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Undermountain to Skullport

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Stoyrm
May 18, 2011 15:48:36 So i'm running a 3.5 adventure in Waterdeep and my group is hunting an assassin's guild in Skullport. They've understood that the guild knows they're on their tail. They intend to sneak through the Undermountain and into Skullport as the portals etc that leads to Skullport is likely watched by informants.

Now i'm wondering, is there any spesific way that goes through the Undermountain to Skullport? I checked the Expedition to Undermountain, but i'm running an adventure 6 years prior to those events.

Going down through the Yawning Portal Inn entrance, and going through the sewers is fine. But does anyone have any interesting locales, paths etc that they would take through the Undermountain?
#2
The_Silversword
May 19, 2011 3:54:41 ok well assuming youre starting at the entry well from the yawning portal and also assuming that the players dont detect the secret door to the north, youre heading south, then west, north and west again, until you reach the hall of many mirrors, from there id take the north passage and take the first left, keep going, keep going then turn left again then take the first right

hahaha, naw im kidding, im not going to sit here and go step by step from level 1 to level 3 to Skullport, that would take way too long! But yeah that would be one way to get there, start at the Yawning Portal and make them work their way through the first two levels of Undermountain, making them fight monsters and possibly other adventuring groups along the way. The maps from the Expidition to Undermountain should work well enough for that, I havnt checked too closely but those maps and the ones from the orginal boxed set look pretty much the same, the Expidition ones look fancier is all.

But there are other ways in, I highly recomend picking up the 2e accessory Skullport, got some great stuff in there. They list some various ways of getting there in that book, such as: The south seacaves, this is considered the most reliable method of getting there, but its costly. Most ship captains charge a good 100 gp for passage, then theres a wall well into the cave that the ship must be hoisted over and then lowered to the other side which costs another 50 gp. The ship is then shrunk down and surrounded by a bubble of sea water which protects it as it journeys through the narrow and winding passage to Skullport. This all takes a good 45 minutes to an hour easily.

Another way in would be a Gate, that Skullport accessory mentions quite a few portals on the River Sargauth, so perhaps the characters might find the location of a gate, it probably wouldnt take them directly to Skullport but perhaps somewhat close upstream aways. If you really wanted to be a **** you could have them step through another gate on the way to Skullport taking them to Kara Tur or some other far off place haha! The book also points out that the location and means of activating these gates is a closely guarded secret, so I guess just walkin through one wouldnt necesarily activate it.

So there you have it, theres the main ways in Gates (although you did mention portals, but theres definitely more than one and the Assassin's guiil aint gonna know where all of thems at), walking, or by ship.

Another handy resource to have would be the orginal boxed set of the Ruins of Undermountain if you aint already got it, sure its 2e but its still got some useful lore in there. You should be able to find them pretty cheap used someplace, the trick is making sure its got all the maps with it.
#3
Stoyrm
May 19, 2011 6:07:01 The first two levels are pretty fine, but i'm wondering if there's any lore concerning where to go to get to Skullport from the Second level.

They're assuming the Assassins guild knows everthing and have agents everywhere (of course they don't, but you really can't be to careful), so they don't dare to go by ship or through portals. They are fully intending to take the trip to Undermountain (partly because of the alure of treasure), and into Skullport. Most sane people wouldn't want to pass through Undermountain they pointed out, and they find it less likely that people will be watching the entrance that leads from the Underdark. (Their reasoning might be faulty, but this is how they decided they'll do it).
#4
18DELTA
May 20, 2011 3:50:43 The 3E book on Waterdeep might help.

I agree with the Skullport suggestion.

www.nobleknight.com is a great place to buy out of print Realms books...
#5
Andrekan
May 26, 2011 10:58:34 Seems like there was a portal that landed into the Beholder Slave Camp. I can't remember if it was a shifting portal or if it was one in the city or a specific one listed between Level 1-3. This place would be fully functioning at that time frame your working with so it would be like dropping on a platform between two beholders guarding the slave pens and river access. Not sure if your party would like that too well.

Seems like there is another access near the end of the docks not far from the street near Mirt's Mansion that goes into the sewers (The area is Mistshore in 4E). I believe there might be some sewer tunnels there that lead to Skull Port but the Assassin's as well as Skull Port's other residence would keep this area well guarded to exact tolls or require a pass to enter. Can't remember if I read that somewhere or if it was listed as an access and I created the later which I used in 3.5 to ambush my adventurers. I think it was listed as an area good for mugging those entering or leaving but I don't remember that source either it was 3 or 4 years ago when I researched that Skull Port access.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Stoyrm May 18, 2011 15:48:36	So i'm running a 3.5 adventure in Waterdeep and my group is hunting an assassin's guild in Skullport. They've understood that the guild knows they're on their tail. They intend to sneak through the Undermountain and into Skullport as the portals etc that leads to Skullport is likely watched by informants. Now i'm wondering, is there any spesific way that goes through the Undermountain to Skullport? I checked the Expedition to Undermountain, but i'm running an adventure 6 years prior to those events. Going down through the Yawning Portal Inn entrance, and going through the sewers is fine. But does anyone have any interesting locales, paths etc that they would take through the Undermountain?
#2 The_Silversword May 19, 2011 3:54:41	ok well assuming youre starting at the entry well from the yawning portal and also assuming that the players dont detect the secret door to the north, youre heading south, then west, north and west again, until you reach the hall of many mirrors, from there id take the north passage and take the first left, keep going, keep going then turn left again then take the first right hahaha, naw im kidding, im not going to sit here and go step by step from level 1 to level 3 to Skullport, that would take way too long! But yeah that would be one way to get there, start at the Yawning Portal and make them work their way through the first two levels of Undermountain, making them fight monsters and possibly other adventuring groups along the way. The maps from the Expidition to Undermountain should work well enough for that, I havnt checked too closely but those maps and the ones from the orginal boxed set look pretty much the same, the Expidition ones look fancier is all. But there are other ways in, I highly recomend picking up the 2e accessory Skullport, got some great stuff in there. They list some various ways of getting there in that book, such as: The south seacaves, this is considered the most reliable method of getting there, but its costly. Most ship captains charge a good 100 gp for passage, then theres a wall well into the cave that the ship must be hoisted over and then lowered to the other side which costs another 50 gp. The ship is then shrunk down and surrounded by a bubble of sea water which protects it as it journeys through the narrow and winding passage to Skullport. This all takes a good 45 minutes to an hour easily. Another way in would be a Gate, that Skullport accessory mentions quite a few portals on the River Sargauth, so perhaps the characters might find the location of a gate, it probably wouldnt take them directly to Skullport but perhaps somewhat close upstream aways. If you really wanted to be a **** you could have them step through another gate on the way to Skullport taking them to Kara Tur or some other far off place haha! The book also points out that the location and means of activating these gates is a closely guarded secret, so I guess just walkin through one wouldnt necesarily activate it. So there you have it, theres the main ways in Gates (although you did mention portals, but theres definitely more than one and the Assassin's guiil aint gonna know where all of thems at), walking, or by ship. Another handy resource to have would be the orginal boxed set of the Ruins of Undermountain if you aint already got it, sure its 2e but its still got some useful lore in there. You should be able to find them pretty cheap used someplace, the trick is making sure its got all the maps with it.
#3 Stoyrm May 19, 2011 6:07:01	The first two levels are pretty fine, but i'm wondering if there's any lore concerning where to go to get to Skullport from the Second level. They're assuming the Assassins guild knows everthing and have agents everywhere (of course they don't, but you really can't be to careful), so they don't dare to go by ship or through portals. They are fully intending to take the trip to Undermountain (partly because of the alure of treasure), and into Skullport. Most sane people wouldn't want to pass through Undermountain they pointed out, and they find it less likely that people will be watching the entrance that leads from the Underdark. (Their reasoning might be faulty, but this is how they decided they'll do it).
#4 18DELTA May 20, 2011 3:50:43	The 3E book on Waterdeep might help. I agree with the Skullport suggestion. www.nobleknight.com is a great place to buy out of print Realms books...
#5 Andrekan May 26, 2011 10:58:34	Seems like there was a portal that landed into the Beholder Slave Camp. I can't remember if it was a shifting portal or if it was one in the city or a specific one listed between Level 1-3. This place would be fully functioning at that time frame your working with so it would be like dropping on a platform between two beholders guarding the slave pens and river access. Not sure if your party would like that too well. Seems like there is another access near the end of the docks not far from the street near Mirt's Mansion that goes into the sewers (The area is Mistshore in 4E). I believe there might be some sewer tunnels there that lead to Skull Port but the Assassin's as well as Skull Port's other residence would keep this area well guarded to exact tolls or require a pass to enter. Can't remember if I read that somewhere or if it was listed as an access and I created the later which I used in 3.5 to ambush my adventurers. I think it was listed as an area good for mugging those entering or leaving but I don't remember that source either it was 3 or 4 years ago when I researched that Skull Port access.