Dungeon of the Mad Mage: Megadungeon Adventure
Delve into Undermountain, a sprawling mega-dungeon beneath Waterdeep, where Halaster’s madness warps reality and only the bold survive.
About the adventure
You love dungeon crawls? How about a MEGA dungeon that is 23 levels deep and spans character levels 5-20? Dungeon of the Mad Mage is the ultimate 5e MEGA dungeon. You start off from the famous Yawning Portal inn/tavern in the city of Waterdeep and from there you are lowered down into the depths of the Undermountain. What will you seek, treasure, power or fame? Maybe you just want to cause chaos along the way? The Mad Mage Halaster Blackcloak dares you to be bold enough to survive his dungeon full of peril and madness. Style of Play: Dungeon Exploration – It’s all about exploration, kicking down doors, casting fireball into the room and let the dice gods sort the strong from the weak. With 23 levels there are plenty of varied situations, secrets to explore and puzzles to solve. High Combat – All those dungeon rooms aren’t going to clean themselves. Expect lots of combat but with my decades experience of being a DM and Roll20 expert combat will flow quickly. I make use of custom built Roll20 APIs and being well prepared to make combat fast and engaging. Role Play – It’s not all combat all the time. Sometimes being diplomatic is the best option. The Undermountain is home to many factions vying for control, some friendly, some not so much. It will be up you who you ally with and who will become your foe. Expect custom art for NPCs to give you a good visual impression and voices (I love doing voices!) to make them stand out and memorable. Rules as Written – RAW is the base. If you know 5e well you can plan your character builds without wacky homebrew rules messing up your leveling strategy. I roll out in the open so no secret (cheating DM) rolls. If you kill the BBEG in the first round, that’s how the dice roll. Keep in mind the dice can turn against you! Character death is on the table! Rule of Cool – The rules don’t cover every situation and that is a good thing! I reward creative and bold players. Anything is possible (within a certain range of probability). Got a good idea? I’ll work with you to make it happen. So come join us at the table and play some MEGA Dungeons & Dragons!
Game style
Dungeon Crawl
Combat Heavy
Rules as Written (RaW)
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
3 years on StartPlaying
215 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Knows the Rules, Storytelling
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
About me
Greetings and welcome to the world of Dungeons & Dragons! I am your friendly and experienced Dungeon Master, ready to guide you on exciting adventures through the realms of 5e WOTC hardcover adventures and Adventurers League modules. With over 80k hours of Roll20 expertise and a treasure trove of 200 ready-to-play adventures plus anything on Roll20, I promise to bring your imagination to life with stunning maps, dynamic lighting, and a music library that perfectly sets the mood. As a seasoned DM with 35 years of experience since AD&D 2ed, I strive for a balanced mix of exploration, combat, and role play. My style is approachable and inclusive, and I bring each NPC to life with unique voices and personalities that add soul to the story. Whether you're a seasoned player or new to the game, I'm here to ensure you have a fun, fair, and thrilling experience. So grab your dice and let's embark on a thrilling journey together! I'm ready to be your referee and guide, not your adversary, so come play D&D as it was meant to be played! Books and adventures I own (note I have access to any adventure on Roll20) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1q_wmpkrcck2wfY7EF4khqiOghj2aezpR8YtUhe2H_XA/edit?usp=sharing Creator of the Discord community Adventurers League Hub https://discord.gg/DxaaYam
View Profile →Reviews (19)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Creativity
Knows the Rules
Storytelling
I've been playing with Surok for over 2 years now, and he's been one of the best DM's I've had in almost a decade of TTRPG games. The games are fun and engaging, with plenty of room for as much (or as little) RP and character moments as a player wants. Surok does a great job of blending character backstories into the narrative, and is always open to player suggestions for their own characters. He keeps the atmosphere lively and exciting, while managing to keep the pace of the story moving forward. All in all, a great DM for new and experienced players alike!
Surok is always fun to play with. He is always prepared with great maps and story elements to push you through to the next area or task. He keeps it interesting by allowing the players to improvise and determine their course of action on the fly, as well as being lenient and flexible with newbies. His knowledge of Roll20 proves that he puts a lot of time and effort into the game and passion that comes along with it. Would definitely recommend for future games!
Joined his Avernus campaign when I was still very new to roleplaying and very glad I had the opportunity to be apart of this campaign. Remember then how I wasn't sure how really to go about playing my character but Surok is very lenient with how we get to play the game and allows rule of cool. Like how our teammate got to have a dragon for a pet/friend. Allows the players to have fun with the game to the best of our ability is my best way to describe it. Cool DM, fun group and overall a great time being apart of this campaign so will very much recommend anyone to join in his games!
Surok is an absolutely wonderful Dm that I’ve had the pleasure of playing with. Every session is filled with fun, laughter, tense moments and an immersive world for the other players and myself to get lost in. He provides way more than what just comes in a module, going above and beyond for his players, giving us the options to truly explore the world as our characters would, rather than just playing a laid out adventure. At first, I was hesitant to play online but now the only downside I can see is that one day the campaign will end. Truly the type of DM you want running your table!
Character creation
Creating your character
Character Creation System: Dungeons & Dragons 5e (both 2014 and 2024 rulesets) Sources Allowed: Most official WOTC sourcebooks set in the Forgotten Realms 3rd party content considered upon review and DM approval Character Sheet: Must be completed before Session 1 Created in Roll20 using shared compendium resources If using D&D Beyond, please install the Beyond20 browser extension Stat Generation: Point Buy method Starting level based on the current party’s level (provided after joining) Questions or want to discuss your character? Reach out anytime happy to help with Session Zero!
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Mic for Discord and computer for running Roll20
What Surok brings to the table
What I Provide My Players When you join one of my games, you're stepping into a high quality, immersive experience designed to bring your character and the world to life. Here's what you can expect: Character Voices: Every NPC has a distinct voice and personality to enhance immersion and roleplay. Music & Atmosphere: A wide selection of music including tracks I've composed myself sets the tone for every scene, from eerie dungeon crawls to epic battles. Visual Immersion: Enjoy vibrant, colorful maps and hand picked artwork that captures the feel of every location. I also offer custom character art and professional grade token creation. I make tokens for Roll20, so you’ll look great on the board. *Combat & Tools: Combat is fast, tactical, and smooth thanks to custom APIs and macros that streamline play. Rules & Style: Rules as Written form the foundation, ensuring fairness and consistency. Rule of Cool is situational but encouraged, creative thinking is always rewarded. Open Rolls for transparency and shared excitement. I run a referee style game, focused on impartial adjudication rather than adversarial play. Support & Communication: I'm available between sessions and happy to answer any questions. Whether you need build advice or want help fleshing out your backstory. Professionalism: Sessions start on time, move at a steady pace, and are packed with meaningful action. Your time and experience are always respected.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Surok creates a safe table
Session 0 Discussion: We’ll go over expectations, boundaries, and tone during Session 0. This is your chance to share any lines, veils, or topics you’d like excluded. I’m always open to hearing concerns before, during, or after play. Tone & Content: Gore and violence may appear due to the nature of dungeon crawling and combat heavy gameplay, but it will always serve the story and never be gratuitous. Sexual content is off the table. It’s not a focus of my games, and I prefer to avoid areas I’m not equipped to handle well. Respectful Space: Everyone is welcome at the table, and everyone is expected to treat each other with dignity and respect. That includes respecting boundaries and each other’s fun.