How to Run Evils of Haranshire (Night Below Book 1): AD&D 2e DM Prep & Sandbox Structure Guide

How I Structured Evils of Haranshire

I decided early on that I wanted to run this campaign for four of my friends. They have all been playing tabletop RPGs for over 30 years, so this is a very experienced group. They know Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition well, which gives me a lot to work with as a Dungeon Master.

When I first opened the massive boxed set and started reading through the campaign, one thing became immediately clear: the first book, Evils of Haranshire, is a true sandbox. It offers a huge number of locations, encounters, and small adventures—but not in a way that is easy to grasp at a glance.

I found it difficult to get a proper overview. On top of that, English is not my first language, which added another layer of challenge when working through such a dense and detailed module.

So I started looking for help.

Finding the Right Resource

That’s when I found the YouTube channel RPGLoremaster. His breakdown of all three books in the campaign is excellent. In particular, I watched his video “Night Below – Review and In-Depth Game Master Guide Part 1” multiple times. I took notes, studied the maps, and used his structure to better understand how everything in Evils of Haranshire fits together.

That video made a huge difference. It helped me see the connections between the many small adventures and encounters, and gave me a much clearer picture of how to approach the module as a whole.

But I still needed something practical at the table.

Creating a Usable DM Map (Encounters, Events & Page References)

To create a system that works for me, I took a map of the Haranshire region and added my own notes directly onto it. I marked all key events and encounters, along with their names and page numbers in the book. This turned the map into a quick-reference tool that I can use during sessions.

Now, instead of flipping through pages trying to find the right section, I can immediately see what’s happening in a given area and where to find the details. It gives me control over the sandbox without limiting the players’ freedom.

For a module of this size, that kind of overview is essential.

Encounter map made to keep track of the encounters

On my map, the yellow markers represent the main storyline, while the green markers indicate side quests and smaller encounters for the party. This simple system makes it much easier to track the flow of the campaign and maintain a balance between core progression and optional content.

Placing Haranshire in the Forgotten Realms

Once I had this structure in place, I made another important decision: I wanted to run the campaign in the Forgotten Realms, set in the year 1362 DR (Dalereckoning).

Finding the right location wasn’t easy. The Forgotten Realms is incredibly rich in lore, and almost every region is already well defined. I wanted to place the campaign somewhere that felt alive and grounded in the setting, while still giving me room to shape the story.

In the end, I chose the Western Heartlands as my starting point, and more specifically the Dessarin Valley. This became my version of Haranshire.

One thing I’ve learned over many years as a Dungeon Master is that lore and settings are meant to be flexible. They are tools—not restrictions. Even if a location already has established history and detail, there is nothing stopping you from adjusting it to fit your campaign.

Because of that, I reimagined Haranshire as a side valley branching off from the Dessarin Valley, stretching eastward toward the High Forest. This allowed me to anchor the campaign in a familiar and believable part of the Realms, while still keeping full control over the local details.

The red rounded rectangle on the map shows the area where I have placed Haranshire within the Dessarin Valley. This gives a clear visual reference for both myself and the players, and helps anchor the campaign geographically within the Forgotten Realms.

Why I Chose the Dessarin Valley, Waterdeep and beyond

This placement also gives me a much larger scope for the campaign’s central threat. With Haranshire located in the Dessarin Valley, the enemy’s plans now have the potential to reach far beyond a remote region and extend toward Waterdeep—one of the largest and most important cities on Toril.

That shift in scale matters.

By tying the campaign to a wider and more recognizable part of the Forgotten Realms, the stakes become clearer and more immediate. What begins as local troubles in a quiet valley can, if left unchecked, grow into something that threatens major trade routes, powerful factions, and eventually one of the great cities of the Sword Coast.

For the players, this creates a stronger sense of urgency. Their actions are no longer isolated—they are part of something larger. It gives weight to their decisions and reinforces the idea that pushing forward into the unknown depths is not just an option, but a necessity.

And for me as a Dungeon Master, it opens the door to expanding the campaign beyond the original material, tying it into the wider world and its consequences.

Setting Player Boundaries and Expectations

With the location and structure in place, I moved on to setting the framework for the players.

I kept things relatively open in terms of where their characters came from, but I created a short two-page document with essential information to help guide their character creation. This gave them enough context about the region, tone, and expectations without overwhelming them.

Welcome to Haranshire two pager

At the same time, I introduced a few boundaries that I felt were important for the campaign.

I decided to limit character options to the original races and classes from the core books and splatbooks. This helps maintain the tone and consistency of AD&D 2nd Edition, and keeps the game grounded in the style the campaign was written for.

For players interested in religion or priest characters, I strongly encouraged the use of deities from Faiths & Avatars and Demihuman Deities. This adds depth and ties the characters more closely to the Forgotten Realms setting.

Beyond that, I gave them a lot of freedom. In particular, I encouraged them to create connections between their characters if they wanted to—shared history, alliances, or relationships that could strengthen the group dynamic from the start.

Closing Thoughts

Running Night Below is not simply about following a published module—it is about interpreting, shaping, and sometimes rebuilding it so it can live at the table. The deeper I go into preparation, the clearer it becomes that the role of the Dungeon Master is not just to present material, but to make it usable, coherent, and engaging for the players sitting in front of you.

What I have shared here is the foundation of that process: how I approached Evils of Haranshire, how I structured it for clarity, and how I adapted both setting and expectations to fit my group and the world of the Forgotten Realms.

AD&D 2nd ed core rulebooks

This is only the beginning.

In future posts, I will move from preparation into play—sharing session summaries, unexpected challenges, adjustments I make along the way, and the lessons that come from running a campaign of this scale. Night Below is a long journey, both for the players and for the DM behind the screen, and this blog will follow that journey step by step.

If you’re also running classic AD&D modules, or working through Night Below yourself, I hope you find something here that helps you bring your own version of the Underdark to life.

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