D&D 5E Out of the Abyss examples and pointers

[lesbiasparrow]

I'm planning to run Out of the Abyss and I'd love to see some examples of other people running it well. PbP would be ideal, since I can read a lot faster than I can watch a video, but I'm open to videos too.

Also, a couple of questions. I really like the survival horror elements of the opening, and I'd like to preserve that feeling as much as I can:

1. How would you handle a wizard's spellbook if they don't manage to reclaim their original equipment? They'll have a chance to loot or recreate one eventually, but I don't want to gimp the wizard in the meantime.
2. Is it a bad idea to use the "gritty realism" resting rules for the early travel through the Underdark?

 

[robus]

I'm planning to run Out of the Abyss and I'd love to see some examples of other people running it well. PbP would be ideal, since I can read a lot faster than I can watch a video, but I'm open to videos too.

Also, a couple of questions. I really like the survival horror elements of the opening, and I'd like to preserve that feeling as much as I can:

1. How would you handle a wizard's spellbook if they don't manage to reclaim their original equipment? They'll have a chance to loot or recreate one eventually, but I don't want to gimp the wizard in the meantime.
2. Is it a bad idea to use the "gritty realism" resting rules for the early travel through the Underdark?

A good approach is to have their gear stashed around the drow fort so they can retrieve it during the escape. The drow who helps them escape can let them know where it's stashed.. The spell book would be in the leaders room (or somewhere equally secure.)

If you're using the standard travel encounter guidelines then the gritty rules should be fine.

Caveat - I've not run it myself yet...

 

[MarkB]

A good approach is to have their gear stashed around the drow fort so they can retrieve it during the escape. The drow who helps them escape can let them know where it's stashed.. The spell book would be in the leaders room (or somewhere equally secure.)

The problem with that is that there's no guarantee that the party will fight their way through the entire compound on their way out. When I ran it, they only got as far as the first guard post, grabbed some gear from there including ropes, and climbed down through a gap in the webbing where the waterfall was.

One really nasty idea: Have the spellbook be located in a latrine near to the jail, where it's appreciated for its pages' absorbent quality. Each day the party spend without escaping, one spell is "wiped" from the book. The wizard knows where to find it because their captors have taken pleasure in describing the use it's now being put to.

 

[lesbiasparrow]

The problem with that is that there's no guarantee that the party will fight their way through the entire compound on their way out. When I ran it, they only got as far as the first guard post, grabbed some gear from there including ropes, and climbed down through a gap in the webbing where the waterfall was.

One really nasty idea: Have the spellbook be located in a latrine near to the jail, where it's appreciated for its pages' absorbent quality. Each day the party spend without escaping, one spell is "wiped" from the book. The wizard knows where to find it because their captives have taken pleasure in describing the use it's now being put to.

Do elves poop?!

That's a pretty fun idea.