If I were doing an Underdark themed one-shot that was also a farewell to a PC, that gives the player something to do, I'd want to include all the thematic parts of the Underdark, as well as lots of the mythology around that fallen character. Stuff like:
* Incredibly dangerous and alien monsters (Iconic ones including Duergar, Illithids, Aboleths, Driders, Cloakers, Ropers, Beholders and Umber Hulks)
* Fungi forests, some are deadly poison
* Logistics of carrying a body with you
* Incomprehensibly complicated Drow politics and plots
* Priests of Lolth
* Very little light, with the rules for visibility being closely followed
* Long stretches of travel where foraging is impossible
* The sense of descending and descending again
* A reward for this quest might be 3 vials of an antidote to that same incurable poison, made by a master Drow poisoner. If it comes up again, they'll be ready
* Meeting the family of the PC, if any are alive
* Finding out any personality traits, goals and childhood dreams that the PC didn't communicate yet
* Getting closure for anything left undone by the PC
* Challenges pop up that the PC would have been good at
* A funeral with specific rites that ask the PCs to think about their fallen friend
With all that in mind, here's my rough* plan. It does assume a certain background for your Drow PC, and assumes an Aboleth is an appropriate final boss. Hopefully it's a start!
### 60,000 Feet Under
The party's boss has put them in touch with a Drow guide. They're a priest of whatever faith the PC had, or Lolth, and they specialise in guiding people through the Underdark. They are played by the player of the old PC.
The plan is:
1) Travel through caves for a few days to get to PC's home town
2) Deal with Drow politics, have a nice time with the PC's family
3) Head to the ancestral tomb
4) Clear it out, kill a boss monster
5) Funeral
6) Reward and journey back
#### The Journey There
Looking at the Forbidden Realms wiki, there are lots of regions to the Underdark to take inspiration from. If you're not coming back here soon, use as many as you can! Use the fact that the players can't see very well to build tension, and track rations. It should feel like the Mines of Moria. Have giant spiders, ropers, cloakers, and Umber Hulks attack. As for environments, I'm thinking:
* Winding upper tunnels, lots of tight squeezes they can't get the cart with the PC's body through
* Old worn stairs descending hundreds of feet, the monotony is powerful, and then Ropers attack
* Fungus plains featuring Myconids
* 3d maze of roots to climb down
* Passing through into a segment of some old dungeon with zombies
* A bridge over a huuuge chasm. Mind flayers living below try to compel the heroes to jump
Do your best to include skill checks the PC would have been amazing at.
#### Welcome and Intrigue
The players arrive at the house of the PC's next of kin. They are welcomed in, and the PCs are told all about what the dead PC was like as a child. Over dinner (Which is fungus and bugs) they are told the political situation:
The family tomb is not being cared for because the new governor doesn't value their particular denomination of the faith. This is because they have a bad reputation. Instead, money has been funnelled to the completion of a vanity project for the local Drow Matriarch. This Matriach basically seceded from a bigger group thinking she can strike it big on her own, but the realities of trade mean the project is doomed to fail. Locally this means food shortages, fear of outsiders, and increased reliance on aid from evil Duergar. Lots of the guards are now Duergar around here, but crime goes uninvestigated and many go missing. It is stressed that you must NOT fight a Duergar, because until the King of Ash is deposed, more will surely come and kill the Drow family.
#### To the Ancestral Tomb
On the way out of town, the PCs and the Drow family are harassed by Duergar guards and Driders. The PCs must keep their cool and lie about where they're going with a body. The Driders insist that the PCs get out of the Underdark the very next day, and that they'll send a unit to escort them out.
The tomb sits on an island in the middle of a black lake. Glowing stones on the ceiling look like sickly green stars and are reflected from below. They must sail silently across in 3 boats, doing their best not to wake the Aboleth and Kuo-Toa beneath the water. If they succeed on the way in, it is awake when they make their way out.
#### The Funeral
The Drow Priest knows the order of service. Every PC has to say something nice about the deceased, and name a quality they admired in their friend that they want to take with them. The PC is interred, and a relative of the PC gives the players the vials of antidote.
#### The Return
The Driders show up and return the PCs to the surface without issue. They know the way and are able to defend the team. They may go the most direct way up, leading the players to whichever town you need them to be at.
There you go! This was a lot of fun to think about!
The Bre'gan D'arthe (or however you spell these f**k awful elven names, lol) have a strong standing in Waterdeep. Below water deep is, of course, Undermountain and Skullport. A trip to Waterdeep to meet with a/the Bre'gan D'arthe leader could keep your players from even having to enter the Underdark. Or, with the right funding, they could possibly pay to hire some of the Bre'gan D'arthe to sail them to Skullport. For me, Waterdeep and the plethora of adventure opportunity below, usually ends up with a delving into the Underdark. Plus, what DM doesn't like threatening their players with Undermountain.
If I were doing an Underdark themed one-shot that was also a farewell to a PC, that gives the player something to do, I'd want to include all the thematic parts of the Underdark, as well as lots of the mythology around that fallen character. Stuff like: * Incredibly dangerous and alien monsters (Iconic ones including Duergar, Illithids, Aboleths, Driders, Cloakers, Ropers, Beholders and Umber Hulks) * Fungi forests, some are deadly poison * Logistics of carrying a body with you * Incomprehensibly complicated Drow politics and plots * Priests of Lolth * Very little light, with the rules for visibility being closely followed * Long stretches of travel where foraging is impossible * The sense of descending and descending again * A reward for this quest might be 3 vials of an antidote to that same incurable poison, made by a master Drow poisoner. If it comes up again, they'll be ready * Meeting the family of the PC, if any are alive * Finding out any personality traits, goals and childhood dreams that the PC didn't communicate yet * Getting closure for anything left undone by the PC * Challenges pop up that the PC would have been good at * A funeral with specific rites that ask the PCs to think about their fallen friend With all that in mind, here's my rough* plan. It does assume a certain background for your Drow PC, and assumes an Aboleth is an appropriate final boss. Hopefully it's a start! ### 60,000 Feet Under The party's boss has put them in touch with a Drow guide. They're a priest of whatever faith the PC had, or Lolth, and they specialise in guiding people through the Underdark. They are played by the player of the old PC. The plan is: 1) Travel through caves for a few days to get to PC's home town 2) Deal with Drow politics, have a nice time with the PC's family 3) Head to the ancestral tomb 4) Clear it out, kill a boss monster 5) Funeral 6) Reward and journey back #### The Journey There Looking at the Forbidden Realms wiki, there are lots of regions to the Underdark to take inspiration from. If you're not coming back here soon, use as many as you can! Use the fact that the players can't see very well to build tension, and track rations. It should feel like the Mines of Moria. Have giant spiders, ropers, cloakers, and Umber Hulks attack. As for environments, I'm thinking: * Winding upper tunnels, lots of tight squeezes they can't get the cart with the PC's body through * Old worn stairs descending hundreds of feet, the monotony is powerful, and then Ropers attack * Fungus plains featuring Myconids * 3d maze of roots to climb down * Passing through into a segment of some old dungeon with zombies * A bridge over a huuuge chasm. Mind flayers living below try to compel the heroes to jump Do your best to include skill checks the PC would have been amazing at. #### Welcome and Intrigue The players arrive at the house of the PC's next of kin. They are welcomed in, and the PCs are told all about what the dead PC was like as a child. Over dinner (Which is fungus and bugs) they are told the political situation: The family tomb is not being cared for because the new governor doesn't value their particular denomination of the faith. This is because they have a bad reputation. Instead, money has been funnelled to the completion of a vanity project for the local Drow Matriarch. This Matriach basically seceded from a bigger group thinking she can strike it big on her own, but the realities of trade mean the project is doomed to fail. Locally this means food shortages, fear of outsiders, and increased reliance on aid from evil Duergar. Lots of the guards are now Duergar around here, but crime goes uninvestigated and many go missing. It is stressed that you must NOT fight a Duergar, because until the King of Ash is deposed, more will surely come and kill the Drow family. #### To the Ancestral Tomb On the way out of town, the PCs and the Drow family are harassed by Duergar guards and Driders. The PCs must keep their cool and lie about where they're going with a body. The Driders insist that the PCs get out of the Underdark the very next day, and that they'll send a unit to escort them out. The tomb sits on an island in the middle of a black lake. Glowing stones on the ceiling look like sickly green stars and are reflected from below. They must sail silently across in 3 boats, doing their best not to wake the Aboleth and Kuo-Toa beneath the water. If they succeed on the way in, it is awake when they make their way out. #### The Funeral The Drow Priest knows the order of service. Every PC has to say something nice about the deceased, and name a quality they admired in their friend that they want to take with them. The PC is interred, and a relative of the PC gives the players the vials of antidote. #### The Return The Driders show up and return the PCs to the surface without issue. They know the way and are able to defend the team. They may go the most direct way up, leading the players to whichever town you need them to be at. There you go! This was a lot of fun to think about!
This is awesome thanks! Really appreciate all the work lays a good framework for me to mess around with. Cheers :)
The Bre'gan D'arthe (or however you spell these f**k awful elven names, lol) have a strong standing in Waterdeep. Below water deep is, of course, Undermountain and Skullport. A trip to Waterdeep to meet with a/the Bre'gan D'arthe leader could keep your players from even having to enter the Underdark. Or, with the right funding, they could possibly pay to hire some of the Bre'gan D'arthe to sail them to Skullport. For me, Waterdeep and the plethora of adventure opportunity below, usually ends up with a delving into the Underdark. Plus, what DM doesn't like threatening their players with Undermountain.