Offbeat Megadungeon: Encounter framework

some current thinking on encounter procedures. The goal here is to encode a more social emphasis to  encounters.

Encounter Type Template

Results to be specified by region
When an encounter is indicated, roll for the type. 
Roll with advantage if within a faction territory.

1: "Intruder" Asocial Monster

• region-wide list

• probably bad news
• if near a downward connection, +1 Level
• if in Faction Territory...
• shallow: faction guards will probably be on their way to fend it off or dissuade it
• deep: this is actually a "pet" or semi-tamed beast that the faction keeps as extra security or a secret weapon - change the monster type if appropriate

2: Wildlife Monster

• Vermin/Cleanup/Weird but usually unthreatening

3: Demi-social Monster

• region-wide list
• if in Faction Territory...
• 1-3: sympathizes with, visiting, or being aided
• 4-5: captive or "being held"
• 6: sneaking in

4: Social Wanderer/Special

• dungeon-wide list
• Usually Unaffiliated with a Faction
• Trader, Adventurer, "Wizard", Cantina Patron NPC, etc.

5: Faction - Solitary or Small Group

• If outside Faction Territory, they are from...
• 1-3: Random region-wide Faction
• 4-5: Decentralized Faction(?)
• 6: Random dungeon-wide Faction

6: Faction - Larger Group/Special

• If outside Faction Territory, roll for a random region-wide Faction

Encounter Emotions

They're feeling...

1. Frustrated or Irate
2. Despondent or Dejected
3. Ennui or Listless
4. Anxious or Paranoid
5. Curious or Suspicious
6. Jubilant or Smug

About something... 

1. they need or want
2. they have to do
3. they did
4. a friend/faction/leader/tyrant did
5. the party is doing, has done, or intend to do
6. in or about the area

Who's at the Cantina?

This megadungeon will have a good old underground tavern. But I don't want it to just be full of elves or dwarves or goblins or orcs or ogres. I want individual representatives from every faction and species. I want it to feel like the Mos Eisely Cantina in Star Wars. A neutral ground where the players can get a preview of the strange denizens of every level.

When the party arrives at the Cantina, there's at lease one low-level patron of any faction and species that the GM wishes present. The first time they arrive, spend some time describing the scene, and the players' first glimpses at some of the stranger creature types.

For which NPC patrons are present, they are listed in a table of X columns and Y rows. Some are listed on multiple columns.

Roll a 1dX to determine the column, then a 1dY to determine the row. Everyone on the dY result and above on that column is present. 

Every Turn spent in the Cantina, roll to add or subtract 1 from that result. Also roll normally for an encounter that arrives, using dungeon-wide lists.

If the party is hoping a certain individual is present, just roll a suitable chance.

Offbeat Megadungeon: Factions - Physical vs Social Space, Power & Drive

I let myself read a bit of dungeon design theory (which I should feel like I've got enough to pull from, but couldn't resist), Gus L's recent So You Want to Build a Dungeon, which was great, and among the useful insights that made me glad I read it was this tidbit: 

the goal [of establishing faction and other interrelationships] is to create a web of plausible and recognizable connections between the creatures and the space of your dungeon that players can observe, understand and exploit.

From this I realized that in a sense, every dungeon has two maps, two spaces. As the dungeon map and key delineate how the party can interact with the physical and tactical reality of the space, faction relationships create a map that guides how they can interact with the social elements of the space.

This should be especially true for this project, where i want to lean into the social pillar - something I usually de-emphasize.

It took a while to generate ideas for what I felt like would be a healthy number of factions in the megadungeon.  I've now got around 12 major factions and ~18 minor ones. I started laying them out to make a relationship map, but then realized I was actually making a chart that plots their power relative to their ambition or drive, which gave some interesting results:

Note the top left section is pretty bare. This seems to be a necessity for interesting faction interrelations. If there is a single high-power high-ambition faction, it will eat up everything. If there are two, then the war between them consumes everything.  And having mroe than that starts to strain plausibility of sustaining them in the limited space of a subterranean complex.

A balance like this should better allow for held tension in the initial situation, politics, dynamism.

Both "Dungeon Corp" (which is super one-note right now, and needs some nuance added) and the Dragon King factions were initially near the top left, but I realized that they are actually composed of multiple sub-factions, which aren't quite aligned on action when push comes to shove. 

The bottom right would barely be worth considering as a faction, and the ones close down there are indeed kind of enigmas  that likely won't com into play, but could potentially be changed by the actions of the party.

The top right is the domain of highly motivated, but probably unliked (or just asocial) individuals - or individual leaders of larger factions, if the distinction is desired.

The bottom left - here lie sleeping lions.

Obviously, nothing would stop multiple factions from sharing the same position on the chart, but I found that finding a specific "slot" for each label gave me seomthing to sort of latch on to and start thinking about why a particular faction might be one notch higher or lower than another.

Here's a more detailed list as it currently stands.

 "Ranking" is Drive+Power

I gave them rough size ratings:

• 1 = 1
• 2 = ~5
• 3 = ~20
• 4 = ~100
• 5 = ~500

I also took a first pass at categorizing their "crux", which i see as their common interest, Source of Power, Impetus for collective action. The Essence of their Identity. I think I want more diversity here, so will probably mix things up , which may compeltely change some of the factions.

Offbeat Megadungeon: some procedural dungeon stocking tools

If the only thing that comes out of this project is a bunch of procedures instead of a complete dungeon, then so be it; I hope they find some use.

Dungeon (or Dungeon Region) Purpose

Generator on Perchance

Roll once according to size, then roll once on each smaller size for additional sub-areas

	type of place	small	med	large
1	dwelling	home/hideout	settlement/lair	town/city
2	defense	strategic point/gate	fortification/base/labyrinth	stronghold/castle
3	creation	artisan	workshops	mill/"factory"
4	extraction	rare/weird resource	exploratory mine branch	mining complex
5	storage	vault/tomb/oubliette	crypt/dungeon/archive	prison/library/museum
6	weird	shrine/temple/study/magical experimentation

there are a million generators of this type out there, but I wanted one that was a little less specific, and more interpretive (though the specific results under each size got a little more specific than intended)

Regarding the "Theme" of a dungeon: it should come from within, not  a table

Interpretive Megadungeon Room Type Roll

general space type/intentionality relative to the region's purpose/theme
something that could work even if improv-ing

1-3: A space devoted to/specialized for the region's purpose

• think of a type of room which:

• helps fulfill the region's purpose

• you haven't used recently (or makes sense to have multiple)

• makes at least a sliver of sense to position here, relative to other rooms

• that's what this room's purpose is.

4-5: An interstitial/common area

• if it's large, it's a gathering space

• if it's smaller, it's simple an interstitial/liminal space, or its purpose is long abandoned

6: A space with an unusual purpose

•  one with a purpose other than the region's - roll for a different region purpose

• choose a room type which might make sense to have in a different region (in other words, a type of space vital to that purpose, scaled down, or "self-contained")

Then, if the room is in a faction's turf, apply the faction's actual use over top of the original purpose
Then apply the Room Stocking Roll
Finally, add random adjective inspiration

Megadungeon Rumor Table

when pumping info out of a denizen or inquiring at the dungeon tavern, the party can attempt to guide what kind of info they receive, but they can't determine the exact result.

They pick a topic (Row), then roll for the specifics (column). Roll for specifics as well (which faction, monster, etc)

	1	2	3	4	5	6
Select v, Roll >	Level/Region	Faction News	Treasures/ Artifacts	Dangers/ Monsters	Folks	"Quests"
Level/region (Specified)	General Info/ Lore	Faction News for that Level/Region	Big Treasures held in that Area	Danger in that Area	Folks found in that Area	Quests offered or with a goal in that Area
Faction News (Specified)	Faction News for that Level/Region	General Info/ Lore	Treasures held/desired by that Faction	Dangers posed by, or threatening, a Faction	About that Faction's Leader or notable NPCs	Quests offered, or targeted, by that Faction
Treasures/artifacts (Could be specified)	Where that Treasure is located	What Faction holds or desires that Treasure	General Info/ Lore	What Dangers guard that Treasure	What individual holds or desires that Treasure	Any quests associated with that Treasure, or who desires it
Dangers/Monsters (Could be specified)	Danger in that Area	A Faction posing, or threatened by, a Danger	What Treasures that Danger protects	General Info/ Lore	What individuals are interested or associated with that Danger	Any quests associated with that Danger
Folks (Faction leaders, various NPCs)	Folks found in that Area	What Folks think about a Faction	What special items an individual wields	?	General Info/ Lore	Any quests associated with that Individual

Offbeat Megadungeon - stocking method

Made a perchance generator for stocking my two-week megadungeon

 https://perchance.org/ephemeral-palimpsest-2wmd-stocker

Note: may contain alterations/updates since the stuff mentioned in this post

couldn't help myself from revisting some past thoughts about dungeon room typology, the traditional BX stocking method, and weirdness I felt with it. I wanted to decouple some aspects and kind of redefine what traps and specials meant, and add some stuff i think should be part of the stocking process even if only as a reminder to add them because they make dungeons cool.

But the classic proportions of empty, monsters and treasure is about the same

here's the full method I intend to use as it is currently - the perchance generator has some refinements beyond this

Architecture Stocking

1. landmark (mundane but unusual aspect)
2. trap (1-4 blocker, 5-6 complicator)
3. interactable (to open door or cause effect elsewhere)
4. secret (one connection is hidden/secret, or a secret compartment)
5. verticality (connection or otherwise)
6. unique architecture/effect ("special")

Unique Features

• detail landmarks, interactables, and unique rooms
• this is the most important step. don't use crap tables for "special" rooms. actually apply some imagination and inspiration.
• create "windows" between some close rooms - unpassable by mundane means but allows "previews" of other places

Faction Stocking

• place tyrant lairs - prefer big rooms in lower levels
• place faction/tyrant lieutenant HQs - prefer dead ends (or make connection into a secret escape route)
• determine faction territory extent according to strength/numbers
• create contested rooms where two factions would overlap
• place faction room types
• apply faction's adaptation of the architecture type

Faction room types by distance from HQ:

• leader's room, maybe with escape route
• vault (always has treasure, and something else the leader/faction values) - usually behind leader's room
• elite guard's room/post (outside leader's room and/or vault)
• stock storage
• sleeping room
• commons
• utility/workshops/buffer
• guard posts

Occupant Stocking

advantage if faction room

1.  monster (unintelligent)
2.  Unoccupied
3.  Unoccupied
4.  Unoccupied
5.  resident
6.  wanderer

Content Stocking

advantage if occupant, trap, or dead end

    1-3: Empty
    4: stock item(s) (common supplies, mundane but maybe useful items)
    5: unusual item (problem solving item or just weird)
    6: treasure

Treasure Type

advantage if in a faction's vault

1. coinage
2. gem (or other highly-value-dense item)
3. weapon/armor(?)
4. artifact (valuable but heavy)
5. magic or powerful item
6. roll again twice (explode)

Treasure Values 

• (if GP = XP) 
• (maybe move/integrate with treasure rolling)
• for each treasure
• http://bxblackrazor.blogspot.com/2015/09/stocking-per-moldvay-part-2.html
• make it dynamic, factoring in party levels, leveling cadence desired, etc?

Emitter Zone Placement

• create and place emitters
• extend emission zones (remember verticality)
• emphasize emissions in unoccupied rooms

Thematics

• apply themes to anything obvious, but don't force it

Challenge Synthesis

• detail traps
• detail faction drives/needs/goals
• find the rooms with the most interesting stuff going on
• integrate the elements into an OSR style challenge

Offbeat Megadungeon: make-a-dungeon - but no, really

Step the First: Decide to really make something instead of constantly brainstorming on yet another amorphous project I get distracted away from and build up anxiety about not finishing

- me, a year ago 

lolz 

let's try again. this will be "maybe I'll just make a dungeon" except i just follow two-week megadungeon more closely and let it work its magic

goals

• keep it loose,  light hearted, and uncomplicated, no big ideas (or at least, no exhaustively thinking through the implications and interconnections of them)
• create it in an MVP fashion - something interesting and "complete" at each step
• hopefully, make it Good, Actually in terms of gameability,  toyetic interactivity
• and if i want, refine it into a nice, usable package, ala OSE adventures

touchstones

• a certain kind of gonzo/funhouse/mythic underworld that i can stand, because i'm making it
• a sense that anything is possible fostered by everything being a little off-kilter
• stuff that might be silly in isolation, but somehow works when played matter-of-factly in context or just obfuscated enough to wonder if its intentional or not
• more social than i usually end up making

influences

• art of the Sams, Mameli and Bosma 
• saturday morning cartoon - primary colors, but like, bad shit can happen
• adventure time, he-man, korgoth of barbaria
• spirited away
• hole in the oak/incandescent grottoes
• Black Maw
• morthimion
• operation unfathomable
• dungeon full of monsters

themes/setpieces/room ideas

• cantina - unspoken truce in no-man's land - if the party ruins wha thtey have going there, theyll  never be forgiven
• well of wine
• jobs, maybe unions
• thin veneers of decorum
• giant skull
• card game/tarot
• this room is just another dungeon - maybe one the players have done before
• coffee - maybe a coffee shop on every level - this might be too much conceptual overlap with the cantina, but maybe there's something here
• if he doesn't use it in sunken tower, skull_b0i's idea for a minotaur trying to make the level into a maze, by hand, with mixed results
• subarea: stonehell x office building
• what if ghosts but ___?
• the heads of mascot costumes
• brightness setting
• dungeon map as crossword (im sure that hasnt been done before, but w/e)
• get the band back together (to play at cantina? members all different factions)
• zelda style trading quest
• cheap crystals - colored with stains - gemseller with utter crap, like a new age shop
• if these walls could talk - some rooms with magic mouths  and their own perosnalities
• someone with dragon eggs but they're avocados
• maybe some slight anachronistic intrusions
• laser pistol
• shopping cart
• HS notebook

tyrants

• Two Dragons 
• one with dinozoid mutations
• one a white lionine
• snowy mane
• ice fangs and claws, causing anything poked to freeze instantly, and likely be shattered soon after
• might change this
• dungeon pedant
•  powerful, annoying, disliked by all factions but they have to tolerate them because they're unkillable, maybe untouchable
•  a lich or ghost or something
• basically skeletor x the boss from office space
• a "normal human" 
• given power beyond their ken
• but its just a social contract
• throws their weight around and make bad decisions
• a sentient sword
• who seems nice and good
• but something's off
• wielder is kinda meek but, y'know, a nice person
• cats
• just cats
• but everyone seems to tolerate their bad behavior due to superstition (I mean,  they've  seena nd heard of bad things happening to those who don't)
• in reality, their power is wielded via toxoplasmosis
• maybe: a vampire or werewolf, to force myself to find something interesting in them in an rpg context
• a vampire who is only a vampire when you aren't looking
• nevermind, it's all dumb

factions

• the workers
• swordfriends
• each wield a sentient sword and treat them as equals, BFFs
• would never part with them
• aside from the leader, they're all just +1 though, and their other bonuses are all weirdly specific
• various races and some monster types, all united in their swordfriendliness
• cats & toxoplasmoids
• but this is liek a secret cross-faction sleeper cell
• but if you piss off a cat, or look at them the wrong way, they;ll get you
• when it would become relevant, roll for a chance that basically anyone is a toxoplasmoid 
• or, when rolling reaction, if either die comes up 1, they're a toxoplasmoid, and likely attack if you've pissed off a cat
• weirdly tolerant of the piss smell that pervades lots of the dungeon
• wormfarmers
• what it says on the tin
• overlooked by other factions- no one wants the dankest nooks and crannies anyway
• seemingly weak, but who knows
• orclops
• just orc-like with one big eye
• prefer to eat jelly but the jelly merchant has stopped making its way to their level, whats up with that
• dinotaurs?
• various dinosaurs with human torsos in place of heads
• high HD, deeper levels
• complicated relationship with dinozoid tyrant
• holy shit - doozers
• rock gnomes i guess, but even tinier
• constructing cities and towns into dungeon walls
• multiple colonies throughout the dungeon
• need potion of diminution to parley
• or, turn to stone when seen, so they just look like someone has been making an elaborate dungeon miniature set
• art school
• minus the school part
• avant garde installations 
• performance art as wandering encounter
• coffee cartel
• controls distribution of beans to the coffee shop on each level
• coffee aids spellcasting and INT increase
• the throng
• dozens, hundreds of normal folks that just show up and crowd into a room for a turn, and then move on
• some kind of hive mind but individuals are like randos standing in a line who don't want to be bothered, kind of quiet and awkward, sometimes whispering amongst them
• bystander effect
• who are these people?
• maybe more of a wandering monster than a faction, but perhaps there is some way to communicate with them

monsters

generated by rolling two OSE dungeon monsters and merging concepts:

• little koboldlike guys that 
• when you kill one, they split into two, that are each half-there, and so on
• High Level Troll Adventurer
• they're basically the best. but kind of a loner. 
• amenable to share tips or tales if bought a drink, but yeah maybe dont fuck with them. 
• won't hesitate to throw you under the bus.
• Adonite, Pride of Pygmalion
• incredibly attractive sculpted stone person
• if gazes meet for a moment, save vs spells or the gazee literally turns to inert jelly
•  after a turn, if not disturbed too much, they safely reform
• afterward, if they are reminded of the encounter, they must save again or experience the same effect from the mere memory
• crystal trader
• made of crystal (or maybe just clad in them)

mapping procedure

• donjon - rooms on the larger side
• multiple individual donjon map outputs per level, assembled  - loosely (but heavily) connected clusters of rooms
• import each assembled level into mipui
• tweak and edit in mipui -
• refine a bit but leave some dumb stuff in
• combine some rooms into huge chambers
•  loose transformations and mutations beyond donjon's restrictions
• line up and add lots of vertical connections
• almost-all-level elevator or two, but it might be in use when th eparty wants it
• wine well
• classic staircases
• traps
• multi-level rooms

some other procedural stuff

• each faction has opinions on all tyrants, and some other factions
• wandering monsters should be mostly from factions, and even if not, should not mean instant battle but present some interesting social situation
• 
  

ok its time to stop because it's 5 and i should have been doing real work  🙃