Durnan's Knowledge of Undermountain [Archive] - Wizards Community

Durnan's Knowledge of Undermountain [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Crust
07-14-07, 01:09 PM Since my PCs are wowing all of Waterdeep with their prowess in the Field of Triumph ("Champion's Belt" from Dungeon's Age of Worms), combined with their heroics in taking down Raknian and exposing his crimes, many influential people in Waterdeep are taking notice.

Many are wondering how useful the PCs would be. Durnan is just one of those people.

With that in mind, I'd like to run a side quest where Durnan contacts the PCs and asks them to visit him at the Yawning Portal inn. Apparently a group of adventurers ran afoul of a tribe of bugbears who have taken up residence in the early passages of Undermountain's Dungeon level. Durnan won't send another group of middling adventurers down there, so he's going to ask my PCs to join him in finding out what happened to those young adventurers.

Why ask the PCs? Because they're popular, they're clearly capable (Durnan himself has watched all of their gladiator matches), and Durnan wants to recruit them into his Red Sashes. The short romp through the beginning passages of Undermountain would make a great venue for an interview of this sort. The PCs are tested and observed by Durnan as they work together, and Durnan is also able to talk to them about his organization without having to worry about prying eyes and ears in the tavern above. Also, the overall battle will forge a warrior's bond between Durnan and the party, which I think would be great.

Now that that's out of the way, my question to you folks is this: How much does Durnan know about Undermountain after his time adventuring there? Would he be able to lead the PCs through the beginning passages of the Dungeon level, knowing where all the fixed traps and landmarks are, or would he be relatively clueless concerning any changes Halaster and his minions have made in recent days/months/years?

What does Durnan realistically know about Undermountain?
Faraer
07-14-07, 03:38 PM My impression is that his forays to Undermountain are mostly quick, direct journeys for specific, limited purposes. No one can keep track of the whole dungeon at once, so he gets by on high-level adventurer's intuition as well as knowledge, as we see in "A Slow Day in Skullport". But he'll be well informed of the latest goings-on near the entry well by the reports of delvers coming back out through the Portal.
Crust
07-14-07, 04:26 PM OK. I'm just wondering how to run him. "Down this corridor is such and such... Wait! There's a trap here... Ah! A helmed horror... and it's clutching a horned ring! Leave it be, for they are cursed... Uh huh, that's one of Halaster's privies. Don't get too close, or it will suck you in... This secret door leads to such and such... There's a portal just around this corner that takes one to (insert locale here), and it is activated by turning this flagstone just so..." That sort of thing. I suppose it's entirely up to me, but I wanted to see what others thought about it.
Faraer
07-14-07, 04:31 PM I'd do it like that, but with an occasional
'That wasn't there last time!'
'Ah, that's where those bugbears fled to after...'
'If the Brazen Blades told me aright...'
Crust
07-14-07, 04:48 PM Yes. Thanks, Faraer. :)
The Simbul
08-09-07, 12:36 AM Determine what his Knowledge (local, Waterdeep) ranks and final skill modifiers are, and that can determine his immediate access to knowledge regarding Undermountain.

For anything beyond his immediate knowledge, he can made spend time and effort accruing circumstance bonuses from research, bonuses due to Influence (see Power of Faerūn), bonuses from Aid Another checks made by his allies, followers, and contemporaries among the city lords, and consulting with other contacts in the city who are knowledgeable about its depths.
Dhagon
08-09-07, 03:22 AM In the novel Escape From Undermountain, Halaster had completed his replica of Undermountain and he used it at will to modify things, such as create traps or treasure where none were before. I don't know how many things he changed, you could use it to create a very chaotic, ever-shifting dungeon if you wanted too.
Stigger
08-09-07, 03:36 AM Tiny little nitpicky point, I'm not sure he'd personally do the recruiting into the Sashes, from what I gathered of it, he's likely scope them out, feel them out, and then get one of his front people to do the actual recruiting to remove himself from them a step or two. I don't see him minding some unconfirmable suspicion he's involved with them, but I don't see him as the type to give anyone he doesn't trust implicitly confirmation that he's involved with them.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Crust 07-14-07, 01:09 PM	Since my PCs are wowing all of Waterdeep with their prowess in the Field of Triumph ("Champion's Belt" from Dungeon's Age of Worms), combined with their heroics in taking down Raknian and exposing his crimes, many influential people in Waterdeep are taking notice. Many are wondering how useful the PCs would be. Durnan is just one of those people. With that in mind, I'd like to run a side quest where Durnan contacts the PCs and asks them to visit him at the Yawning Portal inn. Apparently a group of adventurers ran afoul of a tribe of bugbears who have taken up residence in the early passages of Undermountain's Dungeon level. Durnan won't send another group of middling adventurers down there, so he's going to ask my PCs to join him in finding out what happened to those young adventurers. Why ask the PCs? Because they're popular, they're clearly capable (Durnan himself has watched all of their gladiator matches), and Durnan wants to recruit them into his Red Sashes. The short romp through the beginning passages of Undermountain would make a great venue for an interview of this sort. The PCs are tested and observed by Durnan as they work together, and Durnan is also able to talk to them about his organization without having to worry about prying eyes and ears in the tavern above. Also, the overall battle will forge a warrior's bond between Durnan and the party, which I think would be great. Now that that's out of the way, my question to you folks is this: How much does Durnan know about Undermountain after his time adventuring there? Would he be able to lead the PCs through the beginning passages of the Dungeon level, knowing where all the fixed traps and landmarks are, or would he be relatively clueless concerning any changes Halaster and his minions have made in recent days/months/years? What does Durnan realistically know about Undermountain?
Faraer 07-14-07, 03:38 PM	My impression is that his forays to Undermountain are mostly quick, direct journeys for specific, limited purposes. No one can keep track of the whole dungeon at once, so he gets by on high-level adventurer's intuition as well as knowledge, as we see in "A Slow Day in Skullport". But he'll be well informed of the latest goings-on near the entry well by the reports of delvers coming back out through the Portal.
Crust 07-14-07, 04:26 PM	OK. I'm just wondering how to run him. "Down this corridor is such and such... Wait! There's a trap here... Ah! A helmed horror... and it's clutching a horned ring! Leave it be, for they are cursed... Uh huh, that's one of Halaster's privies. Don't get too close, or it will suck you in... This secret door leads to such and such... There's a portal just around this corner that takes one to (insert locale here), and it is activated by turning this flagstone just so..." That sort of thing. I suppose it's entirely up to me, but I wanted to see what others thought about it.
Faraer 07-14-07, 04:31 PM	I'd do it like that, but with an occasional 'That wasn't there last time!' 'Ah, that's where those bugbears fled to after...' 'If the Brazen Blades told me aright...'
Crust 07-14-07, 04:48 PM	Yes. Thanks, Faraer. :)
The Simbul 08-09-07, 12:36 AM	Determine what his Knowledge (local, Waterdeep) ranks and final skill modifiers are, and that can determine his immediate access to knowledge regarding Undermountain. For anything beyond his immediate knowledge, he can made spend time and effort accruing circumstance bonuses from research, bonuses due to Influence (see Power of Faerūn), bonuses from Aid Another checks made by his allies, followers, and contemporaries among the city lords, and consulting with other contacts in the city who are knowledgeable about its depths.
Dhagon 08-09-07, 03:22 AM	In the novel Escape From Undermountain, Halaster had completed his replica of Undermountain and he used it at will to modify things, such as create traps or treasure where none were before. I don't know how many things he changed, you could use it to create a very chaotic, ever-shifting dungeon if you wanted too.
Stigger 08-09-07, 03:36 AM	Tiny little nitpicky point, I'm not sure he'd personally do the recruiting into the Sashes, from what I gathered of it, he's likely scope them out, feel them out, and then get one of his front people to do the actual recruiting to remove himself from them a step or two. I don't see him minding some unconfirmable suspicion he's involved with them, but I don't see him as the type to give anyone he doesn't trust implicitly confirmation that he's involved with them.