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1 year ago ::
Jan 30, 2012 - 9:32AM
#1
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Date Joined:
Jan 30, 2012
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I have been running a game for five of my friends now for a few months and I've hit a creative wall. The party has recently acquired a map detailing a secret passage through the Underdark from a cave in the desert they currently are traveling through to the subterranean dungeons of a tower belonging to a dark wizard that they are hunting. Now, I have run the party through a few Dungeon Magazine encounters and they have pick up some friends that traditionally live in the Underdark that I wouldn't mind giving a little cameo screen time. They have completed a revamping of the "Box of Flumph" from Dungeon #118 and "Cloudkill" from Dungeon #79. As such they have gained the friendship of the flumph Ulmoapop for rescuing his family, and the "I'm not your friend, but I kinda owe you one" relationship with the drow priestess Demaxia for destroying the derro weapon factory and releasing her from slavery.
My current plan is to have a two or three adventure arc in the Underdark in which the players lose the map and have to gain the aid of one of these two NPCs that now live nearby to find their way to the tower. The problem is that I have never really done much with the Underdark and I need some inspiration.
The party is level five and is populated as follows:
Shifter Shaman
Elven Barbarian
Half-elven Palladin
Halfling Fey-Pact Warlock
Pixie Witch
Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated. The party really loved Ulmoapop and would be overjoyed to meet him again, though I like the idea of a "overwhelming odds" fight with the drow that ends in the party being captured and having a "What the heck are you guys doing down here!" moment with Demaxia.
You fell victim to one of the classic blunders - The most famous of which is "never get involved in an thread with GM_Champion" - but only slightly less well-known is this: "Never go in against AzureShade when card design is on the line!
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1 year ago ::
Jan 30, 2012 - 12:36PM
#2
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Date Joined:
Jan 10, 2012
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Does your campaign have an overall theme? If you do, ask how can the overall campaign goals/themes be accomplished by going to the Underdark. It kinda sounds like it does not, so I will give advice based on that assumption. I think the key to your adventure needs is to find a reason to visit the Underdark other than "we have friends and it would be cool."
Here are a couple ideas I have:
1. Drow and/or dark dwarves come to the surface and kill/kidnap/steal someone or something (maybe all three) and the players need to get it/revenge plan.
2. Perhaps the upper world is experiencing increased seismic/volcanic activity and scrying rituals indicate that the cause is magical and found in the underdark.
3. Demaxia needs help. While she was a slave (or b/c she was one) she has lost political favor and needs outsiders to help return to favor. Of course, she promises that by helping she will be in a better position to repay her debts. Since she is drow, she will betray the pc's and enslave them (gotta love irony). After they escape, they only find some of their gear (ie no map) before they must flee. Being lost and short on supplies they turn to their only other Underdark contact Ulmoapop for help.
4. You also want to look at your players history/secrets/motivations to find a reason to head to the Underdark.
I hope this gives you a jumping off point.
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1 year ago ::
Jan 30, 2012 - 1:02PM
#3
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Date Joined:
Jan 30, 2012
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Oh my party already has a reason for being in the Underdark. They are trying to track down an evil wizard that is draining Primal Points of Power in the world. What they don't know yet is why (it's to awaken a cataclysmic dragon and enslave it). They have picked up a map that details a secret passage through the Underdark into his hidden tower's dungeons.
My plan is to lose them in the Underdark for a few adventures and while they are there, use the opportunity to have them meet up with some old acquaintances that they previously enjoyed meeting. It's just that I've never really done any Underdark adventuring before and I'm really not sure what to do for this arc.
You fell victim to one of the classic blunders - The most famous of which is "never get involved in an thread with GM_Champion" - but only slightly less well-known is this: "Never go in against AzureShade when card design is on the line!
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1 year ago ::
Jan 30, 2012 - 5:11PM
#4
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Date Joined:
Jan 10, 2012
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I apologise i missed the evil Wizard tower part. Well, if i recall correctly many stories focus on the inner politics of the drow. You could also involve your pc's in conflicts between the drow, mind flayers, and the dark dwarfs. I would probably use number #3 from above.
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1 year ago ::
Jan 31, 2012 - 5:27AM
#5
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Date Joined:
Jan 30, 2012
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Yeah, I thik I'm going to go with #3. That way I can use my two Clawborn Scorrow figures and an idea I had that involves the party and an Underdark gladiator pit.
You fell victim to one of the classic blunders - The most famous of which is "never get involved in an thread with GM_Champion" - but only slightly less well-known is this: "Never go in against AzureShade when card design is on the line!
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1 year ago ::
Feb 02, 2012 - 1:20PM
#6
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Date Joined:
Mar 16, 2011
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If they are captured by the drow, there is an excellent opportunity for some extended RP/skill challenge to escape the drow city or something. If they fail then the PCs could be attacked by a party of drow, or if drow are too high level, duergar mercenaries or goblin fighters.
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1 year ago ::
Feb 16, 2012 - 10:43AM
#7
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Date Joined:
Aug 17, 2007
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I ran an Underdark adventure and had the PCs encounter a vast underground ocean. They had to find a method to cross the water and that was a quest in itself.
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