thought the underdark was under faerun, wasnt/is it?
The Forgotten Realms setting got the idea from Greyhawk originally.
why haven't i seen any adventures for greyhawk's underdark?
There was an adventure called Vault of the Drow in first edition AD&D. This was the first appearance of drow elves in any adventure, it took place in the Underdark, and it was set in the Greyhawk campaign.
The Night Below campaign, by Carl Sargent, was marketed as a generic Underdark adventure but it was originally planned for Oerth. It features the god Tharizdun, and I believe it was made to match up with the map in Vault of the Drow.
There was also an adventure in Dungeon Magazine called "The White Kingdom," about a nation of intelligent ghouls in Oerth's Underdark, worshipping Nerull and interacting with the drow from Vault of the Drow.
Most of the Underdark stuff in the Greyhawk campaign is set beneath the Hellfurnaces, to the west of the Yeomanry. It's not clear that there is a continuous greater Underdark stretching across the entire continent as in Faerun, though there might be. There are certainly plenty of deep dungeons elsewhere in the Flanaess, filled with creatures like beholders, mind flayers, and derro.
The Forgotten Realms line did have a whole book called "Underdark", so maybe that's where you got the idea.
The "original" Underdark was beneath the Hellfurnaces. Later accessories and authors placed Underdark links further afield.
My own reading (of Sargent, the most prolific source)indicates the Underoerth differs from the Underrealms in at least two ways: 1) the Underoerth begins deeper. Sargent in particular notes numerous dungeons extending at least a mile below the surface, but most of these are not connected to the Underoerth; 2) connections to the Underoerth are less frequent. The Underoerth is a vast, interconnected realm, but links to the surface are not common.
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Cheers
Nell.
Because we have had a number of adventures set underground. The city of Orcs beneath the Griff mountains in Five Shall be One, for instance. I forget which one it was, but the adventure that ends with the finding of Drelzna was through a long series of deep caverns.
And then Dungeon magazine's Kingdom of Ghouls by Wolgang Baur may be the penultimate example of a fantastic "campaign" in the underdark.
Living Greyhawk has had, recently, a series dealing with Slerotin's Tunnel.
Greyhawk's underdark is less well known exactly for the same reasons any part of Greyhawk is less well known.
How deep does a Greyhawk adventure need to be until it is in the Underdark? Seriously? And what do you mean say "underdark"? It's like the paradox of the heap...
Because we have had a number of adventures set underground. The city of Orcs beneath the Griff mountains in Five Shall be One, for instance. I forget which one it was, but the adventure that ends with the finding of Drelzna was through a long series of deep caverns.
And then Dungeon magazine's Kingdom of Ghouls by Wolgang Baur may be the penultimate example of a fantastic "campaign" in the underdark.
Living Greyhawk has had, recently, a series dealing with Slerotin's Tunnel.
Greyhawk's underdark is less well known exactly for the same reasons any part of Greyhawk is less well known.
I'm not asking for a detailed Greyhawk Underdark book or an Underdark adventure. I just want something like an Environment series book as mentioned by others. Something like the aforementioned Chapter 7 in the FR Underdark book.
How deep does a Greyhawk adventure need to be until it is in the Underdark? Seriously?
Seriously, I'd say the -real- underdark/Underoerth begins a mile below the surface. Were I to be absolutely puritanical about it, I'd say a mile below sea level.
Because we have had a number of adventures set underground. The city of Orcs beneath the Griff mountains in Five Shall be One, for instance. I forget which one it was, but the adventure that ends with the finding of Drelzna was through a long series of deep caverns.
Lost Caverns of Tsojacanth. I'd say neither are set in the underdark, though both may link to it.
And then Dungeon magazine's Kingdom of Ghouls by Wolgang Baur may be the penultimate example of a fantastic "campaign" in the underdark.
Absolutely underdark. The White Kingdom is cool.
Living Greyhawk has had, recently, a series dealing with Slerotin's Tunnel.
Which penetrates the underdark.
One hallmark of the Underoerth, IMO, is its inaccessibility from the surface. Nevermind being a different country, it might almost be a different continent. Different races, languages, cultures, history...it barely intersects with the surface.
There are probably three classes of underground complexes worth noting: 1) dungeons. These are excavated and primarily go down from the surface. They usually bottom out less than a mile down. Some dwarven halls and holds might be considered dungeons. 2) Cave systems. Some places noted as "underdark" in GH material are probably extensive natural cave systems, the hallmarks of which are shallow depth and/or lack of connectivity to the underdark as a whole. IMO, an extensive cave system lies underneath the Bright Desert. Although extensive enought to support its own ecology and races, it's not connected to the Underoerth and does not penetrate below 1 mile in depth. 3) the underdark proper, which may include subterranean dungeons and cave complexes.
Cheers
Nell.
I just want something like an Environment series book as mentioned by others. Something like the aforementioned Chapter 7 in the FR Underdark book.
Kind of reminds me of the old (1E) Dungeoneer's Survival Guide. That book was filled to the brim with Underdark goodies
what do you think is the likelyness they will make a new underdark book for greyhawk? 10%? 5%? haha 1%?
I don't want one for Greyhawk. I want one that's not specifically for FR.
I don't want one for Greyhawk. I want one that's not specifically for FR.
I don't think there's any reason you couldn't use the majority of the FR book in a Greyhawk campaign. Change the "Deep Imaskari" to "Deep Suel," decide where the other locations go on the map, and you're set.
I don't think there's any reason you couldn't use the majority of the FR book in a Greyhawk campaign. Change the "Deep Imaskari" to "Deep Suel," decide where the other locations go on the map, and you're set.
Sure, I'll just squeeze that right into my 36-hour day. ;)
Sure, I'll just squeeze that right into my 36-hour day. ;)
It wouldn't take you any longer than it would to read the book, which is time you'd have to spend with a generic book as well. You might, for example, decide to put the beholder city under the Sea of Dust, the dwarven city underneath the Abbor-Alz, and the settlement with the undead mind flayers near Castle Greyhawk. All you have to do is change some of the names.
I suspect that's why they didn't bother with a generic Underdark book. Oerth's and Faerun's Underdarks are so much alike, there's not much point.
Sure, I'll just squeeze that right into my 36-hour day. ;)
Woah -- you get 36 hours? Cool....
;)
Nell.
It wouldn't take you any longer than it would to read the book, which is time you'd have to spend with a generic book as well. You might, for example, decide to put the beholder city under the Sea of Dust, the dwarven city underneath the Abbor-Alz, and the settlement with the undead mind flayers near Castle Greyhawk. All you have to do is change some of the names.
I suspect that's why they didn't bother with a generic Underdark book. Oerth's and Faerun's Underdarks are so much alike, there's not much point.
Not necessarily. I wouldn't want the generic book to feature any cities or vast and detailed maps of the Underdark. Just give me something as open-ended as Frostburn and Sandstorm. This way I don't have to alter maps, names, or locations. It's also far easier to create your own content than it is to change someone else's. For example, it's much more difficult to redraw an existing map than it is to just creating your own.
Just give me something as open-ended as Frostburn and Sandstorm. This way I don't have to alter maps, names, or locations. It's also far easier to create your own content than it is to change someone else's. For example, it's much more difficult to redraw an existing map than it is to just creating your own.
I would have to agree with this the underdark should have been made into a generic book, it would have been easy for DM's to adapt to any setting.
IIRC, there are links to the Underdark noted on the map of Father Eye's complex in the hills bordering The Bright Desert. The maps are in the module Rary The Traitor but (as I don't have the book to hand) I can't offer a page reference.
The map is on page 36 of WGR3 Rary the Traitor and a brief description of the tunnels can be found on page 40.
Hope this helps speed up someone's search for underdark info.
1. The "Shadows Over Istivin" campaign arc
2. "The Harrowing"
3. "Lord of the Scarlet Tide"
I hope those help.
DM
I don't want one for Greyhawk. I want one that's not specifically for FR.
There's lots of generic Underdark mods in Dungeon Magazine that could fit in your campaign. A few might be 2e but would convert to 3.5 easily.
Mike
--Ghul