CULTURES OF THE UNDERDARK
CULTURES OF THE UNDERDARK
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The races of the
Underdark present a variety of different physical
forms, but their differences
go much deeper than appearance.
This section explores the
societal influences, beliefs, and goals
of the major intelligent
races living underground.
In general, the races of
the Underdark rely less on trade and
interaction with other races
than the races of the surface. Perhaps
this is because the underground
environment forcibly segregates
the creatures living there.
Nonetheless, a certain amount
of trade occurs among the
underground races. Trade with surface
cultures also occurs, but
less frequently.
Trade is more often governed
by proximity than by alignment.
An evil race would most
likely trade with a nearby neutral race
than with a more distant
evil race.
Each major race of the Underdark
is covered in detail in TSR’s
monster encyclopedia. The
purpose of this section is to expand
on the material previously
presented, especially as regards the
societies and cultures of
these races. Readers are referred to the
appropriate monster guide
for additional information.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gray
Mouser
Hey Gary, here's my real
question for the day 
I was wondering if the unique
monsters that showed up in some of your monsters were ever sprung on your
hapless players outside of their original settings.
I am thinking primarily
of the Drow, Kuo-Toa, Svirfneblin, and even the beasties from Barrier Peaks.
Did these monsters ever
make it outside their original confines making their way to Castle Greyhawk
or other such places your players explored?
Gray Mouser
'Mouser, it would be perfect
if your actual anme were Harry Fischer <stick out tongue>
Anyway, while I was never
loath to proliferate critters in my campaign, none that you mention were
ever much outside the realm in which they were introduced.
Of course.
the vast labyrinth of the
underdark means that drow and the rest might pop up in any subterranean
place.
I really liked mind flayers
as the disguised evil manipulators of mankind, so they appeared in several
places in my campaign.
Cheerio,
Gary
Deep subjects
Dear Dragon,
In Mr. Gygax’s article in issue #95, “Demihumans
get a lift,” he states that the duergar,
drow, and svirfneblin “. . . will suffer severe sight
problems and sickness due to the exposure to
sunlight.” However, in the descriptions of the
three of them, only the drow suffers any penalties
due to exposure. I am using the descriptions of
the drow and svirfneblin from module D1-2, so
they might not be complete, although I think they
are. By the way, how do you pronounce
svirfneblin, anyway?
Todd Kiehn
Los Altos, Calif.
It could be that the penalties for duergar and
svirfneblin weren?t mentioned in their original
descriptions because it was assumed that those
races would only be encountered underground,
where sunlight is not a factor. But now that player
characters are permitted to be of those races, it?s
important to specify how they operate aboveground;
a subterranean PC is going to have to
come out of the darkness in order to be a viable
member of an adventuring group, unless you?re
in a real strange campaign where all the activity
takes place below the surface of the earth.
The deeper reason simply has to do with game
balance. Drow, duergar, and svirfneblin PCs as
described in Unearthed Arcana
do not have all of
the innate powers and abilities given for those
races in the FIEND FOLIO? Tome,
Monster
Manual II, and other sources
? because if they
did, they would be too powerful in relation to
other PC races. And to help offset some of the
advantages that they do retain, these races are
forced to operate with a handicap when they
venture out into the sunlight. This is a logical
reason from the standpoint of game design, even
though it?s difficult to rationalize as a ??fact of
life? in the AD&D game universe.
It?s times like
these when we have to remember that we?re
playing a GAME here, and once in a while
realism has to take a back seat to playability.
By the way, I pronounce it "svirf-nebb-lin,?
with the accent on the "nebb."
-- KM