I'm just getting started good on the Underdark. I've met the gnomes and hanlded their "problem".

Now I'm ready to start exploring. I still have to visit the Kuo-tao, Beholders, Mind flayers, and Elemental Planes.

Is there any particular order I should follow or does it really matter?

<font color="gold">AFAIK, if you just start with the drow city (Ust-Natha), and do all the quests there, you will eventually also visit all the places you listed.
But if you want to start with one of those, I'd say the Elemental Planes (not really much to discover here), and the Illithids (Mind Flayers).
All the quests down there are great, so it really doesnt matter which order you take them in. ;) </font>

see ya!

The elemental gates are a mini-quest, seperate from all others. Of the other 3, you only have to do one of them (and the Kua-Toa is the easiest), but I would recommend doing all three. Me, I do them all before ust-natha just to imagine the look on Ardulaces face...

what are the elemental planes???? i've never encountered them before.

I think he means the mage you free who offers to retrieve some magical objects from the elemental realms, while you fend off elementals who sneak in through his portals. This task is non-time-related, so you can take it on after dealing with the item the Matron Mother wants.

As to order...you have a choice of all three Underdark tasks and you want to do all three, correct? I would suggest that the Mind flayers take the longest. Therefore, you might put it last (to see if you have the time left to take it on), or put alternatively put it first, and deal with the others if you can.

Thanks for all the good info.

I did the Elemental Planes last night and a funny thing happened on the way to the Plane. I always read a walkthrough of any area before actually going through, so I know what to expect. I had read that - if I hold out for extra payment from the mage - there is a chance he will attack. But I get more treasure once he is killed.
I never got a chance to test the theory voluntarily. We got to the elemental Plane of Air and attacked the Guardian. The mage cast Aganazzer's Scorcher at it and also hit my PC (<font color="red">Cerek</font>). He is a Wizard Slayer that has a non-standard magic item that reflects any spell below 6th level back at the caster. The Scorcher got reflected and killed the mage...who DID happen to have some very nice 8th & 9th level scrolls on him.

I AM planning on doing ALL 3 quests. I have the Shield of Balduran and the Cloak of Mirroring, so the Beholder's should be relatively easy. The Mind Flayer's will take a little longer, but still shouldn't be overly difficult. I will then clean out the Kuo-Tao dungeon on my way to Ust'Natha....it sounds like the most complex of all the quests, so I will save it for last.

BTW, <font color="yellow">fable</font>, what kind of time limit am I under to complete these areas. Your Response implies that there is some sort of time limit before leaving the Underdark...is that true?

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There is only a time limit if you do the mas quests . do them before the drow and all is well. Do them for the drow and everything seems like it has a three day limit

where do you find this mage guy????

Do the Kuo-toa quest only after you've been given the quest from the drow chick. You can always come back and do the other areas after you flee the drow city. Side note--The drow city is a piece of cake to eliminate after you have finished the silver dragon's quest. A real let down I think...

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First, you have to purchase a Freedom scroll from the gnomes you meet when you first enter the Underdark.
Then, go to next reasonably wide area in the trail (roughly in the middle of all 3 Elemental Gates) and read the scroll.

The mage was Imprisoned by some drow and reading the scroll will free him. He will then ask you to retrieve a book from the Svirfneblin.

You'll have an "adventurous" trip to the Svirfneblin area. Once you retrieve the book, return to the mage (whose name I simply can't remember right now) and he will lead you to each Elemental Gate.