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: 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