Pyramid #3/98: Welcome to Dungeon Fantasy

[Andrew Hackard]

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

A whole bunch of monsters which, for the most part, aren't [...] an excuse for a lame pun.

HEY!!

Originally Posted by dripton

The two things I think DF clearly needs more of are monsters and adventures.

I won't link to the Pyramid and GURPS Wish Lists, but I'll point out that we can't publish what people don't write.

[Joseph Paul]

Originally Posted by trooper6

Really what I want? Is an article that talks about how to design dungeons. And I mean the actual layout of the physical location. That is the thing I've never really been good at. I almost always end up repurposing a dungeon map from some other adventure. But I'd really love an article that teaches up dungeon design.

There are a couple of different ways that could go - do you mean designing the way a Medieval or Ancient architect would design a labyrinth or an extensive set of cellars and secret passages? Or same as the preceding but looking at what could be done with Magic!

Or are you talking about designing for the purpose of adventure? Which leads us to have rooms of traps and stompy living idols because...Adventure! and Plot!?

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by trooper6

Really what I want? Is an article that talks about how to design dungeons. And I mean the actual layout of the physical location. That is the thing I've never really been good at. I almost always end up repurposing a dungeon map from some other adventure. But I'd really love an article that teaches up dungeon design.

That's a tall order. Also a bit subjective as to what makes a "good" dungeon.


My method? I repurpose maps of old structures, say castles or sewers or mines.

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by trooper6

Really what I want? Is an article that talks about how to design dungeons. And I mean the actual layout of the physical location. That is the thing I've never really been good at. I almost always end up repurposing a dungeon map from some other adventure. But I'd really love an article that teaches up dungeon design.

That's a pretty complicated topic. You can take a purely tactical approach, laying out specific challenges for adventures in a desired sequence. You can take a sort of aesthetic approach, thinking in terms of architectural design. Or you can draw from precedent, taking inspiration from the design and limitations of mines, tomb complexes, and dammit I don't have time for this but now I gotta start making notes anyway.

[trooper6]

Originally Posted by Joseph Paul

There are a couple of different ways that could go - do you mean designing the way a Medieval or Ancient architect would design a labyrinth or an extensive set of cellars and secret passages? Or same as the preceding but looking at what could be done with Magic!

Or are you talking about designing for the purpose of adventure? Which leads us to have rooms of traps and stompy living idols because...Adventure! and Plot!?

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

That's a pretty complicated topic. You can take a purely tactical approach, laying out specific challenges for adventures in a desired sequence. You can take a sort of aesthetic approach, thinking in terms of architectural design. Or you can draw from precedent, taking inspiration from the design and limitations of mines, tomb complexes, and dammit I don't have time for this but now I gotta start making notes anyway.

I run fantasy a lot...but not dungeon fantasy. Why? Because I'm not all that great as making dungeon maps. Towns? I can make. Forest areas? I can make. Buildings? Also, I can make those. But dungeons? I'm at a bit of a loss. Because dungeons as exist in dungeon fantasy are not dungeons you'd have in an actual castle...they are multi-level huge things...and I don't really have a good sense of how to make them. Populating dungeons isn't so hard. You just think what would be there and but them there. Grab some traps if you like and put them there. But is the actual maps I get lost on. It makes it hard to do dungeon fantasy.

[Anaraxes]

I'm left wondering if Grükuk Kzaach only speaks in haiku, or whether it was just a special occasion.

(Not to mention the point value for the "Only Speaks in Haiku" Disad, especially if you're going to get docked an XP for every time you fail.)

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by trooper6

I run fantasy a lot...but not dungeon fantasy. Why? Because I'm not all that great as making dungeon maps. Towns? I can make. Forest areas? I can make. Buildings? Also, I can make those. But dungeons? I'm at a bit of a loss.

You're in luck. Despite the name you don't actually have to set the adventures in dungeons.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by trooper6

I run fantasy a lot...but not dungeon fantasy. Why? Because I'm not all that great as making dungeon maps. Towns? I can make. Forest areas? I can make. Buildings? Also, I can make those. But dungeons? I'm at a bit of a loss. Because dungeons as exist in dungeon fantasy are not dungeons you'd have in an actual castle...they are multi-level huge things...and I don't really have a good sense of how to make them. Populating dungeons isn't so hard. You just think what would be there and but them there. Grab some traps if you like and put them there. But is the actual maps I get lost on. It makes it hard to do dungeon fantasy.

Huge multilevel dungeons that aren't actually buildings (a keep or temple most likely) usually means that a big part of the basis is the purely tactical approach Turhan's Bey Company references...setting up a series (or more complex network) of encounter/environmental challenge locations. And then building a map that implements that network in the mine shaft/tomb complex/cave network/ancient ruin/etc. (or mixture of more than one) aesthetic desired.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by trooper6

I run fantasy a lot...but not dungeon fantasy. Why? Because I'm not all that great as making dungeon maps.

I take a lot of inspiration from coffee stains. Seriously.

[dripton]

Originally Posted by trooper6

Really what I want? Is an article that talks about how to design dungeons. And I mean the actual layout of the physical location. That is the thing I've never really been good at. I almost always end up repurposing a dungeon map from some other adventure. But I'd really love an article that teaches up dungeon design.

While I'd also like to see Pyramid articles in that vein, here are a couple of things on the web to consider reading:

http://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/...ng-the-dungeon

https://dungeonfantastic.blogspot.co...on-design.html