Okay - so I think there are some problems with megadungeons... some
4E specific, some not.
1. Overdesign:
You want the place to feel "big" - so it makes sense that multiple NPC parties could be exploring at once, and there are multiple ways into and out of the place. However, I also realize that a group will only need 8 or so encounters before they level up (which is probably 2-3 delve areas, 1-2 quests, and a skill challenge). I'm thinking of going with the tried and true approach - barebones notes, barely sketched out for the first pass, and then winging it. If know where the party is going, I'll be able to create a lot more detail.
Anyone else tackle this type of problem - your characters will only likely encounter 50% of your areas, so how do you balance enough detail vs too much?
2. Leaving Room for Expansion:
Haha, I guess there have been a few creative solutions out there - the
Greyhawk Construction Company comes to mind, as does 'The Fog' I heard was used in Castle Zagyg. I'm not sure yet... one idea might be to sketch out some large major hallways - "Roads" like in Moria... provide slots for where certain Delve encounters could take place... and place my pre-designed Delves in the slots the characters actually choose to explore. The less detailed Delves get pushed off and I wing-it if necessary. Or I constrain where the players go and use some 'Greyhawk Construction Company' device to limit their options. Even B2 had the rubble leading to the
Cave of the Unknown...
3. What if they don't descend?:
So what do you do if the party levels up, they realize they only scratched the surface of level 1, and rather than descend to level 2 they decide "No matter how long it takes, let's clear this sucker first!"? Megadungeons aren't meant to be exhaustively mapped and stocked, it ruins the aura of 'it's too big to be known entirely'. And besides, after a certain point the challenges will be downright boring.
The brute force approach goes like this - once you've advanced, you've 'exhausted' the experience you'll get on this level and you need to go down to level 2. I've seen some of the grognards propose fractioning the experience so the party gets the hint - once you're level is higher than the current dungeon level, you get 50% xp or something like that. Do you invoke the 'Bag of Rats' rule? Ostensibly level 1 fights are still in the range for level 2 characters, they're just considered "easy".
Note: I'm assuming that one way or the other the DM is ensuring the characters have received the necessary info they need to descend, easy access to up/down access points, they've received the correct amount of parcels and items, etc. Therefore the only pragmatic reason the players would stay on level 1 is grinding...
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