Night Below AD&D 2e Session Zero: Character Creation, DM Setup & Campaign Preparation

 

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Session Zero: Building the Foundation for Night Below

As part of my preparation for running Night Below, I created a two-page handout for my players. This document included essential information about Haranshire and its placement within the Forgotten Realms. I also added details about the major families and villages in the region to help ground the characters in the setting.

What Is Session Zero?

For those unfamiliar with the term, Session Zero is when the players come together to create their characters before the campaign begins. For me, it’s an essential step—especially in a campaign like Night Below.

I wanted everyone at the table together so they could:

• Discuss relationships between their characters
• Coordinate party composition
• Make informed choices about roles and survival

This is particularly important because this campaign is unforgiving. A poorly balanced group can struggle to survive, so some level of coordination is not just helpful—it’s necessary.

One requirement I set early on was that every character needed some form of connection to Haranshire. This worked very well—my players embraced the idea naturally, and it helped anchor the party in the world from the very beginning.

The party ended up consisting of:

• Cerdric Goldhaert, a paladin of Lathander
• Beryglus Stumblefoot Spudmaster Bignoodle Wizport, a gnome thief
• Bilfiis Dazzelhaert, a gnome multiclass priest of Baravar Cloakshadow / mage illusionist
• Elmrin the peasant hero, a human warrior 

These are the characters we hopefully will follow through this campaign. 

Starting Power and AD&D 2nd ed Philosophy

Adjusting Starting Level for a Smaller Party

In Evils of Haranshire (p.5, “The Adventure Unfolds”), it’s stated that player characters should begin at 1st level, or possibly 2nd, with an ideal group size of four to eight characters. Night Below is a very deadly campaign.

In my case, I only have four players.

Because of that, I made a deliberate adjustment and increased the starting power level of the party. A smaller group simply has fewer actions, fewer resources, and less margin for error—especially in a campaign like Night Below, which has a reputation for being quite deadly.

To compensate, I started the party at 4000 XP, roughly equivalent to a 3rd-level fighter. This gives them a bit more durability and flexibility without removing the danger that makes the campaign exciting.

the homemade charactersheet we use

I still intend to run the game as written in terms of difficulty and will be rolling openly at the table. The goal is not to make the campaign easier, but to make it survivable and fair for a smaller group.

Unlike later editions, classes progress at different rates depending on their strengths. Some require more XP to level up, others less. This is part of the system’s internal balance.

Personally, I like this design.

I believe in clear differences between classes:

Tabletop Tales AI created image

What I appreciate about AD&D 2nd Edition is that you have to choose your strengths—and accept your weaknesses, or “disadvantages” as the game often presents them.

A fighter is meant to dominate in combat.
A wizard is meant to wield powerful magic.

Those roles are distinct, and that distinction matters.

In later editions, classes became more balanced and flexible. Through skills, feats, and other mechanics, characters can often borrow abilities from other classes, blurring those lines. While that has its advantages, it also reduces the sense of specialization.

In AD&D 2e, you commit to your role. You can’t do everything—and that’s exactly what makes teamwork, planning, and class identity so meaningful.

That distinction creates meaningful roles within the party and makes teamwork more important.

The Table Experience

We held Session Zero at my place, where I have access to most of the books we needed for character creation.

As both a player and a Dungeon Master, I’ve spent years collecting AD&D 2nd Edition material, and I’m fortunate to have a large portion of it in physical form.

My ad&d 2nd ed collection 2025

There’s something special about using the original books. It’s a bit like listening to vinyl records—you can’t quite replicate the feeling of flipping through the pages, studying the artwork, reading the text, and even the smell of the paper. It adds something to the experience that digital tools just can’t replace.

Strengthening Player Ties to the World

As I continued planning, it became clear that I needed to strengthen the party’s connection to the setting even further—especially considering some of the common challenges reported by other Dungeon Masters running Night Below.

Adapting the World to Fit the Party

When my players started creating their characters, two of them chose to play gnomes—one a multiclass priest/mage (illusionist), and the other a gnome thief.

Since Evils of Haranshire doesn’t really establish any strong gnome presence in the region, I decided to adapt the module to better support their choices.

I introduced a gnome settlement: Sparkstone Warren, led by the elder Gemwhistle. I developed just enough detail to bring the location to life—enough to describe it if the players visit, but without overdefining it. This gives me the flexibility to expand or adjust the warren based on the players’ actions and narrative direction.

Sparkstone Warren in Thurmaster. AI generated

One of my players wanted to play a warrior with strong local ties. He chose the Peasant Hero kit, which fits this campaign perfectly. His character, Elmrin, is the son of the village blacksmith.

His father, Astan, is a man in his early seventies and still owns the forge, though the day-to-day work is handled by Walright and Semeren, as described in the adventure. This tied Elmrin naturally into the setting—he’s known as something of a troublemaker in the village, but also as a local “hero” figure.

Another player chose to play a paladin of Lathander. His character, Cedric, has a different background. His family moved from Milborne to Waterdeep when he was five years old, where they established a transport business moving copper and lead from the Carman family’s mines.

Cedric has not returned to Milborne since his childhood, but he is well connected in Waterdeep, where he trained at the Spire of the Morning, the temple of Lathander. This gives him both a strong religious foundation and a natural link between the local events in Haranshire and the wider world.

Reworking Existing NPCs

To further strengthen this connection, I also made changes to existing NPCs.

The wizard in Thurmaster, originally named Tauster, has been reworked into a gnome wizard named Taster. (I also changed the name—Tauster sounded a bit too close to “toaster” and didn’t quite fit the tone I’m aiming for.)

This change serves a clear purpose: Taster now acts as a mentor figure for the party’s gnome spellcaster, helping anchor that character more firmly in the world.

Creating Personal Stakes

I also looked at ways to build stronger emotional ties into the story.

Another player created a gnome thief, and I decided to connect him directly to a key NPC. Jelenneth has been reimagined as a gnome wizard named Nyssa Fizzwhistle, and she is now the romantic partner of that character.

Original picture of Jelenneth from book 1 

This kind of connection is intentional.

Many DMs report that parties can struggle with motivation as the campaign shifts deeper into the Underdark. My approach is to establish strong personal relationships early—especially between player characters and important NPCs. If the players care about someone in the world, they are far more likely to stay engaged when the stakes rise. As the characters move through the adventure they will find clues that Nyssa have been there, maybe part of clothing, a hidden message or some other item. This way the character feels they are on her tracks and it keeps the momentum going.

A Flexible Approach to Worldbuilding

The goal with all of these changes is not to rewrite the campaign, but to make it more personal and more playable for my group.

By adding just enough structure—without overcommitting to details—I can adapt the world as the story unfolds, while still giving the players a strong sense of belonging from the very beginning.

Summary

In this post, I’ve outlined how I prepared and structured the foundation for my Night Below campaign. From session zero, to adapting the setting into the Forgotten Realms, and strengthening player ties through worldbuilding and character connections—everything is built with one goal in mind: making the campaign playable, engaging, and meaningful for my group.

By adjusting starting levels, creating strong narrative hooks, and tailoring the world to the players, I aim to avoid the common pitfalls others have experienced with this module.

Now, with the groundwork in place, the real journey begins.