Advice needed for subterranean campaign - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Reg06 Jan 29, 2011 10:39:58	I'm going to start running a campaign soon, and I'd like some help with a few details. If you think it would help, here's a history lesson Show This world is set in the standard D&D Points of Light setting- same gods, same races, same monsters etc... At some point in the past a cosmic war started. During this war all of the gods, and most epic level beings were killed (the gods were killed permanently). As a side effect several planes were completely erased, and the rest merged into the prime material. Near the end of the war the planet entered a terrible ice age, and within 10 years the entire surface of the world froze over. Just a couple years into the ice age wars broke out across the surface of the planet (mostly over food), and eventually the surface races were forced to invade dwarven lands. While all of that was going on, a massive Far Realm beasty took up residence around the core of the planet, were it could not leave. This was not the only Far Realm influence on the world, but it was by far the most threatening. The creature (later dubbed the Mad Moon) organized an aberrant invasion against the drow from below (mostly through subertfuge and cold war). Within a few years this was successful, and the drow were completely enslaved. This event destroyed their culture, and they are now barely more than tribal savages stalking the underdark. Duergar holds were also attacked by the Mad Moon (and then by the drow), but they managed to retain control of themselves- although the duergar are now a nomadic, raiding people. The drow have become the orcs of the setting- faceless villains. Because of attacks upon the upper levels of the underground a terrible anger spread like wildfire, and all drow who previously lived on the surface and were not corrupted by the Mad Moon were hunted down and killed.
#2 angelofthenight Jan 31, 2011 22:00:31	You're on the right track with air ducts. Make them huge, big enough for people to fit in, and miles long. Whoever, or whatever, controlled these vents would have a stranglehold over the cities, so they would be extremely valuable. Furthermore, there's always the risk of collapse. The maintenance and protection of the vents could make excellent fodder for adventure. As for farming, you could use complex mirror relays to bring sunlight down the large caves to produce food, alternatively lava vents with water hauled in could make a suitably moist and warm environment for fungal foods. As for your time frame, most nations are fairly established after a century. The United States, after all, had twice waged war against Britain, industrialized, overrun Mexico, fought a Civil War and was on the cusp of the Second Industrial Revolution one hundred years after its founding. If you want instability, however, make the states autocracies with succession crisis. Egypt and Thailand ought to furnish sufficient real life material, if you're looking for that.
#3 Reg06 Feb 01, 2011 8:43:14	"As for farming, you could use complex mirror relays to bring sunlight down the large caves to produce food" Eh, that's more high fantasy than I'm looking for. Using lava vents as part of a fungus growing system is definitely usable though.
#4 1337DnDMTCn3rd Feb 06, 2011 6:34:06	In most underground city shelters I know of, often the entrances are tightly sealed with an almost indestructible door to keep out any unwanted creatures. So first they will need to find a way to open this front door.
#5 mock26 Feb 06, 2011 6:44:49	I would extend the cataclysm to 200 years. Not only would this make is seem more horrific (imagine mutliple generations of humans living through this) but it would allow you to stagger when certain groups went underground. Some of the smarter ones who were able to read the handwriting on the wall would have gone underground right away. Those who still had hope would have stayed on the surface the longest. I would then put it at 200 years after the cataclysm. This would make sure no humans would remember the surface (though I would put in a handful of mages who, through magic, are old enough to remember) and would ensure that only the oldest dwarves remembered. More elves would remember, but that is to be expected. Also, you could pull a switch on Red and White dragons. Make the White dragons the dominate and more powerful species and make the Reds the weakest species.
#6 Reg06 Feb 06, 2011 12:07:39	The war that killed off the gods and destroyed the various planes did last at least 1 human generation. I didn't know how long it would take an ice age to take hold, so I put it at 10 years. But if it is an unnatural ice age (and it kind of is), it could take longer. I'll do that. As for the dragons, that's exactly what I have done. White dragons rule the surface much as dragons did in Reign of Fire, and in small pockets of fierce heat (lava vents and such) below ground a few red dragons eke out an existance. Blue and green dragons have not been seen since the War, and black dragons are almost unheard of. The same goes for their metallic counterparts.

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

Reg06

Jan 29, 2011 10:39:58

I'm going to start running a campaign soon, and I'd like some help with a few details.

If you think it would help, here's a history lesson

Show

This world is set in the standard D&D Points of Light setting- same gods, same races, same monsters etc... At some point in the past a cosmic war started. During this war all of the gods, and most epic level beings were killed (the gods were killed permanently). As a side effect several planes were completely erased, and the rest merged into the prime material.
Near the end of the war the planet entered a terrible ice age, and within 10 years the entire surface of the world froze over. Just a couple years into the ice age wars broke out across the surface of the planet (mostly over food), and eventually the surface races were forced to invade dwarven lands.

While all of that was going on, a massive Far Realm beasty took up residence around the core of the planet, were it could not leave. This was not the only Far Realm influence on the world, but it was by far the most threatening. The creature (later dubbed the Mad Moon) organized an aberrant invasion against the drow from below (mostly through subertfuge and cold war). Within a few years this was successful, and the drow were completely enslaved. This event destroyed their culture, and they are now barely more than tribal savages stalking the underdark. Duergar holds were also attacked by the Mad Moon (and then by the drow), but they managed to retain control of themselves- although the duergar are now a nomadic, raiding people.

The drow have become the orcs of the setting- faceless villains. Because of attacks upon the upper levels of the underground a terrible anger spread like wildfire, and all drow who previously lived on the surface and were not corrupted by the Mad Moon were hunted down and killed.

angelofthenight

Jan 31, 2011 22:00:31

You're on the right track with air ducts. Make them huge, big enough for people to fit in, and miles long. Whoever, or whatever, controlled these vents would have a stranglehold over the cities, so they would be extremely valuable. Furthermore, there's always the risk of collapse. The maintenance and protection of the vents could make excellent fodder for adventure. As for farming, you could use complex mirror relays to bring sunlight down the large caves to produce food, alternatively lava vents with water hauled in could make a suitably moist and warm environment for fungal foods.

As for your time frame, most nations are fairly established after a century. The United States, after all, had twice waged war against Britain, industrialized, overrun Mexico, fought a Civil War and was on the cusp of the Second Industrial Revolution one hundred years after its founding. If you want instability, however, make the states autocracies with succession crisis. Egypt and Thailand ought to furnish sufficient real life material, if you're looking for that.

Reg06

Feb 01, 2011 8:43:14

"As for farming, you could use complex mirror relays to bring sunlight down the large caves to produce food"
Eh, that's more high fantasy than I'm looking for. Using lava vents as part of a fungus growing system is definitely usable though.

1337DnDMTCn3rd

Feb 06, 2011 6:34:06

In most underground city shelters I know of, often the entrances are tightly sealed with an almost indestructible door to keep out any unwanted creatures. So first they will need to find a way to open this front door.

mock26

Feb 06, 2011 6:44:49

I would extend the cataclysm to 200 years. Not only would this make is seem more horrific (imagine mutliple generations of humans living through this) but it would allow you to stagger when certain groups went underground. Some of the smarter ones who were able to read the handwriting on the wall would have gone underground right away. Those who still had hope would have stayed on the surface the longest. I would then put it at 200 years after the cataclysm. This would make sure no humans would remember the surface (though I would put in a handful of mages who, through magic, are old enough to remember) and would ensure that only the oldest dwarves remembered. More elves would remember, but that is to be expected.

Also, you could pull a switch on Red and White dragons. Make the White dragons the dominate and more powerful species and make the Reds the weakest species.

Reg06

Feb 06, 2011 12:07:39

The war that killed off the gods and destroyed the various planes did last at least 1 human generation. I didn't know how long it would take an ice age to take hold, so I put it at 10 years. But if it is an unnatural ice age (and it kind of is), it could take longer. I'll do that.

As for the dragons, that's exactly what I have done. White dragons rule the surface much as dragons did in Reign of Fire, and in small pockets of fierce heat (lava vents and such) below ground a few red dragons eke out an existance. Blue and green dragons have not been seen since the War, and black dragons are almost unheard of. The same goes for their metallic counterparts.