So, via getting lost in a teleportation dungeon, my 5 person, low level party ended up out front of Rappan Athuk this past weekend, with no intention of going in yet. We promptly booked it away and wandered back to Zelkor's Ferry.
However, when we continued back to the Mouth of Doom, the party commander decided to "finish mapping the teleportation dungeon", which of course led us right back to Rappan Athuk.
The Paladin was bored and wanted to go down the well, despite multiple warnings not to. When other party members seemed hesitant, he looked at me and suggested that I send my Eidolon instead. Having just picked up Unfetter, I thought that seemed like a fair idea.
We proceeded to flee while the Eidolon grumblingly plowed down the well. I am a Master Summoner, so I cannot see through my Eidolon's eyes, and this began a hilarious exchange, wherein the DM played my eidolon wandering through the caves beneath the well, very sneakily and with rather terse communication. Eventually, the poor guy was ambushed by a horde of Black Skeletons and I unsummoned him.
I'm sharing this mostly as a really fun way to get a "teaser trailer" of what was down the well, without much game-breaking actual information.
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Saturday during our Iron Gods game the group that is also playing in my Rappan Athuk game mentioned that it would be nice to have someone have a familiar to send down the "Well" to see what is down there before they go themselves.
There is one problem with your solution in my game. That is "No Summoners".
Man I miss old fashioned gaming. That's why I went out and picked up RA. Currently I'm runing a homebrewed megadungeon inspired by the Dungeon of Graves. My players basically hack their way in wherever, fight w/out running and then flee when resources get low. I've already had several PC deaths.
When I was a kid and playing in old 1e/2e games like RA we had a list of options for situations like not going down the well ourselves. The list included (but was not limited to):
1. send a familiar (riskier back in the day)
2. Summon monsters
3. charm animials or minions from the wilderness near the dungeon entry
4. RP gathering info and rumors from the locals
5. seek out specific dungeon denizens who might have info
6. a mirror on a rope
7. thief-on-a-rope
8. capture and force local dungeon denizens to go on ahead
I'm sure now in PF there's lots more you could add to this. My 2CP: if you get teleported, low level in front of RA and make it back to Zelkor's Ferry, first thank all of the gods. Then memorize exactly what you saw, start a map and begin talking to everyone you meet. Spread some gold around and try to get an honest answer of what area you were looking at and what's down there. Finally gear up and get out in the wilds so you can poke around. If something is living w/in a few miles of where you were it might give you an indication of what can survive the entry point.
HAHA! Thief-on-a-rope! Oh man, does that bring back old school memories.
The neat thing about the Eidolon was the amount of scouting time it provided. Old school summons were typically barely held in check, waiting for the moment they could turn on you. New school summons aren't around very long.
The unfettered Eidolon was a sweet scout. Low risk, better skills than a thief, 40 minutes of scouting time. Stupid botched stealth roll; I'm sending summons after those skeletons once my summons are boss enough not to flee.
Silverhair, suggest a planar ally. Several of the little guys have ridiculous stealth and permanent invisibility.
Gevaudan, I won't be suggesting anything because I am the GM. I like your ideas though. Perhaps I'll have Pappy from Odo's Inn or the guy from the Dock suggest it if they ever come up with the idea.
If you polymorph into an earth elemental, do you get earth glide? Seems like a good way to scout.
Yes . . . for one minute per level.
Earth glide is powerful, except you can't see anything and aren't immune to any of the effects that might wreck you wandering around RA. Now, add onto that invisibility and protection from evil and you're starting to get pretty effective.
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Speaking of the well. My group hit the graveyard at night. They never really noticed the well at all.
Later one of them (Rogue on a rope) climbed up the well, saw the graveyard (they now have a way out), and the group has never put together the well he climbed up and the well in the warning. I am totally blown away at their lack of being able to put together the pieces. Unbelievable.