Underdark Overview, aka Return of Drow Weaponry

[Endur]

They pretty much just give names and levels and some info. Not a detailed character sheet. As for which NPCs, its all the important ones.

For Menzoberanzan:
The Current Ruling Council
Matron Triel Baenre female drow cleric20
Matron Mez'Barris Armgo female drow cleric9/fighter9
Matron Tlabbar female drow cleric 9
Matron Zeerith Q'Xorlarrin female drow cleric 17
Matron Miz'ri Mizzrym female drow cleric 13
Matron Byrtryn Fey, female drow cleric 12
Matron Prid'eessoth Tuin, female drow cleric 12

Various Powerful Males
Gromph Baenre male drow diviner16/archmage4
Jarlaxle, male drow fighter 18
Dyrr the Lichdrow, sorceror20/wizard3/cleric of Velsharoon1

Can you name those NPC's, at least those from Menzo? Maybe with race, alignment and class levels.

 

[Gez]

They pretty much just give names and levels and some info. Not a detailed character sheet. As for which NPCs, its all the important ones.

I prefer it that way, frankly. Gives more space for more useful stuff.

It's the purpose of a class-&-level system as in D&D to be able to sum up a character's rough abilities in a few words, without having to publish full stat blocks.

Sure, there's lots of variable, but they are the variables that are needed by DM to tailor the NPC to their campaign, as well as to the various revisions and rule changes...

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I prefer it that way, frankly. Gives more space for more useful stuff.

It's the purpose of a class-&-level system as in D&D to be able to sum up a character's rough abilities in a few words, without having to publish full stat blocks.

Sure, there's lots of variable, but they are the variables that are needed by DM to tailor the NPC to their campaign, as well as to the various revisions and rule changes...

Yea, I don't think they should stat out every single one of them fully, but Triel (and maybe Jarlaxle) would have been nice.

What is there about Jarlaxle? As I understand he isn't actually in the Underdark at the moment.

 

[Endur]

just his level and a note that he used to lead Bregan Dearthe (sp?) and he isn't in the underdark right now.

Yea, I don't think they should stat out every single one of them fully, but Triel (and maybe Jarlaxle) would have been nice.

What is there about Jarlaxle? As I understand he isn't actually in the Underdark at the moment.

 

[Endur]

Actually, my understanding was that drow weaponry had nothing to do with hosing players. If you want to keep magic items out of the hands of players, you make the items charged or evil aligned or cursed.

The drow items crumble so that Gygax could explain why the Drow are not conquering the surface world.

Between their best items falling to pieces and the drow taking sunlight penalties, the drow can be more powerful than the surface elves and yet unable to defeat their hated surface enemies.

This allowed Gygax to have high level underground adventures and lower level adventures on the surface world.

Don't forget, in the original dark elf campaign, your characters did not go back to the surface world until the campaign was over and the characters were essentially retired after slaying a Demon Lord (Lolth). i.e. the PCs did not have to worry about the items falling to pieces during the epic campaign.

Drow weaponry being back is hardly a thing to be celebrated, to me. It's one of the most blatant and cheesy hose-the-players mechanics I've ever seen in a game. "Let's see, I want to face my players with large numbers of enemies packing potent magical weapons, but I don't want characters who survive the bloodletting to actually have large numbers of potent magical weapons. I know! I'll simply have the weapons crumble to dust outside the dungeon environment, like an untreated crysknife left on the table overnight! Yeah, genius! That'll show those darn players who's boss!"

 

[Nightfall]

Well they put up the maps for the Underdark. I just wish they'd tell me IF Orcus has a prescene in the Underdark or not. (Cause I think he, the other Demon Princes and other evil outsiders DESERVE a shot at it.)

 

[Endur]

I didn't see any mention in the Underdark book. Orcus and company are in the Miniatures handbook, though.

Well they put up the maps for the Underdark. I just wish they'd tell me IF Orcus has a prescene in the Underdark or not. (Cause I think he, the other Demon Princes and other evil outsiders DESERVE a shot at it.)

 

[ssampier]

Of course Nightfall there isn't a reason why you couldn't place Orcus there.

I'm glad this book isn't drow only--frankly I got my fill of dark elves in 2nd ed. I might buy it someday as a lark, since not all of it is FR stuff. I have a Night Below campaign that is waiting to be converted to 3.0 (or 3.25)

 

[qstor]

I saw it at my FLGS. I'll pick it up when I have some free cash

Mike

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Actually, my understanding was that drow weaponry had nothing to do with hosing players.

.....

The drow items crumble so that Gygax could explain why the Drow are not conquering the surface world.

A lot of things weren't invented to do negative things, but they were later used to that end. And if they're bad, they should not be allowed anymore, even if the original intentions were good.