Drow of the Underdark (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Drow of the Underdark (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
Average customer rating:

good details

Good deal for a

Mostly rehashed stuff, little originality

How Can They Be So Cruel Yet So Awesome?

You think you know a Drow....

Drow of the Underdark (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
Robert J. Schwalb , Anthony Pryor , and Greg Vaughan
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Role Playing & Fantasy | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Alternate History | Anthologies | Arthurian | Contemporary | Epic | General | Historical | History & Criticism | Magic & Wizards | Series
General | Dungeons & Dragons | Gaming | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Complete Champion: A Player's Guide to Divine Heroes (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Monster Manual V (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Magic Item Compendium (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Expedition to the Demonweb Pits (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Expedition to Undermountain (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Adventure)

ASIN: 0786941510
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Book Description

At last, dark elves get their due! Drow of the Underdark is a Dungeons & Dragons supplement that provides the definitive treatise on the drow, arguably the D&D game's most evocative evil race. Everything you want to know about drow and their subterranean homeland - as well as some things you didn't want to know - can be found in this tome.

This supplement is intended for players who want to play drow characters and Dungeon Masters who want to run D&D adventures and campaigns featuring drow.

Customer Reviews:

good details.......2007-09-11

This book offers some really good incites on drow life. I liked the feats and the equipment listed. I find it to be a good resource book.

Good deal for a.......2007-06-12

Yhis is a fine deal for a DM with 20 or so dollars in his or her pocket. I reckomend this book for a DM or a player with a DN who will allow his or her players to use this material because, 1 this book is comprehensive and thorough in scope and delivery, 2 has some extraordinary art, 3 is well written with intelligent ideas for DMs who want to add something extremely evil to his or her game, 4 the players who get this book will mainly want it for a few new uses for skills and maybe to play a Drow or to be a thorn in a Drows backside.

I hope this helps you.

Mostly rehashed stuff, little originality.......2007-05-18

Drow of the Underdark had lots of potential. Sadly, it fails to live up to that potential. The book follows the now-standard book format, with an intro, options for Drow characters, new prestige classes, new magic, monsters, etc. Nothing too out of the ordinary here.

The feats include a fair amount of drow-specific feats. Some of these are pretty nice - Knight of Lolth gives a drow advantages while fighting from the back of a giant spider, for instance. The weapon style feats include the typical range of schools (one for each noble house in the Vault). A few more vile feats, and other goodies round the list out. Skills also are expanded to address some drow-specific traits (like the drow sign language).

Prestige classes include some interesting options, and the monsters include creatures both familiar and new. New magical goodies give the drow a lot of fascinating options.

However, the book fails to really live up to expectations. With 200+ pages devoted to a single race, the book contains a lot of filler. There are lots of pages giving GMs ideas of how to handle or run drow. While there are some interesting tidbits here, but a gamer has to do some delving.

The prestige classes include several that are drow-specific that shouldn't be. If the Arachnomancer isn't drow-specific, why should a Demonbinder or Insidious Corrupter be?

The monster section is a disappointment. Aside from using the new monster format, complete with sample encounters, many of the monsters are either reprints, or worse yet, simply adding class levels to drow or other humanoids. I would much rather see more fascinating monsters than a "Goblin Flesh-Herder" (goblin Cleric 3).

Sadly missing is any discussion of the other deities of the drow (outside of Lolth). Eilistraee, Vhaerun, and Kiaransalee should have been included somewhere, even if they were originally deities in the Forgotten Realms. The prospects of secret clerical politics and cults could have added a lot.

Also missing is much about some of the underground flora and fauna. How about alternative familiars for drow mages (pet Spider: +3 climb)? Properties of some of the weird fungi? Drow are attracted to magical enamations underground - it would have been nice to explore some of the other effects of such places.

If you want to run a drow campaign, this can be useful. The 2nd edition Drow of the Underdark contains a lot of useful material too - probably more meaty material in a small book. But this book devoted 200+ pages to a single race - compare that to the coverage the remaining elven races received in Races of the Wild. This book should have been condensed as a large chapter in a Races of the Underdark book.

How Can They Be So Cruel Yet So Awesome?.......2007-05-15

When you finish the chapter that's all about Drow life and society and their "government" that's exactly what you think, how can they be so cruel yet so awesome. Every Forgotten Realms book, every game book to feature them, it's all been as nothing, how they describe drow and the evil that they do. Their methods of battle, their matriarchal society, everything is laid bare, and by the time you're done, you're like "Well, dang. And I play these critters in my campaign." I'm not even going to get into any of it, it's horrible and fascinating, and there's not enough room on this web page for to even scratch the surface. The only real complaints I have with this book is that some of the new equipment seems kinda rediculous at first glance, til you actually read about it, and the almost overabundance of images of spiders, being an arachnophobe of the highest caliber, I can't even bring myself to touch a picture of a spider, let alone crush a real one with my bare hand, but then again, this is a book about DROW, who revere spiders, so I'm just going to have to deal with it. At any rate, despite what one person says, this isn't solely for Greyhawk, it can be used in a Forgotten Realms campaign, too. I, myself, am going to, and I already have major plans to milk this baby for all it's worth. Now, what the person who said this is solely for Greyhawk failed to see was the notes on how to work certain aspects of this book into a Forgotten Realms campaign or a Greyhawk campaign, I think namely the monsters, but the rest can definitely go into a Forgotten Realms camp flawlessly if the DM is smart enough, and I should think anyone acting as the DM would be smart enough.

You think you know a Drow...........2007-05-15

....until you read this book. I once thought of the Drow as nothing more than a stereotypical evil race hell-bent on the destruction of everything and everyone. Man, was I wrong. Upon reading through this book I was completely astounded to discover there was so much more complexity behind the sinister veil of Lolth's children.

So forget the older versions or the d20 releases this is without a doubt THE compendium on the Drow. Anything you could possibly want to know about the dark elves can be found within these pages. Drow of the Underdark covers everything from religion, culture, so-called politics, social quo, daily life, behavior, history, plots, and overall mentality of the Drow. Also provided are gracious options for playing Drow as characters, offering new spells, feats, magical items, and prestige classes for all you evil little elves out there. (The poisons are just plain cool!) The examples of specific notable Drow figures (sadly no Drizzit) are a nice touch if you're planning on creating your own temple of Lolth or Matron Mother. Not slowing down there are also options for designing specific quests and locations, provided of course you're planning to delve into the world of the Underdark's most nefarious race.

One reviewer mentioned this is a substitute for Greyhawk. I don't see where that came from, if anything Drow of the Underdark succeeds in remaining neutral toward all D&D based games. True those playing Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk based campaigns will see the most use for this book it can be easily adjusted for any campaign.

Bottom line; if you're planning on having Drow in your campaign or even if you are just curious about what dark things do in dark places, YOU NEED THIS BOOK!!

Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark Official Strategy Guide (Brady Games)

Average customer rating:

Review Neverwinter Nights- HOTU
nwn: hordes of the underdark
Not enough detail

Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark Official Strategy Guide (Brady Games)
Michael Lummis
Manufacturer: BRADY GAMES
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Video Games | Games & Strategy Guides | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Video & Electronic Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide Official Strategy Guide
Versus Books Official Neverwinter Nights Adventure Perfect Guide
Neverwinter Nights(tm) 2 Official Strategy Guide (Forgotten Realms) (Forgotten Realms)
Versus Books Official Neverwinter Nights World Builder's Perfect Guide
Neverwinter Nights: Diamond Compilation Pack (DVD-ROM)

ASIN: 0744003415

Book Description

BradyGames' Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark Official Strategy Guide features a complete walkthrough to lead players through the entire game. Comprehensive bestiary and armory. Expert character development coverage. Plus, unique character templates for every class and more! Special full-color format allows for the sharpest screenshots!

Customer Reviews:

Review Neverwinter Nights- HOTU.......2007-01-10

good guide however the maps are too small; not enough info about development of characters;

nwn: hordes of the underdark.......2006-03-12

pros: good detail of game play, plenty of maps

cons: could have more detail of some game play areas & maps

Not enough detail.......2006-01-17

Maps are too small and lack detail. I got the feeling the writer was too much in bed with the developers and distributors of the game.

Realms of the Underdark (Forgotten Realms Anthology)

Average customer rating:

You can almost hear the authors rolling the dice.
Bite sized stories for you to savor.
Three Stars for three good stories.
Not Bad.
Mixed Feelings

Realms of the Underdark (Forgotten Realms Anthology)
J. Robert King
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Realms of Infamy (Forgotten Realms Anthology)
Realms of Valor (Forgotten Realms Anthology)
Realms of Magic (Forgotten Realms Anthology)
Realms of Mystery (Forgotten Realms Anthology)
Realms of Shadow (Forgotten Realms: Return of the Archwizard anthology)

ASIN: 0786904879
Release Date: 1996-04-23

Book Description

The Underdark

Beneath the surface of Faerûn lies a whole different world.

A world of drow, deep gnomes, and other denizens of the dark.

A world of cities like Menzoberranzan and Skullport, of warriors and rogues like Drizzt Do'Urden and Liriel Baenre and numerous others.

Leave the security of the surface world and seek out the darkness that lies below.

Welcome to the Realms of the Underdark.

Customer Reviews:

You can almost hear the authors rolling the dice........2004-11-04

It's not that Realms of the Underdark is necessarily *bad*. Around the time that this stories were written, Drow elves (the evil dark-skinned elves that live deep underground and worship the dark spider-goddess Lloth) were all the rage in Forgotten Realms books. They must still be popular, as I never fail to see a new Drow book out there. It's only natural that TSR (before Wizards of the Coast bought them) would want to take advantage of such cool creatures. Drizzt Do'Urden was the coolest of the cool, an exiled Drow who is actually a hero. Of course, he features in one of the Realms of the Underdark novellas. Surprisingly he isn't really the star of it, but it does explain something of his past.

The problem is that there just isn't really anything exciting or original about any of the stories. Of the stories, one is very good, one is pretty bad, and the rest range from "bland" to "pretty good."

Getting the poor story out of the way first is "A Slow Day in Skullport," by Ed Greenwood. Greenwood is one of the masters of the Forgotten Realms setting, and he is determined to show it. Unfortunately, it's one of the more by-the-numbers entries in the book (and that's saying something!). Three of the Lords of Waterdeep, former adventurers who have retired to positions of wealth and power in the big city, find themselves on yet another adventure. Durnan, owner of the Yawning Portal and master of the entrance from Waterdeep into the Underdark, receives an image of a young noble girl in trouble, and is determined to rescue her. He sends a message to his friend, Mirt the Moneylender, who then alerts his friend Asper of the potential danger. He suspects a trap. Sure enough, it is, as Durnan is attacked by a Beholder, a floating creature with a huge eye in the center and a bunch of eyestalks, all of them able to shoot bolts of energy and other magical attacks. Durnan is the object of the Beholder's plan, and his friends have to come to his rescue. I'm not sure I can really say how bad this story is. I could almost hear the dice rolling during the battle scenes and there's no flow to them whatsoever. Greenwood also can't resist inserting Elminster into the story. Elminster is the greatest mage in the Realms and the character that Greenwood played when the Realms was a gaming world. He's in there for no apparent reason. Either that, or the story will be continued elsewhere, as other seemingly unrelated events happen as well. If true, that's a real minus for this story. What's even funnier is the sequence where Mirt is constantly attacked by various creatures of the Underdark and just swats everything away without raising a sweat. These characters don't feel like they're in any danger whatsoever, even when things start looking bleak at the end. Why should I care about these people? Ultimately, I didn't, and struggled to get through the story. Seemingly invincible characters are dull to read about. Next!

The final story, "Volo Does Menzo," is a wonderful conclusion written by Brian M. Thomsen. Percival Woodehous (or Pig, as he's known in Skullport) is a down-on-his-luck maitre'd who was the best in Waterdeep before being disgraced and forced to find what work he can in sinister Skullport. Volo, the infamous travel guide writer, was the cause of his distress, and Pig is surprised when he finds Volo in a tavern that Pig frequents. Determined to talk to him, he gets mixed up in an attack on Volo by two bumbling Drow disgraced warriors. It is said that Volo intends to write a guide to the Drow home city, Menzoberranzan, and they can't have that. Does Volo have something else up his sleeve? Or will both of them be put to death for the warriors' cleansed honour? This is a delightfully funny tale with the characterization of Volo being perfect. He loves the sound of his own voice and regales both tavern customers and his guards with tales of his travels all over the Realm. He's also devious, as his ultimate plan demonstrates. He has a terrific memory, as he ultimately does remember what happened to Percival (though it would have been nice if he had explained exactly what happened). Percival is also well done as the master chef, out of his element in a situation not of his making. I found the two bumbling Drow hard to get used to at first, because we've never seen one before. They are usually brutally efficient. However, their characterization grew on me, though Thomsen does go a little too far with their denseness. Still, the situations are hilarious, especially the confrontation with the two fish creatures, the Kuo-toa, that Volo and Percival witness when they're supposed to be asleep.

With one great story ("Volo Does Menzo), one good story ("Rites of Blood," by Elaine Cunningham), and three iffy ones ("Sea of Ghosts," by Roger E. Moore, "The Fires of Narbondel," by Mark Anthony, and "A Slow Day in Skullport"), this collection ultimately isn't that good. If you're a fan of the Forgotten Realms, you may enjoy these novellas. Otherwise, you should probably stay away.

David Roy

Bite sized stories for you to savor........2003-02-09

"Realms of the Underdark" is one of the "Realms" series of short story anthologies. This volume deals exclusively with the Underdark, the subterranean world of amongst things dark elves, Dwarfs and a unique ecology. The Underdark has been made famous by R.A. Salvatore's the hugely popular Dark elf series. Although R.A Salvatore doesn't actually contribute any stories in this anthology some of his characters do make appearances in several stories. Fans of R.A. Salvatore will enjoy this anthology since it fills in a lot of background details about the Underdark and how dangerous it really is. Fans might also notice the differing writing styles between R.A. Salvatore and the other authors but that shouldn't detract too much from the book. After finishing the book it leaves you wanting more... but in a good way.

Three Stars for three good stories........2001-09-08

I gave this book three stars, one for each good story in here. If you did not get enough of the Underdark from Salvatore's fantastic drow series, then this book is worth it for the three quality stories within. Though none of the stories are of the quality of Salvatories writings about the underdark, three out of five stories in here add nicely to the myth of the Underdark. The Liriel Baenre story is the best of them and even features a brief appearance by my favorite drow Jarlaxle. There is an excellent story about a deep gnome who was captured as a drow slave. And then there is the so-so Zaknefin story, which includes some more back story on Drizzt, and while this story is no where near the quality of Salvatories writing, it does provide some interesting insight into both Zaknefin and Drizzt. As for the other two stories in here, forget about them, I already did.

Not Bad........2000-07-18

Well.The book isn't bad. I've enjoyed reading most of the stories.But That's the bad part. They left you wanting more :)_ The stories are great, and, if you don't mind reading just short stories, buy it. I enjoyed the Liriel's story (Elaine Cunningham) the most of all.

Mixed Feelings.......2000-06-02

While I thoroughly enjoyed the Drow stories, I was quite disappointed that there were only two (if not two, then only three), which was the reason I bought the book. Disappointed as I was, I still read the rest of the book for the heck of it and discovered that the only stories that were worth my time and money were the Drow ones. They're pretty good. One of them was about young Drizzt and Zaknafein (mostly about Zaknafein). The other one was about Liriel. Anyway...If you just want to read the GOOD stories, just read them in the store. Don't waste your money.

Underdark (Dungeons & Dragons d20 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Accessory)

Average customer rating:

What there is , is great
What a disappointment...
Great for a UD Fan
Tastes great, less filling...err...Very pretty book; not useful
Still torn on this one

Underdark (Dungeons & Dragons d20 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Accessory)
Bruce R. Cordell , Gwendolyn F. M. Kestrel , and Jeff Quick
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Lost Empires of Faerûn (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement)
City of Splendors: Waterdeep (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement)
Shining South (Dungeon & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement)
Player's Guide to Faerun (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Accessory)
Champions of Ruin (Dungeon & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Setting)

ASIN: 0786930535
Release Date: 2003-10-01

Book Description

Underdark provides a wealth of highly detailed information about one of the most popular regions in the Forgotten Realms world, the world beneath the ground.

Underdark includes details on the most popular Underdark race, the drow, plus 16 other below-ground character races. In addition to 25 new regional feats as well as new prestige classes, spells, monsters, and magic items, there is also background content on 60 cities and sites of interest, including extensive story content gathered from a multitude of Forgotten Realms products and articles.

To help both players and dungeon masters use the book without players stumbling onto things they shouldn't, additional material for running a campaign is isolated in a single section of the book and includes adventure hooks.

To use this accessory, you also need the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual.

Customer Reviews:

What there is , is great.......2007-05-01

Initially going through the book, its full of excellent ideas and information, all the things you want to know about the Underdark. It was only when I started to look things up , I found that there was no index. How can a reference book have no index! Then after reading through the geography section trying to find what I was looking for I noticed , half the paces on the map have not enteries, which was quiet frustrating.
Overall, what there is is excellent, but it seems like the only wrote half the book.

What a disappointment..........2006-05-04

I am an avid DM particularly in the Underdark and I thought frankly that it really was two hundred pages of nothing save for a few paragraphs. I have found more useful information from my old box sets and Drow of the Underdark supplements than this book provided. The maps were completely worthless and the city descriptions were paltry at best. Gone are the days when forgotten realms books were jam-packed with useful DM information ready to pop into a campaign. If you are looking for a general overview of the Underdark then it fills the need, however my imagination works much better than this book.

Great for a UD Fan.......2006-03-07

I guess if you are an old school player this book may not be up to your standards, but if you're a new school D&D guy like me this book is great. Tells you a lot of things about some hardly talked about underdark races and places of interest. Sure you may find it in the novels but they are "cliffnoted" in this version. Also has some very sweet arse monsters and if you plan on building an Underdark campaign it comes in very handy with geography. Being a drow fan I am, and no not due to Dritzz, this book has my recommendations for some help in Lloth based drow but it is a bit lacking. I could go on but to sum it all up, you like the Underdark or creatures in it I highly suggest getting this book to help you in the aspects it has to offer unless you read the novels enough to just know. That is why I give it a 5 star, for one it does what it says, Underdark. Tells you a summed up describtion of it and places of interest.

Tastes great, less filling...err...Very pretty book; not useful.......2005-12-08

Once again, WoTC has produced a quality art book with some great, solid writing. If you're the average, married, Gen-X (that means your parents were yuppies) era, career-minded professional; not in school, you don't work in the gaming industry, you don't own a hobby shop, and you have children...then you probably don't really play D&D (and your Xbox is a dust-magnet), and you probably haven't really played for years---research says there's lots of you out there--- but you still enjoy fantasising about fantasy, so this is the book for you! (Whew! Gotta love those run-on sentences!!)Great art, beautiful, high-end production, tight, interesting writing...but...if you're a real player (which means you're probaby under 25 and/or in some form of school), then this book is nothing but an art book: no value to the gamer. There's nothing here you don't already know, or that you'd NEVER miss. WORTHLESS...unless you like pretty pictures and good writing...Four Stars for the quality of the book; WoTC is bursting at the seams with talent, and Underdark proves it...worth the price of admission, but no instant campaigns inside; just a great imagination springboard!

Still torn on this one.......2005-06-21

This is a source book that is really ment if you are running a Forgotten Realms campaign and want to expand into the underdark. If you are looking for material for a home-made campaign this might not be the right book for you. It does offer a lot of background info about places, people, and events in the underdark of FR. Some of it can be adapted for home-made but most will not be of use.

The Drow of the Underdark (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons : Forgotten Realms Accessory)

Average customer rating:

Must Have for Underdark DM
excellent
This was, sadly, a disappointment...
Great book even if you don't play Underdark
A must for all players and DMs of the Underdark

The Drow of the Underdark (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons : Forgotten Realms Accessory)
Ed Greenwood
Manufacturer: TSR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

The Complete Book of Elves (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition, Player's Handbook Rules Supplement/PHBR8)
The Complete Thief's Handbook (AD&D 2nd Ed Rules Supplement, PHBR2)
The Complete Guide to Drow (Complete Guide)
Complete Book of Humanoids (AD&D Fantasy Roleplaying, PHBR10)
The Complete Psionics Handbook: Player's Handbook Rules Supplement, Dungeons & Dragons (2nd Edition)

ASIN: 1560761326

Customer Reviews:

Must Have for Underdark DM.......2006-03-15

This is by far the most detailed resource book ever about drow that I have found besides just reading the novels. It is very enjoyable to read if you are a drow fan or a underdark DM, or simply wish to have a basis on how to rp your drow. I use it as a bible when it comes to my players bickering on how drow are and what this book says is final as far as I am concerned. If you do not give this book 5 stars I suggest you look at yourself and ask how anal you really are. If you can find a better resource book please let me know. So far this is the winner in my opinion.

excellent.......2003-02-27

AN EXCELLENT BOOK THAT GIVES SOMEONE THAT IS NEW A VERY GOOD UNDERSTANDING AND BACK GROUND OF THE DROW UNDERWORLD

This was, sadly, a disappointment..........2001-10-31

When I finally got this book and found out that it doesn't exactly have everything you need to know about the drow in it, I was really disappointed. What really bothered me was that it starts out in a kind of narrative, story format rather than a scientific, "factual" treatise. It does give info on the drow pantheon and its unique spells, but then so does Demihuman Deities. It's also got stuff on specific drow-associated monsters, but then so does the Monster Manual. There's a little on drow architecture, religion, and culture, but nothing extraordinarily revealing. It does have this nice (but small) Drow-Common dictionary but there's still so much drow lingo that I can't piece together any sense of. The reference's got nothing specific about things such as drow child-bearing and -raising, everyday life, and common practices. We know that the important things they do is worship Lolth, scheme, and murder, but what do they do in the meantime when they *aren't* acting out of ambition, anger, or lust? What food, sport, or fashion-style are they fond of? What of the lives and fate of the inevitable half-drow? Still, I have to recommend this book if you want to read stuff on the drow because it's the only one out there that has so much relating to them in one compilation.

Great book even if you don't play Underdark.......2000-07-28

This is the best D&D rules supplement I have ever purchased. It contains so much information about the drow (dark) elves. It talks about their religion, their language, and a sect of drow that are good aligned. If you have any interest in ever including drow in your campaign this is the book for you. I use the drow- english dictionary in it all the time. It makes interesting puzzles for my PCs. Even when I am not playing D&D I use this book; it has some cool drow names that I like to use as names for some of my MUD characters. Without a doubt this is the most useful D&D book I own short of the Monsters Manual.

A must for all players and DMs of the Underdark.......2000-04-10

A detailed journey through the drow world. The Drow of the Underdark is perhaps the only book which will give you precise details and also a lot of aid in creating a drow PC or NPC. Going through everything from drow history to magical items, the Drow of the Underdark is a must for all players. It's adaptability is unmatched yet, and is useable by all players.

Customer Reviews:

Best overall campaign adventure I've read out of 25+.......2001-03-23

The reason this story works is because the authors made it different in these ways:

(1) They put in actual methods to negotiate. So, rather than just bash everything, PCs can talk their way out or even make alliances. Additionally, not all the creatures of the Underdark are out to kill you so it allows more chances to talk things out. ;

(2) There's a great deal of context and History; especially in book one in the area of Haranshire (a backwaters shire); good to great character descriptions.;

(3) superb overland map you can share with your players (just don't show the back); include a few battle maps for key sections of the long adventure);

(4) Lots of overland adventures; some not just fighting but puzzle related or negotiation related; additionally, you get to deal with the locals;

(5) Great details of natural hazards in the Underdark;

(6) A variety of different monsters in the Underdark;

(7) fairly good linkage;

(8) big finale at the end; and

(9) PCs have the opportunity to actually have allies!

I think past reviewers are correct in that book two isn't as linked. This was done mainly to let the PCs go up in levels so that they would be ready for the later big fights.

Not a problem for me. I increased the size of the map and added more features and also changed the nefarious end as I felt it was too cliche'.

Overall, this is superlative boxed set. As it isn't terribly pervasive, it can fit in to almost any campaign. For a DM who has little put together, you could do a whole campaign this way but the PCs have to enjoy tromping down in the Undearkr. In my campaign, this started at about 50% of the possible adventures but as more and more happened, it's about 15-20% now. That's sort of b/c now that they're higher level they've gotten involved in big time politics. :)

...

A wonderful campaign with just a few minor problems.......2000-06-23

Night Below is an excelent campaign, taking a party from 1st to 10th level or beyond by the end of its third book. The setting is well established from the beginning, giving the PCs a place to base their adventures and a megaplot that really lasts for the whole of the module. The end is worth the effort, a grand finale that will leave both DMs and players satisfied. Presentation is lavish, there are lots of eye-catching handouts and three tactical maps (I wish there were more). The only problem I see is the lack of unity in the second book - it is mostly a series of unconnected dungeon crawls, clearly intended to fill in the gaps and give the PCs much needed experience. As the module itself suggests using other adventures to provide experience for the players, they could either skip those unrelated episodes altogether or work harder to make the descent into the deeper underground a more coherent part of the plot. But that is easily corrected, so maybe I'm being too picky:-)

One of the best TSR boxed sets.......2000-05-02

This is one of the best of the colossal TSR boxed sets - this one will take your PCs from levels 1 to 10, with over 200 hours of play time! Beginning in the dark and savage borderland wilds of the world above, the neophyte heroes will soon find themselves embroiled in a sinister, world-endangering demonic intrigue - by the end of the campaign, they'll be battling the darkest forces of the world (and beyond!) in the depths of the Underdark - an ideal way to prepare them for another epic, for example GDQ1-7 Queen of the Spiders! An entire campaign in one box - this HUGE set includes three 64-page books (!), a set of 16 PC handouts, 8 double-sided reference cards, 8 pages of new monsters, and 6 enormous poster maps. A true epic, Night Below receives my highest recommendation.

So far so good.......1999-09-17

I'm about halfway through DM-ing this game for some graduate students who've mostly never played before, and we're having a grand time. However, this middle section isn't as rich as the first third in detail and tangential intrigue, but the framework remains good. I've supplemented the campaign with side adventures (remember White Plume Mountain? They've done that, and in a few more levels they'll be invited to search the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth) and am working to introduce appropriate NPC's. Still, it's a grand campaign which helps the side adventures become part of a larger plotline.

By a "GREAT DM".................1999-09-03

Being a DM from the early 80's, I can see alot of potential in this set. This is one of the few modules/campaign sets that I think will be great!! PERSONALLY, I have NOT DMed this yet, but from the readings of this set I can TELL it will work out GREAT!!! IF your a DM that can pull things from your behind and make things up somewhat quick, NO PROBLEM!!!! I would definately suggest this as a good BUY!!!!

Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark (AD&D/Forgotten Realms)

Average customer rating:

Not what I expected
A good read but lacking excitement
Actually not too bad
Good way to see the underdark
Great book!

Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark (AD&D/Forgotten Realms)
Eric L. Boyd
Manufacturer: TSR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Underdark (Dungeons & Dragons d20 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Accessory)
Sacrifice of the Widow (Forgotten Realms: The Lady Penitent, Book 1)
The Orc King (Forgotten Realms: Transitions, Book 1)

ASIN: 0786915099

Book Description

The place has many names: the Underdark, Deepearth, the Realms Below, the Night Below, the Lightless Lands. The vast world beneath the surface is home to fabled races such as beholders, cloakers, drow, illithids, and ixzan. Menzoberranzan, the dreaded City of Spiders, is only one of the hidden cities of the Underdark.

This 128-page book, compiled by the Underdark's most famous son, Drizzt Do'Urden, lays bare the bizarre societies that lurk in the Realms Below. It includes an overview of the major races of the Underdark, an Underdark survival guide, and details and maps of more than a dozen cities. Discover a drow city constructed entirely of calcified spider silk, a nigh-immortal dwarven king trapped in stone form, and a storehouse of knowledge that rivals Candlekeep. Learn the particulars of the alliance of the true master of Firedrake Bay, and an explanation of the enduring strength of the beholder cults along the Lake of Steam.

With Drizzt Do'Urden as your guide, a whole new world opens up beneath your feet.

Suitable for all levels of play.

Customer Reviews:

Not what I expected.......2000-11-04

After reading R. A. Salvatore's books, I expected more. I wanted to know everything about the drow and what happened to Mezonberranzan after Sige of Darkness. I did not find it in this book. It is really good, but could be better. There could be better descriptions about some importants citie sin the Underdark. They tell so little about Mezonberranzan and ohter drow city... But it is ok. But only buy it if you want to play in all the Underdark. Do not expect specific descriptions about your prefered race or city.

A good read but lacking excitement.......2000-05-31

This book is basically an expansion on the underground realms for TSR's Forgotten Realms AD&D campaign setting. As a veteran gamer who probably has more supplements than should be healthy, I found this book to be readable and a good addition for any GM who plans to take his players into the Underdark.

While the essays, descriptions and artwork are perfectly functional, the style is a little dry and lacking in excitement. It would probably have read better if the author had adopted a first-person perspective - after all, the title is 'Drizzt's Guide to the Underdark' - and doesn't quite match up to R.A. Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy.

I really, really wanted to like this book (being a Drizzt fan) but feel a little dissapointed. The best gaming supplements are those that are written with such enthusiasm and passion that make gamers all want to explore the new locations at once. Sadly this book doesn't do that, although it is still a good read. Just not great.

Actually not too bad.......2000-04-15

When I picked up this book, I said to myself, "Bah, this will be garbage", but it being about Drizzt, I had to take a look. I was extremely surprised to find it wasn't all that bad.

I will say though (as I've said before) nobody should do Drizzt except for Salvatore

Good way to see the underdark.......2000-02-06

if you have missed out on (now out of print) Story lines on the underdark this book not only cataches you up but gives you a lot more detail

Great book!.......1999-11-23

I just got this book today (2 days earlier than expected) and I sat down and began reading. I'm about done now and just wanted to tell everyone how great the book is. There are parts about every race I have heard of in the Underdark. After it describes the races it tells about the cites they live in, this part is excellant! There are rummors and very interesting facts about all races (I found the Illithads most interesting). On top of all of that there is an eights fold map that makes everything fall together. It is a map of The Realms and on it are many of the many cities of the surface andf the Underdark, it shows where all cities are in relationship to one another. i would have bought the book just for this map. I know it will torment my PCs over and over again. I recomend this book to anyone who likes D&D or even just needs a book to read. The only problem I found was that they (Wizards of the Coast) attached a survey in the book and you had to rip it out to fill it out. It was a post card sized piece of card board. WOTC people, please don't put these in books anymore unless they come out more easily!

Average customer rating:

Kill You Until You Die
Overlight Underdark Cdorh 6991038452
Manufacturer: ORCHARD.COM
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
ASIN: 6307716495

Average customer rating:

Spellfire: The Underdark/Cards
Uk
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0786906057

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books