#Dungeon23 Megadungeon Challenge

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Tom H.

Also, this Megadungeon Challenge reminds me of one started by martinl back in 2019.

See the Collaborative DFRPG Mega-Dungeon thread.

Me too. This one is more inviting though. I don't feel like posting anything that's not "brilliant" on the mega-dungeon thread. Here, I want to post 5 times a week, and I don't feel the need to make them perfect: just to make them playable and something more than 10 goblins in a room.


As I write more and more, I'm feeling some themes arising. Maybe after the month is over I'll take all my rooms and connect them together into a map.

[Tom H.]

Originally Posted by ericthered

As I write more and more, I'm feeling some themes arising. Maybe after the month is over I'll take all my rooms and connect them together into a map.

Sounds cool. I'll try to keep an eye out, but of course no pressure. ;-)

[Dalin]

Originally Posted by Tom H.

Your map with the crosshatching reminded me of the technique used by Dyson Logos.

My first conscious encounter with Dyson Logos was the map that martinl used for his one-page dungeon, Encounter at 10 Crown Caves. I love their style!

[Dalin]

1/23-1/25 Smith's Home

For the next few rooms, I tried a side-view of the dungeon to highlight the ledge above the staircase. Like 1/22, I drew this by hand in a notebook.

Now that I'm back home with my computer, I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to proceed from here, but I'll post more soon. I'm also working up the forgeling smith (yet to be named) as a character in GCS, so I'll share that character sheet when I'm done. I figure that this area could be a heist: steal from the smith. Or a negotiation: commission something from the smith or convince him not to accept a commission from someone else. Or, of course, a straight up murder-hobo jaunt to slay the smith and his dragon companion. Could be a neat location in the vicinity of Caverntown.

[Tom H.]

Originally Posted by Dalin

For the next few rooms, I tried a side-view of the dungeon to highlight the ledge above the staircase. Like 1/22, I drew this by hand in a notebook.

I love the hand-drawing on paper.

[Tom H.]

Originally Posted by Dalin

My first conscious encounter with Dyson Logos was the map that martinl used for his one-page dungeon, Encounter at 10 Crown Caves. I love their style!

When I went to check this out on Dyson Logos' blog, I noticed that he is doing the Dungeon23 challenge as well.

Some initial activity:
#Dungeon23 Dyson’s Delve II Progress Report 1

Here is where Dyson first contemplates the project:
#Dungeon23 – The Tumissan Underworld

It looks like Dyson was torn between two concepts, so he's trying to do two challenges in parallel!:
#Dungeon23 Tumíssan Underworld Progress Report 1

Myself, tending toward the perfectionist, this pace is pretty foreign to me.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Tom H.

Myself, tending toward the perfectionist, this pace is pretty foreign to me.

Reminds me a little of NaNoWriMo (Nation Novel Writing Month). Of course, I'm NOT keeping to official pace here...

Originally Posted by Tom H.

Sounds cool. I'll try to keep an eye out, but of course no pressure. ;-)

counting up rooms, I may need a bit more for a floor (I only have 12 for January, since I started late). Maybe in February I'll round up about 30 rooms for a floor. Counting them all up was a good excersize though. Let me see what I still needed.

[ericthered]

Jan 30 etr


Description: a 20 yard by 2 yard tunnel, with a 3 by 3 yard chamber at the end, with a big stone dias with a lever built into it, a small receptacle for something to drop into, and a stone chest on top.

If the lever is pulled, a cornecopia enchantment releases a key into the cubby hole.

Monster: A Horrid Skull sits in the stone chest, with a DR 4, 12 HP lock at -3 to pick.

Treasure: The Stone Chest is worth $1,000, if you can get the skull out of there. Cornucopia keys are worthless.

Vision: -10 (no light)

Exits: one way in, one way out.

[ericthered]

Jan 31 etr

Description: A 3 yard by 6 yard room with stone block, somewhat like an altar, at each end, and a third one in the center.

The Entrance Monster: The entrance to this room is a small (SM-8) construct that looks like a spider golem made out of teeth and claws. (DR 10, 5HP, move 5, dodge 9, unkillable 2). When the golem finds a sutiable entryway, it sets up a portal in the doorway. A careful observer (Per roll, or anyone who stops to inspect) will notice teeth and claws lining the entryway. When "enough" people walk through, the teeth snap shut, closing the portal, and leaving only a stone wall. A quick player might be able to stick something in the door: the "mouth" controlling the portal has a ST of 15.

The Altars: The altar on the left of the room has a basin-like depression with a tiny drain built in, with a stone blade fixed vertically next to the bowl. Etched on the blade are the runes for "blood" in common, elder tounge, elven and dwarven.

the altar on the right of the room has a single slot, like that of a coin. etched on its surface are runes for "treasure" in common, elder tongue, elven, and dwarven.

The middle altar has a stone orb mounted to it. On it is etched the word "mana" in common, elder tonue, elven, and dwarven. It is a very small no-mana zone... effectively it absorbs all the mana cast on it.

If 1000 worth of treasure (coins, gems, jewelry) is inserted into the right Altar, or 5HP worth of blood (from any source, even animal) in the left altar, or a spell worth 5FP is cast on the center altar, the entrace monster will make an entrance in the next few seconds, and the occupants will be allowed to leave.

If an insufficient amount is placed on an altar, words will form on the wall: "MORE".

Damage to the room: Attacking the walls of the room is possible, but there is a portal effect that connects the left wall to the right, the ceiling to the floor, and the forward wall to the back. Destroying or removing a block from one wall removes it from the other wall, letting the players see through the portal (often seeing themselves). The structure heals itself at a rate of 1 HP every 10 minute in each damaged location.

[Dalin]

Originally Posted by ericthered

When "enough" people walk through, the teeth snap shut, closing the portal, and leaving only a stone wall. A quick player might be able to stick something in the door: the "mouth" controlling the portal has a ST of 15.

This is a really cool idea. I have a few questions... really I'm just thinking aloud.

1. How many people is "enough?" (I assume it's the GM's call... or whenever the full group enters.)
2. When the portal is closed, am I understanding correctly that it effectively becomes detached from normal reality. It is like a little pocket dimension that needs the mouth to open to return to the mundane dungeon. Right? That might have implications for knowledge or scrying spells.
3. If someone were left behind when the mouth shut, would they just see a blank wall too?
4. If someone does manage to get something into the opening before it shuts, what would be required to pry it open again?

I could easily answer these for myself, but if you had anything in mind, I'd love to hear your take on it.