Out of the Abyss 2.

0
A Better Way to Adventure
Chapter 1
The characters, instead of getting caught by a (highly illegal) drow surface raid, were caught by
the Mondaturian border patrol as they tried to cross over. Even if they had proper documentation,
the slave trade is slow lately (because of demons), and those dirty drow need more labor. Their
possessions have been taken from them, and they’re currently being held at the border outpost of
Velkynvelve, which is similar to its predecessor except for a few things:
a) The slave pen has bunk beds and two full bathrooms. The drow can’t stand stench, so
they force prisoners to shower every day at dawn. Meals remain as insubstantial, and
prisoners are still cuffed and collared.
b) Asha Vandree is secretly a priestess of Eilstraee looking to free the prisoners. She has
manipulated Jorlan into doing this so she doesn’t blow her cover. She will continue to aid
the characters as the adventure progresses.
c) There are an equal number of male and female drow in the complex, and their quarters
have more modern furnishings.
d) There are no phones in Velkynvelve. All communication within the outpost goes over
walkie-talkie. All communication without is done magically or via radio. (Even if
characters find a phone, they’re not going to be able to contact anyone on the surface)
e) Water is plumbed and filtered from the pool, and the drow dispose of waste by
incinerating it in the quaggoth pens. The lift is a proper elevator.
Cleaning tasks will include the following:
a) Rewiring the electricity at the watch posts
b) Cleaning the barracks and sewing uniforms
c) Kitchen duty
d) Cleaning the elite barracks and entertaining the soldiers there
e) Doing maintenance on the webs and lift
f) Cleaning the shrine and performing in rituals
g) Cleaning Ilvara’s quarters and entertaining her
h) Cleaning Shoor’s quarters and entertaining him
i) Fixing the plumbing from the waterfall
j) Cleaning the guard tower and restocking the armory
k) Cleaning the quaggoth den and disposing of waste, feeding giant spiders
l) Cleaning the slave pen
After three days of work (during which I will run Fight! On Day 1 and a gushier version of
Feeding Time on Day 2—Asha will secretly save the character and have him or her rejoin the
party for the escape attempt on day 3; gotta make sure I mention Bad Dreams), I will run Jorlan’s
gambit if they haven’t escaped already. Regardless of when they escape, A Flight of Demons
will run, and the first real fight they’ll probably have will be the vrock.
The ten prisoners the party (most likely) escapes with include the following elaborations and
modifications:
1. Buppido is an artist by trade. He’s going to be really funny and will probably poke fun of
other prisoners a lot, sometimes to their ire. He’s good friends with everyone in “the
gang,” especially Eldeth and Jimjar. Jimjar and he often play off each other, mostly
because there’s nothing Buppido won’t do. Eldeth is constantly amused by him, and the
two have a slightly flirtatious relationship. His madness and betrayal should be a huge
blow to the party.
2. Derendil is a loner and comes across as very refined, deep and ponderous. Instead of a
prince, he believes that he’s actually a thought-dead pop star. He is incredibly irritable,
however, and will sometimes butt into conversations uninvited. Most of the other
prisoners don’t like him and (rightfully) think he’s crazy. Buppido, Topsy and Turvy give
him the most trouble. Shuushar often talks to him, though, as does Stool.
3. Eldeth, a soldier, is the odd girl out in the pens, but she’s allowed “the gang” to win her
over, and now she views them as her boon companions. She has nothing but disdain for
Ront, Derendil and Sarith but treats Jimjar as a brother. She’s the one who will show
everyone around at first, delighted to see more surfacers.
4. Jimjar is a professional poker player who grates on most of the prisoners, though most of
them humor him because he can be funny. He and Buppido are fast friends, though Jimjar
knows of Buppido’s madness. He’s actually the Anj of Chance, and has befriended
Buppido as he hopes the derro will change. He has a bickering, sibling-like relationship
with Eldeth and a competitive one with Topsy and Turvy.
5. Ront is a big old meanie redneck mechanic from up top who hates everyone and
everything and really wants to get out. He thinks it’s fun to pick on others in the pens and
steal their things. He has Stool working as his bitch, and the others hate him for it.
6. Sarith is now a female soldier who is being jailed for killing her superior officer a few
days ago. Most of her story is unchanged. She makes a point of not talking to anyone in
the enclave, but she occasionally sniggers at her fellow slaves’ jokes, quickly stifling
them. After a while, she’ll open up and be quite merry, but that’s mostly because of
Zuggtmoy’s spores in her head.
7. Shuushar is now female, and though she’s a mystic, she’s a bit more down-to-earth than
Book Shuushar. The kuo-toa worship celebrities, and she’s one of the few who see that
they’re not worth venerating. She’s very matter-of-fact and enjoys worldly things most
kuo-toa don’t, and she’s incredibly sarcastic. She and Eldeth are best friends, and the
others respect her for her incredibly keen insights.
8. Stool is relatively unchanged from the book. Ront has bullied it into doing his dirty work
for him, but it really loves “the gang” and hangs out with them as much as it can. Stool
really just wants to be friends with everyone and will get very upset if people fight.
9. Topsy and Turvy are a bit more sociable than the book presents them, especially Topsy.
She has actually spearheaded the escape movement, much to her shy brother’s chagrin.
Topsy is the indisputable leader of “the gang”, and her pluck and determination have
helped to galvanize all the prisoners. Turvy secretly feels inadequate around his sister,
especially since he’s crushing on Jimjar. Topsy’s doing all she can to help him out.
Day One:
a) Derendil, Sarith, Topsy and PC clean the barracks
b) Jimjar, Stool and PC clean Shoor’s quarters
c) Ront, Shuushar and PC clean the quaggoths’ quarters
d) Buppido, Eldeth, Turvy and PC clean the cells
e) Ront and Eldeth get in a fight
Day Two:
a) Derendil, Stool, Topsy and PC clean the elite barracks
b) Buppido, Eldeth and PC do web/lift maintenance
c) Sarith, Shuushar and PC Clean Ilvara’s quarters
d) Jimjar, Ront, Turvy and PC Plumb the waterfall
e) Jimjar gets fed to a spider (but saved by Asha)
Day Three:
a) Shuushar, Topsy and PC rewire the watch post electricity
b) Buppido, Sarith and PC have kitchen duty
c) Eldeth, Turvy and PC Clean the shrine
d) Derendil, Ront, Stool and PC clean and restock the guard tower
e) Sweet, sweet escape
I’m going to railroad the party as best I can toward Sloobludop. Shuushar can draw them there
with the promise of boats.
1. Patch of yellow mold and a giant rocktopus, nothing
2. Rockfall, nothing
3. Nothing, giant fire beetles
4. Fungus cavern, nothing
5. Silken Paths
6. Nothing
7. Nothing
8. High ledge, troubled motorist

Chapter 3
Sloobludop doesn’t change much. It’s a bit more modern and very tourist trap, but the main
difference is that Blibdoopoolp is replaced by Demi Lovato because yes. It’s going to be fun to
run Sloobludop—kuo-toa doing weird shit all over the place? Right up Jeremiah’s alley. NPCS
include the following:
a) Ploopploopeen is now female and has the air of a crazy charlatan mystic. She speaks in
Demi Lovato lyrics a lot as she “quotes scripture.”
 b) Bloppblippod should come off as bat shit insane. While the other kuo-toa should seem
unhinged but charming, Blopp should actually be sinister. (I love playing crazies.)
c) Glooglugogg remains largely the same, but it’s more of a youth group thing than an
associate paster. Gloog is unfriendly and more than a little racist.
d) Klibdoloogut is also unhinged and in love with Blopp. He follows her around like a fish
kitten and fumbles around trying to please her.
e) Hemeth the arms dealer can be picked up at Leemooggoogoon’s altar. A duergar, she
loves the finer things of life and wears pricy wigs and costumes. She’s very materialistic,
worldly and elegant. Obviously, the madness of Demogorgon has corrupted her. She’ll
return to her dour duergar self if subjected to a greater restoration spell.
f) All the kuo-toa hate Shuushar much as a town full of conservatives hates a liberal.
The encounters play out relatively the same. Ploop will enlist the party’s aid in stopping his
crazy daughter’s rampage, and Demogorgon will lay waste to the city. If she is still alive,
Shuushar will stay behind to help defend her people unless a character succeeds on a DC 20
Charisma (Persuasion) check, -5 if Shuushar is loyal. The party will then make for Gracklstugh
across the Darklake.
1. Low ceiling/10 stirges, nothing
2. Collision/scrag, nothing
3. Nothing
4. Nothing
5. Nothing, 7 ixitxachitl
6. Tight passage/water weird, nothing
7. Nothing
8. Island/grell, nothing
9. Stone teeth/6 ixitxachitl, swarm of quippers
10. Nothing
11. Whirpool/4 darkmantles, nothing
12. Run aground/Dames Bizarre, nothing
13. Nothing
14. Hook Horror Hunt
15. Nothing
16. Rockfall/4 kuo-toa w/ fishing nets with 18 edible quippers, 4 merrow
17. Nothing
18. Rough current, nothing
19. Nothing
20. Locks, 4 duergar w/ safe containing 700 gold bills and a pouch of dust of dryness
Then everybody goes to Gracklstugh!