Out of the Abyss

E~cou NTER SETUP

When an encount<-r occurs durmg the ad,·emurers'

JOUme~. a number of factors will play into its setup and

oote.nual d1fficuh).

P\:E ASD MARCHI~G ORDER

\ ... k ·he player ... to ~-.tnbhsh two marching orders for

th character -one for moving smgle file and one for

movm~ two abreac;t, Then when an encounter occurs,

roll a d6. On a roll of 1- 2. the party is traveling through

a narrow passageway. <;a position the adventurers in

the !:lingle-file marching order. On a roll of 3-4. the

characters arc traveling through a standard passageway

and can usc the two abreast marching order. On a roll of

5-6, the encounter occurs in a large open area. so allow

the plnyers to position the characters wherever they like.

lLLUMINA'l'ION

Roll a d6 to determine how an encounte r area is

illuminated. On a roll of 1 3. the area is dimly lit by

the phosphorescent mos& and lichen common in the

Underdark, or by faerzress (see "Faerzress''). On a roll of

4 -6, the area is dark except for whatever light sources

the charnct<'rs might have.

NOTICING THREATS

The passive Wisdom (Perception) scores of characters

in the party count toward noticing hidden threaiS only if

both the following conditions are met:

The characters are able to see the threat (due to iUu-

minauon or darkvs son) or otherwi!:>e perceive it.

The character<> aren't engaged in other activities.

including navigatsng or foraging.

A fast pac<' smposes a -5 p<-nalty to passive Wisdom

(Perception) scores to notice threats. You might also

decide that only characters in a particular rank of the

marching order arc able to notice a specific threat.

SURPRISE

When an encounter occurs, determine if the

adventurers or their foes are surprised, as normal. The

adventurers can achieve surprise only if all the following

conditions are met:

The encounter occurs while the party is moving (nm

s topped or camped).

• The party elected the s tealth option while moving at
  a slow pace.
  At least one party member ss capable of noticing lhe
  threat and communicating it to the rest of the group.

NAVIGATING
Becoman2 lost is a !:>erious risk in the twisting tunnels
of the Underdark, and travelers can wander in circles
without knowing 11. Creatures unfamiliar wilh a
given region of the Underdark are automatically lost..
wanderinli[ in a random direction for every 4 hours of
travel until they encounter an area they arc familiar with
(which could be a very long time).
Even creatures that know the routes of the Underdark
aren't immune. For each day of travel. and any time

CIIAT'TPR 2 liS tO IHRKS I·S"

the characters <,et out again after finishing a short or

long rest, th(' party's na\·igator makes a DC 10 Wisdom

(Survival) check. If the part) io; moving at a slow pace,

the navigator gam a 5 bonus tO the check. while a fast

pace smpost•<, a 5 penalty. A failed check result means

the chara<'IC'r'> become lost. wandering in a random

direction for I d6 hours before the navigator can make a

new check to lind the right path.

MAPPING

A character not focused on any other task including

\\atching for danger while traveling-can record the

group's progrc s through the Underdark and create a

map of the route. Such a map can be a useful resource

in later chapters of the adventure when the characters

retrace their stcps.Jlaving a map allows tbe party to

navigate lhnl nrca without any chance of becoming lost.

FORAGING

Unl(:ss they obtain a s upply of food and water. the

adwnturcrs must foragl' to survive on their journey.

Finding sustenance in the Underdark is difficult but

not impo!:>sible. Characters can gather food and water

if tht" party travels at a normal or slow pace. A foraging

character makes a Wbdom (Survival) check. The DC is

typically I 5, but might be as high as 20 in some parts

of the Undcrdark. food anc1 water requiremeniS for

character<. are described an chapter 8. ~Adventuring," of

the Pla)cr'<; Handbook.

In addu ion to foraging. ~pells such as create food and

water and Aoodbcrt"J can help provision the party. and

there's always a chance for the characters to encounter

others from whom they can buy or steal provisions.

Additionally, many creatures the adventurers might

meet and kill can be butchered. but the meat they yield

spoils after a single day if uneaten. Eating spoiled meat

might require a Constitution saving throw to keep the

meal down. a Wisdom saving throw to avoid acquiring

a level of madness from the awful experience (see

"Madncss"latt:r in this chapter), or both.

CREATURE FOOD YIELD

Creature Size

Tiny

Small

Medium

Large

Food Gained

1 lb.

4lb.

16lb.

32 lb.

The characters' need to forage and acquire supplies

serves as a motivator to dnve them to explore and visit

different parts of the Underdark. The more desperate

their need become!> as levels of exhaustion rack up-

the more risk player~ will likely be willing to take.

TIME-KEEPING

With no sunlight. visible sky, seasons. or weather in the

Underdark, most characters can only track the passage

of time based on their persods of rest. Most Underdark

creatures do the same (if they care about timekeeping at

all), unles~ there is a local means of keeping time.