It's on my radar and could be interesting. I think you need to plan a bit. One approach might be M-F is random stocking per Book 3 or its descendants with Saturday reserved for MAR Barker's Saturday Night Specials at the center of the M-F arrangement with Sundays open.

That would give you 4 specials per level (or 5) with randomly filled connecting areas.

I would also plan to put it into play no later than April and earlier if possible, although that might mean starting lower levels early.

I plan on doing it in the same way that Tenkar is doing it: Write a RPGTHING* a day for 365 days.  I also have a buddy who we share a campaign world with.


*RPGTHING:
1. Person -NPC with a story and some backgroun
2. Place - Dungeon room, island, castle, hotel, etc.
3. Item - Magical Item or mcguffin
4. Faction - Flesh out the organizations in my world some more to list out more "Who's Who"
5. Anything Else RPG Related I Need.

Basically not limiting myself to a megadungeon and understanding this is a Journaling Project that is focused on RPG's.  I may float around to working on my 4000+ room, 10 level delve megadungeon or an island in the main archipeligo for the main game.  I want options and this works for me.  T

Quote from: Cathode Ray on December 29, 2022, 09:48:49 AM

Quote from: Grognard GM on December 28, 2022, 03:03:53 PM

I built a very complex megadungeon, full of traps, torture rooms, and hidden doorways/viewing ports. I've had a TON of use out of it, luring in local co-ed's and...

Oh, in an Elfgame? Nah, never use them.

I was banned from Board Game Geek for a tamer comment than that.

Not surprising considering how much they detest RPGs and keep taking on staff who feel the same.

No.

I don't need a challenge to make a dungeon.

Actually, I don't even use dungeons.  That trope is not how I game. My PCs are sent to go deal with problems, so this is pointless.

Quote from: weirdguy564 on December 31, 2022, 08:04:21 AM
No.

I don't need a challenge to make a dungeon.

Actually, I don't even use dungeons.  That trope is not how I game. My PCs are sent to go deal with problems, so this is pointless.

Pretty much my experience as well. Players explore ruins or invade an enemy fortress or camping for a specific purpose.

There is a structure in my world that would qualify as a megadungeon to end all megadungeons, but it's specifically a place that warps and changes at random so any given adventure there would only ever encounter small fractions of the whole and the concept of even trying to map it would be ludicrous. If not for it being the resting place of the world's equivalent of The Spear of Destiny, no one would even risk it and only the worthy will likely even glimpse it as the tower warps the path towards whatever will most test the virtues and tempt the vices of those seeking it.

In other words, it's not really a megadungeon, it's a place for a GM to run a highly personalized series of encounters and tests for the PCs (and even if they succeed the reward might not be the actual Spear, but some other treasure or a powerful vision or answer to some other trouble they face).

An actual mapped out megadungeon? Sounds boring as heck.

Well, the first week of the year has come to close so I thought I'd share what I've done so far.

I still need to do the outdoor encounters, and finish the rumor table (which is hard to do until I have more room written), but the setup's there otherwise.

https://mithgarthr.com/Dungeon23/The%20Dreadful%20Dungeons%20of%20Dryun%20Swansig%20-%20Week%20One.pdf

Quote from: Mithgarthr on January 07, 2023, 07:38:50 PM
https://mithgarthr.com/Dungeon23/The%20Dreadful%20Dungeons%20of%20Dryun%20Swansig%20-%20Week%20One.pdf

Love the goblin image near the end.

Quote from: Ruprecht on January 07, 2023, 07:41:56 PM

Quote from: Mithgarthr on January 07, 2023, 07:38:50 PM
https://mithgarthr.com/Dungeon23/The%20Dreadful%20Dungeons%20of%20Dryun%20Swansig%20-%20Week%20One.pdf

Love the goblin image near the end.

Oh, I'm glad you pointed that out because it made me realized I forgot to credit it, haha. Fixed the PDF; that's Rick Hershey/Fat Goblin Games' stock art.

First week in and i have an island thats populated with an abandoned city, 12 districts, 4 factions, an enemy party, and the mcguffin.

ChatGPT is amazing and i have enough AI art to go with it.   I have 11 islands more to complete and thats gives me all 12 months done.

I like megadungeons but I don't much like writing them.  When I use one the idea isn't to clear an area, but to follow a path through it, choosing among real alternatives.  I think the draw for me is that a lot of different things can happen, not just the handful I think would be best for the party, depending on which way they choose to go.  If I'm writing one, on the other hand, I'm spending time on a lot of content that will never be seen.  Writing a megadungeon makes a lot more sense for something used by many people, as chances are that about everything will be seen by someone.

Quote from: Mithgarthr on January 07, 2023, 07:38:50 PM
Well, the first week of the year has come to close so I thought I'd share what I've done so far.

I still need to do the outdoor encounters, and finish the rumor table (which is hard to do until I have more room written), but the setup's there otherwise.

https://mithgarthr.com/Dungeon23/The%20Dreadful%20Dungeons%20of%20Dryun%20Swansig%20-%20Week%20One.pdf

Outstanding. Cannot wait to see how big this gets (if you keep providing updates).

Quote from: FingerRod on January 07, 2023, 09:50:58 PM

Quote from: Mithgarthr on January 07, 2023, 07:38:50 PM
Well, the first week of the year has come to close so I thought I'd share what I've done so far.

I still need to do the outdoor encounters, and finish the rumor table (which is hard to do until I have more room written), but the setup's there otherwise.

https://mithgarthr.com/Dungeon23/The%20Dreadful%20Dungeons%20of%20Dryun%20Swansig%20-%20Week%20One.pdf

Outstanding. Cannot wait to see how big this gets (if you keep providing updates).

Here in week two, things have changed up just a bit... after the whole OGL debacle, I've made the switch from playing and writing for BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia to playing/writing for Castles and Crusades. Adventure-wise, this only slightly altered the monster stat blocks, and you'll find Challenge Levels added to the traps/door locks/etc.

https://www.mithgarthr.com/Dungeon23/The%20Dreadful%20Dungeons%20of%20Dryun%20Swansig%20-%20Week%20Two.pdf

My big hope is that the OGL 1.1 results in a more unified OGL statblock so adjustments don't have to be made. Statblocks use the same info (AC differs a bit but that can be worked with) and the order of the info.

Quote from: Mishihari on January 07, 2023, 09:28:55 PM
I like megadungeons but I don't much like writing them.  When I use one the idea isn't to clear an area, but to follow a path through it, choosing among real alternatives.  I think the draw for me is that a lot of different things can happen, not just the handful I think would be best for the party, depending on which way they choose to go.  If I'm writing one, on the other hand, I'm spending time on a lot of content that will never be seen.  Writing a megadungeon makes a lot more sense for something used by many people, as chances are that about everything will be seen by someone.

I like the *idea* of mega-dungeons, but the rational thinker in me recognizes that there pretty much impossible to build even in a fantasy realm.

It couldn't be built quickly enough to happen in a single lifetime - no evil overlord wants to wait until they're past their prime to be able to use it.  Even with magic doing the actual building do you know how many code inspectors you'd have to bribe?  Not to mention the zombie construction workers - you'll be having a guild beef if you don't give them enough no-show jobs and grease the palms of the local guild stewards..

Quote from: Grognard GM on December 28, 2022, 03:03:53 PM
I built a very complex megadungeon, full of traps, torture rooms, and hidden doorways/viewing ports. I've had a TON of use out of it, luring in local co-ed's and...

Me too!  I have the co-ed's painting my miniatures.  It's the only practical way to get them done.

I've been running Barrow Maze since August. 
12 sessions so far and the party hasn't even finished 10% of it.