CotSO - drow players [Archive] - Wizards Community

CotSO - drow players [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Quinn the Dark
09-18-04, 06:50 PM I'd like to begin the City of the Spiderqueen module with a party of drow.
I haven't dm a drow party yet and i need some advices and help.
First of all i have to change chapter one (the part of the Dodrien Crypts), because they are drow of Menzoberranzan and they won't enter the underdark from the surface. How could i handle this, anyone made some experiences? At which level should the characters start?

And what about Szith Morcane? Are the guarding drow hostile towards other drow? In this case, how could I warn them?
Questions like that...

I'd be very grateful for your help!

Quinn
schulerta
09-18-04, 07:50 PM Have you read any of the novels? They will help a lot.

To get them to the surface, have them start out in Menzo and leaving to go find out info on what happened to Lolth. The next part is tricky, put them up against something that has them outmatched, clearly. Don't kill any of them, just when the party looks doomed one of the characters (whoever is closest to a cavern wall, preferably an arcane caster) stumbles upon a portal. The portal leads one way out to Daggerdale near the crypts. The monster can't go through cause it cannot activate the portal. Play up the suspense of course, try not to make it look to contrived. Have it as a random encounter after a day or so of travel out of Menzo. Sure this is all very convenient, but hey.

Start them at 9th level, I suggest using the level buyoff alternate rule from Unearthed Arcana as well.

Troy
Quinn the Dark
09-18-04, 08:44 PM I read some of the novels (but only the first 3 books of War of the Spiderqueen are available in Germany).

Maybe there's a problem if they get to the crypts via portal. For what reason should they go down there and fight? Instead teleporting back to the Dead Dragon Gorge chasm near Menzo? Even though they have the quest to figure out what's wrong with Maerimydra, what would be the motivation of a lesser house of Menzo to send out some of their members to a far-off city? Lolth is silent in Menzo as well and the mothermatrons send out a delegation of elite drow. (anyway its a nice idea with a portal though this raises another question: if the portal functions, does a teleport spell function as well in the same location, because of faerzress?)

Is it advantageous if all players are from the same house? I guess they have to be Lolth-worshipping characters otherwise they won't have a motivation to travel to Maerimydra to gather infos about the destruction of the city and the ruling spiderkissers.

(i don't have the Unearthed Arcana, so i have no idea of this alternate rule you spoke of.)
schulerta
09-18-04, 10:10 PM The Faezress (Sp?) would prevent them from teleporting back. When they make it through the portal and are above ground, it is daylight, they will gladly run as fast as they can to the first cave/underground entrance they can find. They will see dead drow in D3 (pg 13) and their interest should be piqued. Change out a piece of treasure in the early going for a scroll of find the path. That should point them deeper into the crypts and towards Szith Morcane eventually.

Troy
Quinn the Dark
09-24-04, 02:15 PM Okay if i let them start at lvl 9, should i use the level adjustment of +2?
Or only if i have different races within the party?
Graz'zt, Prince of Shadow
09-24-04, 03:54 PM The Player's Guide to Faerun has a section in the back for "lesser" drow, which are basically slightly altered elves with an ECL of +0. If your players are drow only for RP opportunities and their character concepts don't depend on certain abilities and stat bonuses, then I'd suggest using that. It also makes it easier to run drow NPCs since they won't have access to a wide variety of abilities to keep track of.
Quinn the Dark
09-27-04, 08:19 AM I stumbled across another problem: The party have to encounter lots of demons and undeads... and because they are all Lolth-worshipping, the Cleric of the party wont be able to cast spells, so they wont have access to cure spells and protection spells.
Could i compare this deficit with magic items? Can a cleric still turn undeads though the god is absent?
Zanan
09-27-04, 09:05 AM Vendui!

Unless you've already done so, you could get more info and advise on the DnD-Gate's (http://forum.dnd-gate.de/) site as well, where these topics and questions have been adressed as well.

Generally, I'd say no with regard to command/rebuke undead. You channel your deity's power through the holy symbol and if the deity isn't there, lietrally speaking, so isn't this power. But that's just me.
Quinn the Dark
09-28-04, 07:13 AM Could you give me a direct link to such a topic?
Had found only one thread, but with no usefull info for me...
Zanan
09-29-04, 04:37 AM Could you give me a direct link to such a topic?
Had found only one thread, but with no usefull info for me...

Well, try this board (http://forum.dnd-gate.de/index.php?showforum=20) ... and look for drow campaigns. I did a short revision on CotSQ as well, mostly collecting misshaps and errors.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Quinn the Dark 09-18-04, 06:50 PM	I'd like to begin the City of the Spiderqueen module with a party of drow. I haven't dm a drow party yet and i need some advices and help. First of all i have to change chapter one (the part of the Dodrien Crypts), because they are drow of Menzoberranzan and they won't enter the underdark from the surface. How could i handle this, anyone made some experiences? At which level should the characters start? And what about Szith Morcane? Are the guarding drow hostile towards other drow? In this case, how could I warn them? Questions like that... I'd be very grateful for your help! Quinn
schulerta 09-18-04, 07:50 PM	Have you read any of the novels? They will help a lot. To get them to the surface, have them start out in Menzo and leaving to go find out info on what happened to Lolth. The next part is tricky, put them up against something that has them outmatched, clearly. Don't kill any of them, just when the party looks doomed one of the characters (whoever is closest to a cavern wall, preferably an arcane caster) stumbles upon a portal. The portal leads one way out to Daggerdale near the crypts. The monster can't go through cause it cannot activate the portal. Play up the suspense of course, try not to make it look to contrived. Have it as a random encounter after a day or so of travel out of Menzo. Sure this is all very convenient, but hey. Start them at 9th level, I suggest using the level buyoff alternate rule from Unearthed Arcana as well. Troy
Quinn the Dark 09-18-04, 08:44 PM	I read some of the novels (but only the first 3 books of War of the Spiderqueen are available in Germany). Maybe there's a problem if they get to the crypts via portal. For what reason should they go down there and fight? Instead teleporting back to the Dead Dragon Gorge chasm near Menzo? Even though they have the quest to figure out what's wrong with Maerimydra, what would be the motivation of a lesser house of Menzo to send out some of their members to a far-off city? Lolth is silent in Menzo as well and the mothermatrons send out a delegation of elite drow. (anyway its a nice idea with a portal though this raises another question: if the portal functions, does a teleport spell function as well in the same location, because of faerzress?) Is it advantageous if all players are from the same house? I guess they have to be Lolth-worshipping characters otherwise they won't have a motivation to travel to Maerimydra to gather infos about the destruction of the city and the ruling spiderkissers. (i don't have the Unearthed Arcana, so i have no idea of this alternate rule you spoke of.)
schulerta 09-18-04, 10:10 PM	The Faezress (Sp?) would prevent them from teleporting back. When they make it through the portal and are above ground, it is daylight, they will gladly run as fast as they can to the first cave/underground entrance they can find. They will see dead drow in D3 (pg 13) and their interest should be piqued. Change out a piece of treasure in the early going for a scroll of find the path. That should point them deeper into the crypts and towards Szith Morcane eventually. Troy
Quinn the Dark 09-24-04, 02:15 PM	Okay if i let them start at lvl 9, should i use the level adjustment of +2? Or only if i have different races within the party?
Graz'zt, Prince of Shadow 09-24-04, 03:54 PM	The Player's Guide to Faerun has a section in the back for "lesser" drow, which are basically slightly altered elves with an ECL of +0. If your players are drow only for RP opportunities and their character concepts don't depend on certain abilities and stat bonuses, then I'd suggest using that. It also makes it easier to run drow NPCs since they won't have access to a wide variety of abilities to keep track of.
Quinn the Dark 09-27-04, 08:19 AM	I stumbled across another problem: The party have to encounter lots of demons and undeads... and because they are all Lolth-worshipping, the Cleric of the party wont be able to cast spells, so they wont have access to cure spells and protection spells. Could i compare this deficit with magic items? Can a cleric still turn undeads though the god is absent?
Zanan 09-27-04, 09:05 AM	Vendui! Unless you've already done so, you could get more info and advise on the DnD-Gate's (http://forum.dnd-gate.de/) site as well, where these topics and questions have been adressed as well. Generally, I'd say no with regard to command/rebuke undead. You channel your deity's power through the holy symbol and if the deity isn't there, lietrally speaking, so isn't this power. But that's just me.
Quinn the Dark 09-28-04, 07:13 AM	Could you give me a direct link to such a topic? Had found only one thread, but with no usefull info for me...
Zanan 09-29-04, 04:37 AM	Could you give me a direct link to such a topic? Had found only one thread, but with no usefull info for me... Well, try this board (http://forum.dnd-gate.de/index.php?showforum=20) ... and look for drow campaigns. I did a short revision on CotSQ as well, mostly collecting misshaps and errors.