D&D 5E Out of the Abyss- Post your pre-set encounters *Spoilers*
Rya.Reisender
Explorer
I have a question. I haven't bought this adventure module yet, but this sounds as if the adventure module just tells the DM to do some random encounter without telling anything about what to encounter, etc.
Is that true?
I'd hope that an adventure module at least offers some kind of random encounter table. =/
Is that true?
I'd hope that an adventure module at least offers some kind of random encounter table. =/
Kestrel
Explorer
No, the adventure gives different encounter tables based on location. They have a general one that covers the broad expanses of the underdark, including a chance for both terrain and creature encounters. And then have tables for specific areas, like settlements and unique areas of the Underdark. It also includes many pre-planned encounters and quests.
Rya.Reisender
Explorer
Ah okay, cool. Thanks for the answer.
DM_Jeff
Explorer
Cave Description
1 Cavern of stalactites stretches out, a small ledge climbing to great heights on the far side.
2 Full of a strange purple fungus growing on the walls and in corners.
3 Great columns of unworked stone show signs of cracking, crumbling, and sabotage.
4 Half-finished frescoes of dwarf warriors are carved into the walls on one side of a cave.
5 Metal rings holding old, thick candles hang above from spiked chains; some are lit.
6 Multiple ledges work around a series of deep chasms, severely limiting the choices of passage.
7 Mushrooms carpet the cavern, with occasional signs of civilization—broken tools and rope bridges.
8 Natural stairwell leads down to a small pool where the back fins of some aquatic creature jut above.
9 On the far shore of an underground lake, a series of stone buildings are worked into the cave walls.
10 Ribcage of some colossal beast rises up from the uneven cavern floor.
11 Series of cramped corridors ahead shows many shadows and ambush points.
12 Series of shafts and pits which drop off into utter darkness; bizarre howling emanating from within.
13 Set of obviously worked doors suddenly appears in the otherwise natural cave wall ahead.
14 Small pockets of bubbling lava light up the room with a crimson glow.
15 Small stream divides the cave room in half; a simple but dangerous wooden bridge is set up.
16 Treacherous ledge winds along a thin section of wall with a gaping gorge on the other side.
17 Tree of stone intersects the passageway ahead, its roots providing a treacherous passage around it.
18 Twinkling purple lights in a gigantic stalactite betray hollow living quarters therein.
19 Underground sea shows a towline of rope leading out to a ship on the far horizon.
20 Utterly smooth walls of this cavern betray water-eroded or worked into shape with magic.
Cave Sounds
1 Birds squawking
2 Ceaseless cackling laughter
3 Claws tap on stone and water
4 Crackle of fire from torches
5 Distant echoes of screams change direction
6 Drums beating
7 Echoes from the world outside
8 Footsteps echo, a door slams, and silence
9 Hushed echoes of voices chanting in time
10 Large, loud splash
11 Metal striking metal in a repeated pattern
12 Muffled voices from up ahead in the dark
13 Rats squeaking
14 Scratching noises behind a wall
15 Shrill from a swarm of bats
16 Silence: complete and total silence
17 Snake rattle
18 Unsettling crunching sound
19 Water dripping slowly into a pool of water
20 Water flowing continuously like a waterfall
Strange Sounds
1 Buzzing of thousands of cicadas threatens to drown out all but the loudest of conversations.
2 Clock ticks far more slowly than normal; each tick is followed by a deep, rumbling moan.
3 Distant tinkling as if from a number of small bells, faint but persistent, is carried on the wind.
4 Dozens of light, pattering footfalls accompanied by giggling childish echo.
5 Far-off echo of an ululating war cry resounds all around.
6 Hysterical, high-pitched laughter rings out, trailing off into quiet sobbing.
7 Jagged screech of sharp metal across hard slate ends with a ringing like the drawing of steel.
8 Jarring, discordant notes of a song played on several musical instruments all out of tune.
9 Long, sustained scraping noise is followed by a heavy, dull thud.
10 Loud slurping noise, like marrow being sucked from a bone, comes from up ahead.
11 Loud squealing is cut off abruptly just as it hits its crescendo.
12 Loud tick-tock of an enormous, unseen clock keeps time with the party’s footsteps.
13 Rhythmic thumping of drums rises from somewhere deep down in a cavern.
14 Sepulchral moan like the lament of a hundred sorrowful dead reverberates, with no clear source.
15 Shrieking laughter of excited children breaks the quiet.
16 Strangled cry of a beast is cut short, followed by a baying howl.
17 Sucking sound of heavy boots walking through clinging mud can be heard off in the darkness.
18 Strangef voices layer upon one another into an indecipherable noise.
19 Sweet song sung by an angelic voice drifts through the air in an otherwise dark, foul place.
20 Trilling whistle cuts through all other sounds, its pitch so high that it is almost painful.
1 Cavern of stalactites stretches out, a small ledge climbing to great heights on the far side.
2 Full of a strange purple fungus growing on the walls and in corners.
3 Great columns of unworked stone show signs of cracking, crumbling, and sabotage.
4 Half-finished frescoes of dwarf warriors are carved into the walls on one side of a cave.
5 Metal rings holding old, thick candles hang above from spiked chains; some are lit.
6 Multiple ledges work around a series of deep chasms, severely limiting the choices of passage.
7 Mushrooms carpet the cavern, with occasional signs of civilization—broken tools and rope bridges.
8 Natural stairwell leads down to a small pool where the back fins of some aquatic creature jut above.
9 On the far shore of an underground lake, a series of stone buildings are worked into the cave walls.
10 Ribcage of some colossal beast rises up from the uneven cavern floor.
11 Series of cramped corridors ahead shows many shadows and ambush points.
12 Series of shafts and pits which drop off into utter darkness; bizarre howling emanating from within.
13 Set of obviously worked doors suddenly appears in the otherwise natural cave wall ahead.
14 Small pockets of bubbling lava light up the room with a crimson glow.
15 Small stream divides the cave room in half; a simple but dangerous wooden bridge is set up.
16 Treacherous ledge winds along a thin section of wall with a gaping gorge on the other side.
17 Tree of stone intersects the passageway ahead, its roots providing a treacherous passage around it.
18 Twinkling purple lights in a gigantic stalactite betray hollow living quarters therein.
19 Underground sea shows a towline of rope leading out to a ship on the far horizon.
20 Utterly smooth walls of this cavern betray water-eroded or worked into shape with magic.
Cave Sounds
1 Birds squawking
2 Ceaseless cackling laughter
3 Claws tap on stone and water
4 Crackle of fire from torches
5 Distant echoes of screams change direction
6 Drums beating
7 Echoes from the world outside
8 Footsteps echo, a door slams, and silence
9 Hushed echoes of voices chanting in time
10 Large, loud splash
11 Metal striking metal in a repeated pattern
12 Muffled voices from up ahead in the dark
13 Rats squeaking
14 Scratching noises behind a wall
15 Shrill from a swarm of bats
16 Silence: complete and total silence
17 Snake rattle
18 Unsettling crunching sound
19 Water dripping slowly into a pool of water
20 Water flowing continuously like a waterfall
Strange Sounds
1 Buzzing of thousands of cicadas threatens to drown out all but the loudest of conversations.
2 Clock ticks far more slowly than normal; each tick is followed by a deep, rumbling moan.
3 Distant tinkling as if from a number of small bells, faint but persistent, is carried on the wind.
4 Dozens of light, pattering footfalls accompanied by giggling childish echo.
5 Far-off echo of an ululating war cry resounds all around.
6 Hysterical, high-pitched laughter rings out, trailing off into quiet sobbing.
7 Jagged screech of sharp metal across hard slate ends with a ringing like the drawing of steel.
8 Jarring, discordant notes of a song played on several musical instruments all out of tune.
9 Long, sustained scraping noise is followed by a heavy, dull thud.
10 Loud slurping noise, like marrow being sucked from a bone, comes from up ahead.
11 Loud squealing is cut off abruptly just as it hits its crescendo.
12 Loud tick-tock of an enormous, unseen clock keeps time with the party’s footsteps.
13 Rhythmic thumping of drums rises from somewhere deep down in a cavern.
14 Sepulchral moan like the lament of a hundred sorrowful dead reverberates, with no clear source.
15 Shrieking laughter of excited children breaks the quiet.
16 Strangled cry of a beast is cut short, followed by a baying howl.
17 Sucking sound of heavy boots walking through clinging mud can be heard off in the darkness.
18 Strangef voices layer upon one another into an indecipherable noise.
19 Sweet song sung by an angelic voice drifts through the air in an otherwise dark, foul place.
20 Trilling whistle cuts through all other sounds, its pitch so high that it is almost painful.
Daern
Explorer
It seems important to add treasure and gear to appropriate encounters especially since my group is still more or less naked and scraping by with whatever they can scrounge. They were just able to take a couple harpoons from a fight with some Merrow, which is an upgrade on the shortswords and spears they have been using. Still no armor. Just a couple shields.
Kestrel
Explorer
My group should be lucky, on my random rolls I got a group of 6 drow traders on day 2. I added two quaggoths for pack mules/bodyguards. That will give the party 6 chain shirts,short swords and hand xbows if they take them, plus trade goods (which i put in the form of explorer packs) and 60 days rations. (we don't start until this sunday)
Just throw a drow trader group in. The party should have no moral compunctions with taking them out considering what the drow did to them at the beginning of the adventure.
Just throw a drow trader group in. The party should have no moral compunctions with taking them out considering what the drow did to them at the beginning of the adventure.
I don't know how to mark spoilers so I am going to be vague in Day 1, but DMs will know what I mean. I have a large party so we aren't using NPCs in combat. Therefore I feel all my encounters should involve an NPC interaction or two. Since I can't know how the dice will fall (who may die) I don't think to far ahead. Certain NPCs (see day 1) I love and I want to keep them alive for their story arc.
Day 1: Drow harry the group. If they wait in ambush the party can, with a 5DC steath check, ambush 2 drow scouts from Velkenvelve. +50 xp each if they interrogate and learn that they are being followed. Party perception DC 10 finds a certain someone extracting drow intestines. DC 15 finds that the intestines are laid our symmetrically.
Day 2: Traveling through a fissure they are at a dead end. DC 5 perception, finds a small urn under a mushroom. DC 10 finds a path up the rocks to climb out of the fissure. Disturbing the urn summons a CR4 banshee 120 ft. (no improved darkvision in group) back in the fissure and it assails them. DC10 insight for anyone assessing the situation notices the Drow NPC peering up the path and he will suggest leaving the banshee for the Drow following. DC 10 athletics check to climb out of the fissure. The banshee does not follow. Leaving the banshee alive reduces chase by 1.
Day 2 or 3: They encounter strange growth. Mushroom-like but luminescent and with colors coursing along it when touched. A DC 10 Arcana check will trap the mind of the wizard who (the group agrees annoyingly) always rolls Arcana on everything. He is incapacitated (surprise round) and suffers 1d10+1 damage per round. The growth is actually a warped/sentient Zurkwood (CR5 Cambion minus fire ray and spores for attack). If the party asks Stool what the growth is they can avoid the surprise round. *note* this encounter is mean't to teach a certain someone a lesson. If the wizard falls unconscious the NPCs will join up and hack the monster to bits in the following round.
Day 1: Drow harry the group. If they wait in ambush the party can, with a 5DC steath check, ambush 2 drow scouts from Velkenvelve. +50 xp each if they interrogate and learn that they are being followed. Party perception DC 10 finds a certain someone extracting drow intestines. DC 15 finds that the intestines are laid our symmetrically.
Day 2: Traveling through a fissure they are at a dead end. DC 5 perception, finds a small urn under a mushroom. DC 10 finds a path up the rocks to climb out of the fissure. Disturbing the urn summons a CR4 banshee 120 ft. (no improved darkvision in group) back in the fissure and it assails them. DC10 insight for anyone assessing the situation notices the Drow NPC peering up the path and he will suggest leaving the banshee for the Drow following. DC 10 athletics check to climb out of the fissure. The banshee does not follow. Leaving the banshee alive reduces chase by 1.
Day 2 or 3: They encounter strange growth. Mushroom-like but luminescent and with colors coursing along it when touched. A DC 10 Arcana check will trap the mind of the wizard who (the group agrees annoyingly) always rolls Arcana on everything. He is incapacitated (surprise round) and suffers 1d10+1 damage per round. The growth is actually a warped/sentient Zurkwood (CR5 Cambion minus fire ray and spores for attack). If the party asks Stool what the growth is they can avoid the surprise round. *note* this encounter is mean't to teach a certain someone a lesson. If the wizard falls unconscious the NPCs will join up and hack the monster to bits in the following round.
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I *love* this. I will definitely use this.
You have inspired me. I will use the same ledge set up, but the 'ambush' is waiting for them as they get off the ledge. The first PC will be outnumbered and unable t move far (assuming tied together), as more PCs come off the ledge the sides will get more even.
If nothing else, OotA and the Underdark are getting me to think of new and creative ways of using terrain.
Kestrel
Explorer
I'm glad you like them. I agree about the terrain. I'm thinking about changing the encounters to include both terrain and monster. The two of them together makes for a more memorable scene instead of just "a monster pops out at you"
