Underdark Overview, aka Return of Drow Weaponry

[Nightfall]

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

Right but I like him in FR.


ssampier, don't worry I intend to use him. Trust me.

 

[Golem Joe]

Race section has info on Chitine, Deep Imaskari, Duergar, Gloaming, Grimlock, Kuo-toa, Slyth, and Svirfneblin as well as quick ECL guides to play Derro, Mind Flayer (ECL 15!), Minotaur, Orog, Quaggoth, Tanarukk, and Trogs.

WHAT??? No aboleth??? Damn you, WotC!!!!

 

[Gez]

Anyway, now Drow are not making them anymore, and they are invading the surface.

(With the arrival of LA and ECL, making them progress much slower than weaker races, they are balanced with their surface brethens. When a drow can cast a level 4 spell, the surface elf can cast a level 5 spell.)

 

[BrooklynKnight]

Just read Windwalker.

 

[Sirius_Black]

Just read Windwalker.

Why? Everyone knows that FR novels aren't considered official source material.

 

[Arnwyn]

I think the "Veterans" cried so loud about their favourite player torture that Wizards gave in (Note that "Veterans" are those who resent any change in 3e that did away with their favourite element of AD&D: restrictions. Veterans hate Dwarven Wizards and Halfling Paladins, they hate Evil Rangers Clerics-with-sharp-implements(tm))

Yes, that must be it. Truly a brilliant theory you got going there.

 

[jasper]

I am not a veteran but did dm the various Drow modules. Never saw a bunch of whiney players when their 40 +x weapons fell to dust. The falling to dust was a good idea of a campaign long magic item. Think of it as a super bluff spell. The falling to dust did remind me of a lot short stories of fey, fairy, adventurers weapons disappearing in the morning as the adventure ended.
Plus most of time the players overwhelm the random encounters and all the random encounters had bunches drow weapons.
IMC drow weapons still fall apart in sunlight and the standard response to a drow is to start the hanging party first and then maybe detect evil on the corpse.

Third edition took alot of bad things away. Ex you only can lose 1 o.n.e. magic max if you fail a save. After all being unlucky, nakkid barbarian in a dungeon is way un cool.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Yes, that must be it. Truly a brilliant theory you got going there.

Do you have a better one or are you just tryong to Hong it over me? Don't even try it, I've been Honged by Hong himself.

 

[drnuncheon]

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.

Aww, da poor players.

I've read SKR's arguments about this, and personally, I think they're bunk. Here's why:

First, NPCs already have roughly 3x the treasure of a 'normal' encounter of their level, so that takes care of 'the poor players don't get enough treasure' argument. (Not all the treasure is going to decay, after all.) In fact, in an extended Underdark campaign where you're fighting lots of drow, this helps balance things out - otherwise, if you're facing NPCs all the time, you wind up with way too much magic.

Second, the bonuses from the magic items aren't going to make the NPCs 'too powerful' for their CR - and if it does, then just up the CR - it's descriptive, not proscriptive after all. But NPCs are generally pretty weak for their CR, in my experience - they need all the help they can get.

J

 

[Wraithdrit]

It really is beyond the scope of this discussion, but I agree that in the realms more time than not, you are fighting NPCs and not monsters, and the result is a party laiden down with minor magic items after the first few encounters.

Literally, aftering going through the first part of City of the Spider Queen, my players are now going to the closest big city with a Thayan enclave, cackling with glee at the mass load of magic/mithral armor that they are carrying away.

The next step of the campaign goes into the Middledark, where the drow cities and the Faezressness is located, you better believe there is gonna be a huge amount of Drowcrafted weaponry and armor there. Of course I will balance that with other items that are not drowcrafted that are true treasure permenant treasure items.