Author: Thomas Baumbach

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From Script to Sandbox: A Rise of the Drow Outline

To help you plan out your campaign and provide ongoing support for Rise of the Drow: Collector’s Edition, we’ve created this outline and flowchart. It presents ways to navigate through the Rise of the Drow prologue (included in the collector’s edition) and the alternate prologue, the Stoneholme Trilogy.

This flowchart will put the intended outline of the adventure’s campaign arc into perspective. It is also a concise bit of GM advice for running Rise of the Drow that helps track experience “gaps” inherent to a sandbox campaign. Note: This post contains spoilers, if you are a player you’ll want to stop reading here and instead send this post to your GM!
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Rise of the Drow: Disintegrating Drow Equipment

There is a long tradition in fantasy roleplaying of drow equipment being destroyed or rendered useless upon exposure to sunlight. Rise of the Drow: Collector’s Edition hints at this tradition with some equipment found in Tolgorith Tower, but throughout the prologue—which takes place on the surface, albeit mostly under an eclipse— the equipment the drow use is presumed to be of drow make, yet no discussion is given on the usefulness of those items should they find their way into the hands of the player characters. Here, then, is an optional bit of world-building the GM can include regarding drow-crafted arms and armor. These rules are kept intentionally vague to serve for any roleplaying game, as well as to allow the GM flexibility in implementing them. Continue reading Rise of the Drow: Disintegrating Drow Equipment

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Rise of the Drow Alternate Prologue: The Stoneholme Trilogy

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As noted on page 85 of Rise of the Drow: Collector’s Edition (RotDCE), the Stoneholme trilogy of adventures could serve as an alternate means of embarking on the campaign to thwart the drow in the Underworld. Follow us on Discord and Twitter to stay up to date on promotions and discounts that you can use to pick up the Stoneholme trilogy, or any of our products for your campaign!

Herein is a brief outline of the Stoneholme trilogy, as well as a few key inclusions the GM can make to tie into the plot of Rise of the Drow. The Rise of the Drow: Campaign Primer also serves to introduce players to the Underworld, providing them context for playing in the ancient dwarven city.  Read no further if you want to avoid spoilers. Continue reading Rise of the Drow Alternate Prologue: The Stoneholme Trilogy

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Rise of the Drow: Surviving the Cathedral

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By far the most asked question we receive about Rise of the Drow: Collector’s Edition is, “Is it supposed to be this tough?”

The short answer is yes, it’s supposed to be a challenge. It’s a challenge for the players to use their resources wisely and to look outside their character sheets for ideas. But it’s also a challenge for the GM to keep the characters constantly in danger, constantly on the verge of defeat but also moving forward. 

The first chapter of the prologue is called “The Darkness Arrives” and it is meant to set the tone for the entire campaign. The drow are introduced as a formidable foe, and the frantic pace and overall sense of encroaching darkness throughout the prologue compels the heroes to action and drives the players toward the quest of thwarting the drow. The prologue is not only difficult, but potentially deadly. While some groups embrace the idea of a TPK and enjoy the threat it poses, it’s not for every game table. What follows is a guide to avoid that most gruesome fate. Stop reading now if you want to avoid spoilers. Continue reading Rise of the Drow: Surviving the Cathedral