Editing D1-2-3: Drow Trilogy (section)

===D1 Descent Into the Depths of the Earth===
The PCs seek the home of the drow by traveling through an underground world of caves and passages. At hex D3 (not to be confused with the module) just before the intersection the drow have posted a patrol - so the PCs can't avoid this, and might not be able to avoid a fight. The patrol is sex-segregated: male from house Aleval, female Despana but led by Lolth clerics. Both sides are directed from the Fane itself; one wonders how ''Eclavdra'' got past them. Module D3 will inform us that Despana are rank 3 over Aleval at rank 8.

The next encounter on the main road - if the party wants it - is at hex M12 with a raiding party of [[illithid|mind flayers]] and wererats, who have halted their patrol long enough to "question" their male drow merchant prisoner of the silver [crescent] clan. As of module D1, Gygax knew that drow merchant society works on the clan system; the Merchant Villa in D3 will inform us which clan aligns with what Drow house (Aleval again, here). But unless the party got ''speak with dead'' you will probably not save this poor guy to question him, either.

The illithids subsequently absent themselves from the D1-2 narrative, next showing up as mere random emissaries in the Vault. But we did get that lovely [[Bill_Willingham|Willingham]] illo on the D1-2 back cover out of it! And we shall admit, hex M12 is a decent hook to foreshadow a (major!) expansion of the scope if the DM is up for it - that is, a supra-genius him/herself. (The GDQ compilation book will hint at their city, the plot-blasting Dra-Mur-Shou.)

Module D1's centrepiece is a grand cavern containing drow soldiers loyal to the Spider Queen, purple worms, Asberdies the max-level party-wiping [[lich]], a clutch of undead, a giant slug annoying the undead. Also gargoyles wandered in from the main-passage encounter-table, who "fear" the drow but are not on their side; likewise two hieracosphynges who serve Eilservs (dissident) drow who aren't here. The trolls, bugbears, and troglodytes in the warrens east of here with their pet wyverns all work with the Lolthian faction; the trogs tend a massive fungus patch at the eastern edge. While it is possible to forge an alliance with the Lolthian drow - thereby the ghouls, trogs, trolls, and bugbears - by demonstrating you've killed the mind flayers (saving the prisoner is virtually impossible); the module doesn't really account for this. There's a lich skulking the module D1 and D2 tertiary-passage encounters both; maybe that's Asberdies.

The tournament map of the Caverns And Warrens Of The Troglodytes only allowed three exits, and all on the west bulge of the two-hex network: the south way in, northwest out, and northeast to the bypass (more on that anon). As D1, two more exits / entrances connect to the wider DM (and players) map. These never made it to the published Caverns map. Instead, we got "NOTE: There are 2 entrances to area not shown on this map. DM should assume secret entrances are around area '''4''' and '''30/31'''." Area 4 would actually head to a full-on highway and 30/31, to a tertiary - not secret.

First appearance of the [[Jermlaine]] therefore, really, the [[gremlin]]. They're noted in tertiary passages only, so are there for the DM to punish PCs for not playing hex M12. By the book, they're met in packs of 15-30 (d16 + 14; yes, sometimes d16 do appear in early AD&D) but there's a 60% chance they're operating from a lair within 60'. So, if their number is 21 on up: plan on a lair and add some rats to the total.

Much of this can be bypassed; the Players Map even ''shows'' how not to play M12. Such bypasses are great for tournaments... or just for players who don't want to dick around with mostly-irrelevant encounters before getting to the Vault. Other DMs may be saddled with players who know most of the printed content already because it's all just that famous, and would rather roll their own encounters. So, on to the big whale in the room, module D2:

====How Not To Play D2====
The deadites are "on their way northwest to serve the Drow" - by way of a bypass that end-runs the whole damn D2 module, northeast, currently obstructed. If the party clears their way for them, they'll get a horde of stinky rotting travel-companions on their way right to D3. If the party fights the ghoulies off, they now own a map to the doublehex ST-17 presumably their home - how very Lovecraft Dreamland. Not that the ghoul-kingdom (or -baronetcy) has anything more to do with the plot than, er, D2 does. And Gygax probably should have mooted this at the first encounter of D1, by way of hex O10. BUT ANYWAY

The Player's Map like it did for M12 shows part of this bypass too - but only the start of it, so PCs won't naturally dare it. If the DM wants to cut to the chase, as it were, s/he can have someone hint at this route instead. Although probably not Eclavdra herself since she's not a spider-worshipper anymore. The ghouls are an option.

For an encounter-table north to hex S20's intersection you may as well stick with module D1's. Beyond, use D3's except - at the last tertiary - you'll have to omit or at least explain the Deep Gnomes (they can't ''teleport'', remember). Maybe the svirfs got spies at intersections S, K<sup>2</sup>, and/or T<sup>2</sup>.

DMs who dislike kuo-toa, are creative, and have time on their hands, can consider another end-run. That's through W22 and then F<sup>2</sup>29; doublehex I<sup>2</sup>J<sup>2</sup>-34/35 sits out on the latter sideline as optional-to-that-option. Since the ghouls don't take this path we may assume it is not ghoul-friendly; the DM gets to decide why, and where to put the obstruction. The ''Queen of the Spiders'' appendix 3 has ideas.