My "Megadungeon"
- Thread starter The1True
- Start date
The1True
My my my, we just loooove to hear ourselves don't we?
Yes.
The1True
My my my, we just loooove to hear ourselves don't we?
I don't know why I'm resisting talking about my backburnered heartbreaker project. It's not like I didn't put it all out there for the world to see.
Okay. I've got probably over a hundred entries in my Wilderness/Ruins/Sewers hex notes like this:
Isle of the Rat (19.15)
Forested Hills and Lake: Rocky, Ancient (81-130'), Coniferous (Red and White Pine); Treacherous Footing (1/2 Mv), Tall (1600'), Steep Slope (1/2 Mv); Medium Island, No Viz, The Depths (500'), 4100' long x 1800' wide, Headed West. Ample Island: 1200' x 900', Headed Southeast. This is a hilly island (Rocky, Treacherous Footing (1/2 Mv), High (500'), Steep Slope (1/2 Mv)). This island is infested with rats of all sizes. Secret: An abomination patrols the murky depths of the lake, a scaly warden of the island's inhabitants. Imprisoned in the honeycombed depths of the island, a vermin lord, ancient and diseased, plots his escape. (...)
the city and sewer notes provide slightly more information like:
Locations:
Dungeon: Hazardous Industry, 3 Levels (150x190', 8 Rooms; 90x140', 9 Rooms; 180x190', 14 Rooms), Partially Operational, Guarded by Giants.
and
Location:
Dungeon: Magical Prison, 3 Levels (160x100', 11 Rooms; 110x100', 9 Rooms; 120x140', 7 Rooms), Connection 4-Depths, Collapsed and Tumbled, Giant Guardians, Supernatural Prisoners (...).
or god help me, whole sewer hexes with sections of underground city AND dungeon like this:
15.12 Megalith in the Depths
2 Levels: 1, 2
Connections:
0: Intersection 0-1, Straight Stairs 0-1, Steep Ramp 0-1, Well 0-1, Collapse 0-1, Stairs w Landings (hidden) 0-2, Air Vent 0-2, Junction Shaft (Regular (8')) Stairs 0-1-2-Depths, Junction Shaft (Arterial (31')) 0-1-2-Depths, + Basement Connection 0-1, Basement Connection 0-2.
1: Spiral Stairs 1-2, Intersection 1-2, Well 1-2.
2: Ladder 2-Depths, Intersection 2-Depths.
Level 1:
Sparse, Ruined (1/2 Mv), Regular (6-10'), Wet (3/4 Mv), Flowing, 7 Exits (N, 2 NE, SE, 3 SW).
Locations:
Buried City: Health, 190x160', 11 Buildings, 1 Atrium, Partially ruined with some rubble, Stone, Vermin Infested. 3 POI.
Museum Chimeric (Dungeoneering); Gaol; Gatehouse.
Buried City: Health, 170x90', 7 Buildings, 1 Street, 1 Alley, Walls with some upper floors/rooves, Stone, Abandoned, Adventurer Encampment. 3 POI:
Portal; Tower; Library (Healing).
Basement: 80x80', 6 Rooms, Secret Level (30x50', 2 Rooms), Connection 0-1, Ruined (Collapsed, Giant Guardian), Abandoned.
Portal:
5th on the Portal Circuit. Arrive here from (R 23.14) exits to (R 25.11). Crumbling, Abandoned.
Level 2:
Medium Density, Ruined (1/2 Mv), Regular (6-10'), Dry, 3 Exits (N, 2 SE).
Locations:
Buried City: Health, 20x140', 8 Buildings, 1 Street, Rubble with some partial walls, Stone, Abandoned. 2 POI:
Gallows; Sanatarium.
Basement: 20x80', 4 Rooms, Connection 0-2, Tumbledown, Human Invaders.
Memorial:
A mysterious Megalith dedicated to Ephrahod, primordial, fire-haired, dwarven war spirit, lies in an abandoned cavern (120x190') in the Depths. Sacrificing 100 gp of the enemy's weapons on the Stone of Breaking brings a certain glimpse of when and where to attack your greatest foe. A dwarf who performs the proper ruituals and approaches the stone bathed in the blood of their enemies may win the right to wrestle the fiery spirit. Victory bestows the ancient Wombstone Pick, an aklys with a blade that can pass through ALL armour and magical defences, mortal or immortal.
Did I say over a hundred? I guess if we include basements, temples, and these chunks of buried city, we're into the HUNDREDS of small areas that need to be mapped. They don't all have to be No Regrets+, but as my players have found in the ruins crawl we've been side-trekking through for the last year, Features DO need something, otherwise it's just one grinding battle after another to no meaningful end. As you can see above, I have occasionally done this, but mostly it's "2 level dungeon. Lycanthropes. Go."
The current plan was to detail a starting base/adventure that teases what lies beyond, then a secondary "big boy" settlement that would include the campaign framework (the 'why are we doing this', 'how does this world work', 'what are our end goals' stuff), then the Cathedral dungeon which would set events in motion. After that; exploration of the Wilderness and the City, with the City and its depths slowly drawing more and more focus as the war between the factions grows. I was going to present the majority of dungeons as one-page tactical maps with a stat roster, but as I mentioned, it turns out that that plan needs something more.
Okay. I've got probably over a hundred entries in my Wilderness/Ruins/Sewers hex notes like this:
Isle of the Rat (19.15)
Forested Hills and Lake: Rocky, Ancient (81-130'), Coniferous (Red and White Pine); Treacherous Footing (1/2 Mv), Tall (1600'), Steep Slope (1/2 Mv); Medium Island, No Viz, The Depths (500'), 4100' long x 1800' wide, Headed West. Ample Island: 1200' x 900', Headed Southeast. This is a hilly island (Rocky, Treacherous Footing (1/2 Mv), High (500'), Steep Slope (1/2 Mv)). This island is infested with rats of all sizes. Secret: An abomination patrols the murky depths of the lake, a scaly warden of the island's inhabitants. Imprisoned in the honeycombed depths of the island, a vermin lord, ancient and diseased, plots his escape. (...)
the city and sewer notes provide slightly more information like:
Locations:
Dungeon: Hazardous Industry, 3 Levels (150x190', 8 Rooms; 90x140', 9 Rooms; 180x190', 14 Rooms), Partially Operational, Guarded by Giants.
and
Location:
Dungeon: Magical Prison, 3 Levels (160x100', 11 Rooms; 110x100', 9 Rooms; 120x140', 7 Rooms), Connection 4-Depths, Collapsed and Tumbled, Giant Guardians, Supernatural Prisoners (...).
or god help me, whole sewer hexes with sections of underground city AND dungeon like this:
15.12 Megalith in the Depths
2 Levels: 1, 2
Connections:
0: Intersection 0-1, Straight Stairs 0-1, Steep Ramp 0-1, Well 0-1, Collapse 0-1, Stairs w Landings (hidden) 0-2, Air Vent 0-2, Junction Shaft (Regular (8')) Stairs 0-1-2-Depths, Junction Shaft (Arterial (31')) 0-1-2-Depths, + Basement Connection 0-1, Basement Connection 0-2.
1: Spiral Stairs 1-2, Intersection 1-2, Well 1-2.
2: Ladder 2-Depths, Intersection 2-Depths.
Level 1:
Sparse, Ruined (1/2 Mv), Regular (6-10'), Wet (3/4 Mv), Flowing, 7 Exits (N, 2 NE, SE, 3 SW).
Locations:
Buried City: Health, 190x160', 11 Buildings, 1 Atrium, Partially ruined with some rubble, Stone, Vermin Infested. 3 POI.
Museum Chimeric (Dungeoneering); Gaol; Gatehouse.
Buried City: Health, 170x90', 7 Buildings, 1 Street, 1 Alley, Walls with some upper floors/rooves, Stone, Abandoned, Adventurer Encampment. 3 POI:
Portal; Tower; Library (Healing).
Basement: 80x80', 6 Rooms, Secret Level (30x50', 2 Rooms), Connection 0-1, Ruined (Collapsed, Giant Guardian), Abandoned.
Portal:
5th on the Portal Circuit. Arrive here from (R 23.14) exits to (R 25.11). Crumbling, Abandoned.
Level 2:
Medium Density, Ruined (1/2 Mv), Regular (6-10'), Dry, 3 Exits (N, 2 SE).
Locations:
Buried City: Health, 20x140', 8 Buildings, 1 Street, Rubble with some partial walls, Stone, Abandoned. 2 POI:
Gallows; Sanatarium.
Basement: 20x80', 4 Rooms, Connection 0-2, Tumbledown, Human Invaders.
Memorial:
A mysterious Megalith dedicated to Ephrahod, primordial, fire-haired, dwarven war spirit, lies in an abandoned cavern (120x190') in the Depths. Sacrificing 100 gp of the enemy's weapons on the Stone of Breaking brings a certain glimpse of when and where to attack your greatest foe. A dwarf who performs the proper ruituals and approaches the stone bathed in the blood of their enemies may win the right to wrestle the fiery spirit. Victory bestows the ancient Wombstone Pick, an aklys with a blade that can pass through ALL armour and magical defences, mortal or immortal.
Did I say over a hundred? I guess if we include basements, temples, and these chunks of buried city, we're into the HUNDREDS of small areas that need to be mapped. They don't all have to be No Regrets+, but as my players have found in the ruins crawl we've been side-trekking through for the last year, Features DO need something, otherwise it's just one grinding battle after another to no meaningful end. As you can see above, I have occasionally done this, but mostly it's "2 level dungeon. Lycanthropes. Go."
The current plan was to detail a starting base/adventure that teases what lies beyond, then a secondary "big boy" settlement that would include the campaign framework (the 'why are we doing this', 'how does this world work', 'what are our end goals' stuff), then the Cathedral dungeon which would set events in motion. After that; exploration of the Wilderness and the City, with the City and its depths slowly drawing more and more focus as the war between the factions grows. I was going to present the majority of dungeons as one-page tactical maps with a stat roster, but as I mentioned, it turns out that that plan needs something more.
The1True
My my my, we just loooove to hear ourselves don't we?
Dude, I cast no passive aggressive shade. Jamming ideas on the Wastes was super fun and highly productive. It just fell apart when it came time to turn all those ideas into concrete form. I ran with it because I wanted to show how it could be done (to the group and to myself). I knocked 100+ pages of Irradiated Paradox out in 30 days, but I've been stewing in the revision, editing, and formatting for months since I picked it back up. Would it have gone faster if people had staid on or would it have collapsed into death by committee? I don't know. I love the radiation and weird science and can't wait to move on to the Bulls Run playtest with my group. It's worth it to me to package this stuff. It's way further along then my personal vision, passion project which is a beautiful, sprawling mess.
The1True
My my my, we just loooove to hear ourselves don't we?
okay okay. maybe a little passive aggressive...
I miss DP and Grützi and Commodore and hell, even Slick showed some rare enthusiasm. For a while there, it felt like my favourite part about working at the game studio. The R&D phase where we were flushed with client money and just jammed and iterated. Man, that shit is FUN!
alright alright <sniff> I'm getting verklempt here...
I miss DP and Grützi and Commodore and hell, even Slick showed some rare enthusiasm. For a while there, it felt like my favourite part about working at the game studio. The R&D phase where we were flushed with client money and just jammed and iterated. Man, that shit is FUN!
alright alright <sniff> I'm getting verklempt here...
The Heretic
Should be playing D&D instead
Beoric
8, 8, I forget what is for
DP was annoying, but he was the only regular 5e player, and I miss that input.
The1True
My my my, we just loooove to hear ourselves don't we?
I don't miss the flame wars, but I miss the collaboration with everyone, including DP. He put in a bunch of work including a couple of complete dungeons over at Game Theory Coop. He's a pretty chill dude when he's not fighting the world...
This is Adventure Design and Reviews. I think we could be doing a lot more adventure designing here. Maybe a slightly less grandiose project next time around though...
Beoric
8, 8, I forget what is for
Dungeon concepts, sections, and/or individual rooms might be decent. Sort of like The Vault, but for dungeons, not magic items? I have some ideas that (let's be honest) I will never try to publish, and may never complete, but that I think I'd like to release out into the wild.
squeen
8, 8, I forget what is for
I am excited to hear that Allan. The hobby may be slow compared to corporate churn---but it's also wonderful when beautiful things live on in an organic way.Speaking of dungeon design, Tony “Wheggi” Rosten and I will begin working on issue #4 of _The Twisting Stair_ in May (of this year), so if you have ideas or suggestions you’d like us to consider, please speak up
Allan.