This is a site for discussing roleplaying games. Have fun doing so, but there is one major rule: do not discuss political issues that aren't directly and uniquely related to the subject of the thread and about gaming. While this site is dedicated to free speech, the following will not be tolerated: devolving a thread into unrelated political discussion, sockpuppeting (using multiple and/or bogus accounts), disrupting topics without contributing to them, and posting images that could get someone fired in the workplace (an external link is OK, but clearly mark it as Not Safe For Work, or NSFW). If you receive a warning, please take it seriously and either move on to another topic or steer the discussion back to its original RPG-related theme.

Author Topic: Advice on building a megadungeon, and a campaign around it  (Read 101465 times)

Vandraman

  • Newbie
  • *
  • V
  • Posts: 9
Advice on building a megadungeon, and a campaign around it
« Reply #135 on: June 04, 2014, 04:35:46 PM »
Quote from: robiswrong;755338
Hell, he hasn't even been called a Swine yet!


No, so far just been called 'pretentious' and a 'troll' - and this from a moderator, no less.

I like the analogy of the race car and jeep: think that clarifies things nicely- mind if I borrow that for an article I am writing on this topic? I'll cite you, if you like?

Sacrosanct

  • cisgrog
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7224
    • http://www.sacrosanctgames.com
Advice on building a megadungeon, and a campaign around it
« Reply #136 on: June 04, 2014, 04:39:54 PM »
Quote from: Vandraman;755373
No, so far just been called 'pretentious' and a 'troll' - and this from a moderator, no less.



Look.  Brendan is probably the most laid back, non-judgmental guy I've ever ran across in the internet.  If you can't see you your use of terms like "real gamers' or "that's ok for newbs" comes across as pretentious, then either you are trolling, or you're Sheldon from Big Bang Theory and are completely oblivious to social interaction etiquette.
D&D is not an "everyone gets a ribbon" game.  If you're stupid, your PC will die.  If you're an asshole, your PC will die (probably from the other PCs).  If you're unlucky, your PC may die.  Point?  PC's die.  Get over it and roll up a new one.

robiswrong

  • SwineGrog
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • r
  • Posts: 1503
Advice on building a megadungeon, and a campaign around it
« Reply #137 on: June 04, 2014, 04:46:17 PM »
Quote from: Sacrosanct;755381
Look.  Brendan is probably the most laid back, non-judgmental guy I've ever ran across in the internet.  If you can't see you your use of terms like "real gamers' or "that's ok for newbs" comes across as pretentious, then either you are trolling, or you're Sheldon from Big Bang Theory and are completely oblivious to social interaction etiquette.

In his defense, it's certainly possible to read the "real gamers" comment as being about "flesh and blood" as opposed to "not lame gamers", if you look at the comment again.  Don't get me wrong - I took it as "not lame gamers", too, and it's a phrase that's loaded enough that people should be careful with it.

As far as the whole "anti-dungeon" mentality, that's pretty prevalent in wider RPG circles.  A lot of gamers look at the lame dungeon games they played when they were 12 and mis-associate the lameness with the dungeon rather than them being 12.  Cool?  Not really.  But pretty damn common, and I'd rather take a few minutes to explain how a *good* dungeon works, rather than attacking the guy.

I mean, I look at it like this - there's a lot of knowledge on this site about how the real old-school stuff works that's not generally available.  I'd like to see more people experience that, and if someone comes in with a common misconception, I'd rather them walk away with a more positive perception.

Quote from: Vandraman;755373
No, so far just been called 'pretentious' and a 'troll' - and this from a moderator, no less.

I like the analogy of the race car and jeep: think that clarifies things nicely- mind if I borrow that for an article I am writing on this topic? I'll cite you, if you like?

If it's helpful, sure.  I don't see the need for citations, really.  I mean, if it's for a professional piece in a magazine or something, maybe, but if it's a blog post or something somewhere don't worry about it.
« Last Edit: June 04, 2014, 04:48:35 PM by robiswrong »

Bedrockbrendan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12695
Advice on building a megadungeon, and a campaign around it
« Reply #138 on: June 04, 2014, 05:00:33 PM »
Quote from: Vandraman;755373
No, so far just been called 'pretentious' and a 'troll' - and this from a moderator, no less.


Well, that is how you came across to me, and you hit a number of key words that suggested troll from certain other forums to me as well. Now it is entirely possible I am wrong, and entirely possible I judged you too quickly. But I do think it sounds pretentious when you talk about play the way you did in your initial post.

You have to understand, the moderation policies here are really light and mods get into it just like any other poster.

Bedrockbrendan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12695
Advice on building a megadungeon, and a campaign around it
« Reply #139 on: June 04, 2014, 05:01:50 PM »
Quote from: Sacrosanct;755381
Look.  Brendan is probably the most laid back, non-judgmental guy I've ever ran across in the internet.  


In his defense, I didn't come across as laid back and non-judgmental in that post at all.

The Butcher

  • Cyborg Shock Trooper
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7183
Advice on building a megadungeon, and a campaign around it
« Reply #140 on: June 04, 2014, 05:39:17 PM »
Quote from: Vandraman;755323
Thanks - this is really interesting stuff. This perspective/ 'mood' hadn't really occurred to me. Looks like I have some reading to do :)


You could start with, I don't know, the very thread you showed up to crap in? ;)

Or maybe with Matt Finch's Quick Primer For Old School Gaming followed by Philotomy's Musings (skip straight to the one titled "The Dungeon as a Mythic Underworld", but they're all good). That's the best crash course on OSR and classic D&D gaming I can think of, and should give you some much needed context to this thread.

If you want another example of a dungeon rife with roleplaying possibilities, you could do a lot worse than TSR classic B4 The Lost City — in which three factions fight over a ruined underground city. Ample opportunity for social interaction and intrigue alongside classic dungeonesque survival horror.

Welcome to theRPGsite, BTW. I hope you'll find this site a treasure trove of old school (not just D&D) roleplaying wisdom and experience, as I have. Don't mind the "personal offences", most people here can take it as well as they can dish out and I think it's all good as long as there's a decent signal-to-noise ratio. Sell your ego, buy a thick skin and hop in – water's fine. :)

Bloody Stupid Johnson

  • Senior Member
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3366
Advice on building a megadungeon, and a campaign around it
« Reply #141 on: October 28, 2014, 06:24:55 AM »
(bump)
Obvious thought (prompted by the old illustration where a troll finds a string heroes are leaving to mark their trail) - is that maybe monsters will follow PCs tracks through a dungeon. I've actually never seen PCs use string, but, a lot of monsters will have scent or similar abilities. Maybe this is something the GM can determine based off their layout and where monsters are, or you could start increasing the chance of wandering monsters if PCs have travelled a long way without something that'll break a scent trail (wading through underground rivers, going through a teleporter, you know), particularly if they're crossing a lot of side passages where thingies can patrol.
Not everything will be able to open doors obviously, so monsters might also pile up along the way back out.

Xaos

  • Newbie
  • *
  • X
  • Posts: 2
Advice on building a megadungeon, and a campaign around it
« Reply #142 on: November 19, 2014, 02:08:00 AM »
Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;794625
(bump)
Obvious thought (prompted by the old illustration where a troll finds a string heroes are leaving to mark their trail) - is that maybe monsters will follow PCs tracks through a dungeon. I've actually never seen PCs use string, but, a lot of monsters will have scent or similar abilities. Maybe this is something the GM can determine based off their layout and where monsters are, or you could start increasing the chance of wandering monsters if PCs have travelled a long way without something that'll break a scent trail (wading through underground rivers, going through a teleporter, you know), particularly if they're crossing a lot of side passages where thingies can patrol.
Not everything will be able to open doors obviously, so monsters might also pile up along the way back out.


Oh!  This gave me an idea!

Let's say that in the system you're using, you roll a die to determine wandering monsters, with a roll of "1" resulting in a monster.

Now, house rule that you are going to be rolling TWO dice.  And only if you get snake eyes (two "natural 1's") do you get a wandering monster in the player's vicinity.  But if you roll a single 1, then it appears that the players have gotten past a monster....but its not so.

Something has found their trail and will find them.  The DM does NOT roll the die with a 1 until he rolls another one (making the two dice a proper snake eyes), which will be the tracking monster (usually from a dungeon level previously explored by the players instead of the one they are on.)  The 2nd dice might be a smaller type than normal (d4 instead of d6, for instance) to increase the odds if the players have been particularly messy (leaving lots of bodies and broken doors, generally disrupting the ecosystem of the Underworld, etc.) during this dungeon delve.

Bloody Stupid Johnson

  • Senior Member
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3366
Advice on building a megadungeon, and a campaign around it
« Reply #143 on: November 19, 2014, 05:15:35 AM »
Could work :)

Majus

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 117
Advice on building a megadungeon, and a campaign around it
« Reply #144 on: January 28, 2016, 04:33:21 AM »
I know that this thread is old, but I'm currently in the early stages of planning and running a megadungeon (with the understanding that those players who want to can design and run one or more levels) and wanted to say that the discussion here is absolutely excellent. Bravo!