First Published 6 October 2018 | Last Updated 19 January 2020
This article is relative to the world of Toril.

Out Of The Abyss

Released 15 September 2015

September 2015 saw the release of the third official campaign for 5th edition. Out Of The Abyss is an Underdark adventure, full of underground caverns, subterranean creatures, and political intrigue. Just like Princes Of The Apocalypse, the book takes players all the way from level 1 to level 15. It was released as part of the Rage Of Demons product line (that also includes accessories and a board game).

The adventure involves a dark demonic presence creeping into the Underdark, and the characters (as is usually the case) are out to save the world from this ancient darkness - from below this time. The plot line is loose, and there is plenty of opportunity to explore the caverns and chambers. Chris Perkins, the story creator for Out Of The Abyss, has been open that his inspiration was Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland, and this shines through as madcap characters are everywhere, infusing a sense of fun into this very dangerous setting. All the usual suspects you would expect are here - goblinoids, oozes and fungi, and of course the evil drow. My favourite part is some of the locations - Cities of the drow (and other creatures of The Underdark), prisons made of giant spider webs, and lost tombs and temples.

This is not an adventure for beginner players, as it is very role-play heavy. There is of course combat - there always is - but much of the sand-boxy plot is driven by character interactions. Likewise for the DM, this is not an adventure for the beginner. Multiple plot threads play out at one time, and some encounters require multiple NPCs to be tracked.