Out of the Abyss

A fun romp in the Underdark. The story is a bit convoluted and needs homebrew additions from the Game Master.

This is probably my favorite campaign to run. It can easily fit anything from a super crunchy table looking for intense survival and combat encounters to a sillier lighthearted group looking to meet all the strange denizens of the underdark (and try to adopt every npc along the way).

Out of the Abyss is an ambitious and atmospheric D&D campaign that throws players into the depths of the Underdark, a nightmarish and alien world teeming with danger. The concept is fantastic—the party starts as prisoners and must survive, escape, and navigate a realm of madness, all while dealing with the consequences of a catastrophic magical disaster. However, while the setting and themes are compelling, the campaign's execution leaves a lot to be desired. What Works Well: 🔹 The Underdark Feels Unique & Dangerous – This campaign nails the horror and mystery of the Underdark. Every city and faction feels distinct, and the landscape itself is as much of an enemy as the creatures lurking in the darkness. 🔹 Strong Survival & Exploration Elements – Unlike most campaigns, Out of the Abyss forces players to scavenge for resources, navigate treacherous terrain, and constantly stay on their toes. If you enjoy gritty survival mechanics, this campaign delivers. 🔹 Memorable NPCs & Factions – From deranged kuo-toa cultists to the drow of Menzoberranzan, there’s no shortage of weird and fascinating encounters. The NPC companions, if used well, can add depth and tension to the story. 🔹 Demon Lords as a Huge Threat – Having actual Demon Lords running wild in the Underdark is an epic concept. Encounters with Demogorgon, Zuggtmoy, and Graz'zt make the stakes feel massive, even if they’re difficult to handle mechanically. Where It Falls Short: 🔸 Pacing Issues & an Unfocused Narrative – The campaign starts strong but loses direction fast. Players are thrust into a sandbox survival experience, which can be fantastic in the hands of an experienced DM but overwhelming and meandering if not carefully structured. 🔸 Too Many NPCs, Too Little Player Agency – The game gives a ton of NPCs right at the beginning, and while they add flavor, they can also steal the spotlight from the players. Managing them all can feel like a chore. 🔸 The Underdark Can Feel Repetitive – While the setting is immersive, the gameplay loop often boils down to travel, survive, deal with another Underdark faction, repeat. This can make it feel grindy and exhausting, especially for players who prefer a more structured narrative. 🔸 The Ending Feels Rushed & Unbalanced – After all the buildup of the Demon Lords, the final battle against them feels anticlimactic and rushed, with a forced resolution that doesn’t always satisfy player choices. My Experience Running It: I've found that Out of the Abyss can be an incredible campaign if the DM does a lot of heavy lifting to smooth out its rough edges. It requires extra planning to balance survival mechanics, refine the pacing, and keep the story engaging rather than letting it drift into endless wandering. While I love the dark and oppressive tone, I’ve also seen players grow frustrated with the lack of clear direction in parts of the campaign. Final Verdict: Out of the Abyss is a great concept with uneven execution. The atmosphere, lore, and potential for horror storytelling are top-tier, but the pacing issues, lack of direction, and grindy middle section hold it back. With a dedicated DM willing to make adjustments, it can be an unforgettable campaign, but as written, it struggles to maintain momentum.

Out of the Abyss is one of Dungeons & Dragons 5E’s most unique and challenging adventures, taking players from levels 1-15 as they escape captivity in the Underdark, navigate its alien horrors, and ultimately confront rampaging Demon Lords in an all-out war for survival. This adventure mixes survival horror, open-ended exploration, and high-stakes cosmic horror, making it one of the most atmospheric and thrilling campaigns in 5E—but its nonlinear design, overwhelming chaos, and abrupt tonal shifts require a skilled DM to manage effectively. The Good: ✅ A Gritty, Desperate Survival Story – The opening chapter is one of the best in 5E, as the players begin as prisoners of the drow, forced to escape and survive in the alien depths of the Underdark. ✅ A Rich, Thriving Underdark to Explore – Out of the Abyss makes the Underdark feel alive, with unique locations like Gracklstugh (the duergar city), Neverlight Grove (a fungal nightmare), and Blingdenstone (a crumbling gnome stronghold). Each location has its own politics, dangers, and mysteries. ✅ A True Sandbox of Player Freedom – After escaping captivity, players can go anywhere, encountering madness-infused settlements, corrupted rulers, and cults devoted to demon lords. It’s one of the most player-driven campaigns in 5E. ✅ Memorable NPCs & Allies – The other prisoners from the drow stronghold include a noble orc, a kuo-toa zealot, a myconid philosopher, and an insane deep gnome, all of whom can develop deep bonds with the players—or meet tragic ends. ✅ The Madness & Horror Are Fantastic – The Underdark is infected with demonic corruption, causing NPCs and even the players to suffer from insanity, paranoia, and visions. This gives the campaign a constant feeling of dread and unease. ✅ The Demon Lords Are Incredibly Thematic & Memorable – Players witness (or accidentally trigger) world-shaking events involving famous Demon Lords like Demogorgon, Zuggtmoy, Juiblex, and Baphomet—each with their own terrifying lairs and influence over the Underdark. ✅ The Final Battle Is Absolutely Insane – The climax pits the players against multiple Demon Lords at once, turning the Underdark into a chaotic, reality-warping warzone. It’s one of the most cinematic finales in D&D 5E. The Not-So-Good: ❌ The Open-Ended Structure Can Be Overwhelming – While freedom is great, Out of the Abyss provides little direction, which can leave players unsure what to do and DMs struggling to keep momentum going. ❌ Pacing Issues & Abrupt Tone Shifts – The survival horror of the first half contrasts heavily with the cosmic, high-level madness of the second half. Some groups love the shift, but others may feel disconnected from their initial goals. ❌ The Madness Mechanic Can Be Too Harsh – While madness effects add to the horror, some of the mechanics make roleplaying difficult, as players randomly lose control of their characters. DMs may want to tweak the rules for balance. ❌ Demon Lords Feel Underused Until the End – Despite being a huge part of the campaign, the Demon Lords don’t directly interact with the players much until the final chapters. They loom over the adventure, but their presence often feels distant. ❌ The Second Half Feels Less Developed Than the First – The opening chapters (escaping the Underdark and surviving) are fantastic, but the later sections feel rushed, with less depth in the faction warfare and final battle than players may expect. ❌ New Players May Feel Lost – Because the campaign is so open-ended, newer players may struggle to know where to go or what their goal is beyond just surviving. It takes a proactive group to make the most of the Underdark’s sandbox. Final Verdict: Out of the Abyss delivers one of the most immersive and unique adventures in 5E, blending survival horror, cosmic madness, and open-ended exploration into a thrilling, high-stakes campaign. However, its loose structure, abrupt tonal shifts, and overwhelming number of choices mean that it works best for experienced DMs and players who enjoy improvisation and deep world exploration. If you want a dark, high-stakes campaign set in a terrifying and chaotic world, Out of the Abyss is a must-play. But if your group prefers structured narratives and clear direction, it may be a frustrating experience.

This is a solid campaign with a classic start and an epic finale. Groups immediately bond after starting in captivity and those that stay together and persevere have a chance to save the rest of the world. There is beauty to be found in the natural world, but the ways of the Underdark are strange and terrifying. I held off on the 5th star due to some of the content being dated, and it was a little long in the tooth. It takes about a year to play through this one. If you're a fan of the Underdark and you know who Drizzt is, this one is a must for you.

This module allows players to explore one of the coolest regions of the setting. The Underdark is a place of strange creatures, endless tunnels, lost treasures, and so much more. This adventure feels like its split into two parts with the first being about escaping captivity and surviving in a place as strange as it is dangerous, and the second being on putting an end to a threat that could make the rest of the world just as dangerous. Players in this campaign will primarily handle a lot of exploration and combat as they attempt to navigate the Underdark, but the module did a good job of setting up some NPCs to help bolster the chance for RP and Character development as well. The module feels like it could have been organized a bit better with locations thrown in almost at random and little more than a random encounter chart to determine what happens between each location. The areas the book focuses on are detailed with enough information to make each memorable and exciting, but this book really shines with a DM that is willing to add their own flare to it. 3rd Party content does exist to expand upon certain areas as well as creating fun encounters for the party that is traveling between locations. I think the book benefits from being read through in its entirety before beginning the adventure so that you can be sure to add the influence of the demon lords throughout and create some nice connections to characters and foreshadowing for events as things progress into the second half of the book. The climactic finale of this campaign also can become very exciting and dynamic just as easily as it can get bogged down in the narrative, so I would suggest that when you get closer to the end having a solid plan for how to handle the big fight while also keeping your players involved is going to save you a lot of headaches. This campaign is great for a group that loves exploring and discovering new and weird things while also fighting some pretty terrifying foes.