On the topic of "Day and night in the Underdark", I was wondering one other thing. How do people tell directions in the Underdark? How would you know which way East is, without seeing the sun, and without a compass?

In fact, I'm pretty sure you don't know, and that there is no way of knowing. When you travel in the underdark, you [must] take into account visual details a lot (i.e. A strange rock, a particular blob of fungus, etc.)

I can imagine myself that Underdark races, along with Dwarves and Gnomes, can at least differ directions down under. Besides, DM's put in quests that tell you to go in a particular direction. They don't strike me to put in loose ends, so there must be one way of knowing. I just don't know what.

Yeah, in quests, particularly errands and the like, you are given precise directions. But these aren't true north, east south and west. They surely are made-up directions agreed by social consensus in the town of sanctuary. (i.e. Ok everybody ! Directly out of the gate and forward is West!, etc.)

Blue mushroom fungus always grows and leans towards the east.

Conan The Conqueror Blue mushroom fungus always grows and leans towards the east.

Are you kidding me?

Because if not, how do they know which way is east, there is no point they can see. (i.e. the sun or the moon, or any other permanent lightsource by which they can know their direction). And even if they know, what is the use for them to grow to the east. The use for Sunflower to grow towards the sun is to catch more sun, but I don't see Blue Mushrooms do that.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but dont dwarves have an innate sense of direction when underground? It seems to me that the easiest answer is to ask the nearest Dwarf. :)

I remember hearing something like that as well. Might as well have been a Dwarf who bluffed, but still. No Sourcebook/ DM input on this one?

Old School dwarves (2nd Ed and before) could also tell you how deep you were. Is that an ability that dwarves possess DM's?

I'd suggest that, as someone has indeed already mentioned, social convetions could define directions. Other than that, in a magical environment such as Faerun, someone simply casting a spell pretty much solves half of such problems. Also, I'm pretty certain magnetism would work just fine.

Hence I was going to suggest compasses if it turned out there's no way for everyone to know directions. However, it wouldn't surprise me if the Underdark has a lot of magnestism down there. It's 7 miles beneath the surface, so regular compasses wouldn't work.

Coldburn Hence I was going to suggest compasses if it turned out there's no way for everyone to know directions. However, it wouldn't surprise me if the Underdark has a lot of magnestism down there. It's 7 miles beneath the surface, so regular compasses wouldn't work.

Depth would also play a role in addition to north, south, east, and west. So your compass would have to add a dimension or you would need two devices. I for one love old timey direction giving and odd terms thus entailed.

"Sir, do you know how to get to the Blue Mushroom from here?"

"Yeah, its two farsees that way."

"Farsees?"

"Yep, look as far as you can see and go to that point. DO that again and you'll be there."

This is something I've been wondering about. My character was a sailor and is interested in eventually finding a ship but has been pondering just how to navigate without stars or a compass.

Magnetic north still won't disappear underground.

outcrowd1 This is something I've been wondering about. My character was a sailor and is interested in eventually finding a ship but has been pondering just how to navigate without stars or a compass.

Sure there is. The "Dark Lake" (in our setting) could be considered equivalent in size to Lake Erie, and there are much larger bodies of waters in canon -- I forget what they're called, but there are real seas.

Mr. Cheez-It

spartacus Will there be direction in the Underdark?

Yes, inhabitants of the Underdark are able to determine general direction. However, someone new to the environment would have more than a difficult time finding their way around using them. Travelers also need to be able to determine their depth, as walking north ten paces and then east five is of no use to someone standing fifty feet above their destination. The Underdark is also constantly changing, so a cavern or shaft that may have existed a year ago could very well be unreachable today.

Mr. Cheez-It

spartacus I imagine compasses getting quite screwed up down there.

An experienced guide in this type of environment would have little use for a compass. Those characters with a background that may have included guiding, scouting, or tracking on the surface will have to spend a considerable amount of time adjusting to the challenges brought forth in traveling underground. Once they have mastered finding their way through the Underdark, they will become an invaluable member of any party.

Howland The "Dark Lake" (in our setting) could be considered equivalent in size to Lake Erie, and there are much larger bodies of waters in canon -- I forget what they're called, but there are real seas.

Realms Below - Geology Seas

Perhaps the most wondrous of the Underdark's features are the vast, mighty seas of the deep earth. Seas are saltwater bodies, not fresh, and most of them are found in the Lowerdark, though Underdark seas also occur at higher spots beneath Faerun's surface oceans. While air-filled cave systems may extend for dozens or even hundreds of miles beneath the ocean's above, or form air-locked siphons of extraordinary size, these features are exceptional. Most caves beneath bodies of saltwater are simply subterranean extensions of surface oceans.

Seas tend to form in the largest of vaults, occupying caverns large enough to be miniature worlds in their own right. Like the lakes, seas offer some of the best roads in the Underdark, and many are heavily traveled.

Some of these include:

• Sea of Buried Ice
• The Cold Sea
• The Lightless Sea
• Moondeep Sea

Thank you, Cheez. It's not the answer I was expecting, but along with the previous posts of everyone I think I can create a justifiable reason for knowing what way to travel when asked for directions.

Shouldn't Svirfneblin be able to talk with the rock, or at least be able to get directions by listening them? I remember something like this from R.A. Salvatore's books. I might recall it wrong tho..

I think the character you're thinking of is a Pech, which is a fey. They look sorta like Sfirvs, but they can cast Stone Tell, thus they speak to rocks.