Videos About Modernism and Post Modernism in D&D

 A video essay on why lore or canon is important to fiction and art by @Sargon_of_Akkad
https://youtube.com/watch?v=15ldPeA6K7c

Video Essay on Morally Grey Fantasy by Sargon of Akkad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUrcThckf1I

A video essay on the death of the Orc by Sargon of Akkad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVklPxByNVY

a discussion about representation in D&D by the Potcast of the Lotus Eaters featuring Sargon of Akkad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zEVFPGjWo8&t=702s

The Demystification of Fantasy by ThePonderingoftheorb (Sargon of Akkad alt channel)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8rweGOsT9Q

Stop Being a Spoilsport by Sargon of Akkad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJQiB-gWqdc

D&D Out of the Abyss - Part 1 Sloobludop

*Yes, part 1 means we're still in part 1 of the campaign, though Sloobludop can be visited later too but it will be in ruins or in the process of being rebuilt following the final scenarios presented in this chapter of the book. These final scenarios are important for establishing the stakes of the campaign.

What is Sloobludop (Sloo blu dop)?

• Appearance: Rickety towers connected haphazardly by bridges of planks which stand out among seaweed with phosphorescent spots.
• Society / culture: Village of 500 or so kuo-toa (fish-folk). Madness is common to their people.
• Politics: Sloobludop has a theocratic government to Blibdoolpoolp the Sea Mother.
• Economy: Trade (fishing and diving) and ferrying services.
• PCs can resupply here or hire a guide for Darklake.
• Religion: Blibdoolpoolp the Sea Mother is the established religion.
• Leemooggoogoon the Deep Father is the new controversial religion causing the conflict.
• Military: Militia formed of all able-body members of the village.
• Conflict: Currently, there is a lot of religious tension over a new religious faction that has formed to Leemooggoogoon, the Deep Father.
• The Drow will not pursue the players here. Reduce pursuit by 1 for every day spent here.

Major Locations

• Gates: Walls on the north and south, each have a gate guarded by 4 kuo-toa whips. The walls are actually nets with sharp fishhooks fixed into them like barbed wire.
• Docks: On the west side. There are several docs with keelboats moored at all times. It is patrolled by five groups of three kuo-toa monitors lead by one kuo-toa whip.
• Shrine of the Sea Mother: In the center of town is the shrine to the Sea Mother, and is a central feature of the town. Visitors are expected to make offerings or regurgitate. 4 Kuo-toa monitors stand guard. 2d4 Kuo-toa worshippers are present at any time.
• Ploopploopeen's Hovel (home) is adjacent to the shrine and contains as treasure the various offerings made to the shrine. It is attended by 4 kuo-toa.
• Altar of the Deep Father (Leemooggoogoon): The altar is located near the docks. 6 Kuo-toa work here to arrange offerings which are usually living creatures sacrificed on the altar, or ones own blood. Non-kuo-toa humanoids are captured immediately and delivered to the archpriest.
• Bloppblippod's Hovel (home) where a duergar prisoner is kept as an offering.

The Two Factions and Notable Characters

1. Established faction of Blibdoolpoolp the Sea Mother.

• Leader: Ploopploopeen (male), archpriest. Leader of the village.
• Lieutenant: Glooglugogg, kuo-toa whip and son of Ploopploopeen

2. New, controversial faction of Leemooggoogoon the Deep Father

• Leader: Bloppblippod (Blop blip pod), archpreist and daughter of Ploopploopeen. 
• She is mad, sadistic, and bloodthirsty. She believes her new god will rise and bring glory and lead her people.
• She has recently professed to having powerful visions of Leemooggoogoon and declared him the new god of her people. She has been granted powerful magic and new followers have flocked to her.
• Lieutenant: Klibdoloogut, kuo-toa whip and keeper of the Alter of the Deep Father
• Prisoner: Duergar weapon smuggler named Hemeth. His intent was to cut a deal to sell weapons to both factions and profit off both sides of their conflict. He is now a bound and beaten sacrificial offering. If the PCs for save him, he is willing to return the favor if the PCs are captured in Gracklstugh.
• Note that it's important for the GM to understand that Leemooggoogooon is actually Demogorgon, chaotic evil demon prince. This is not a nice religion at all.

Scenarios

There are several scenes or scenarios presented in the book. I have listed them in chronological order with minimal summaries.

1. When the party arrives within one hour of travel of the village, they are ambushed by Kuo-toa worshippers to Leemooggoogoon and captured.
2. Following the previous encounter, the characters meet Kuo-toa worshippers to Blibdoolpoolp led by archpriest Ploopploopeen who will rescue the PCs if they were captured. Ploopploopeen has a proposal for the PCs.
3. Ploopploopeen, archpriest of the Sea Mother, proposes to use the PCs as bait and infiltrate the rival faction under the guise of a peace offering. If PCs refuse, Ploopploopeen will use them anyway. The goal is to disrupt the other factions' rituals to create an opportunity for the worshippers of the Sea Mother to behead the leader(s) of the rival faction and return order to the village. 
4. Ploopploopeen with escorts (optionally, and the PCs) visit the shrine of the Deep Father. 
5. Members of the two factions fight on the shores and docks of Darklake while a ritual is performed to sacrifice several offerings with the intent of calling forth the Deep Father.
6. Demogorgon rises from Darklake. All witnesses make a check / save against madness. Demogorgon reaches the shores in 4 rounds and begins attacking Sloobludop.
7. Escape Demogorgon. If escaping by land, mad kuo-toa may attack the PCs. If by water, ixitxachitl attack.

D&D Out of the Abyss - Part 1 Darklake

*Yes, with Darklake we're still in part 1 of the campaign book, although Darklake can be visited in part 2 of the campaign.

What is Darklake?

• The name Darklake is a misnomer. It's not a lake, it's a network of waterways and canals that spans 100 miles. Some of them are connected by falls and locks. The locks were built by duergar engineers.
• Darklake is dark. The only light is what the PCs bring.
• The water of Darklake is unsafe to drink. It is not recommended to swim in Darklake.
• Darklake is impossible to navigate unless you've spent years learning to navigate it. The Kuo-toa (fish-folk) offer ferrying services, but they only speak Undercommon.
• One the west shore is Gracklstugh. On the east shore is Sloobludop (sloo-blu-dop). On the north shore is Mantol Derith; however, Mantol Derith's precise location a secret and so we'll avoid mentioning this settlement at all until part 2.

Traversing Darklake

Anyone traversing Darklake by keelboat or raft can do so at a rate of 1 mile per hour or 8 miles per day.  This requires rowing. Any more than 8 hours of rowing a day for an adventuring party is considered a forced march. This means that a navigator who is knowledgeable of Darklake can traverse Darklake in about 2 weeks which is faster than walking around it.

Player Characters should be advised not to cross Darklake on their own. If players dare to travel Darklake, they should stick to the shoreline. Should they leave the shoreline, navigation checks should only be allowed with a map.

Note the Drow will not pursue PCs on Darklake. Reduce the pursuit level by 1 for every day that the players travel across Darklake.

Encounters

If on a watercraft, the book recommends rolling for encounters every 4 hours on Darklake (2x per day) where a 1 to 13 on a d20 (65%) means no encounter. If swimming, roll for an encounter once per hour. Consult the book for the table of encounters. For the interest of expediency of play, I would suggest one or two encounters per week of travel.

Terrain

The encounter table asks the GM to roll on the terrain table to randomly generate the terrain (like finding rapids or an island). Details for some terrain results call for situations requiring ability or skill checks to safely avoid some harm. Assume that a navigator who is knowledgeable about Darklake will not put the party into one of these dangerous scenarios and overrule these results. Consult the book for the table.

Crafting a Raft

Characters who want to create a raft must spend the crafting time or downtime. Materials must be at hand, or else they must be foraged, like Zurkhwood fungus for its wood stocks and Trillimac for its leather caps that can be made into strips to lash wood together. The raft has half the HP (or durability) of a Keelboat.