GURPS DF / DFRPG Random Dungeon Generator

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Bruno

The corridors are (currently) laid down by a drunken walk. The tunnel digger goes out a door and digs a spot, then it has a random chance to keep going in the same direction or to pick a random new direction. If the direction chosen is blocked it has a chance to make a junction (if applicable) or picks a new direction.
What the Corridors setting controls is that likelyhood of continuing in a straight line... but it's still just digging blindly with no particular destination in mind, which means when it's "straight" it does march happily in a straight line... but it tends to spiral after hitting a barrier. Trim Deadends can help with this as those spirals are all dead ends, but it's only a bandaid over the issue.

It's somewhat better then the random dungeons tables in the old DMG1 which tended to result in dungeons designed by the drunkenly insane...while they were high.

"Let There Be A Method To Your Madness" Dragon #10 (October, 1977) gives some pointers.

"You, as the designer, must think like the builders when you design a dungeon, and allow for all of the necessary functions of the dungeon"

"It won’t take you any longer to create a dungeon this way, and in fact it will probably be faster, due to the benefits of being organized, knowing exactly what each area is for and why it is there. The time you spend in initial planning is cancelled out when you set up the individual levels, because you don’t spend ten or fifteen idle moments wondering what to do with the next level."

The thing to remember that even in a D&D like world stone structures are expensive so there aren't going to be many unneeded twists and turns in the corridors. Doors are a great way to slow down any invaders and they are far cheaper in time, energy, and money than making the corridor look like it was designed by Daedalus.

[Dalin]

Originally Posted by maximara

"Let There Be A Method To Your Madness" Dragon #10 (October, 1977) gives some pointers.

That was a formative article in my early gaming days. Not only did it change the way I designed dungeons, but I learned a pile of new vocabulary. I clearly recall the room with the dark stains that were from a former occupant, an old sergeant, who chewed tobacco and would expectorate toward his cuspidor (and miss, as often as not). Cuspidors have remained a not uncommon element of dungeon dressing in my games ever since. (And I'm fairly certain I have never used the word outside of a gaming context.)

In GURPS, the History and Ancient History spells make it much more likely that PCs might actually get to figure out some of these funky details.

The article's advice, however, seems quite a bit easier to apply as an intelligent designer rather than as a computer algorithm. I could see, however, there being a system whereby rooms have some sort of original purpose (or a general theme is randomly generated first, and the dressing of the rooms follows that theme).

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Dalin

The article's advice, however, seems quite a bit easier to apply as an intelligent designer rather than as a computer algorithm. I could see, however, there being a system whereby rooms have some sort of original purpose (or a general theme is randomly generated first, and the dressing of the rooms follows that theme).

That's definitely on the long-term goals list. The "blind insane designer" approach we have going on now is not the desired end goal, it's just a quick stopgap (and kind of funny) while more coherent things are cobbled together.

I do plan on retaining the random/random as an option, however. Sometimes you really want a dungeon designed by an insane Elder Thing and dug out by a Minotaur work crew.

[Dalin]

Originally Posted by Bruno

That's definitely on the long-term goals list. The "blind insane designer" approach we have going on now is not the desired end goal, it's just a quick stopgap (and kind of funny) while more coherent things are cobbled together.

I do plan on retaining the random/random as an option, however. Sometimes you really want a dungeon designed by an insane Elder Thing and dug out by a Minotaur work crew.

Sweet. All of this sounds fantastic. And I will use it. A lot.

[dagothdoom]

A bit of necro, but there are some features for monsters I'd appreciate. Giving each monster book and page references would make it much easier to find stats if you can't quite remember where that monster was in the books(random encounter table does not have page references). Additionally, it would be useful if you could restrict monster choice to a limited amount of books(IE only pick monsters from DF2), or even put a selection of monsters found.

[InexplicableVic]

This is a pretty cool tool--thanks, everyone, who helped make this.

I have a question regarding an update: Has anyone started to update the CER of various monsters and/or incorporate DFRPG Monsters 2? I noticed a bunch of monsters with CERs of 1 (or zero). On a related note, is anyone aware of an updated list of monster CERs? This would be really helpful not only for the random dungeon generator, but also to stock user-made dungeons.

[InexplicableVic]

Originally Posted by Spartan506

I noticed a bunch of monsters with CERs of 1 (or zero).

Interestingly, when I generate a dungeon, it does give CERs for certain monsters who, in the CSV file, have a value of 1 or 0. Example from a dungeon that I randomly generated from the downloaded files on my computer:

CER: 17; 1 x Wildman (Dungeon Fantasy RPG Monsters p60)

Another example, this one from the Wandering Monster Tables from an online generator at https://dungeon.celti.name/:

d100...........#.............Monster.............. ..........CER *
34-38..........1-3..........Giant Spider, huge..........53

How, exactly, is that happening? Is there some other file where it's pulling the values? And if so, how can I access that file?

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by Spartan506

This is a pretty cool tool--thanks, everyone, who helped make this.

I have a question regarding an update: Has anyone started to update the CER of various monsters and/or incorporate DFRPG Monsters 2? I noticed a bunch of monsters with CERs of 1 (or zero). On a related note, is anyone aware of an updated list of monster CERs? This would be really helpful not only for the random dungeon generator, but also to stock user-made dungeons.

I have one generated. Bruno has a slightly dated one (it doesn’t include the latest two supplements); I presume she’s busy at the movement.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Bruno

That's definitely on the long-term goals list.

7 months down the road Bruno, any updates?

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by maximara

"Let There Be A Method To Your Madness" Dragon #10 (October, 1977) gives some pointers.

Oh, I don't need pointers like "don't dig randomly", that's specifically what I'm trying to implement. The random path is just a thing that gives y'all something while I'm fighting with it.