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Message: <blockquote data-quote="CapnZapp" data-source="post: 6899857" data-attributes="member: 12731">Dug up from Google's cached content, so please excuse any wonkiness in formatting.Highlights from my reading of the Menzoberranzan chapter:“Nevertheless, business has been booming as drow celebrate the deaths of rivals.” (Duthcloim)“Characters can see viscid black goo oozing from the mushroom's stalk.” (Kyorbblivvin)“Dozens of naked and chained slaves form the parade, their bodies painted with dyes and perfumes.” (Qu'ellarz'orl)So I definitely want to weave in reasons for the party to visit at least those three locations. And to do so in a way that doesn't shortcircuit social interaction, the party should (look like) Drow.In addition, the mental image of the heroes smuggling coffins into an inn has stuck in my head. All in all, have the party do dubious business in the city, not only to showcase its encounters, but also to ensure the Bregan D'aerthe spy (in Duthcloim and elsewhere, see page 195) gets a chance at noticing and intercepting them. It began when I first read the Menzoberranzan chapter of Out of the Abyss (chapter 15 The City of Spiders). I was quickly struck by how much lovable detail that had been poured into this chapter, in stark contrast to the rather sparse chapters around it. But there is no reason for the party to ever experience any of it!Not only are there no reasons given to extend the stay in the city, the adventure also assumes the heroes will be travelling under disguise or otherwise desperately wanting to minimize any contact with the city and its inhabitants!All in all, the chapter is, if played straight, destined to be a huge waste: most parties of level 13 or thereabouts will be able to minimize the number of encounters if they don't skip the city entirely!And while that is fine if you treat the quest for Gromph's Grimoire like a sideshow, it completely throws all that detail to the side.And so I thought of an alternative, that hopefully makes the chapter more of a centrepiece of the campaign than something the players desperately want to skip:What if the characters are transmogrified into Drow so they don't have to skulk and hide and avoid everything? What if the quest to gain entrance to the Sorcere was made into a major accomplishment instead of merely “Vizeran's allies lets you inside”?One thing led to another and here we are, with a complete suggested expansion of the chapter!</blockquote>

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