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| More than enough! |
I wanted to post a little bit about the starting area surrounding a campaign megadungeon. This is sorta a riff off the "Just Three Hexes" post from Chicagowiz's Games.
A key facet to me is that if the area around the megadungeon is too interesting, or more specifically, generates a quicker reaction to player actions than the dungeon itself, then naturally, attention will turn outward. This is one of my enduring (positive) criticisms about Anomalous Subsurface Environment: the setting is just as interesting and exciting as the dungeon itself, creating distraction.
Instead, I believe a DM should make the hexes surrounding the megadungeon like mirror so they reflect the dungeon itself causing attention to turn toward the focus of the campaign- the dungeon. This does not mean make them boring or unimportant or uninteresting. Rather, let us make the region immediately around the megadungeon provide two things: (1) extra resources to delve the central dungeon (2) require resources found in the dungeon. This way we are broading the loop of "dungeon-town, repeat" to "dungeon-town-region, repeat".
So, how big an area should we start with?
I think one 6-mile "Wilderness Hex" under the influence of a stronghold. In brief, when a player wants to build a stronghold, they need to clear a 6-mile hex to build it on and clear six surrounding 6-mile hexes of monsters (the brown hexes below). It is also reasonable to assume that the stronghold can control the next ring of hexes outside the initial 7. Therefore, a stronghold can control the one 30-mile world hex it is in (the orange hex below).
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| AD&D hex recommendations. The blue strip is NYC's Manhattan Island in 1-mile hexes (~13miles long x 2 miles wide) |
Also, I like to consider megadungeons in these wilderness hexes to be the fantasy equivalent of a micro-nation crossed with a "US Super Fund Site"- which is a designation "given to the environmental program established to address abandoned hazardous waste sites". This is because megadungeons are dangerous, and most rational human rulers do not really want to be responsible for them. So they tend to end up as micro-nations under minor nobility or former adventurers.
Even two opposing armies don't want to march through or clash in a region with a megadungeon. No one wants to be the reason Korg and the Army of Winged Blood Drinkers once dorment now have risen because so much blood from battle soaked into the ground. Nor do you want to have your nighttime camp ruined when the dead from the Fields of Haunting Horrors arise. Or even just have your 3 great generals lured away by the Crystal Voices from the Frozen Lake Keep.
What might you want beyond a starting "dungeon town"? And how does it contribute to PCs lower than level 4?
Let's further concern ourselves with just a piece of the 6-mile stronghold hex (above in green) and write just seven 1-mile hexes which, as I said above, focus attention back on the megadungeon itself. With 1-mile hexes a PC could travel to every hex in about 1 day. Great, should make the bookkeeping easier.
This also explains how the stronghold at the center of this region might be able to project it power and explains how if bad things happen at the megadungeon, word will get out fast. Prompting ramifications with the law. Also, if NPC at location A needs something from location B then the PCs can actually accomplish this in a 2-4 hour game session.
0201- The megadungeon & the "Dungeon Town": All the basics at inflated prices! The town is run by a faimed former adventurer. Farming is done by a small group and again, prices are high. Blacksmith and Innkeeper also have a little higher prestige. The thieves' guild runs all of the trade. A DM might also have a toll set up to even enter/exit the dungeon to pay for an extra garrison at the dungeon. Everyone here is a weirdo and has a personality that sits at the extremes because they've been affected by something, are running from something, or don't fit anywhere else. This place is "chaotic" and really doesn't want your "law".
Purpose: Provide the very basics for dungeoneering as in d6 weapons, light armor & shields, and tools, while also providing hooks & history about the dungeon. Also dubious hirelings. If the players want better gear they need to scavenge it from the dungeon OR travel south, pay more money, and be nice. However, this down is willing to deal in the dangerous items that might be found in the dungeon.
Painted-Fellows Fence: A "dangerous" dungeon item can be sold with a maximum placed on either speed, value, or descression. Pick one. Speed means money will be had next session. Value means the item will be sold for 1.5x-2.0x. Descression removes the chance that the Crown, Church, or other parties will take an interest. If you have a thief, the fence might cut their take out of professional courtesy.
0301- The Ruined Temple: Maybe the god was forgotten, the temple abandoned, or the ground desecrated. There is more than one story surrounding this location but like the Old Tower, people stay away from it. Well unless you need to pray for something bad to happen...
Purpose: A place for a petty god or gods who will provide divine intervention on a local level. Resources that don't require gold but might require devotion or a geas, so similar to the Witch's Hut, but without the immediate exchange, but might also discriminate. Can be improved with offerings from the dungeon.
0202- The Witch's Hut: A humble cottage that is bigger on the inside and never really in the same place twice, but somehow the truely desperate always seem to find it. The heavy black cauldron in the garden is sometimes empty, sometimes not, and sometimes at a foaming roil. The witch who lives here deals in cures for disease, lost limbs, and tutors magic-users.
Purpose: When you are out of coin, other forms of payment are accepted here- monster organs, favors, loss of voice, noses, or teeth. New spells are found here. Replacement for limbs. And potions.
0302- Mysterious Glade: Hard to find in the daytime, but very easy to find at night, there is a chance that some "locals" are present. Is a nexus between light and dark, the fay relams, and maybe those beyond. If rare mushrooms or flowers are going to exist, then they are going here, but they are only going to appear under certain conditions
Purpose: To provide a place for ad hoc magic rituals or non-dungeon magic components. Want to commune with a spirit? The Mysterious Glade, with its standing stones is the place to do it. Gonna reincarnate someone killed in the dungeon? Done right here. You'll need that special book from the dungeon and some organs.
0402- The Old Tower: A crumbling location that has a connection to the local history. Maybe haunted, maybe not. But it's unoccupied and looking for brave or stupid new owners- locals won't touch it.
Purpose: To provide an alternative dungeon entrance into lower levels, but at a price as something could occupy it at anytime. Alternative camp for the PCs if they get thrown out of town or need to hide. Could have timed events.
0203- Crown Bridge: The local ruler knows (mostly) what sorta trade goes on at the dungeon and so is looking to take their cut of the goods that move back and forth.
Purpose: A projection of the Crown's power in the region, but not so close to the "Dungeon Town". It is away to drain money from the PCs who are trying to buy stuff at the "Other Town" and also explains why most normal merchants don't cross the river-- it just doesn't pay
0303- Lake Town or "The Other Town" This town is far more respectable and law-abiding than the Dungeon Town. Prices are fair, and they get more rare items normally found in a city, but on an irregular basis. You can also find better armor here. The Church also has more say here, but is willing to cure status effects for money. There are also more individuals connected to the Crown and other nobility
Purpose: To provide a wider variety of goods at better prices if "common" and to provide a way to get rarer non-dungeon items, but still at "inflated" prices. Getting there requires a whole downtime action, being 3-4 miles away. More respectable hirelings here with good skills and less likely to be a mimic, possess, or just murder you and take your stuff.
That's it! I dunno if I've quite nailed what I was going for when I started this post, but all the more reason to just hit "publish".
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