What do you think of my campaign idea?

[dagger]

I am thinking about running a game in FR and I want to mix it up a little. I was thinking about having some cataclysmic event that forces the races to abandon the surface and flee into the underdark. Then after say 100 years or so, what ever happened on the surface would die down and this would allow groups in the underdark to begin exploring again.

There are so many different ways that you could do this. Also this would still allow (for the most part) my players to choose from all the 3.0/3.5 FR crunch (feats, races, etc.) that they like so much.

I have a standard realms campaign going on but I wanted to change the next on up.

Some ideas:

The party could be sponsored to try and locate the old temples and bring back old religious artifacts before other groups do.

Clashes with the original underdark races (drow, etc...)……

The players that know the realms really well could not take anything for granted since entire areas could be changed.

 

[nopantsyet]

It's an interesting idea, and one that could be a lot of fun, but in the Forgotten Realms? Methinks not. The Underdark in FR is too dangerous, I don't see how any significant number of surface-folk could survive. Unless somehow the catastrophe affected the Underdark as well, and destroyed most of those nasties. Although your plot device could fit nicely into updated FR canon. All you need is a large-scale junction of weave and shadow magic.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

A low-level Underdark campaign could work just fine. The PCs may not be the only ones trapped below. They may have to briefly work together with, say, a band of goblins and hobgoblins in order to prevent mutual destruction. Then, when they get below, the humaniods turn on them (what with them being evil and needing a source of food). BANG! First adventure ahoy!

 

[scourger]

It actually sounds pretty interesting. Here are some ways I would try to implement it.

First, don't tell your players that it is set in the Forgotten Realms. Just tell them it's a "new" campaign. Or, tell them its using the FR races, feats, etc. in a new environment. They will figure it out as they play, which has its own rewards. It would be especially fun when they encounter the ruins of locations the players know from other games.

Second, ask what they would think of playing a different race like hobgoblins or sverfnibli or whatever (even drow). If they go for it, find out if they would play all one race. I was in a short-lived game once where all the PCs were dwarves of a certain clan. It was great. We had a built-in unifying element of commonality. In your post-cataclysmic game, the PCs could (should?) be from one race of survivors. They could be original Underdark dwellers or refugees from the surface. The refugee model is less interesting to me since it gives the PCs knowledge about the surface world. It sounds as if you want the game reversed so that the PCs are Underdark dwellers exploring the surface instead of the usual D&D spelunking/dungeoneering model. Perhaps there are no refugees from the surface in the Underdark, or your PCs encounter them on their first trip topside. For instance, I think the all-hobgoblin expedition to the long-lost and virtually unknown surface world would be very exciting. The PCs could dominate goblins and fight dwarves along the way. If they ever reach the surface, they may find it largely deserted--perfect for colonization. If the bent of an evil-aligned party makes you nervous (it would make me nervous as a DM), make them all half-orcs or all deep gnomes or something.

Third, make the game about somethinbg other than killng foes & stealing treasure. Exploration is a great theme for getting away from the usual D&D model. Of course, they will get some cool stuff, but it shouldn't be the focus of the game.