1 1 2 The Beyond Heroes Roleplaying Game Book XVII: The Book of the Underground Writing and Design: Marco Ferraro The Book of the Underground Copyright © 2020 Marco Ferraro All Rights Reserved This is meant as an amateur free fan production. Absolutely no money is generated from it. Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. © 2020 Wizards. All Rights Reserved. Beyond Heroes is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC. Contents Foreword 4 Underground Levels 5 Underground Races 29 Underground Cities 121 Natural Underground Locales 169 Unnatural Underground Locales 172 Underground Waterways 174 The Temperature Underground 182 Bridges 183 Hazards of the Underground 185 Air 193 The Magnetic effects of Lodestone 196 Wooden Decay 197 Climbing 198 Jumping 201 Falling 202 Spelunking 203 Excavation 204 Darkness 205 Movement on Slippery Surfaces 206 Combat 207 Psychological Effects 210 Mining 212 Artificial Illumination 219 Plants and Fungi 220 Animal Life 222 2 3 Subterranean Bestiary 223 Diseases 272 Unique Underground Features 272 Organizations 274 Subterranean Vehicles 277 The Terrascape 283 Earth Elemental Magic 283 Gem Magic 291 Earth Based Powers 294 3 4 efforts of creatures, intelligent or Foreword unintelligent, to serve their needs? While The Beyond Heroes Role Playing Game many surface dwellers regard the is based on a heavily revised derivative Underground as all the same (one big version of the rules system from cave, infested with hungry monsters), Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd the wise adventurer prepares by studying edition. It also makes extensive use of what surface dwellers know about the the optional point buying system as realms below before venturing presented in the AD&D Player’s Option underground. Knowing what sorts of Skills and Powers book. My primary creatures and dangers lurk at what goal was to make this system usable in depths might mean the difference any setting, from fantasy to pulp to between life and death. superhero to science fiction. Although one type of underground Most game players began their gaming environment might seem to be pretty careers with a few hesitant steps into a much like another, especially when a dark dungeon somewhere in the myriad character cannot see his nose in front of of gaming universes. Although later his face, a wide variety of locations adventures took them through vast await the character willing to explore his wildernesses and teeming cities, it is to surroundings and press on into deeper dungeons that adventurers often long to and uncharted passageways. The most return. It seems that beneath the earth significant and fundamental differences lurk the most fearsome (and thus, most between underground locations are due exciting) foes, the most fabulous to their origins. Were they created by treasures, and the most mysterious natural geological forces such as erosion, locales. Many have ventured through earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions? Or subterranean caverns carved by rushing were they created by the efforts of water or slow, grinding ice. Perhaps they creatures, intelligent or unintelligent, to have even sailed down an underground serve their needs? river or journeyed through a sulphurous labyrinth beneath an active volcano. Within the middle depths the fifth level Although one type of underground is a network of massive caves, passages, environment might seem to be pretty and tunnels, some large enough to hold much like another, especially when a cities, that are inhabited by the various character cannot see his nose in front of races of the Underground. It also his face, a wide variety of locations contains water in underground rivers, await the character willing to explore his pools, and lakes. It has high surroundings and press on into deeper temperatures and no weather and its and uncharted passageways. atmosphere is roughly the same as Earth's surface with fresh air supplied The most significant and fundamental through a passage to the surface world. differences between underground locations are due to their origins. Were The world is fundamentally solid with they created by natural geological forces no massive hollow space at its core, but such as erosion, earthquakes, or volcanic enough caves, caverns, and artificial eruptions? Or were they created by the passageways exist to allow an individual 4 5 to travel anywhere under the world. Nonetheless, a certain amount of trade 1. The occurs among the underground races. Trade with surface cultures also occurs, Underground but less frequently. Trade is more often governed by proximity than by Levels alignment. An evil race would most likely trade with a nearby neutral race than with a more distant evil race. This is the third version of this pdf. It now contains races, magic and a bestiary. A guide to the various levels beneath the earth; The Shallow Depths 1-60kms Level 1 - Basements, pipes, subways and utility tunnels Level 2 - Deep Sewers Level 3 - Dungeons The Middle Depths; 61-700kms Level 4 - Deeper Dungeons Level 5 - Subterranean cities, the Underways and the Under rivers The Deepest Depths; 701-2900kms The Magma Core; 5155kms Creatures have dwelt in the realms below since the ice age forced many races underground. Most Underground inhabitants traffic with the surface world in some way, either trading with or raiding their upstairs neighbours for things they can't get in their native habitat. They also trade with (and raid) each other. No Underground community is ever really friendly with another, but Underground settlements often observe wary truces with their neighbours. The Underground's main import from the surface is slaves. Slavers from evil- aligned cities in the Underground make 5 6 frequent forays into the light to capture In British English, the word "basement" new slaves for use as either labour or is used for underground floors of, for food. example, department stores, but the word is only used with houses when the They also trade for textiles, grains, fruit, space below their ground floor is and weapons. Their exports include raw habitable, with windows and (usually) its ore, refined metals, gems, and native own access. The word cellar or cellars is Underground plants. No alliance is used to apply to the whole underground permanent, some communities maintain level or to any large underground room. wary trading partnerships with others, A subcellar is a cellar that lies further but it is understood that if one party ever underneath. A basement can be used in grows stronger than the other, the terms almost exactly the same manner as an of the partnership will change--perhaps additional above-ground floor of a house drastically. Even in the most open of or other building. However, the use of Underground cities, newcomers can basements depends largely on factors expect to be challenged (physically or specific to a particular geographical area otherwise) unless they make a pointed such as climate, soil, seismic activity, display of power upon entry. building technology, and real estate economics. Basements in small buildings such as The Shallow Depths single-family detached houses are rare in wet climates such as Great Britain and Ireland where flooding can be a problem, though they may be used on larger structures. However, basements are considered standard on all but the smallest new buildings in many places Level 1.1 - Basements, Pipes, with temperate continental climates such Subways and Utility Tunnels as the American Midwest and the Basements: Canadian Prairies where a concrete A basement or cellar is one or more foundation below the frost line is needed floors of a building that are either in any case, to prevent a building from completely or partially below the ground shifting during the freeze-thaw cycle. floor. Basements are generally used as a Basements are much easier to construct utility space for a building where such in areas with relatively soft soils, and items as the boiler, water heater, breaker may be foregone in places where the soil panel or fuse box, car park, and air- is too compact for easy excavation. conditioning system are located; so also are amenities such as the electrical Their use may be restricted in distribution system, and cable television earthquake zones, because of the distribution point. However, in cities possibility of the upper floors collapsing with high property prices such as into the basement; on the other hand, London, basements are often fitted out to they may be required in tornado-prone a high standard and used as living space. areas as a shelter against violent winds. Adding a basement can also reduce 6 7 heating and cooling costs as it is a form basement walls extend sufficiently above of earth sheltering, and a way to reduce a ground level that some of the basement building's surface area-to-volume ratio. windows are above ground level. The housing density of an area may also influence whether or not a basement is Where the site slopes gently and is considered necessary. insufficient for a walk-out basement, a look-out basement tends to result. A daylight basement or a "walk-out Sometimes, a look-out basement is basement" is contained in a house deliberately constructed even on a flat situated on a slope, so that part of the site. The advantage is that the basement floor is above ground, with a doorway to windows are all above grade. The the outside. The part of the floor lower disadvantage is that the main floor entry than the ground can be considered the is above grade as well, utilizing stairs to true basement area. From the street, access the main floor. some daylight basement homes appear to be one story.