Let's discuss: Dungeon creation!!
May 2, 2015 9:47:45 GMT -5
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Post by merctime on May 2, 2015 9:47:45 GMT -5
Ok, I should clarify the above: I'd like to bring up for discussion the creation of 'campaign' style dungeons, as opposed to just a one or two level dungeon (these, to me, are more like lairs or adventure locations and not deep or large enough to be true, proper, 'mythical underworld' type dungeons).
So how do you folks go about creating your campaign dungeons? Please consider the following list of questions...
When you design and write a level, do you already have an idea for a few main monsters and treasures? Placed as you desire? Do you do this for the whole level or some randomly? Do you have these ideas at the start for more than one level at once?
When you stock the dungeon... do you pay attention to room content ratios..., such as 6 empty rooms, 3 monster with treasure, 2 trick and trap etc? Keeping the rooms in some sort of ratio together on the level?
How large is the average level? One graph paper sheet? 20 rooms? 40?
When you key your dungeon... do you write large, descriptive rooms like a novel or book (or, say, B1 or B2) or terse keywords that you will bounce off of in play, kind of like some of the old judges guild stuff?
Do you use treasure types for outdoors or lairs only and just use dungeon treasure by level as a guide for all dungeon treasure? Or do you use treasure types in the dungeon too? Is it mostly copper and silver early on?
How many levels do you think a dungeon needs to be a place you can run a campaign from, and that makes it different from just a small lair or adventure location?
Do your dungeons have themes? Or areas in a level have themes? An entire themed level? No theme, just stock it with what's fun?
Do you use a cross section, even a quick one, to help place and visualize level relationships?
How do you come up with traps? Do most kill? How about tricks?
How many magic items do you think should be on a given level?
I'm always interested in hearing how others do things. This post began life as a PM though, but I'm following the advice of posting it also.
Fight On!
So how do you folks go about creating your campaign dungeons? Please consider the following list of questions...
When you design and write a level, do you already have an idea for a few main monsters and treasures? Placed as you desire? Do you do this for the whole level or some randomly? Do you have these ideas at the start for more than one level at once?
When you stock the dungeon... do you pay attention to room content ratios..., such as 6 empty rooms, 3 monster with treasure, 2 trick and trap etc? Keeping the rooms in some sort of ratio together on the level?
How large is the average level? One graph paper sheet? 20 rooms? 40?
When you key your dungeon... do you write large, descriptive rooms like a novel or book (or, say, B1 or B2) or terse keywords that you will bounce off of in play, kind of like some of the old judges guild stuff?
Do you use treasure types for outdoors or lairs only and just use dungeon treasure by level as a guide for all dungeon treasure? Or do you use treasure types in the dungeon too? Is it mostly copper and silver early on?
How many levels do you think a dungeon needs to be a place you can run a campaign from, and that makes it different from just a small lair or adventure location?
Do your dungeons have themes? Or areas in a level have themes? An entire themed level? No theme, just stock it with what's fun?
Do you use a cross section, even a quick one, to help place and visualize level relationships?
How do you come up with traps? Do most kill? How about tricks?
How many magic items do you think should be on a given level?
I'm always interested in hearing how others do things. This post began life as a PM though, but I'm following the advice of posting it also.
Fight On!