D&D 5E Question for those who have read Out of the Abyss

[mattcolville]

I know you begin the adventure as slaves in the Underdark. Do the heroes ever escape to the surface before the end of the adventure? Do they have any interaction with the surface world over the course of adventure?

I'd like to use the module's Underdark content, but I want my heroes to have spent a level or two in the surface world. And then choose to go into the under dark, and occasionally be able to leave and deal with events on the surface. How feasible is this? Is there a obvious place somewhere around third level where the heroes could enter the adventure?

 

[mattcolville]

I think what I want to do is run Night Below using the Out of the Abyss Underdark. This seems doable, but a hefty amount of work.

 

[fuindordm]

There is an interlude where they escape to the surface, and decide what to do about all the disturbing things they have seen. You can bring in as many overland leaders and factions as you like at this point.

 

[CapnZapp]

I know you begin the adventure as slaves in the Underdark. Do the heroes ever escape to the surface before the end of the adventure? Do they have any interaction with the surface world over the course of adventure?

I'd like to use the module's Underdark content, but I want my heroes to have spent a level or two in the surface world. And then choose to go into the under dark, and occasionally be able to leave and deal with events on the surface. How feasible is this? Is there a obvious place somewhere around third level where the heroes could enter the adventure?

I would say there is absolutely nothing that prevents you from spending one or two levels on the surface, and only getting captured at level 3. The only thing that you lose out on is that sinking feeling you have in your stomach when you realize you need to outwit Drow on their home field as a level 1 character!

Generally the adventure consists of two parts: escaping the Underdark and doing something about it. The cutoff point has been set at level 5 but this will clearly differ between groups. There is a lot of material - if you don't actively try to reach the surface, nothing says you will ever get there.