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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction...... 4 Tunnelfighter ...... 27 Devious Glouras ...... 89 How to Use This Book in Your Tunnelrunner ...... 27 Half-Illithid ...... 89 Campaign ...... 4 Wisdom Breeds Caution ...... 27 Ineffable Horror ...... 91 What You Need to Play ...... 5 Kuo-Toa Leviathan ...... 92 Chapter 3: Prestice Classes...... 28 Lith ...... 93 Chapter 1: Races...... Arachnomancer . . . . 6 ...... 28 Lurker ...... 94 Chitines ...... 7 Cavelord ...... 30 Maur (Hunched Giant) ...... 95 Deep Imaskari ...... 9 Deep Diviner ...... 32 Maur Society ...... 96 Drow ...... 10 Drow Judicator ...... 33 Mineral Warrior ...... 96 Duergar ...... 11 Illithid Body Tamer ...... 35 Phaerlock ...... 97 Gloamings ...... 12 Imaskari Vengeance Taker ...... 37 Portal Drake ...... 98 Grimlocks ...... 13 Inquisitor of the Stone Flyer ...... 99 Kuo-Toas ...... 15 Drowning Goddess ...... 39 Training a Stone Flyer ...... 99 Slyths ...... 17 Prime Underdark Guide ...... 40 Svirfneblin ...... 18 Sea Mother Whip ...... 42 Chapter 7: Exploring the Underdark. . . 100 Other Character Races ...... 19 Shadowcrafter ...... 43 Geology and Environments ...... 100 Derro ...... 20 Vermin Keeper ...... 44 Topography ...... 100 Mind Flayers ...... 20 Yathchol Webrider ...... 46 Rocks and Rock Formations . . . . . 103 Orogs ...... 20 The Underdark Environment ...... 106 Minotaurs ...... 20 Chapter 4: Magic and Spells...... 48Light ...... 106 Quaggoths ...... 20 Lore of the Underdark ...... 48 Air ...... 107 Tanarukks ...... 20 Faerzress and the Underdark . . . . . 48 Climate ...... 107 Troglodytes ...... 20 Node Magic ...... 49 Ecology ...... 108 Age, Height, andWeight ...... 21Portals ...... 52 Underdark Hazards ...... 110 Character Age ...... 21 New Domains ...... 53 Spelunking ...... 110 Height and Weight ...... 21 Balance Domain ...... 53 Cramped Spaces ...... 110 Portal Domain (Alternative) ...... 53 Climbing ...... 112 Chapter 2: Regions and Feats ...... 22 Watery Death Prestige Domain . . . 53 Access ...... 112 Character Regions ...... 22 New Spells ...... 54 Getting Lost ...... 112 Reading the Region Descriptions . . 22 Spell Descriptions ...... 56 Underdark Encounter Tables ...... 113 Regions for Characters Encounter Chance ...... 113 above 1st Level ...... 22 Chapter 5: Equipment and How to Use the Tables ...... 113 Chitine Region ...... 23 Magic Items...... Group. . . Descriptions. 64 ...... 116 Deep Imaskar Region ...... 23 Adventuring Gear ...... 64 An Underdark Primer ...... 117 Gloaming Region ...... 23 Weapons ...... 64 The Upperdark ...... 117 Grimlock Region ...... 23 Armors ...... 65 The Middledark ...... 118 Kuo-Toa Region ...... 23 OtherSample Equipment . . . . .file ...... 67 The Lowerdark ...... 120 Slyth Region ...... 23 Poison ...... 67 Character Feats ...... 23 Magic Items ...... 68 Chapter 8: Geography ...... 122 Wild Feats ...... 23 Magic Weapons ...... 68 Underdark Domains ...... 122 Axeshield ...... 24 Magic Armors ...... 70 Sites of Interest ...... 126 Bowslinger ...... 24 Rings ...... 71 Ammarindar ...... 126 Caustic Adaptation ...... 24 Rods ...... 71 Araumycos ...... 126 Caver ...... 24 Staffs ...... 72 Blessed Seahaven ...... 127 Elfhunter ...... 25 Wondrous Items ...... 73 Blingdenstone ...... 129 Enhanced Adhesive ...... 25 Minor Artifacts ...... 75 Wererats ...... 129 Exotic Armor Proficiency ...... 25 Artifacts ...... 76 Ogremoch’s Bane ...... 129 Extra Wild Shape ...... 25 Illithid Grafts ...... 77 Drow Scavengers ...... 130 Familiar Spell ...... 25 The Boneyard ...... 130 Graft Illithid Flesh ...... 25 Chapter 6: Monsters...... 78 Denizens of the Boneyard ...... 130 Highborn Drow ...... 25 All-Consuming Hunger ...... 78 Brikklext ...... 131 Improved Levitation ...... 25 Annihilator ...... 79 Cairnheim, Lolth’s Meat ...... 26 Arachnoid Creature ...... 80 Demesne of the Dodkong ...... 132 Metanode Spell ...... 26 Baphitaur ...... 82 Chaulssin, City of Wyrmshadows . . . 133 Node Defense ...... 26 Chameleon Creature ...... 83 Ched Nasad, Node Sensitive ...... 26 Earth Glider ...... 84 City of Shimmering Webs ...... 133 Node Spellcasting ...... 26 Elder Brain ...... 84 Krashos Morueme ...... 133 Node Store ...... 26 Faerzress-Infused Creature ...... 86 Daughters of the Shadow Weave . 134 Portal Sensitive ...... 27 Giant Cockroach ...... 87 Ch’Chitl, the Kingdom Below ...... 134 Stone Soul ...... 27 Giant Maggot ...... 88 Cloakerhaven ...... 137 Strong Mind ...... 27 Gloura ...... 88 The Darklake ...... 138

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Deep Imaskar, Sloopdilmonpolop, City of Pools . . . . 174 Table 3–1: The Arachnomancer . . . . . 29 City of the Great Seal ...... 138 Sshamath, City of Dark Weavings . . 175 Table 3–2: The Cavelord ...... 31 Government ...... 138 Sphur Upra ...... 176 Table 3–3: The Deep Diviner ...... 32 Deep Imaskari Society ...... 139 Tethyamar ...... 178 Table 3–4: The Drow Judicator ...... 34 The City ...... 140 T’lindhet ...... 178 Table 3–5: Spider Servants ...... 34 Deep Shanatar ...... 140 Throrgar, the Shrieking Abyss . . . . . 179 Table 3–6: The Illithid Barakuir ...... 141 Tomb Tapper Tomb ...... 179 Body Tamer ...... 36 Drakkalor ...... 141 Traaskl Thorog ...... 179 Table 3–7: The Imaskari Holorarar ...... 141 Undrek’Thoz, the Segmented City . . 180 Vengeance Taker ...... 37 Iltkazar ...... 141 The Wormwrithings ...... 183 Table 3–8: Inquisitor of the Korolnor ...... 141 Yathchol ...... 183 Drowning Goddess ...... 40 Sondarr ...... 141 Table 3–9: Prime Underdark Guide . . 41 Torglor ...... 141 Chapter 9: Adventures Table 3–10: Sea Mother Whip ...... 42 Ultoksamrin ...... 142 in the Underdark ...... 184 Table 3–11: Shadowcrafter ...... 43 Xothaerin ...... 142 Dungeons in the Underdark ...... 184 Table 3–12: Vermin Companion . . . . . 45 Deepburrow ...... 142 Adventure Sites ...... 186 Table 3–13: Vermin Keeper ...... 46 The Slickers ...... 142 Drowned Multum ...... 186 Table 3–14: The Yathchol Webrider . 47 Dolblunde ...... 143 Gduar’s Garden ...... 188 Table 4–1: Earth Nodes ...... 49 Drik Hargunen, Shape of Water ...... 190 Table 4–2: Typical Earth Node the Runescribed Halls ...... 143 Granted Spells ...... 50 Dunspeirrin, City of Sunken Spires . 145 Sidebars Table 5–1: Weapons ...... 64 Dupapn, Waters of Deep Hunger . . . 145 Chitine Web Implements ...... 7 Table 5–3: Donning Armor ...... 66 Durgg-Gontag ...... 147 The War of the Spider Queen ...... 10 Table 5–2: Armors ...... 66 Earth’s End ...... 147 Scarification Ritual ...... 29 Table 5–4: Special Items ...... 67 Eryndlyn ...... 148 Spiderkind ...... 30 Table 5–6: Melee Weapon The Fardrimm ...... 148 Spider Servant ...... 34 Special Abilities ...... 68 Fluvenilstra, Garden City of the The Imaskari Table 5–5: Poisons ...... 68 Lowerdark ...... 149 Vengeance Taker Code ...... 38 Table 5–7: Specific Weapons ...... 69 Fraaszummdin, Steederhome ...... 150 The Vermin Keeper’s Table 5–8: Armor Special Abilities . . . 70 The Wandering ...... 151 Vermin Companion ...... 45 Table 5–9: Specific Armors ...... 71 Gatchorof ...... 151 Earth Node Access Variant ...... 50 Table 5–10: Rings ...... 71 Giant’s Chalice ...... 152 Sample Portal Graffıti ...... 52 Table 5–11: Rods ...... 71 Gracklstugh, City of Blades ...... 152 Underdark and Core D&D ...... 53 Table 5–12: Staffs ...... 72 The Great Rift ...... 155 The Underdark Maps and the Table 5–13: Wondrous Items ...... 73 Guallidurth ...... 155 Epic Level Handbook ...... 76 Table 6–1: Arachnoid Creatures . . . . . 81 Holy Mother Cauldron ...... 155 Terminology ...... 101 Table 7–1: Spotting Distances ...... 107 Iltkazar, the Mithral Kingdom . . . . . 156 SeeingSample Distant Light . . . .file ...... 106 Table 7–2: Underdark Diseases . . . . . 110 King Mith Barak ...... 157 Torchstalks ...... 108 Table 7–3: Tunnel Constriction . . . . 112 Kuragolomsh ...... 158 Shadow Portals ...... 120 Table 7–4: Encounter Chance ...... 113 The Labyrinth ...... 158 Pliil Seachild ...... 128 Table 7–5: Upperdark Llurth Dreir, the Accursed City . . . . 158 Headband of Idiocy ...... 130 (Underground, Settled) LoobliShar, Gorothir’s Girdle ...... 134 (EL 2–7) ...... 113 City of Welcome Darkness ...... 159 Illithilich ...... 136 Table 7–6: Upperdark Wilds Lorosfyr, the Maddening Dark . . . . 160 Nurr’Korzahg ...... 137 (Underground, Frontier) Maerimydra ...... 160 Uskura ...... 140 (EL 5–10) ...... 114 Mantol-Derith ...... 160 Anti-illithid devices ...... 151 Table 7–7: Middledark Menzoberranzan, City of Spiders . . . 161 King’s Knife ...... 153 (Underground, Settled) Visiting Menzoberranzan ...... 161 Hizagkuur ...... 157 (EL 6–13) ...... 114 Nuur Throth, the Great Door ...... 164 City of the Spider Queen ...... 160 Table 7–8: Middledark Wilds Oaxaptupa, Creeds of Oryndoll ...... 168 (Underground, Wilderness) World Beneath the World ...... 164 Reeshov City Traps ...... 170 (EL 6–14) ...... 115 Oghrann ...... 166 Table 7–9: Lowerdark Ooltul, City of Tyrants ...... 166 Tables (Underground, Wilderness) Visiting Ooltul ...... 166 Table 1–1: Racial Ability Score (EL 8–16) ...... 115 Oryndoll, City of Loretakers ...... 168 Adjustments ...... 6 Table 7–10: Lowerdark Visiting Oryndoll ...... 169 Table 1–2: Other Underdark Races . . 19 (Underground, Desolate) Reeshov ...... 170 Table 1–3: Random Starting Ages . . . 21 (EL 10+) ...... 116 Rringlor Noroth, Table 1–4: Aging Effects ...... 21 The City of Soaring Shadows . . . . 171 Table 1–5: Random Height Rrinnoroth, Dwarven Ghost Town . . 173 and Weight ...... 21 The Sharnlands ...... 173 Table 2–1: New Feats ...... 24

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narrow for a halfling to squeeze through. The largest cavern halls are often representations of the surface in miniature, with hills, valleys, underground rivers, and lakes. Most races native to this realm make use of the walls and ceilings of their caverns, accessing the higher levels via natural or magical flight or levitation, or even wall-crawling mounts such as giant spiders and certain breeds of lizards. The Underdark is divided into three levels. The upper Under- dark (Upperdark) is close to the surface, and its residents have considerable interaction with surface races. The inhabitants of the middle Underdark (Middledark) tend to see surface races as avern tales across Faerûn’s sunlit lands whisper of potential slaves. The lower Underdark (Lowerdark) is an incred- the Underdark, a lightless, subterranean realm that T ibly strange place filled with alien societies and bizarre cultures is home to fabled races and ancient, unspeakable evil. hostile to those unlike them. It is a domain of primeval mysteries and unending war, a hidden world of cruel masters and hopeless slaves, filled with monstrous races that were old before humans were born. It is a dank, dismal place of fungus, rot, and slime. It is a land where a few Samplelucky mer- How file to Use This Book chants have found a lucrative trade, but where many more have been slain (or worse) for their effrontery. So dire is the reputa- in Your Campaign tion of the Underdark and its denizens that mothers caution their This book provides everything you need to explore the Under- children to behave, lest the dark elves steal them away. dark in your own FORGOTTEN REALMS® campaign. The subter- A proper account of the Underdark must include the cold ranean world is a fantastic realm for characters to explore, and machinations of the hateful illithids, the unwholesome cities of this book contains the tools for building exciting adventures the drow elves who pay homage to the bitter Spider Queen, and the there. The Underdark is also a good place in which to set a dis- unending servitude of the lesser creatures that fall into the tinctive and memorable campaign involving a lengthy quest that clutches of these two races. Unlike the upper world, where civi- takes characters ever deeper into the sunless world. lization and the light of day protect travelers from horrors, the If you don’t intend to use this book in your FORGOTTEN Underdark holds the promise of deadly peril. Illithids, drow, phaer- REALMS campaign, you can easily adapt the material on under- imms, and aboleths vie for supremacy in its dark tunnels and sun- ground adventuring for any game in which characters venture less seas. They fight one another with armies of slaves, terrible and below the surface. Any subterranean realm you design can bene- ancient magic, and mind-shattering psionics for control of the fit from the concepts presented here. encompassing tunnel systems and the extended caverns, vaults, Races: This chapter features a number of races native to the cavities, gaps, and nodes that riddle the earth beneath Faerûn. The Underdark, including spiderlike chitines, the stealthy gloamings, Underdark is literally an entire world, most of which is inhabited the fierce grimlocks, the inexplicable kuo-toas, and the bizarre by monstrous and evil creatures that shun the daylight. Hundreds slyths. These races are suitable for use as both player characters of independent cities, towns, and strongholds are scattered (PCs) and nonplayer characters (NPCs). throughout the caves and caverns that make up this realm. Regions and Feats: New regional feats and a number of gen- Tunnels in the Underdark extend for miles, some ballooning eral feats useful for characters native to the Underdark can be into caverns thousands of feet across, only to shrink to spaces too found in this chapter.

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INTRODUCTION

Prestige Classes: The Underdark nurtures enclaves of spell- CREATURES FROM MONSTERS OF FAERÛN casters, practitioners of taboo arts, and sects of alien researchers. Aballin (gray ooze) This chapter describes a number of prestige classes often pursued Baneguard (ghast) by natives of the Underdark. Bat, night hunter (dire bat) Magic and Spells: Drow, phaerimms, and other abominations Bat, sinister (vargouille) of the subterranean world are known for their arcane abilities. Beholderkin, death kiss (hydra, 12 heads) This chapter presents a number of new spells, as well as a new Beholderkin, gouger (hydra, 12 heads) magic system called node magic. Chitine (ettercap) Equipment and Magic Items: The drow are renowned as the cre- Choldrith (aranea) ators of new and deadly magic, and illithids possess strange psionic Cloaker lord (cloaker Wizard 9) lore for item creation. This chapter offers a number of items forged Deepspawn (hydra, 9 heads) by the creatures of the Underdark, as well as a variety of special Dragon, deep (green dragon) devices, weapons, and gear useful for exploring deep places. Dragon, shadow (black dragon) Monsters: This chapter presents a number of monsters native Dragonkin (gargoyle) to the lightless tunnels, damp caverns, and sunless seas of the Ghaunadan (doppleganger) Realms Below. The monsters native to the Underdark include Gibberling (goblin) the elder brain, the maur (or hunched giant), the mindwitness, Giant, phaerlin (troll) and the dreadful all-consuming hunger. Ibrandlin (very young red dragon) Exploring the Underdark: In this chapter, you’ll find infor- Malaugrym (phasm) mation on underground formations, cave systems, and spelunk- Phaerimm (aboleth) ing, as well as an overview of the various monsters and perils Quaggoth (bugbear) that lurk in the depths. You also find encounter charts for the Spectral panther (fiendish leopard) Upperdark, Middledark, and Lowerdark. Spider, hairy (spider swarm) Geography: This chapter describes more than one hundred dis- Spider, sword (Large monstrous spider) tinct locations in the Underdark of Faerûn, ranging from infa- Stinger (drider) mous realms such as the city of Menzoberranzan to secret places Yochlol (rast) such as the hidden kingdom of Deep Imaskar. These sites are presented in an encyclopedic format. This chapter also includes a CREATURES FROM MONSTER MANUAL II number of short sidebars describing unique individuals or person- Avolakia (half-fiend hydra, 9 heads) alities who might be encountered in the Underdark. Banshee (lich) Adventures in the Underdark: This chapter presents the most Boggle (choker) notorious dungeons of the Underdark. Also included are several Bone naga (purple worm) partially keyed locations and statistics for NPCs that you can use Breathdrinker (invisible stalker) as the seeds for adventures, small diversions in your overall trek Desmodu (salamander noble) through the underworld, or even the foundations for wholeSample cam- Ethereal file slayer (ethereal marauder advanced to 15 Hit Dice) paigns. These sites are scattered throughout the upper, middle, Famine spirit (dread wraith) and lower portions of the Underdark, so the deeper the heroes Myconid sovereign (shambling mound) venture, the more danger they encounter. Psurlon, average (mind flayer) Psurlon, elder (mind flayer Sorcerer 4) Psurlon, giant (mind flayer Sorcerer 8) What You Need Raggamoffyn, shrapnyl (Huge air elemental) Rampager (gray render) Reason stealer (ochre jelly) to Play Rogue eidolon (stone golem) To use this sourcebook, you need the FORGOTTEN REALMS Cam- Runic guardian (shield guardian) paign Setting, plus the three core rulebooks of the DUNGEONS & Shadow spider (fiendish Huge monstrous spider) DRAGONS® game: the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Spawn of Kyuss (mummy) Guide, and the Monster Manual. Spellgaunt (retriever) The Psionics Handbook is recommended, since the character Teratomorph (chaos beast advanced to 24 Hit Dice) classes psion and psychic warrior appear several times. If you Vaporighu (bebilith) don’t have the Psionics Handbook, substitute the sorcerer class Wyste (snake, giant constrictor) for the psion class and substitute the fighter/sorcerer multiclass Yugoloth, marraenoloth (horned devil) for psychic warrior. Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn and Monster CREATURES FROM PSIONICS HANDBOOK Manual II are also recommended, since a number of the crea- Blue (goblin sorcerer) tures described in this publication can be found in those books. If you don’t have those books, substitute the appropriate creatures from the Monster Manual, as noted in parentheses below.

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Half-elves, halflings, humans, and surface elves are hardly represented at all in the Underdark. However, rumors persist of an Underdark human race, and those rumors have their basis in truth: the ancient Imaskar empire has flourished in secret deep below the earth for centuries. Many even stranger Underdark races, including the chitines, the grimlocks, the kuo-toas, the gloamings, and the slyths, are also suitable as player characters for Underdark campaigns. Table 1–1 provides the racial ability score adjustments and favored classes for these and the more common Underdark races. everal races commonly found in other parts of SFaerûn—dwarves, elves, gnomes, and orcs—can be TABLE 1–1: found in the Underdark as well. However, the Under- dark versions of these races vary wildly from their surface-world RACIAL ABILITY SCORE ADJUSTMENTS cousins—few would mistake a drow for a sun elf, a duergar for a Race Ability Score Adjustments Favored Class shield dwarf, or an orog for an orc. Chitine +2 Dex, +2 Con, Rogue The Underdark is also home to several races isolatedSample by the file +2 Int, –4 Cha depths of rock that shield them from others or by the earthen Deep Imaskari +2 Int, –2 Str Wizard vaults in which they live. Their unique environments enable Drow +2 Dex, –2 Con, Cleric (female) them to thrive, or at least to eke out an existence not possible on +2 Int, +2 Cha Wizard (male) the surface. Duergar +2 Con, –4 Cha Fighter Of the cousins to the common races, drow are the most Gloaming –2 Str, +2 Dex, Sorcerer numerous in the Underdark. Several distinct ethnicities are rep- –2 Wis, +2 Cha resented among the drow, though upperworlders and members of Grimlock +4 Str, +2 Dex, Barbarian most other races have a hard time telling one from another. +2 Con, –4 Cha Surface-world dwarves sometimes impinge on the Underdark Kuo-toa +2 Str, +2 Con, Rogue in their excavations, but their deep cousins, the derro and the +2 Int, +4 Wis, –2 Cha duergar, are the true dwarvenkind inheritors of the Realms Slyth –2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Wis Druid Below. Encampments and communities of these two races are Svirfneblin –2 Str, +2 Dex, Bard found in almost every type of cave system or tunnel complex of +2 Wis, –4 Cha the deep earth. Surface gnomes are rare in the Underdark, but their cousins, Some of the stronger Underdark races begin with a number the svirfneblin, dwell in great cities deep underground. The of Hit Dice before adding any character levels. A character of svirfneblin do their best to keep the locations of their homes one of these races receives maxiumum hit points for his first secret from their enemies (the drow, the kuo-toas, and most espe- monstrous humanoid Hit Die, but all Hit Dice for his class levels cially the mind flayers). are rolled normally, and he does not automatically get maxi- Planetouched also exist here and there in the Underdark. mum hit points on his first class level Hit Die. These characters Earth genasi in particular often ally with other humanoid races don’t get the ×4 multiplier for skill points acquired from a first against the monstrous mind flayers and aboleths.