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Underdark environments and architecture?

argel1200argel1200 Posts: 759
in The Commons

My gaming group is goign to start an Underdark campaign up soon. It'll be a mix of urban and wilderness adventuring. Lots of options for Drow, decent options for outfits, etc. But a large underground city in a hige cavern? Not so much. So, I thought I'd ask if any environments architecutre come to mind as potentially useful.  Some of the alien landscapes could work. Also interested in lighting ideas.

 

For landcapes, these could work:

https://www.daz3d.com/cassini-system-bundle

https://www.daz3d.com/crystal-dragon-lair

I'm coming up short for architecture. Everything looks like it's designed for the surface or are ruins, or something borderline too specific.

Might be able to do something with: https://www.daz3d.com/cave-restaurant

 

 

Comments

  • TheMysteryIsThePointTheMysteryIsThePoint Posts: 3,027

    Yeah, there's no Menzobarranzan bundle :) In several years of searching, I've never found any architecture that any self-respecting nerd would not immediately see that it is clearly surface Gothic, Wood Elf, or sometimes even High Elf, but certainly not Drow.

    The Sylph Pavilion is the closest I found, but it seems more High Elf, as well; not enough sharp edges to be Drow.

  • LeanaLeana Posts: 11,848

    Could things like those be useful?

    https://www.daz3d.com/pw-underworld

    https://www.daz3d.com/pw-caves-of-cave-island

    https://www.daz3d.com/dwarf-cave-entrance

    https://www.daz3d.com/time-honoured-entrance

    https://www.daz3d.com/niflheim-s-gate

    https://www.daz3d.com/access-1510

    https://www.daz3d.com/fantasy-tunnel

     

  • The Blurst of TimesThe Blurst of Times Posts: 2,410
    edited June 2020

    Lighting for the dark is probably best to do in post.

    Light it very well, then reduce the light levels afterwards. Trying to resolve images with low light? It can be a nightmare. Better to render at full light and then take it out.

    Example: This was shot fully lit, and the background is a daylight outdoor photograph that I manipulated in GIMP.

    Post edited by The Blurst of Times on
  • The Blurst of TimesThe Blurst of Times Posts: 2,410
    edited June 2020

    Architecture... Stonemason's new set? LOL. Just stick it in a cave. A sufficiently cave-y backdrop, anyway. I'd still shoot it fully lit. Maybe the Asian sets from Stonemason as well.

    The shape of Petipet's New Colony could work, especially a more Steam-era Dark Elf society.

    1971s on Rendo has some Dunmer buildings (taken from Morrowind), some houses out of the Witcher games, along with more general fantasy themes.

    Those are my limited ideas, anyway.

    (Why a whole city? Just draw what you need. You only need walls and floors, for the most part. Claustrophobic settings in the dark and all that.)

    Post edited by The Blurst of Times on
  • memcneil70memcneil70 Posts: 4,324

    Be aware that you can only download by way of Daz Central. And even that is not working right now.

  • argel1200argel1200 Posts: 759

    Thanks everyone. Caves can probably work with some lighting adjustments.I rules out Time-Honoured Entrance, but if the trees can be removed, then that could work. I need to factor that in -- might find a few more sets that can be adjusted.

    But the arcitecture is killing me. Stonemason's new set screams Star Wars a bit too much, but could work in the background or mixed in with other stuff. Thanks for the tip.

    The The Sylph Pavilion does actually come close! Too flowery, but could work in the background for sure.

    It's actually Erelhei-Cinlu. https://rise-of-the-underdark.obsidianportal.com/wikis/erelhei-cinlu. Thing about the Underdark is it shouldn't feel clautrobphic -- think vast gigantic caverns. Caverns so large that large urban cities look small in comparison.

    These might work:  https://www.daz3d.com/andoria-city-mega-pak

    Thanks for all the suggestions!!

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,931
    memcneil70 said:

    Be aware that you can only download by way of Daz Central. And even that is not working right now.

    This seems to be an error in set up, and also in reporting that Daz Central is available despite the set-up issue

  • Joe WebbJoe Webb Posts: 837

    Try looking at Alien Lands. Inverted can give a very cool cave look, or walls on its side.

    Some 'natural' or Drow-natural elements you might get out of Crystal Matrix, especially the obsidian textures. Arenas, grand avenues, naturalistic buildings if not actual architecture. 

    But if you're trying to fool nerds, good luck with that. You're really going to do that - just reskinning, applying new shaders to otherwise elf stuff should be enough, unless you want to just learn to paint and come up with your own style. Nice, and if you can already paint its probably the easiest option. Just look around DeviantArt or ArtStation for ideas.

  • argel1200argel1200 Posts: 759

    Thanks Joe Webb! Some creative ideas there. Wishlisted both fo them!

  • ZyloxZylox Posts: 787

    These might interest you, especially for dungeon creation.

    https://www.daz3d.com/infinite-dungeon

    https://www.daz3d.com/infinite-dungeon-vertical

    https://www.daz3d.com/infinite-fire-and-ice-for-infinite-dungeon

    https://www.daz3d.com/merlin-s-labyrinth-construction-kit

  • TheMysteryIsThePointTheMysteryIsThePoint Posts: 3,027
    argel1200 said:

    Thanks everyone. Caves can probably work with some lighting adjustments.I rules out Time-Honoured Entrance, but if the trees can be removed, then that could work. I need to factor that in -- might find a few more sets that can be adjusted.

    But the arcitecture is killing me. Stonemason's new set screams Star Wars a bit too much, but could work in the background or mixed in with other stuff. Thanks for the tip.

    The The Sylph Pavilion does actually come close! Too flowery, but could work in the background for sure.

    It's actually Erelhei-Cinlu. https://rise-of-the-underdark.obsidianportal.com/wikis/erelhei-cinlu. Thing about the Underdark is it shouldn't feel clautrobphic -- think vast gigantic caverns. Caverns so large that large urban cities look small in comparison.

    These might work:  https://www.daz3d.com/andoria-city-mega-pak

    Thanks for all the suggestions!!

    Oh, you're right... I like https://www.daz3d.com/andoria-city-mega-pak too.

    But to be honest, none of these suggestions, even my own, really works. They just aren't "brutal" enough to be Drow...

     

  • TheMysteryIsThePointTheMysteryIsThePoint Posts: 3,027
    The Blurst of Times said:

    Lighting for the dark is probably best to do in post.

    Light it very well, then reduce the light levels afterwards. Trying to resolve images with low light? It can be a nightmare. Better to render at full light and then take it out.

    Example: This was shot fully lit, and the background is a daylight outdoor photograph that I manipulated in GIMP.

    Nice. I like the filter on the background. Is it the Oil Painting filter?

  • TheMysteryIsThePointTheMysteryIsThePoint Posts: 3,027
    argel1200 said:

    Thanks everyone. Caves can probably work with some lighting adjustments.I rules out Time-Honoured Entrance, but if the trees can be removed, then that could work. I need to factor that in -- might find a few more sets that can be adjusted.

    But the arcitecture is killing me. Stonemason's new set screams Star Wars a bit too much, but could work in the background or mixed in with other stuff. Thanks for the tip.

    The The Sylph Pavilion does actually come close! Too flowery, but could work in the background for sure.

    It's actually Erelhei-Cinlu. https://rise-of-the-underdark.obsidianportal.com/wikis/erelhei-cinlu. Thing about the Underdark is it shouldn't feel clautrobphic -- think vast gigantic caverns. Caverns so large that large urban cities look small in comparison.

    These might work:  https://www.daz3d.com/andoria-city-mega-pak

    Thanks for all the suggestions!!

    I said Menzobenzerran because I didn't know your geek cred :) Erelhei-Cinlu is actually my favorite Drow city, it's got the most history. I usually DM but when I do get a chance to play, my character is a 5th level LE Drow cleric who calls himself Mendira Erelhei when he's topside, just as an inside insult to these culture-less surface dwellers who put so much emphasis on where you are from, instead of (rightly) who your mother is.

    Enjoy your game... I assume you are running it?

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,633

    Jaderail a former moderator who passed a few years ago was heavily into DnD and had a drow avatar

    I know his choice for the underdark was https://www.daz3d.com/shantara-city set in a huge cavern

    I myself know nothing about DnD just what I have read and seen on the internet and been told about 

  • The Blurst of TimesThe Blurst of Times Posts: 2,410
    TheMysteryIsThePoint said:

    Nice. I like the filter on the background. Is it the Oil Painting filter?

    Yeah, oil painting is one of the passes for the background, to make it look like a Dungeons & Dragons illustration rather than a photograph.

    It's a few layers to go from a daylight photo to a dark & desaturated look. Just messed around until I got that, really.

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