Question for DMs re: surface char in the Underdark

[Green Monster]

Hello DMs and Admins,

8 days ago I asked this question about the fact that my surface character was able to do 3 quests in the Underdark. So, having received no answer I re-read the rules to see if the answer is in the rules and I'm just being an idiot. Instead, I found that either the rules have changed and the post not updated or there's a massive bug.

Surface/Underdark Travel
Characters flagged as a surface race in the Underdark, and Underdark characters on the surface, will not gain any EXP from enemy kills or loot from chests in areas that are flagged on the side that isn't theirs.

This wasn't the case. My surface tiefling was able to get xp and loot from the Underdark.

So, now I have THREE questions:
1: Is a surface character allowed to have loot in the Underdark from chests or was that a bug?
2: Is a surface character allowed to have xp from kills in the Underdark or was that a bug?
3: Is a surface character allowed to do quests in the Underdark or was that a bug?

[DM Winter]

Heyo! So, that passage is very much not updated.

1 - Surface characters are allowed to loot in the UD, also UD characters are allowed to loot on the surface. PvP rules apply, make sure to read them up.
2 - Surface characters are allowed to get exp from kills in the UD, also UD characters are allowed to get exp in the surface. PvP rules continue to apply.

The above was changed I think early last year. Why? Because the "no exp or loot" thing was decided to be a very OOC limitation, and instead the DM team wanted to move into more IC limitation, like making travel between UD-Surface harder, which it is now (arguably a bit too easy still, but anyway, not for discussion atm!).

3 - How well made a quest is ends up very much being up to whoever made it. It is fact that many UD quests arent supposed to work for surfaces just like many surface quests should not work for UDers. Depends if whoever designed them did the proper checks on the dialogue.
I can say, as someone that last touched the Lolth Idol quest, that indeed it was supposed to be locked from surface players. I have since fixed it (pending an update). Can't speak for the two other ones you mention in your previous post

hope this helps

[Green Monster]

Thanks! That helps a lot!