Survive the Underdark against Mushrooms and Dangerous Water

Adventures in the Underdark are usually considered more dangerous than adventures above the surface. The typical denizens are bad enough without all the random dangerous creatures. If this was not enough the natural hazards can be even more deadly. Pits, drops and hazardous terrain can be a horrible way to go. When you explore the Underdark you might want some awesome terrain to put on your tabletop.

Bring the world below to life

Mushrooms and pools of liquid are easy to work in anywhere whether you are looking for an area to stage combat or simply looking for some inspiration here are a handful of new things to add to your game.

Rejuvenating hot springs

These pools produce heat that can be felt from a distance away. If you submerge at least 50% of your body and take a short rest within the pool you gain the effects of a long rest. Once you do so you must wait at least 7 days before you can gain this benefit again.

Puff Shrooms

These overly large mushrooms absorb toxins and hazardous things in the air. The skin of the shrooms is super thin and sensitive. The barest touch and they explode releasing everything they absorb. They are known as carriers of poison and disease — sometimes both. You can use any poison or disease but the shroom transfers it to an inhalation delivery.

Intoxicant Shrooms

These brightly colored shrooms give off a scent that somehow attracts sentient creatures. Intelligent predators of the Underdark hide or lurk near these plants hoping for distracted prey. When a sentient creature is within 200 feet of these shrooms it must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw. If you fail you can do nothing but move closer to the source of the scent. Creatures who have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on smell make this save at disadvantage. Many hunters in the Underdark look for this type of mushroom to extract its oils for expensive perfumes or other alchemical substances.

Acid Baths

These natural pools are incredibly dangerous to unprepared travelers. They look like any other natural pool of water with the only exception the very out of place distinctive citrus odor. Drinking water from such a pool burns immediately doing 2d6 acid damage. Any item submerged into the pool takes 6d6 acid damage a round.

What cool ideas can you come up with to enhance your Underdark experience? These ideas are inspired by some new products of our friends over at WizKids. Warlock Tiles: Caverns Accessory — Mushrooms & Pools is now available here. You can get these sets to have an amazing Underdark experience. The Mushrooms and Pools come with three each of four different mushrooms. You can use your own rules, the ones I share here in this post or just as decoration. These are colorful and fun set of fungi. There are three different pools and two sets of purple crystals you can use as the object of a fetch quest being guarded by one Underdark denizen or another.

Warlock Tiles: Caverns is the first in a series to elevate WizKids’ already successful line of dungeon tiles. These make for an amazingly realistic set of unworked stone flooring set with cavernous walls and stalagmites for that extra touch of decor. The tiles easily stack on each other to create a layered elevation effect you typically see in such a setting. If that was not enough there are bridges to help cross the gap. If paired with a black table cloth showing the unseen depth below or any number of battle maps with terrain such as water or lava you could easily change what this set is trying to cross.

Thanks for reading. Until next time, stay nerdy!

*Featured image — Construct the caverns of your imagination with WizKids’ WarLock Caverns: Mushrooms & Pools set of decorative items including mushrooms, pools and crystals all pre-painted and assembled.

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