Megadungeon Crawl Classics 3: Levels are Areas

Examining the possibility of doing a megadungeon for Dungeon Crawl Classics, it becomes obvious to me that each “level” should instead be viewed as an “area” that may, in fact, contain many traditional “levels” – as well as buildings, villages, or whatever is needed to make the area work.  Each “level”, in this sense, is not going to simply be a relatively flat area on a sheet of graph paper, but instead be a three-dimensional area which may take up several sheets.

Not only this, but there will be little or no “boxed text” or area descriptions in the traditional sense, as most parts the area will be in constant flux throughout the process of exploration/adventuring.  In some ways, exploration of a DCC megadungeon is similar to a hexcrawl…you will encounter peoples, make enemies, make friends, and find interesting areas to explore within the overarching structure.

For example, the megadungeon that I am planning has a first level/area randomly determined to be based largely off the work of Mr. Edgar Rice Burroughs.  This suggests many possibilities, from the jungles of Tarzan’s Africa, the dry steppes of Barsoom, and the fierce beings of cloud-shrouded Amtor.  Burroughs was also quite fond of “Lost World” tales, as with his stories of Pellucidar and Caspek.

With this in mind, I can see the entrance area to the megadungeon belonging to some form of mist-shrouded tropical jungle, a Lost World of prehistoric creatures and peoples, with the remains of some fantastic civilization and alien monsters.  The temple of La in Opar is a good founding idea for one part of this region, because of its strong potential for intrigue, action, and treasure.

In addition, it is desirable to have more than one village of cavemen.  Indeed, we should strongly consider three types, with a sliding scale of development from cannibalistic brutes to relatively modern people.  These need not be fully “human” in the earthly sense – we can colour-code these people if we so desire, as Burroughs does his Barsoomians.  Let us say that the mostly-extinct ancients were golden, the closest to modern people red, the next most advanced green, and the least advanced also golden (they are the descendants of the ancients). 

Some or all of these people can be advanced enough to potentially supply 0-level characters for funnel play, once the players have encountered them and learned enough about them to make such play work.  Beware giving away the secrets of an area to let the players choose people from that area!  But, likewise, once the area is explored and the people known, don’t be afraid to make best use of them by letting the players try their hand at playing a green man of the Lost World!

We will want to have some of the alien types that Burroughs uses on Barsoom, Amtor, the moon, Pellucidar, Caspek, and Jupiter.  I will select two reptilian types – serpent/lizard men as well as telepathic pterosaur-folk akin to the Mahars of Pellucidar – and a race similar to the Skeleton Men of Jupiter.  Using the Skeleton Men as a seed idea also allows us to consider the ghouls of Fritz Leiber.   Perhaps our creatures will be an amalgamation of the two?

As you can see, even without including actual “monsters” (and local animals), we already require quite a bit of work to get this “dungeon level” ready for play.  Nonetheless, it should also be quite easy to gain a minimum 2 hours play value for every hour spend devising the setting.

Let us next examine what other “levels” will connect to this area:

(1) Level 2, which is a combination of Robert E. Howard’s Conan and Solomon Kane stories, mixed with the Harold Shea stories of L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt.

(2) Level 3, which is intended to be influenced by Lin Carter, August Derleth, and Lord Dunsany.

(3) Level 5, which is intended to be influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien, Sterling Lanier’s Paloud swamp from Hiero’s Journey, and Edgar Rice Burroughs once more.

Let us also assume that level 1 will link to sublevels that take their influences from Andre Norton, Manly Wade Wellman, Clark Ashton Smith, and Philip Jose Farmer.  Part of the creation process is determining what these influences are, and how they will be used.  Then, if the level/sublevel connections exist, we must also decide how those influences leave a footprint on the first level area.  These footprints are important hints that connections exist, and also allow the judge to foreshadow the themes of the new megadungeon area.

I am proud to announce the release of The Seven Deadly Sins of Sir Amoral the Misbegotten, the fourth in the Campaign Element series.

You can find reviews of the product here and here.

One of the goals with everything I write is that, for each dollar you spend, you ought to get two hours play value out of the material.  I think that the CE series has exceeded this goal so far.  You can use the areas to play through quickly, but the material contains reasons to return, and enduring elements that continue to make your investment pay off.

In years long past, Gryffon Keep was a border fortification guarding a somewhat well-used roadway. In that day, the keep was placed in the trust of Sir Harold Amoral, one of the greatest warriors available to the then Lord Duke. Time has changed the land, and brought the keep low, and Sir Amoral has become little more than a figure of fable and children’s story. That the ruins in the forest were those of fabled Gryffon Keep have been forgotten by most, and the area is now known to locals as the Forest Ruin.

Although history has faded to legend, the ghost of Sir Amoral still haunts the ruined keep. During his lifetime, he sought to hoard his martial knowledge so that it might never be used against him by a mortal foe. Now, after death, he regrets this parsimony, and seeks above all to pass on his skills to those who are worthy.

The catch, of course, is that the ghost believes that only he can determine who is (or is not) worthy – and, of course, his methods for doing this are deadly.

The Campaign Elements series is designed to help judges create persistent campaign worlds, as well as deal with patron quests, divine requests, and the sudden need to “Quest For It”. Whether it is because you are short on players one evening, or the wizard needs to locate a new spell, the Campaign Elements series has you covered.

Each of these areas is short enough to be played through by most groups in only a single session. That doesn't mean that the value of the area is limited to a single session – each adventure includes notes on “squeezing it dry”…effectively getting the maximum re-use from your investment.

An adventure for Dungeon Crawl Classics characters across multiple levels.

Also consider

CE1:  The Falcate Idol
CE2:  The Black Goat
CE3:  The Folk of Osmon

Coming Soon

CE5:  Silent Nightfall

Mathoms Away!

Mathoms have been sent.

Wizard's Cache Added Game Date

August 10th, 1 to 5 pm.

I hope to see you there.

T is for Triumph

There is a moment in a role-playing game where a character, facing incredible odds, actually manages to triumph.  And that moment is so, so sweet.  

Following Joseph Goodman's advice in the Dungeon Crawl Classics Core Rulebook, I now roll almost everything in the open, and I let players roll to see what the damage against them is.  If you survive despite the odds, you not only know that you did so, but you have a good idea of how unlikely your survival was.

During Tuesday night's game, I ran part of Greg Gillespie's excellent Barrowmaze using DCC rules.  The thief, drunken almost to a stupor due to the malign influence of his sword (Alemourn) became separated from the party by a stone wall, and faced seven of the un-dead by himself.  

Through luck, and a judicious use of Luck, the thief triumphed.

And, I am sorry, but no game where the GM fudges, or where PC protection is built into the rules, ever matches the sheer exuberance of triumphing over long odds when you know...you know....that the judge isn't going to intervene to save you.

Especially when how you use your resources (in this case, the thief's Luck Die) helps to swing the odds into your favour.

Good job, Garett, and may your character live to steal many a jewelled throne!

More on Mathoms

This year's birthday mathom (I am thinking I might make it an annual event, as would any self-respecting Baggins, Boffin, or Bracegirdle) is about 70% complete, being the patron Hizzzgrad, Daemonic Lord of Crawling Things.  I am currently working on his Level 2 patron spell, Animated by Worms.  I am considering throwing in a bit of extra, like some related magic items, "just because".

Suggestions for extras will be considered, but due to time constraints, I cannot guarantee anything.

If you have already responded to the mathom post (updated), make sure that I have an email address to send this to you!  Mathoms will be going out as soon as I get my lazy ass out of bed on August 4th.  If you have received nothing by August 5th, and you think this is an oversight, then email me asap and I will correct it as soon as I get the email.

I can be reached by email at ravencrowking at hotmail dot com.

Some preview material:

None has ever seen Hizzzgrad, the Daemonic Lord of Crawling Things, but his voice has been heard in the evil chirpings of crickets in lonely places at night, and his will has been made known through scorpions speaking with unnatural voices.  His voice was heard in one world by a wayfarer in the desert, manifested through the sounds of night insects, that led to the writing of that benighted book, The Necronomicon (as it appeared on that world) and drove the Arabic wanderer mad. Hizzzgrad manifests through all manner of creatures that creep and crawl – serpents, lizards, crabs, spiders, and the beetles that feed on dung and corpses.  His dominions are the stinging flies, the swarms of locusts, and the spineless blind worms that writhe deep beneath the ground.  There is much he knows of corpses and the dead, and those Wizards who would wield the Arts Necromantic seek the patronage of this Daemonic Lord. Hizzzgrad’s ceremony must be conducted in a graveyard or crypt oozing with worms or crawling with invertebrates.

Patron Taint:  Hizzzgrad
Those tainted by their connection to Hizzzgrad become less human.  Insanity creeps upon them as they listen more and more to the voices of the crickets in the night, and identify more with the creeping things that hide from the sun than they do with their fellow men.  And, as is well known, those who follow Hizzzgrad are compelled to write of their journey into inhuman madness, and their missives can lead others into psychosis.  Those who would read the tainted ramblings of the Lord of Crawling Things’ followers do so at their own risk…for thus does Hizzzgrad gain followers to whom the Daemonic Lord owes nothing whatsoever.
Roll	Result
1	Night Voices:  When this taint is first rolled, the wizard becomes aware of words and language hidden in the nocturnal sounds of crickets, serpents, and flies.  Even the whine of mosquitoes carries a message, if only she could understand it.  When this patron taint is rolled a second time, the wizard begins to understand the voices, and they bolster her spell casting.  When the wizard is in a location where she can hear the night chorus (judge’s determination), she gains a +2 bonus on all spell checks.  When this is rolled a third time, the meaning of the voices becomes far clearer, and more terrible.  The wizard retains the previous bonus, and, in addition, the judge may tell the wizard additional rumours and secrets, as well as provide adventure hooks.  However, if this taint is rolled again, treat as if Madness (see below) were rolled instead.
2	Madness:  When this patron taint is first rolled, the character begins to go mad.  Initially, this is just a role-playing consideration (and the judge should encourage role-playing the increased madness).  Thereafter, each time this taint is rolled, the character permanently loses 1d3 points of Personality and gains a +1 bonus to his Will saves.  Each point of Personality loss can only be recovered by performing an act of madness so astounding that the judge chooses to return the point.  Each time, the judge should require something that tops the previous act.  Eventually, the player will be forced to play out the character’s madness, accept the Personality loss, or retire the character.  If the character’s Personality drops below 3, irrevocable insanity causes the character to become an NPC under the judge’s control.  There is no other limit to how often this taint can be rolled.

Etc.

This is a special thank you for those of you who have taken the time out to provide feedback (as per the "mathoms" post), and there are no plans to release it more broadly at this time.

Thanks & Good Gaming!

Wizard's Cache Mini-Con

This is for a mini-con, so there is a fee.  See the Wizard's Cache website for more details.

Yet Another Good Post

http://unto-the-breach.blogspot.ca/2013/07/the-players-responsibilities-in-gm.html

Happy Gygax Day, good gaming, and be excellent to each other!

Faerie Tales From Unlit Shores and Mathoms

Thank you, everyone, who helped spread the word about the Eggplant Productions kickstarter, Spellbound & Spindles.  It funded yesterday, so I have 59 days in which to bring to you a lovely little adventure which I call "Prince Charming, Reanimator".  

A bit of history.

I had originally conceived PC,R as the first of a series of adventures that combine early fairy tales and Appendix N fiction.  PC,R was intended as a 0-level funnel, with a group of follow up adventures that all contain interconnected references, and thus could be used as a campaign.  I.e., Creeping Beauty of the Wood, The Little Mermaid of Innsmouth, etc.  Together they would form Faerie Tales From Unlit Shores.

So, at this point, I am looking for a publisher who would like to deal with the entire Faerie Tales From Unlit Shores package.  The criteria includes that, while I will not charge for the writing of PC,R, the pdf version must be made available free no later than 24 September 2013.  We can then work on the remaining 5 adventures, which can be sold however you like, creating a group of interconnected adventures that run from 0 to 5th level.

Interested parties, please send me an email at ravencrowking at hotmail dot com.

Secondly, Mathoms.  On August 4, 2013, I am going to send out a full patron, Hizzzgrad, the Daemonic Lord of Crawling Things, in accordance to the "contest" rules found in this post.  I put "contest" in quotes because, really, there is no way you can lose.  All you have to do is insult my work somewhere and link back, and you've got something for free.

As mentioned on this post, you have until August 3rd to participate.  If Hizzzgrad appears elsewhere, it will not be anytime soon.