DUNGEON 23: Week 1 The Four Halls

 

THE FOUR HALLS
Please click here to see this evolving dungeon

THE OLD GODS HAVE RETURNED

• Judging from Ben L's #dungeon23 round-ups, a lot of the foundational OSR blogs are firing back up to participate in d23. I am very excited to see that happening because I think watching a step-by-step act of creation by these members could be very instructional.

WHAT I LEARNED WITH WEEK 1

• Geomorphs work great. Especially since the 10 x 10 square format comfortably houses 6-9 "spaces" easily. This is also good because each geomorph then conforms to BX stocking procedures.
• So instead of working room by room, I'm more looking at 6-7 areas as a whole. This seems to be suggested by Arnold K and In Places Deep. Matt Finch also suggests this in Tomb of Adventure Design and Ava of Permanent Crainal Damage also remarked once that a 50-room dungeon is really just 10 five-room themes.
• Whatever makes geomorphs "good", I don't know if I quite have it down yet. I am neutral on the one above but it serves the purpose of a starting area. 
• After reviewing some mapping of Nightwick Abbey, I think there are some unlaying principles that elevate a 'morph to "good" from "serviceable". Let me see if I can express them here
• Good geomorphs...
  
• Contain at least one single interesting "thing", 
• then you can create 6 variations on that thing. An idea for the types of variation could involve the BX stocking procedures: monster, monster (+ treasure), trap, empty, empty (+ hidden treasure), special 
• Room in 'morphs should mostly be connected in a Jaquays'ed fashion
• But not always, if you have 7 'morphs with connected rooms, but 2 'morphs with very disconnected rooms this can really add variety to various configurations
• Most 'morphs have 8 doors per 10 x 10 area, PC should mostly be able to travel for the most part from one door to its diagonal counterpart (not necessarily easily)
• Not all doors should be left, long unbroken hallways camouflage a 'morph and create long travel routes
• Feels like 30x30ft or 30x40ft rooms are some sorta optimal but not all 'morphs should be symmetrically laid out
• Asymmetric morphs can be fun, but also terrible
• Or I could be completely wrong. Certainly, it varies with what you write but I think there are some underlying principles.

DO I LIKE MY FIRST WEEK'S EFFORT?

Great advice from In Places Deep 
regarding mega dungeon building

• Dunno. But the key, I think is to just keep moving. I did happen to just sit down and draw 9 additional quick 'morphs focusing on "fantastical garden area" and I think I came out with more exciting 'morphs.
• I did want to rate each morph using Arnold K's Dungeon Check List but maybe I'll wait on that because I don't want to become too critical of myself.
• Here is what I did accomplish with this 'morph though: 
• The "thing" this 'morph is centered around having the players make a choice and have somethings to fiddle with
• It provides two early challenges: a locked door and a trapped archway
• There is a choice that has to be made as to where the party wants to go: four halls
• Each hall has an environmental descriptor- its not just "pick a door"
• There are some enemies to fight- not hard but could pose a problem
• Something to rig up, a lever behind the locked portcullis
• A talking set of statues