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First time making a "serious" dungeon! How do you do it?
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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 7019374" data-attributes="member: 29398"><p>What I often start with is some disparate key elements - a boss or two, a few set-piece battles or scenarios, a few pictures in my head, some other inhabitants, an overall idea, and a vague plotline reason for a party to go there.</p><p></p><p>It looks like you've already got way more than that - good.</p><p></p><p>Next, I'll stick those elements that can be mapped onto a map without bothering much about joining them together unless particular elements are supposed to be together.</p><p></p><p>Then I'll fill in whatever bits are required to join it all together, including some empty rooms and - if multiple vertical levels are involved - lots of vertical access points. After that I'll worry about how to get in and out, preferably ending up with several entrances. After that I'll fill in the inhabitants whose locations aren't already set.</p><p></p><p>What I try to avoid, mostly because it just never seems to work for me, is starting with a main overall structure (e.g. castle, fortress, whatever) and then trying to shoehorn everything into it.</p><p></p><p>As for monsters, the only obvious things I don't see that would fit would be a Bulette or two outside and - to throw them off a bit - a few Mummies, in a hidden area isolated from all those fire-chuckers!</p><p></p><p>Lanefan</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 7019374, member: 29398"] What I often start with is some disparate key elements - a boss or two, a few set-piece battles or scenarios, a few pictures in my head, some other inhabitants, an overall idea, and a vague plotline reason for a party to go there. It looks like you've already got way more than that - good. Next, I'll stick those elements that can be mapped onto a map without bothering much about joining them together unless particular elements are supposed to be together. Then I'll fill in whatever bits are required to join it all together, including some empty rooms and - if multiple vertical levels are involved - lots of vertical access points. After that I'll worry about how to get in and out, preferably ending up with several entrances. After that I'll fill in the inhabitants whose locations aren't already set. What I try to avoid, mostly because it just never seems to work for me, is starting with a main overall structure (e.g. castle, fortress, whatever) and then trying to shoehorn everything into it. As for monsters, the only obvious things I don't see that would fit would be a Bulette or two outside and - to throw them off a bit - a few Mummies, in a hidden area isolated from all those fire-chuckers! Lanefan [/QUOTE]
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