Hooray for Undermountain! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Hooray for Undermountain! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
msatran
06-20-07, 01:52 AM Undermountain is nifty! Yes, they genericized it, but they also went back to generic parentheticals for people not directly in encounter areas!

I'm so happy I could do a little monkey dance. The dungeon itself and the mapped encounter areas use that crappy, illegible new format, but who cares? It's a big dungeon! We'll make more!

It has a location for every level and sublevel, and enough lore that people will not be wasting their butts buying it. There's even a good chunk on Durnan's wife, always useful information. (She even GAINED a level.)
MarkusTay63
06-20-07, 10:10 AM You should post this on the 'core' forums.
MerrikCale
06-20-07, 10:59 PM except for that monkey dance part maybe
Dielzen
06-20-07, 11:02 PM Heh, I'm the biggest "post general in the general forums, dangit" freak on the boards and I'd say any post about the Undermountain book would go here in FR forums.

May be a "general" book but it's FR all the way, just look at the authors.
MarkusTay63
06-21-07, 01:00 AM There are three reasons to buy a product like this.

First, if I enjoy super-megaDungeon style adventures, which I don't.

Second, if I knew nothing about Undermountain, and didn't already own at least six products set there.

Third, If it contained oodles of FR lore, which apparently it will not. Without the logo, none of it is canon and therefore does not apply to the setting.

And there is one great big reason why NOT to buy it.

They kill Halaster. :weep:

For that one reason I thank god its not set in the Realms.
Mordakay of Thay
06-21-07, 03:38 AM DAMN,why the **** did they have to kill Halaster......Are you absolutely sure it's not canon?I hope it isn't....
MerrikCale
06-21-07, 08:20 AM why do we care if Halaster is dead?
Gelcur
06-21-07, 08:31 AM I am pretty sure its canon, Ed worked on it after all. And the events that happen in it will be included in "A Grand History of the Realms" so that's good enough for me.
Karsus the Mad
06-21-07, 11:01 AM why do we care if Halaster is dead?
I asked myself the same thing. I need a butterfly net so I can capture all the pieces of his shattered soul.
Mordakay of Thay
06-21-07, 12:09 PM I dunno,maybe cuz I just got used to him being the so called ruler of Undermountain.And after he's dead,whats gonna happen to it :(?
msatran
06-21-07, 04:53 PM Plus, it has a lot of extra information on the Portal that isn't included in the Waterdeep supplement.
Paix
06-22-07, 08:02 AM I am confused by the original poster.

If the format is 'crappy', large areas remain unmapped, it contains no new FR specific lore apart from Halaseter's death and offers nothing more than what it has already been made available, why do you recommend it exactly?

From the above description it sounds like a lot of squares with some description for some of them. Wouldn't I better off with a fully detailed adventure/dungeon?

Since you already have it, could you please post a more thorough opinion on it. The articles on this website have not told me anything and from what I could gleam on these boards the offering does not look promising.
MarkusTay63
06-22-07, 10:38 AM I don't understand... if its a core product why is the lore effecting FR? :confused:

I'm confused... if it doesn't have the FR logo on it then its just a bunch of meaningless drivel IMHO.

why do we care if Halaster is dead?Because, unlike that snooze-fest Elminster, HE is at least interesting.

This is how I picture it going over at the WotC 'worshop'.

Designer 1: Hey! I just found something mildly interesting in FR that we haven't killed off yet!

Designer 2: Quickly... water it down and make it bland, before the 'Eberron people' learn of it.

My campaign is starting back up in another week, and I'm thinking about just turning the 'clock back' to the Gold box. The year will still be the same IMG, but I will just consider anything that happened after 1359 to be up to me. I may be a fan of canon here on the boards, but I really don't need any of the newer stuff to run a good game. In fact, the game will probably be better without it.

Just my :twocents:
MerrikCale
06-22-07, 09:58 PM Because, unlike that snooze-fest Elminster, HE is at least interesting.

I will give you Elminster is a snooze-fest Gandalf wannabe. I'll give you Halaster is more interesting than all of the Chose of Mystra/Seven Silly Sisters combined (of course they are really only 1 character), but I still don't particularly care about him. His been living in a cave for how long now?
Dark Wizard
06-22-07, 10:32 PM Hey, there's nothing wrong with living in a cave. The cavemen did it for millennia and look at how well they turned out.
MerrikCale
06-23-07, 11:02 AM Hey, there's nothing wrong with living in a cave. The cavemen did it for millennia and look at how well they turned out.

Thats true, they're getting their own (most likely short-lived) sitcom
MarkusTay63
06-25-07, 02:45 AM Anyone who can be the Drow's version of the 'Boogeyman' is alright in my book.

C'mon, heres a guy who scares the cr@p out of the good guys AND the bad guys. How much cooler can you get?

With Halastar gone, I feel like a piece of the setting died with him. :weep:

In fact, aside from Skullport, he was the ONLY thing I liked about Undermountain.
Tseramed
06-27-07, 11:02 AM Amen to that.

I will probably buy the Undermountain book because it is undermountain and that I want to check it out. A friend of mine is a great fan of the Ravenloft setting and bought Expedition to Castle Ravenloft and was very pleased with it even if it was core. I took a look at the book and was pretty suprised. I'm sure it won't be a copy but if the same formula is applied, I'll be happy.

After all, look at the names on the cover, they're all realms author, I doubt they would screw that up. As for Halaster being killed... Well I'm sad too of course. :weep:
Light_Colonel
06-27-07, 02:14 PM Who is to say that Halaster is really and truly dead? FR is a place full of magic, so who can say.

As for what will happen now..... I own the mod......

While I haven't finished reading everything yet, the module basically ends with a massive fight against an agent of the Twisted Rune. The PCs need to use a machine of Halaster's creation to reactivate all the wards and traps. Failure to do so means the Twisted Rune eventually seizes control of Undermountain, Skullport and eventually begins getting agents into Waterdeep.

In any case, the Twisted Rune keeps trying to take over Undermountain as a base of operations and they definately point you in the direction of having them become running arch-enemies of the party.
Eladrinstar
06-27-07, 02:23 PM When I heard they killed Halastar, I actually did one of those prolonged "Noooooooo!" screams.
Tseramed
06-27-07, 03:27 PM Who is to say that Halaster is really and truly dead? FR is a place full of magic, so who can say.

Meabe he'll have lot's of clones awakening at the same time and wreaking havoc everywhere... :P
MarkusTay63
06-27-07, 05:47 PM Halaster Clones would be VERY cool, and could come from all different time periods... imagine we find an ancient Netherese or Imaskar Halaster, or even a Sarrukh Halaster!

Perhaps even the last mad Vyshaan Elf! :D

That could be an entire campaign by itself, chasing around all the crazy Halasters!

So... this module mentions BOTH Skullport AND Waterdeep?

Why the Hell was this product Core? :confused:
Eladrinstar
06-27-07, 06:03 PM Why the Hell was this product Core? :confused:

The same reason Races of Eberron was. Hasbro bean counters. If there isn't some strange logo on it, more people will buy it. Of course, I feel sorry for anyone who thought Races of Eberron was core and then bought it, because outside of Eberron it was completely useless.
NightBreeze
06-28-07, 07:11 PM Whaaat?
They kill Halaster?
Ok. Now.

A) Simple kill. No soul binding or shattering:
Oh well....I see no problem here. He has at least one clone and IIRC he has a wish that makes all his memories pour into the clone the moment he wakes up

B) Soul binding/shattering.

Ok, now I'm getting ******. They got tired of the cries "That wacko Elminster never dies", so, in order to feed the customers, they start killing other people. Khelben, Anzar Thrull, Halaster. Each of this character was more realistic and interesting than that playboy (don't understand me wrong: I'm on elminster's side in each and every topic that pops up. But really, Halaster is better. I mean, a friggin archmage that has a dungeon where he can defend agains the seven chosens at once? A freak that defends that dungeon with at least a dozen wishes, and crazy amounts of magic items/traps/monster? No one know his true origins, so he can even be an elf from Fairie (ok, exagerating now) ? That's way better than any hero)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
msatran 06-20-07, 01:52 AM	Undermountain is nifty! Yes, they genericized it, but they also went back to generic parentheticals for people not directly in encounter areas! I'm so happy I could do a little monkey dance. The dungeon itself and the mapped encounter areas use that crappy, illegible new format, but who cares? It's a big dungeon! We'll make more! It has a location for every level and sublevel, and enough lore that people will not be wasting their butts buying it. There's even a good chunk on Durnan's wife, always useful information. (She even GAINED a level.)
MarkusTay63 06-20-07, 10:10 AM	You should post this on the 'core' forums.
MerrikCale 06-20-07, 10:59 PM	except for that monkey dance part maybe
Dielzen 06-20-07, 11:02 PM	Heh, I'm the biggest "post general in the general forums, dangit" freak on the boards and I'd say any post about the Undermountain book would go here in FR forums. May be a "general" book but it's FR all the way, just look at the authors.
MarkusTay63 06-21-07, 01:00 AM	There are three reasons to buy a product like this. First, if I enjoy super-megaDungeon style adventures, which I don't. Second, if I knew nothing about Undermountain, and didn't already own at least six products set there. Third, If it contained oodles of FR lore, which apparently it will not. Without the logo, none of it is canon and therefore does not apply to the setting. And there is one great big reason why NOT to buy it. They kill Halaster. :weep: For that one reason I thank god its not set in the Realms.
Mordakay of Thay 06-21-07, 03:38 AM	DAMN,why the **** did they have to kill Halaster......Are you absolutely sure it's not canon?I hope it isn't....
MerrikCale 06-21-07, 08:20 AM	why do we care if Halaster is dead?
Gelcur 06-21-07, 08:31 AM	I am pretty sure its canon, Ed worked on it after all. And the events that happen in it will be included in "A Grand History of the Realms" so that's good enough for me.
Karsus the Mad 06-21-07, 11:01 AM	why do we care if Halaster is dead? I asked myself the same thing. I need a butterfly net so I can capture all the pieces of his shattered soul.
Mordakay of Thay 06-21-07, 12:09 PM	I dunno,maybe cuz I just got used to him being the so called ruler of Undermountain.And after he's dead,whats gonna happen to it :(?
msatran 06-21-07, 04:53 PM	Plus, it has a lot of extra information on the Portal that isn't included in the Waterdeep supplement.
Paix 06-22-07, 08:02 AM	I am confused by the original poster. If the format is 'crappy', large areas remain unmapped, it contains no new FR specific lore apart from Halaseter's death and offers nothing more than what it has already been made available, why do you recommend it exactly? From the above description it sounds like a lot of squares with some description for some of them. Wouldn't I better off with a fully detailed adventure/dungeon? Since you already have it, could you please post a more thorough opinion on it. The articles on this website have not told me anything and from what I could gleam on these boards the offering does not look promising.
MarkusTay63 06-22-07, 10:38 AM	I don't understand... if its a core product why is the lore effecting FR? :confused: I'm confused... if it doesn't have the FR logo on it then its just a bunch of meaningless drivel IMHO. why do we care if Halaster is dead?Because, unlike that snooze-fest Elminster, HE is at least interesting. This is how I picture it going over at the WotC 'worshop'. Designer 1: Hey! I just found something mildly interesting in FR that we haven't killed off yet! Designer 2: Quickly... water it down and make it bland, before the 'Eberron people' learn of it. My campaign is starting back up in another week, and I'm thinking about just turning the 'clock back' to the Gold box. The year will still be the same IMG, but I will just consider anything that happened after 1359 to be up to me. I may be a fan of canon here on the boards, but I really don't need any of the newer stuff to run a good game. In fact, the game will probably be better without it. Just my :twocents:
MerrikCale 06-22-07, 09:58 PM	Because, unlike that snooze-fest Elminster, HE is at least interesting. I will give you Elminster is a snooze-fest Gandalf wannabe. I'll give you Halaster is more interesting than all of the Chose of Mystra/Seven Silly Sisters combined (of course they are really only 1 character), but I still don't particularly care about him. His been living in a cave for how long now?
Dark Wizard 06-22-07, 10:32 PM	Hey, there's nothing wrong with living in a cave. The cavemen did it for millennia and look at how well they turned out.
MerrikCale 06-23-07, 11:02 AM	Hey, there's nothing wrong with living in a cave. The cavemen did it for millennia and look at how well they turned out. Thats true, they're getting their own (most likely short-lived) sitcom
MarkusTay63 06-25-07, 02:45 AM	Anyone who can be the Drow's version of the 'Boogeyman' is alright in my book. C'mon, heres a guy who scares the cr@p out of the good guys AND the bad guys. How much cooler can you get? With Halastar gone, I feel like a piece of the setting died with him. :weep: In fact, aside from Skullport, he was the ONLY thing I liked about Undermountain.
Tseramed 06-27-07, 11:02 AM	Amen to that. I will probably buy the Undermountain book because it is undermountain and that I want to check it out. A friend of mine is a great fan of the Ravenloft setting and bought Expedition to Castle Ravenloft and was very pleased with it even if it was core. I took a look at the book and was pretty suprised. I'm sure it won't be a copy but if the same formula is applied, I'll be happy. After all, look at the names on the cover, they're all realms author, I doubt they would screw that up. As for Halaster being killed... Well I'm sad too of course. :weep:
Light_Colonel 06-27-07, 02:14 PM	Who is to say that Halaster is really and truly dead? FR is a place full of magic, so who can say. As for what will happen now..... I own the mod...... While I haven't finished reading everything yet, the module basically ends with a massive fight against an agent of the Twisted Rune. The PCs need to use a machine of Halaster's creation to reactivate all the wards and traps. Failure to do so means the Twisted Rune eventually seizes control of Undermountain, Skullport and eventually begins getting agents into Waterdeep. In any case, the Twisted Rune keeps trying to take over Undermountain as a base of operations and they definately point you in the direction of having them become running arch-enemies of the party.
Eladrinstar 06-27-07, 02:23 PM	When I heard they killed Halastar, I actually did one of those prolonged "Noooooooo!" screams.
Tseramed 06-27-07, 03:27 PM	Who is to say that Halaster is really and truly dead? FR is a place full of magic, so who can say. Meabe he'll have lot's of clones awakening at the same time and wreaking havoc everywhere... :P
MarkusTay63 06-27-07, 05:47 PM	Halaster Clones would be VERY cool, and could come from all different time periods... imagine we find an ancient Netherese or Imaskar Halaster, or even a Sarrukh Halaster! Perhaps even the last mad Vyshaan Elf! :D That could be an entire campaign by itself, chasing around all the crazy Halasters! So... this module mentions BOTH Skullport AND Waterdeep? Why the Hell was this product Core? :confused:
Eladrinstar 06-27-07, 06:03 PM	Why the Hell was this product Core? :confused: The same reason Races of Eberron was. Hasbro bean counters. If there isn't some strange logo on it, more people will buy it. Of course, I feel sorry for anyone who thought Races of Eberron was core and then bought it, because outside of Eberron it was completely useless.
NightBreeze 06-28-07, 07:11 PM	Whaaat? They kill Halaster? Ok. Now. A) Simple kill. No soul binding or shattering: Oh well....I see no problem here. He has at least one clone and IIRC he has a wish that makes all his memories pour into the clone the moment he wakes up B) Soul binding/shattering. Ok, now I'm getting ******. They got tired of the cries "That wacko Elminster never dies", so, in order to feed the customers, they start killing other people. Khelben, Anzar Thrull, Halaster. Each of this character was more realistic and interesting than that playboy (don't understand me wrong: I'm on elminster's side in each and every topic that pops up. But really, Halaster is better. I mean, a friggin archmage that has a dungeon where he can defend agains the seven chosens at once? A freak that defends that dungeon with at least a dozen wishes, and crazy amounts of magic items/traps/monster? No one know his true origins, so he can even be an elf from Fairie (ok, exagerating now) ? That's way better than any hero)