Pyramid #3/98: Welcome to Dungeon Fantasy

[PK]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

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

It's more like each announcement thread is a cursed area: Anyone who speaks / Must do so as a haiku / Or use Remove Curse. :)

[Tinman]

Originally Posted by dripton

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

I agree.
I will note that usually a new adventure comes with 1-4 new monsters (minimum). Therefore I think that a new adventure is better that just new monsters or a new monster compendium. A perfect example of this is Mirror of the Fire Demon (thx TBC, awesome job!). It has a ton of new monsters in it, a ton of basic NPC's, new treasures, more stuff I'm sure I'm missing and a whole adventure!

[DouglasCole]

Finally got around to a new Sunday Review column on Gaming Ballistic.

Sunday Review – Pyramid #3/98: Welcome to Dungeon Fantasy

[PK]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

Finally got around to a new Sunday Review column on Gaming Ballistic.

Sunday Review – Pyramid #3/98: Welcome to Dungeon Fantasy

I just read the review, and as usual, you're very fair and very thorough. Anyone on the fence about this issue, please go read this.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by PK

I just read the review, and as usual, you're very fair and very thorough. Anyone on the fence about this issue, please go read this.

One of the interesting things about the Sunday Review of Pyramid is that it's rather hard to find an article in ANY of my reviews for the magazine that's less than a 6. I try and be as direct as possible, but the writing really IS that good, the articles chosen by Steven tend to be either Wow, I never thought of it that way (background, inspiration, epiphany), or Yes, I can use this in my game tomorrow (drop-in utility) or a good combo of both.

If there was something that was poorly written, not terribly inspiring, and couldn't be used without effort I'd slam it.

The comments about the maps were probably the harshest things I've ever said about an article in Pyramid . . . and that's saying a LOT.

[rknop]

and a foppish, city-dwelling swash-buckler

Wait... I think I recognize that character! Not sure why I didn't notice this before, but I have memories of a particular rapier-wielding fop payed by Matt Riggsby about 20 years ago....

[Greg 1]

This is certainly an issue that I had to buy as soon as I read about it!

Looks terrific.

Edit: And it turns out that it is terrific. Every article is fun to read and useful. Most dungeonalicious!

[Captain Joy]

Originally Posted by A Ladder

Favorite quote of the whole thing:

Hahahaha

I think Christopher R. Rice has him beat (warning, quoted text contains info about a monster that some players might want to find out in game):

Spoiler:  

Pyramid #3/38: Welcome to Dungeon Fantasy, p. 15: "The first khodoque crabs were thought to be the creation of a mad wizard determined to breed air elementals with crabs (as you do)."

[CraigM]

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.

I generally just google for dungeon maps until I find one that looks about right, then work over that to come up with a purpose and description for each room.

For example, in my most recent: I had the idea that the dungeon was a mothballed military depot. So I was after something man-made rather than a natural cavern, and not too huge.

After a bit of google, I found a map with a large central chamber, three sub chambers and one hidden section. So, the three sub chambers became the infirmary, arsenal and command centre. The hidden section was the source of the magical monstrous nasties that constituted the last-ditch security system for the facility.

Natural caverns can be as weird and extensive as you like. Cave systems are natural labyrinths. For manufactured dungeons, you just need to come up with a plausible excuse for why it is as it is.

[sir_pudding]

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.

Have you considered reading about architecture and military fortifications?