''Expedition to the Demonweb Pits'' is a super-adventure

module Module, modular and modularity may refer to the concept of modularity. They may also refer to: Computing and engineering * Modular design, the engineering discipline of designing complex devices using separately designed sub-components * Mo ...

for the 3.5 edition of the ''

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roleplaying game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal ac ...

. The adventure is designed for

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of levels 9–12. It involves the machinations of the demon lords Lolth and

Graz'zt In the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, "monsters" are generally the antagonists which players must fight and defeat to progress in the game. Since the game's first edition in 1974, a bestiary was included along other game ma ...

and was heavily influenced by the 1980 adventure module '' Queen of the Demonweb Pits''.

Plot summary

''Expedition to the Demonweb Pits'' revolves around the reading of the Dark Pact. The demon lord Graz'zt seeks to form an alliance with Lolth against

Orcus Orcus ( la, Orcus) was a god of the underworld, punisher of broken oaths in Etruscan and Roman mythology. As with Hades, the name of the god was also used for the underworld itself. In the later tradition, he was conflated with Dis Pater. A ...

. Lolth spurns his offer, and Graz'zt, not taking rejection lightly, now schemes to undermine Lolth. With the aid of his cambion son, Rule-of-Three, Graz'zt plans a Demon Council within the Abyss. While he is doing this, Rule-of-Three spreads word among the drow that their goddess is coming to the

Prime Material Plane The planes of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' roleplaying game constitute the multiverse in which the game takes place. Each plane is a universe with its own rules with regard to gravity, geography, magic and morality. There have been various offic ...

to wage the eternity war against their hated cousins, the surface elves and their god,

Corellon Larethian In the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game, Corellon Larethian is the leader of the elven pantheon, and the god of Magic, Music, Arts, Crafts, Poetry, and Warfare. Corellon is also considered a member of the default ''D&D'' pantheon. Corel ...

. After the Demonic Council is arranged, Rule-of-Three and Graz'zt involve a group of mortals (the PCs) about Lolth's coming. Their goal is to bring attention to Lolth in her own Demonweb and then use the mortals to embarrass her in the eyes of the other demon lords, while at the same time, sealing the Dark Pact of planar binding using the divine spark Lolth gives it. It is the PC's goal to prevent the reading of that pact.

Items

''Expedition to the Demonweb Pits'' offers the characters many items, including two new legend items: ''Thaas'' and ''Spidersilk''. ''Thaas'' is an ancient magical elven bow dedicated to slaying demons. ''Spidersilk'' is a suit of fine armor for arcane spell casters that grants many spider-oriented benefits.

Publication history

The adventure was written by Wolfgang Baur and Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, and was published in April 2007 by

Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast LLC (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games. It is currently a subsidia ...

. Cover art was by David Hudnut, with interior art by

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, Miguel Coimbra, Ed Cox,

Carl Critchlow Carl Critchlow is a British fantasy and science fiction comic illustrator. He is best known for his character Thrud the Barbarian, which originally appeared in ''White Dwarf'' magazine, and for his work for the ''Lobster Random'' comics. Car ...

Eric Deschamps Eric Deschamps is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games. Career His ''Dungeons & Dragons'' work includes interior art for '' Sharn: City of Towers'' (2004), '' Explorer's Handbook'' (2005), ''Dragon Magic'' (2006), '' Complete M ...

, Wayne England, Erik Gist, Brian Hagan, Ralph Horsley,

Howard Lyon Howard Lyon is an American fantasy artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games and '' Magic: the Gathering''. Early life and education Howard Lyon was born in Mesa, Arizona and studied illustration at Brigham Young University (BYU) work ...

, Ted Pendergraft,

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, and James Zhang. When asked whether this adventure was influenced by module ''Q1: The Demonweb Pits'', designed as a revision, or a completely new expedition, Wolfgang Baur explained: "Of course ''Expedition'' was influenced by ''Q1'', since there would be no Demonweb Pits without that classic module. But we took the plot in a new direction, focusing on Planescape elements such as the cities of Sigil and Zelatar, plus a wider web than the first one. Many elements carry across the history of the Demonweb: from 1st edition's ''Q1'', from "The Harrowing" in ''Dungeon'' magazine #84, and from 2nd edition's ''Planes of Chaos''. It's a place that has grown over time, and we're continuing that exploration. Possibly with more demons than usual."

Critical reception

''Expedition to the Demonweb Pits'' received a mixed reaction on its release. Wayne Tonjes described it as "very convoluted", with "a few too many places where the plot requires the players to make one specific choice to access key phases of the campaign." However, he did also say it "fulfill dits goal of introducing a whole new spin on a classic module for old school gamers and new players alike." Nickolas Davis of ''The Gamer'' named it the second best adventure published for 3.5, after ''

Eyes of the Lich Queen ''Eyes of the Lich Queen'' is an adventure module for the 3.5 edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Plot summary ''Eyes of the Lich Queen'' takes place in the Eberron setting. The player characters mount an expeditio ...

''.

References

External links

Excerpt from Wizards.com
* Baur, Wolfgang, and Gwendolyn FM Kestrel. ''Expedition to the Demonweb Pits'' (

, 2007). {{DEFAULTSORT:Expedition To The Demonweb Pits Dungeons & Dragons modules Greyhawk modules Planescape Role-playing game supplements introduced in 2007