Night Below: An Underdark Campaign (AD&D Fantasy Roleplaying, 1125) [Box set] [Paperback]

Carl Sargent (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: TSR Inc. (November 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786901799
• ISBN-13: 978-0786901791
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.5 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,039,471 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best TSR boxed sets, May 1, 2000

By 

Kent David Kelly "Author & Anthologist" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Night Below: An Underdark Campaign (AD&D Fantasy Roleplaying, 1125) (Paperback)

This is one of the best of the colossal TSR boxed sets - this one will take your PCs from levels 1 to 10, with over 200 hours of play time! Beginning in the dark and savage borderland wilds of the world above, the neophyte heroes will soon find themselves embroiled in a sinister, world-endangering demonic intrigue - by the end of the campaign, they'll be battling the darkest forces of the world (and beyond!) in the depths of the Underdark - an ideal way to prepare them for another epic, for example GDQ1-7 Queen of the Spiders! An entire campaign in one box - this HUGE set includes three 64-page books (!), a set of 16 PC handouts, 8 double-sided reference cards, 8 pages of new monsters, and 6 enormous poster maps. A true epic, Night Below receives my highest recommendation.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best overall campaign adventure I've read out of 25+, March 22, 2001

By 

MISTER SJEM "sonofhotpie" (CALIF BAY AREA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Night Below: An Underdark Campaign (AD&D Fantasy Roleplaying, 1125) (Paperback)

The reason this story works is because the authors made it different in these ways:

(1) They put in actual methods to negotiate. So, rather than just bash everything, PCs can talk their way out or even make alliances. Additionally, not all the creatures of the Underdark are out to kill you so it allows more chances to talk things out. ;

(2) There's a great deal of context and History; especially in book one in the area of Haranshire (a backwaters shire); good to great character descriptions.;

(3) superb overland map you can share with your players (just don't show the back); include a few battle maps for key sections of the long adventure);

(4) Lots of overland adventures; some not just fighting but puzzle related or negotiation related; additionally, you get to deal with the locals;

(5) Great details of natural hazards in the Underdark;

(6) A variety of different monsters in the Underdark;

(7) fairly good linkage;

(8) big finale at the end; and

(9) PCs have the opportunity to actually have allies!

I think past reviewers are correct in that book two isn't as linked. This was done mainly to let the PCs go up in levels so that they would be ready for the later big fights.

Not a problem for me. I increased the size of the map and added more features and also changed the nefarious end as I felt it was too cliche'.

Overall, this is superlative boxed set. As it isn't terribly pervasive, it can fit in to almost any campaign. For a DM who has little put together, you could do a whole campaign this way but the PCs have to enjoy tromping down in the Undearkr. In my campaign, this started at about 50% of the possible adventures but as more and more happened, it's about 15-20% now. That's sort of b/c now that they're higher level they've gotten involved in big time politics. :)

...

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A spectacular twist in the underdark - Sure to be a favorite, August 27, 1999

By 

Eric Price ([e-mail]) (Joplin, Missouri) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Night Below: An Underdark Campaign (AD&D Fantasy Roleplaying, 1125) (Paperback)

This is a long campaign, starting in and around Haranshire and culminating in an epic battle against a completely new and never before seen archnemisis. Perhaps the best thing about the campaign is that the drow are not a part of it. What is intrical to the campaign is diplomacy, rational thought and more than a little all out hack and slash. Something for everybody and enough gaps to have something different happen along the way - that way PCs never feel railroaded into saving their own (and a great # of other people's) behind. Perhaps one of the best CAMPAIGNS ever put out.

Still, it would be unfair to warn you that while the first book gives plenty of ideas for sidestepping the campaign, little is done to fill in the underdeveloped underdark. Be prepared to provide some filler.