all things if you go by the "seeing heat" interpretation. Though I do recall Drow having special lanterns that provided light only if you had infravision, and in Menzoberranzan, mages light up a tower with fireballs to provide a clock of sorts where you can tell time by how warm it is.

 

[Rabbitbait]

I love using darkness it my game as I use a virtual tabletop - Roll20. It works really well for taking lighting sources, darkvision etc into account and it makes light a very important consideration. I tend to forget to give disadvantage in dim light though.

 

[Lanefan]

If someone has a torch up, do you force them to figure out if they are still going to hold the torch during a fight?

Most of the time I assume the torch or lantern has been put down, unless someone wants to use it as a weapon (I've seen this happen now and then), but is still alight.