Out of the Abyss

'94-

T he population of the Stenchstreets has swelled in the

wake of Demogorgon's rampagr. Drow who have lost

homes or businesses find what shelter t hey can here.

scratching out a meager exil>tcnce among the roughest

folk in Menzoberranzan.

The Braeryn is a great plal'c to find allies or meet

an untimely end. Roll for random encounters as the

characters explore this district. You can roll a d20 and

consult the Encounters in the Braeryn table. or choose

an encounl<'r that you like. The party can avoid random

encounters in the Braeryn by succeeding on a DC 15

Dexterity (Stealth) group check.

ENCOUNTERS IN THE BRAERYN

d20 Encounter

1-2 1d4 + 2 bugbears

3-8 Drow adolescents

9-10 Drow pickpocket

11 - 12 3d6 giant wolf s piders

13-14 Infected drow

15-16 Mad drow

17-18 1 shield dwarf berserker

19-20 Svlrfnebhn lure

BuGBEARS

These bugbears skulk through the streets, murdering

lone tra,•elers or small groups for food. If 1 he pany

outnumbers them. they follow the characters in the

hopes that one or more of them become separated from

the larger group. whereupon the bugbears attack.

DROW ADOLESCENTS

This roving gang consists of ld6 + 6 drow bandits.

If the gang outnumbers the party. the drow attack.

Otherwise, they make lewd hand gestures at the party

but retreat if accosted.

DROW PICKPOCKET

This homeless drow commoner tries to pick the

pockets of a random party member. The drow has a

S leight of Hand skill modifier of +2.

GrANT WOLF SPIDERS

These spiders are hungry and crawl out of buildings or

descend from rooftops to attack the party.

INFECTED DROW

This drow has been infected with Zuggtmoy's spores

(see chapter 5) and will succumb to the infestation in

1d12 hours. Strange fungi has already begun sprouting

from the draw's head and limbs. The drow offers a 500

gp gemstone in exchange for the party's protection

and tries to stay as close to the characters as possible.

hoping to infect them with his or her spores when the

time comes.

MAD 0ROW

This drow comm one r suffers from a form of indefinite

madness (see '·Madness" in chapter 2 of the Dungeon

Master's Guide). The drow believes he or she is the t r ue

voice of Lolth, tasked by the Demon Queen of Spiders to

admonish everyone for their lack of devotion, warning

CH '<I'TF.R ts 1 TIIF en v or SPWI'Rs

that "Demon~ will <'Ofll>Uflle you all!'' The mad drow

wears an amukt madr from a dead spider.

SHIELD DWARF BERSERKER

This chaotic neutral dwarf a former slave of the drow

sees nonexistent enemies everywhere. swinging his or

her greataxc at tht' c·mpty air. If a character engages the

dwarf in battle or conversation. the dwarf attacks.

SVTRFNEBLIN LURE

A homeless deep gnome serves as hosr to an intellect

devourer. It tries to lure one or more characters ro

a ··secret enclave wherr rnemies of the drow plot to

overthrow Mcnzoberranzan." A successful DC 15

Wisdom (Insight) dH~ck rt-veals something indcscribabl.

odd or untrustworthy about the gnome. If the character5

follow the possessed gnome, they a re led to a cramped

cave under a dilapidated building. The cave is the secn:t

lair of another 2d4 intellect devourers.

DONIGARTEN

Donigancn is the name given a large lake and the

surrounding farmland that dominat~s the eastern par·

of the cavern. Herds of rot he caule graze rhe island

at the center of the lake. whose northern and western

shores hold broad stretches of slave-tended fungi field,

that feed much of Mem:oberranzan.

The dark, cold waters oft he lake have a sinister

reputation, dating back to days when notable leaders ot

the great houses and their honored heroes were cast

into the lake, dressed in full regalia and weighed dO\\n

with stone spars. Many less important drow have been

sent by rivals to the bouom of the lake as well. whose

depths are suffused with faerzress that makes them

impenetrable to scrying and divination spells.

Donigarten was spared from Demogorgon's rampage

Although it is sparsely populated, the area is so vital ro

the city's survival that drow patrols are common here.

Roll for random encounters as the characters cross thi«

district. You can roll a d20 and consult the Donigarten

Encounters table, or choose an encounter that you like

The party can avoid random encounters in Donigarten

by succeeding on a DC 11 Dexterity (Stealth)

group check.

OONIGARTEN ENCOUNTERS

d20 Encounter

1-5 Drow patrol

6-8 2d4 + 2 drow s pore servants (see appendix C)

9-10 Escaped slaves

11-14 1d6 + 2 giant wolf s piders

15-20 Slave farmers

DROW PATROL

This patrol consists of two drow mounted on giant

riding lizards (see the end of chapter 8 for statistics) .• ·

one or more party members appear to be anything orhf'"·

than drow or slaves in the company of its drow master

the patrol immediately calls for reinforcements, which

arrive in ld4 +- 2 rounds. The reinforcements consist o·

ld4 similar drow patrols.