Pyramid #3/98: Welcome to Dungeon Fantasy

[dripton]

Very short review:

The two things I think DF clearly needs more of are monsters and adventures. There's only one published full-length adventure, and three monster books plus the monsters in DF2. (But one of the monster books is all Goo, which would be cool if it were one of 27 monster books, but not so much if it's one of three.)

This Pyramid issue has two short adventures, and 15 monsters. So, huge win. Even if you don't run the adventures, just seeing dungeon maps with hexes instead of squares makes me happy. Avoiding spoilers, Matt Riggsby's adventure is a good one-shot or campaign-starter for a group of PCs who might not really know each other yet, who meet in an inn. And David Pulver's has a nautical theme, for those who like sea caves and pirates.

It's also got an article for DF GMs from Peter Dell'Orto. The theme of the article is: control your game by deciding what subset of the DF rules to allow. Make decisions on what you want to allow, rather than just allowing everything by default. You might make different decisions that he does, but at least think about it. DF is already a simplified subset of GURPS, but this is about simplifying even more. I think that's a good idea, but kind of obvious. (At least if you're a GM who believes in Rule 0.)

And there's an article for new players (and maybe GMs who have new players) from Steven Marsh. It's very basic advice: have a character sheet and know what's on it. If you don't know all your character's powers, print them out, so you don't need to dig around in books during the game. Have paper and take notes during the game. This article seemed very basic to me, but it might help someone.

Overall, I give this issue an A+ for DF, because it has 2 adventures and 15 monsters. And an A for general fantasy, because you can probably still use some of the monsters, and maybe the inn and dungeon maps. If you don't play fantasy, there's probably nothing in this issue for you.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by dripton

If you don't play fantasy, there's probably nothing in this issue for you.

There's an overlap in a need for monsters in various subgenres of Scifi that many "fantasy" monsters fill quite adequately (and vice versa). Gonzo mutant After The End games, pulp sci fi, space opera, etc. - anything with mutants or alien animals, particularly with "magic" (psionics or the local equivalent). In these cases you usually just need a new name, sometimes a slightly adjusted appearance.

Interior maps (inns and dungeons) can sometimes be re-purposed but that's usually a more involved exercise.

[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.

[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.)

[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. :)