Module 25
Menzoberranzan
🕷️ Module Overview
Menzoberranzan released on March 28, 2023 for PC, PlayStation and Xbox as Neverwinter's 25th module. Created in collaboration with R.A. Salvatore and Geno Salvatore, it takes adventurers into the legendary City of Spiders and continues the story begun in Northdark Reaches.
After the rescue of Braelin Janquay, civil war still threatens the drow city. Lolth Loyalists defend the Spider Queen's order while the Blaspheme rebellion seeks freedom. Jarlaxle Baenre and Bregan D'aerthe turn to Sergeant Knox and the heroes of Neverwinter for help, while the beholder god Gzemnid plots to seize the Eye of Odran.
⚔ At a Glance
- Release: March 28, 2023
- Campaign: Menzoberranzan
- Published Entry: Level 20 and 55,000 Total Item Level
- Adventure Zone: Menzoberranzan
- Trial: Gzemnid's Reliquary
✦ Major Additions
- Three new story instances inside the drow city
- Menzoberranzan campaign and weekly progression
- Lockdown encounters and Heroic Encounters
- Normal and Master ten-player trial versions
- Combat-companion balance pass
- Four-slot mounts and new insignia bonuses
📜 Menzoberranzan Campaign
Use a level-20 character and begin through the Campaign Journal. The published path lists 55,000 Total Item Level. The campaign uses Menzoberranzan Mints, with a published weekly cap of 100 and 1,000 needed to complete the main track.
| Stage | What to Do | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Answer the Call | Follow Sergeant Knox's introduction and meet Jarlaxle through the Whispering Post route. | Connects the Northdark Reaches story to the crisis inside Menzoberranzan. |
| 2. Cross the Cliffs | Enter the Cliffs of the Starless Sky and complete the opening story objectives. | Introduces the city outskirts, the rebellion and the risks of moving openly. |
| 3. Investigate the Market | Search the Midnight Market for information about the Eye of Odran. | Reveals the artifact at the center of Gzemnid's plan. |
| 4. Enter House Oblodra | Meet Drizzt in the ruins and confront the shadowy forces tied to the investigation. | Completes the campaign's three-instance story route. |
| 5. Work the Weekly Track | Complete the activities displayed by the live Campaign Journal without exceeding the current cap. | Earns Menzoberranzan Mints and advances the permanent campaign. |
| 6. Face Gzemnid | Queue for the appropriate Gzemnid's Reliquary difficulty when the character and group are ready. | Resolves the Eye of Odran threat and opens trial-specific rewards. |
New Character
Follow the gold story quests first. They introduce the three locations and prevent confusion about which public or private instance a task uses.
Returning Character
Check the current Mint total and weekly cap before repeating zone content that may no longer advance the track.
Alt Character
Campaign advancement is character-specific unless a current completion token or account unlock explicitly states otherwise.
🌌 Menzoberranzan & the Three Story Instances
The module combines a public city adventure zone with three major story instances. Use the quest tracker carefully: a marker may point to an instance entrance, a public-zone location or the Whispering Post rather than another point on the same map.
Whispering Post
Jarlaxle and the Blaspheme use this hidden location as an operational base. It connects the campaign's contacts, turn-ins and movement into the city.
Cliffs of the Starless Sky
Sergeant Knox sends the Adventurer toward the caverns outside Menzoberranzan, where Jarlaxle explains the danger and guides the next move.
Midnight Market
The investigation moves into the city's trade and intrigue as the Adventurer searches for information about the Eye of Odran.
Ruins of House Oblodra
The trail leads to the remains of a fallen drow house, where Drizzt joins the investigation and shadowy enemies guard the truth.
🚨 Lockdowns, Heroics & Zone Farming
Menzoberranzan's streets shift between guarded movement and open retaliation. As fighting escalates in an instance, the city can enter a Lockdown and deploy stronger patrols. Players band together to clear priority forces and Drider Captains while continuing Heroic Encounters and repeatable objectives.
| Phase | Player Focus | Practical Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Watch the Instance | Follow zone messages and player callouts for an active or approaching Lockdown. | Move to the active group rather than fighting isolated enemies far from the route. |
| Clear Patrols | Defeat marked response forces and priority enemies deployed during the crackdown. | Stay close enough to the group and objective area to receive eligible credit. |
| Defeat Captains | Join the instance against stronger Drider Captains and other named threats. | Use zone chat to coordinate the order when groups are moving between targets. |
| Confirm Rewards | Check the completion result, campaign task and live item tooltip. | Verify the desired reward source before repeating the full cycle. |
Heroic Encounters
Public-zone encounters provide repeatable combat and reward opportunities. Read the encounter tracker because completion may require more than defeating one enemy.
Historical Pass Credit
Lockdown patrols once advanced Precipice of War. That Battle Pass has expired, so current Lockdowns should be chosen for their live campaign and item rewards.
🛡️ Campaign, Gear & Reward Paths
Menzoberranzan rewards are divided among the campaign track, Heroic Encounters, Lockdowns, the campaign store and Gzemnid's Reliquary. Launch material highlighted Underdark weapons, artifacts, mount insignias, combat enchantments and new equipment, but the live source tooltip should decide what is worth farming now.
| Source | Reward Focus | Verify Before Farming |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign Journal | Menzoberranzan Mint milestones, boon tasks and permanent campaign rewards. | Character progress, weekly limit and current milestone reward. |
| Heroic Encounters | Zone equipment and encounter reward pools, including launch-era rings and clothing pieces. | Encounter size, participation credit, drop tooltip and binding status. |
| Lockdowns | Patrol, captain and public-zone reward opportunities. | Active instance state, target eligibility and the exact item source. |
| Campaign Store | Equipment and purchases unlocked through campaign progress. | Unlock requirement, currency cost, purchase limit and equip effect. |
| Gzemnid's Reliquary | Difficulty-specific trial rewards, achievements and Master progression. | Selected tier, chest pool, key or reroll cost and live queue gate. |
| Historical Promotions | The launch Hero Pack and Precipice of War Battle Pass. | Do not treat expired promotional rewards as permanent campaign drops. |
Compare the Full Item
Item Level alone does not determine usefulness. Compare equip powers, role needs, percentage bonuses, trigger conditions and realistic uptime.
Check the Intended Source
Auction House availability does not change an item's original source. Confirm whether the target came from a Heroic, Lockdown, store or trial.
👁️ Gzemnid's Reliquary Trial
Gzemnid's Reliquary is a ten-player trial with Normal and Master versions. Gzemnid wants the Eye of Odran so he can reach the Illithid Hivemind. Inside his lair, the party faces subjugated creatures, magical objects and illusions designed to expose each adventurer's weaknesses.
Survive the Gauntlet
The reliquary's minions and magical defenses force the group to stay together, read the arena and keep role coverage intact.
Question Reality
Illusions are central to the trial's theme. Visual recognition and group communication matter as much as raw damage.
Stop Gzemnid
The final confrontation prevents the beholder god from using the Eye of Odran to tap into the Illithid Hivemind.
Published Launch Requirements
| Difficulty | Launch Item Level | Best Use | Historical Reward Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 30,000 | Learning the trial's broad flow; originally included in the Random Trial Queue. | Entry-tier trial rewards and story completion. |
| Master | 80,000 | Organized endgame challenge with the full mechanics and achievement set. | Completing every original Master achievement awarded a special cape transmute and the title Something to Behold. |
⚙️ Companion, Mount & Insignia Updates
Combat-Companion Formulas
Module 25 standardized more companion damage formulas so single-target, multi-target and hybrid companions could be compared within clearer roles.
Launch-Era Damage Pass
The original change included a broad boost of roughly 20% for attacks using the new formulas while correcting abilities that had been using the wrong target scaling.
Notable Companion Reviews
Regis, Succubus/Incubus, Paranoid Delusion variants, Honey Badger and Xuna were among the companions specifically discussed in the launch balance work.
Four-Slot Mounts
New mounts began using four insignia slots. Older three-slot mounts remained usable and were not automatically converted.
Preferred Insignia Slots
A preferred type in a four-slot mount's universal position originally granted an extra 20% Item Level contribution from the matching insignia.
Four-Insignia Bonuses
The update introduced bonuses built from four insignias, expanding the combinations available through the mount stable.
🎟️ Precipice of War Battle Pass Archive
Precipice of War was a time-limited 2023 Battle Pass and is not the permanent Menzoberranzan campaign. It ran from March 28 through July 11, 2023, with premium progress and purchases available through July 18. The original premium pass cost 2,500 Zen and covered all three five-week milestones.
| Milestone | Original Dates | Eligible Activity | Headline Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Starless Sky | March 28 – May 2, 2023 | Eligible random queues and Menzoberranzan Lockdown patrols. | Health and life resources, companion equipment, mount and companion choices, a Coalescent Mote and upgrade materials. |
| A City of Intrigue | May 2 – June 6, 2023 | Eligible random queues and Menzoberranzan Lockdown patrols. | Keys, Astral Lockboxes, vanity and artifact choices, upgrade tokens and a Coalescent Mote. |
| Unexpected Allies | June 6 – July 11, 2023 | Eligible random queues and Menzoberranzan Lockdown patrols. | Keys, reroll tokens, upgrade resources, a mount-or-companion choice, a Coalescent Mote and a 72-slot bag. |
Daily Activities
The original tasks included a Random Trial or Skirmish, a Random Dungeon or Advanced Dungeon and defeating Menzoberranzan Lockdown patrols.
Three-Day Stacking
Eligible tasks accumulated for up to three days, allowing players to catch up without logging in every day.
Account-Wide Track
Progress, premium access, milestone buyouts and one-time reward claims were published as account-wide.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to begin Menzoberranzan?
Does this story come after Northdark Reaches?
Where does the campaign begin?
What are the three main story instances?
What is a Menzoberranzan Lockdown?
What currency advances the campaign?
What were the Gzemnid's Reliquary launch requirements?
Where can I read the trial mechanics?
Where does the story continue?
Is Precipice of War still active?
🎥 Video & Verified Sources
Menzoberranzan Launch Trailer
A visual introduction to the drow city, the Blaspheme rebellion, its allies and the conflict surrounding the Eye of Odran.
Using Historical Guides
Launch and community videos preserve useful context, but class balance, queue requirements and reward pools may change. Confirm numeric advice against the live game.
Official Module 25 Sources
Use the original developer articles for release context and the live game for any value that may have been retuned.
Dev Blog HubModule AnnouncementMenzoberranzan LiveGzemnid TrialPrecipice of WarCompanion ChangesMount & Insignia UpdatesLaunch Patch Notes