Sell me/Warn me on Underdark [Archive] - Wizards Community

Sell me/Warn me on Underdark [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
tankschmidt
09-21-07, 08:15 AM With a new edition coming out, it looks like we can get most of the 3.x books on the cheap, so I thought I'd take a look. My big question is this: is Underdark worth buying?

Now I don't run 3.x D&D, so I don't care about new feats, skills, playable races, or prestige classes. I also don't run the Realms, so any specific setting-related tie-ins will be of little use to me. I am however, interested in running portions of a megadungeon-style campaign with some levels based on wilderness exploration instead of detailed mapping - sort of like the D series. I've heard that this book has some tips for DM's running these sorts of campaigns.

So, will Underdark be useful for me? Thanks in advance for your help
Thinblade
09-21-07, 01:38 PM Underdark is primarily a setting-specific resource. Think of it as the FRCS for underground. Most of the product is descriptions of various cities, realms, and areas in the vast underground area that is the Underdark. What it does not have is lots of maps of random tunnels, since that could fill an entire library. There are 20 pages of Exploring the Underdark (things about environment, spelunking, etc.), but it's primarily an FR camaign resource. 3e Underdark is pretty much copy-and-paste from the 2e Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark, which was aimed at introducing cities and regions hitherto unknown, not the nitty gritty of tunnel walking.

If you're looking for mega-underground-adventures, I'd say your best bet is the 2e adventure Night Below: An Underdark Campgain. That has a lot of maps and adventures, as well as pretty much the same info as the Exploring the Underdark chapter. Lots of stuff you could crib from.
MarkusTay63
09-21-07, 01:57 PM Those two products together, though, would be an awesome combination. ;)

Underdark is a terrific resource to give a DM ideas, or just fun to read, but as far as pre-scripted adventures go it is extremely light - a couple of pages listing 'known dungeons', and three barely fleshed-out locations. Those locations make excellent springboards, however, for a creative DM.
1 ton ghost
09-22-07, 03:24 PM i swear by it though i don't touch any of the monsters (not 3rd ed).
so many of the concepts in there should be in the PHB like Spotting Distant Light and Survival rolls in progressively nastier environs, etc.

score yourself a .pdf on Soulseek or another peer-to-peer then poke around at a 1/2Price Books or Amazon it, much cheaper.

never ever pay full retail...
WotC has gotten tons of $ for alot of fluff/filler books.
tankschmidt
09-24-07, 08:29 AM Thanks for the advice. If I'm just going to use the "Exploring the Underdark" chapter, maybe it's not worth it after all. I appreciate your help.
The_Shaman
10-01-07, 05:57 PM Well, there are a lot of hooks you can use from it, as well. I'd love to see the Vengeance Takers try to recruit a member of a party I'm in. If you want to run underground adventures, it's great. Otherwise, it's still handy, but not indispensable.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
tankschmidt 09-21-07, 08:15 AM	With a new edition coming out, it looks like we can get most of the 3.x books on the cheap, so I thought I'd take a look. My big question is this: is Underdark worth buying? Now I don't run 3.x D&D, so I don't care about new feats, skills, playable races, or prestige classes. I also don't run the Realms, so any specific setting-related tie-ins will be of little use to me. I am however, interested in running portions of a megadungeon-style campaign with some levels based on wilderness exploration instead of detailed mapping - sort of like the D series. I've heard that this book has some tips for DM's running these sorts of campaigns. So, will Underdark be useful for me? Thanks in advance for your help
Thinblade 09-21-07, 01:38 PM	Underdark is primarily a setting-specific resource. Think of it as the FRCS for underground. Most of the product is descriptions of various cities, realms, and areas in the vast underground area that is the Underdark. What it does not have is lots of maps of random tunnels, since that could fill an entire library. There are 20 pages of Exploring the Underdark (things about environment, spelunking, etc.), but it's primarily an FR camaign resource. 3e Underdark is pretty much copy-and-paste from the 2e Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark, which was aimed at introducing cities and regions hitherto unknown, not the nitty gritty of tunnel walking. If you're looking for mega-underground-adventures, I'd say your best bet is the 2e adventure Night Below: An Underdark Campgain. That has a lot of maps and adventures, as well as pretty much the same info as the Exploring the Underdark chapter. Lots of stuff you could crib from.
MarkusTay63 09-21-07, 01:57 PM	Those two products together, though, would be an awesome combination. ;) Underdark is a terrific resource to give a DM ideas, or just fun to read, but as far as pre-scripted adventures go it is extremely light - a couple of pages listing 'known dungeons', and three barely fleshed-out locations. Those locations make excellent springboards, however, for a creative DM.
1 ton ghost 09-22-07, 03:24 PM	i swear by it though i don't touch any of the monsters (not 3rd ed). so many of the concepts in there should be in the PHB like Spotting Distant Light and Survival rolls in progressively nastier environs, etc. score yourself a .pdf on Soulseek or another peer-to-peer then poke around at a 1/2Price Books or Amazon it, much cheaper. never ever pay full retail... WotC has gotten tons of $ for alot of fluff/filler books.
tankschmidt 09-24-07, 08:29 AM	Thanks for the advice. If I'm just going to use the "Exploring the Underdark" chapter, maybe it's not worth it after all. I appreciate your help.
The_Shaman 10-01-07, 05:57 PM	Well, there are a lot of hooks you can use from it, as well. I'd love to see the Vengeance Takers try to recruit a member of a party I'm in. If you want to run underground adventures, it's great. Otherwise, it's still handy, but not indispensable.