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