-- Delwa Aunglor
Underdark Navigation and Survival
Navigation
Becoming lost is a serious risk in the twisting tunnels of the Underdark, and travelers can wander in circles without knowing it. Creatures unfamiliar with a given region of the Underdark are automatically lost, wandering in a random direction for every 4 hours of travel until they find an area they are familiar with.To lessen the chances of getting lost, a party member may be designated as the party mapper, marking tunnels and pathways as they move. They may not aid in any other task, as the task of accurately recording the area is too demanding to allow even aid in Perception.
Travel in the underdark is three times as long as if travel on the surface. That is number of miles to be traveled due to the fact tunnels are not straight lines they go up, down and do not travel in same compass point for long distances.
Survival
Characters can gather food and water if the PC's travel at a normal or slow pace. A foraging character makes a Wisdom (Survival) check. Additionally, spells such as Create Food and Water and Goodberry can help provision the party.
Creatures you kill can be used for food. Umber Hulk isn't too bad for a hungry adventurer. However, the meat goes bad after a single day.
Creature Food Yield:
- Tiny: 1lb of food.
- Small: 4lb of food.
- Medium: 16lb of food.
- Large: 32lb of food.
Travel Pace
- Fast: 8 miles per day, -5 penalty to passive Perception (Wisdom) scores, no foraging allowed.
- Normal: 6 miles per day, No penalties to perception or foraging.
- Slow: 4 miles per day, Improved Foraging, able to use Stealth.
Features of the Underdark:
Faerzress
An unusual magical energy the drow call Faerzress, is found in much of the cavernous realm. The Drow use its power to fuel their magic, strengthen their magic items, and prevent other beings from scrying on them.Areas suffused with faerzress range in size from a few dozen feet across to miles. These areas are filled with a dim, arcane glow, and provide creatures within the boundaries of its effect with Advantage on Saves against any Divination Spells. If a Divination spell does not allow a Save, the caster must make a DC 15 Con save to cast the spell.
Any creature attempting to Teleport into, within, or out of one of these areas must make a DC 15 Con Save or take 1d10 force damage and the teleportation attempt fails. Even if the Save succeeds, a mishap may occur as if the destination was known only by description (see Teleport Spell.)
Last, but not least, any spell cast within an area of Faerzress must make a d20 roll. On a roll of 1, a Wild Magic Surge occurs, as on the table in the Player's Handbook.
Light.
If you do not have Darkvision, your ability to see can be impeded in some areas. However, contrary to popular myth, the Underdark is not entirely without its own light sources.Phosphorescent Moss and Lichens illumine some caverns and tunnels. Others places glow with a type of magical radiation unique to the Underdark called Faerzress. Other places are just what the horror stories say, completely pitch black and without any source of light other than those a character may provide. Caution with torchlight is advisable. Some caverns or tunnels react rather explosively when fire of any kind is brought into them, and even in the best of places, light can draw the attention of many of the horrors that dwell in the deeps.
Flora
Edible Fungi:
- Barrel Fungi: a large, cask-shaped fungus that can be tapped and drained of fresh water. A single plant contains 1d4+4 gallons of water and 1d6 + 4 pounds of food.
- Bluecap: The plant is inedible, but the spores can be made into a bland flour.
- Fire Lichen: nice in stews. Grows in geothermal areas.
- Ripplebark: shelf like fungus that resembles a mass of rotting flesh. 1d4 + 4 pounds of food.
- Trillimac: mushroom about 4 feet in height with a broad gray-green cap and light grey stalk.
Exotic Fungi
- Nilhogg's Nose: A small mushroom that grants any creature that eats it Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks based on smell for 1d4 hours. However, the same creature has disadvantage on scent based saves for the duration.
- Ormu: Common phosphorescent near steam tunnels and vents, it can can be made into a phosphorescent pigment or powder.
- Timmask: a two foot tall toadstool with orange and beige stripes across its beige cap. Uprooting or destroying it causes a 15 foot cloud of poisonous spores.
- Tongue of Madness: Edible fungus that can cause the consumer to compulsively speak aloud every thought for the next hour.
