Part 6: Of Goblins

I'm finally at the stage in the design process where I get to start thinking about monsters and movements and populations.  Designing a Mega-Dungeon is very different than designing a standard one.  Currently, I'm writing the first "module" and need some solutions to problems that do not present themselves in a standard dungeon.  Mostly its about goblins.

See, gobbos hate dwarves, and dwarves hate gobbos.  So, it stands to reason, that they would kill each other on sight every time.  They are close to where the dwarves still hold their land, so it would stand to reason the dwarves would just walk out there and kill them.  The problem is, then, that the PCs would not be able to kill any goblins, because they are all dead.  So, I need a reason why they are not all dead.  And there is the crux of my problem.

I have come up with a few clunky solutions to this problem.  I'm not sure which I will use, but I find this writing dilemma interesting enough to share.  So, the ideas:

1. A magic portal to another area where gobbos breed, then send in the males to become warriors.  This portal would be a threshold that would require goblin blood to cross.  I'm not sure if it would stay open, open with a command or at set times.
2. An outside force periodically restocks the gobbos.  They are put there by a BBM and used as eyes and ears to keep track of how many/what kinds of adventurers are storming the mountain.  This may be the most conducive way to integrate the theme (isolation) and the story.
3. A huge warren of goblins lives somewhere nearby, undiscovered.  Occasionally, they are too big for the place they are, and a new group of gobbos heads out.  The place they settle (every time) is great until the adventurers come in and destroy them.

Any of these that people like more than others, and why?  Anything else that I haven't thought of?  

Part 5: Res, and Raise

Recently I have been asking for input about some of the most fundamental spells in the Dungeons and Dragons games - Resurrection and Raise Dead.  These spells are powerful, game altering and necessary.  They have both strong positives and devastating negatives.

There are several possibilities for a dead character.  They can be Res/Raised.  They can stay dead.  They can be rescued from the underworld.  They can become undead.  My next campaign may even be a "dead adventurers game."

The positives of the Raise Dead and Resurrection are undeniable.  Returning a beloved character to life can keep a player happy, it can keep a group rounded. Res/Raise spells can keep a reoccurring villain, well, reoccurring. Res/Raise can be a drain on the party's resources (keeping them in line for the ECL's). It can erase a random event.

The negatives are a lot more subtle.  The GM cannot kill an overpowered character (at least not easily).  Why does everyone with enough money not live forever? How do the players permanently stop the BBM (Big Bad Monster)? What if the character was in direct opposition to the god granting the raise spell?

Here's where I have come to so far on the subject of coming back from the dead:

Raise Dead: In order for Raise Dead to work, first a player must make a choice.  Charisma or Constitution?  Whichever they choose, they will roll a d20.  If they roll equal to or below their Cha/Con score, they are raised. If they roll above, they are not.  They then lose 1 pt permanently in that stat.  The party is free to try again if they fail.  Once a stat is chosen, that is the only stat that can be rolled against for Raise/Res or any other life returning effect.  If they are successfully raised, they then get to roll on a "quirk" chart (sample below).

Resurrection: works very similarly, with the exception it does not cause a lost point in the chosen stat. (however that stat still governs a max number of res/raise effects.)  The "quirk" chart will still be in play for this spell.

Reincarnation: A quick mention on this spell, as it is in the same sphere.  I feel that Reincarnation is sufficiently limiting to use it "by the book," with a single caveat.  Players will re-roll Str, Dex, Con scores, as they have a different body, and that body will probably have different limitations.

There is another part to this, too.  If a character does stay dead, what happens to their loot?  Do they have family that blames the party for the death of a loved one? Are there consequences for their guild?  I know these are story/background, but they are an important considerations with the conversation.

The (rough) "Quirk List" (subject to edit/expansion)

(Brought back by Evil means)

1. Harm spells heal the character, and heal spells harm the character
2. Learned a secret of the universe
3. Something followed the character back
4. Skin has become pale, giving an undead look (negative modifiers dealing with common people)
5. Gained Darkvision (60') and eyes glow red
6. Body becomes allergic to a substance (silver, gold, steel, mithral, garlic, etc.)
7. Character hears voices (sometimes they make sense, sometimes not)
8. Character stinks like a grave
9. Character loses a level
10. A devilish or demonic deformation happened in the Raise

(Brought back by Neutral/Nature means)

1. Gained an animalistic trait (horselike nose, frog eyes etc)
2. Can hear trees speak
3. Character becomes claustrophobic
4. Learned a secret of nature
5. Something followed the character back
6. Skin tone becomes more "elemental" (orange tint = fire, blue tint = water, brown tint = earth, etc)
7. Character no longer stomachs cooked meat
8. Character smells like freshly turned earth
9. Character loses a level
10. Gained low light vision (30') and eyes gleam yellow (like a wolf)

(Brought back by Good means)

1. Character feels pain he inflicts on others
2. Learned a secret of the universe
3. Character's skin has a "warm glow"
4. Something followed the character back
5. Character unaffected by bright lights
6. Body becomes allergic to material (obsidian, basalt, salt, etc)
7. Character gained vestigial wings (useless, but impossible to hide)
8. Character is blinded.  Gains a "second sight" - sees undead, invisible, and ethereal items
9. Character loses a level
10. Character's hair color becomes white or gold

Although, this is all a work in progress, I think I have a good starting point.  Any ideas for expanding these tables?

Part 4 . . . the "City"

The past 24ish hours have seen a lot of work done on the most important place to a campaign: the home city.  I'm still referring to it as "Adventurer's Guild," but the name will change sooner or later.  I've thought through the basics a city needs: infrastructure, government, citizens, commerce and entertainment. A city underground provides some strange challenges in these areas though.  Here's what I know so far:

Infrastructure:  The city is Dwarven, so roads, walls, statues and the like are not a problem.  The Dwarves are stonemasons of the highest order, even in "exile."  The streets, walls, fences and everything else are well maintained, with little interruption for construction.
Day/Night: times were a bit more of a challenge.  I finally decided that the Elves have bequeathed a gift to the Dwarves, a "Meave."  Meaves are a magical weave that take at least a score of magic users to cast, and are completely permanent.  There are 3 different spells of this order known to exist, and the enchantment in our Dwarven city is the oldest.  The Meave in Adventurer's Guild is a "Sun Enchantment."  All of the stone structures in the city (all parts, not just Adventurer's Guild) show light as the sun (and moon) in current position.
Plumbing: This was another design challenge for this type of game.  I was worried about the citizens of our city having to import water or go to some other extreme measure to hydrate the populous, but I found an elegant solution.  I'm not going to say to much right now, but it was a real fun thought, and it makes sense.  This could be an adventure hook later.
Food: Food is basically going to be imported from outside.  Anything can be bought to eat for a price.  Some things have a tariff (like alcohol) and a few things will be domestic (beer, ale, mushrooms). Many of the inhabitants also have small mushroom gardens somewhere inside their homes.
Animals: There are 2 stables.  Horses and donkeys aren't bothered by the city being underground, due to the Meave. Underground pack animals are available here for rent and sale as well.

Government:  The city is run by a Dwarven Monarchy with a "Master's Council."  The Master's Council is largely symbolic, as Martial Law was declared when the true hold fell.  The king does listen to the Council and take their suggestions though.
King:  Johan Greybeard - 2nd king to rule since the Holdfall
Council Head:  Divad Greatgorer - Master Stonemason
Council Seat:  Robere Pinkfoot - Master Trader - Halfling - only non-dwarf on the council
Council Seat: Wanda Brate - Mistress Seamstress
Council Seat: Toriz Metalbender - Master Blacksmith
Council Seat: Bear Yarl - Master Warsmith (general)
Council Seat: Cristall Earthmender - Mistress Spellmaker (wizard)
Council Seat: Tomas Brewermeister - Master Brewer

Citizens:  Unlike a typical town, every citizen here is conscripted.  Everyone knows a battle may happen at any moment.  Everyone in the city is almost always armed.   About 90% of the people have two jobs:  a day job and soldier.  The other 10% just have one: soldier.  This situation has turned most of the citizens quite dower. Most are ready to fight with fists or steel at any time.
  Children:  Children do not live a happy, oblivious life.  From the time they can walk, they are trained as soldiers to help defend the home.  They have never been sent to battle before puberty, and there is a secret refuge that only parents know about.

Commerce and Entertainment:  The city does its best to remain self-reliant, but as time has passed, they have slowly imported more and more.  First it was just wood, then food, for a time water.  The current list of imports:  vellum (paper), food, wood, cloth, metal, oil, silk, stone and hemp.  They export:  weapons and armor, blacksmith games, beer, ale, water, and mushrooms.  The economy only works because of adventurers delving the mountain.
Entertainment is in vast supply in this war torn city.  Everyone is willing to pay to forget their troubles.  Bards and gleemen and musicians and poets are in every inn and tavern.  They are frequently seen at corners and in the amphitheater as well.

Part 3: Story Themes

I've started mapping, and am starting to think about themes that will run through the campaign.

The base theme (not necessarily the primary theme) has already bludgeoned its way into the writing and mapping: Isolation.  The dwarves are isolated from their homes.  Even the map making has compartmentalized a lot of things to themselves.  I haven't even started the "adventurers' story" yet, but the first "module" has pretty much written itself without me touching the paper.  It is too prevalent not to use isolation as a motivation early.

The problem is, one theme is not enough to hold a campaign together.  Its just one thread in a blanket. . .

Any ideas on other themes to layer onto Isolation?  I have some ideas but most of them tend to run parallel to isolation.  I thought about having a major ally of the dwarves abandon them, but I don't think I want to be that overt. (Isolation and Abandonment are too parallel).

Other themes that have been running through my head in the development so far:

Greed - always easy to put this into a fantasy world. . . well any world with people, really
Hope//Hopelessness -
Primal Urges - I think I really like some ideas that Tweedler gave me on the phone the other day, and could make this really interesting
Nature's Power - could be hard to pull off in a dungeon setting, but very rewarding
Slavery could tie in nicely with isolation, without being too hand-in-hand.
Betrayal - this theme would be mostly in the background.  A Judas Dwarf, an apprentice who killed his master for power, a Demon promising something for one of the Gold Dragon's Truename are a few possibilities.  Is this theme worth using?
Survival of the Fittest - keeps popping up in design this time around.  Orcish Arena, the Dwarves holding a part of their home, allies of the dwarves sending aid, an adventurer's guild designed to guerrilla tactic in the depths of the earth are a few examples in the first 10 days of writing. I could gloss over most of that though, and not use the theme.
Clans/Family -  Another theme that may show up as history/background.  I always find this hard to implement into a game on any other level.

Some themes I am hoping to stay away from this time around.  Most I have used too many times.  They are powerful, but I want a different style of play for this campaign.

Good versus Evil - Star Wars and Willow and Legend have always colored my DMing.  I'm really hoping to avoid this theme this time around.
Power Corrupts -  I've used this a bit much.  The "Volge" campaign had way more than I intended, so I'm going to try to stay away from it this time.
Dark Gods - I'm not Dave.  Sometimes this can be a great theme, but I think cosmic power is going to take a back seat in this game.
Lost Loves - just not a fun role-playing experience.  I've tried it, and it does not work.
Brains versus Brawn - I don't want a PvP theme.  The campaign will be hard enough without inner strife, and this theme always brings out the Magic vs Steel before its done.

Now that I have about a dozen themes on "paper," are there any that you guys like more than others?  What other themes would layer well with Isolation? How much correlation between an area theme and a story theme should there be?

Thanks for taking the time to read this everyone.  I'm sure the input I get will make this game so much better.

Part 2: Home and lost homes

The story of the city that the adventures start in is a tragic one.  In the middle of what has become the Mega-Dungeon, there was a Dwarven Hold.  This hold had 4 main parts:

1)  "The Place With Many Names:"  This was the heartland of the Dwarven Hold until about 350 years ago.  The Hold had been assaulted on all sides by numerous enemies, who wanted the Hold's riches for themselves.  No faction controls the Hold now, it is broken into many small  territories controlled by different powerful creatures or groups.  This area is the closest to the city that is still held by the Dwarves.  No group has been able to claim the Hold for themselves since the Dwarves retreated.

2) "Breeding Pits:"  This was once the breadbasket of the Dwarven state.  It is now a fungus and mold kingdom.  Many forms of semi-sentient fungi and molds live here, and have even created some symbiotic relationships.  These relationships could mean that what appears to be helping one faction of the area, is actually hurting it.

3) "Adventurer's Guild Hall:"  This is the starting city of the campaign, the one piece of the Hold still controlled by the Dwarves.  They have let anyone willing to help them fight to regain their former glory inside their walls.  Not all are good, but each has a purpose in the war effort to reclaim the Hold.

4) "Peace Pits:"  Once this level was a thriving multicultural bazaar.  The Dwarves allowed any race to trade their wares here, duty free.  It has since been overrun by individuals and small factions, each fighting for a territory and the secrets that may be held within.

These areas are intended to be the early levels adventuring areas for the campaign.  They are still rough sketches in my mind right now, but I hope to make the Hold and its sub-levels a breathing character of the campaign, just like any merchant or villain.

Part 1: beginnings

I've been a GM of fantasy campaigns for 20+ years.  I have created many worlds and run many others that were pre-created.  I have been being asked about running another campaign by many friends, and recently started creating the world for it.

I generally use a top-down design method when making my worlds.  I start at the world level, drop to the continent, then country, county and finally town area.  I find the process to be very rewarding, but both time and detail intensive.  I started the new campaign the same way, but had a gear switch a couple of days in.  I decided I didn't need the whole world, as I was going to run a Mega-Dungeon.

I'm not really sure what made me decide on the Mega-Dungeon structure.  I've enjoyed it for a long time, but have never successfully run it.  I think I always tried to squeeze too much in and not leave room for improvisation for myself (the DM).  I am still squeezing a lot into the new setting, but it is in a different way.

I have decided the "home base" city is inside the Mega-Dungeon (which still does not have a name).  The threats can follow the adventurers home, if it seems necessary.  Although the players will have the option to leave the dungeon environment, it is no longer necessary.  This will fundamentally change the way the players look at the dungeon.  It will be seen as home.

I have decided parts of the Mega-Dungeon will be outside.  This is slightly askew of the traditional Mega-Dungeon, which are traditionally completely underground.  These areas will be difficult to access, and will contain some powerful allies (or enemies).  I have a Gold Dragon Lair at the top of the mountain, and a Giant Eagle Aerie down slope a bit.  I'm also pretty sure I will add a Griffon Nest opposite the Aerie, and in direct competition for food/resources.

Some things in the dungeon will be staples of  traditional fantasy campaigns.  Some staples will be straight forward, and some will have twists.  One twist I intend to have is "Elemental Bleeds."  These are going to be areas inaccessible to the factions in the game, both friend and foe.  As players close on the Bleeds, they will see magic and mundane items function differently.  For example, if the players are close to the Water Bleed, they may find their canteens are always full.  They may also find that the "Wall of Ice" spell filled the entire room, freezing everyone inside.

I could bore you with the traditional staples that would be seen, but a quick rundown of some archtypes is probably better.  Players in my game should expect to see:
Orcish Clans fighting outsiders and each other
Undead being controlled by stronger undead
Dwarves hate Orcs
Humans are corruptable
Strange creatures worshiping forgotten gods
There will be almost every staple of  a dungeon crawl somewhere in the Mega-Dungeon.  Hopefully I can craft them well enough to make them memorable and not trite.

That will wrap up this first blog entry.  I will begin working on the next one soon.  In it I plan to go over the over-arching themes of the early levels of my dungeon.