"The surface world is vast, but nothing compares to the endless tunnels and hidden secrets of the Underdark. Down there, survival is its own kind of triumph."
— Thalra Myndrin, Underdark cartographer

Description

You have ventured into the labyrinthine depths of the Underdark, a shadowed realm of twisting tunnels, glittering caverns, and unimaginable dangers. Whether you sought rare minerals, ancient secrets, or simply adventure, the Underdark has left its mark on you. You’ve faced its horrors and survived its challenges, developing a unique resilience and resourcefulness in the process.

Navigating the Underdark requires more than courage—it demands an unerring sense of direction, the ability to adapt to hostile environments, and a deep understanding of its unique ecology and denizens. Whether you’ve mapped forgotten caverns, traded with its strange inhabitants, or fled its relentless predators, your time in the Underdark has forged you into a hardened explorer capable of thriving where others would falter.

Attribute Bonuses

Primary Attribute: Wisdom (+1)

• Wisdom represents the Underdark Explorer’s keen survival instincts, ability to navigate hazardous environments, and insight into the complex ecosystems of the Underdark. It enhances skills like Survival and Perception, which are crucial for explorers.

Secondary Attribute: Dexterity or Intelligence (+1)

• Dexterity: Reflects their agility and precision when moving through treacherous terrain, avoiding dangers, and operating stealthily in dimly lit environments.
• Intelligence: Represents their analytical skills, such as deciphering the structure of tunnels, identifying rare minerals, or understanding the Underdark's unique hazards and cultures.

Skill Proficiencies:

• Skill Proficiencies: Survival, Perception

Tool Proficiencies:

• Tool Proficiencies: Cartographer’s tools or Alchemist’s supplies

Languages:

• Common
• Languages: Undercommon or another Underdark-related language, such as Deep Speech or Dwarvish

Equipment:

• Equipment: A set of sturdy clothes, a miner’s pick or a sturdy walking stick, a small vial of glowing fungus for light, a map of a partially explored Underdark region, and a pouch containing 10 gold pieces.

Suggested Characteristics

Suggested Characteristics

d4	Personality Trait
1	“The surface world feels too open—I prefer the comforting closeness of stone.”
2	“I approach every new cave with caution. The Underdark taught me to expect danger around every corner.”
3	“I find beauty in the glowing fungi and crystal caverns where others see only darkness.”
4	“I keep meticulous notes about everything I encounter—knowledge is the best weapon.”

d4	Ideal
1	Discovery: “The Underdark holds secrets that could change the world. I will uncover them.” (Neutral)
2	Survival: “Only the strong and clever can survive the depths. I am both.” (Chaotic)
3	Protection: “I explore to map dangers and protect others from what lurks below.” (Good)
4	Power: “The treasures of the Underdark belong to those bold enough to claim them.” (Evil)

d4	Bond
1	“I owe my life to a guide or companion who helped me escape a deadly situation.”
2	“My map of a hidden passage or resource is my most prized possession.”
3	“An Underdark settlement welcomed me when I was lost. I would defend them if needed.”
4	“A creature I encountered deep below still haunts my nightmares—or my dreams.”

d4	Flaw
1	“I distrust those who’ve never experienced real danger; they don’t know what survival means.”
2	“My fascination with the Underdark sometimes clouds my judgment.”
3	“I’m reluctant to share knowledge, fearing it will fall into the wrong hands.”
4	“The silence of the depths has made me impatient with the chatter of others.”

Contacts

Underdark Explorer Contacts

As an Underdark Explorer, your journeys into the lightless depths have forged a bond with someone who shares your understanding of its dangers and mysteries. This contact could be an ally you encountered in the shadowed tunnels—a fellow explorer, a merchant trading rare resources, or even an Underdark inhabitant with a begrudging respect for your tenacity.

Your contact might be a deep gnome cartographer who relies on your reports to update maps of the ever-shifting tunnels, offering you information about hidden paths and potential threats. Alternatively, it could be a myconid sovereign who regards you as a trusted outsider, sharing spores of communication and glimpses into the vast fungal networks. Perhaps it’s a drow outcast who once guided you through perilous caverns, their knowledge of the Underdark’s societies invaluable but fraught with danger.

This relationship is rooted in mutual survival and respect. Your contact may provide warnings of territorial predators, access to hidden resources, or guidance through treacherous regions. In return, they may call upon you to retrieve a lost artifact, negotiate with rival factions, or lead them to safety when the Underdark's peril becomes too great. Trust is rare in the depths, but with this contact, it has become an unspoken lifeline.

"The city's forgotten corners whisper secrets to those who listen—every shadow, every creak, a clue waiting to be uncovered."
— Kara Vex, Urban Explorer of the Lost Districts