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How do YOU design a dungeon?
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<blockquote data-quote="Olgar Shiverstone" data-source="post: 6217789" data-attributes="member: 5868"><p>Usually I begin with a map.</p><p></p><p>Well, OK -- that's a bit of a shortcut. I do start with a general theme or idea I'm trying to work with ("Raid the Dragon's Lair"). Then I build the map.</p><p></p><p>Map building is key, because it helps me insert the type of encounters I want (Here's the complex one, here's the one with multiple terrains, over here is the trap/trick), reminds me to balance ecology (how does the dragon get out to eat? What about water? How does it stay fresh?), and reminds me to provide the players with meaningful choices (for example, always have more that one way to get to a goal. Make the choice between "right" and "left" interesting. If you just have a string of linear encounters, then make sure each encounter has more than one possible "solution".)</p><p></p><p>Once I have the map sketched, I'll start fleshing out details, which inspires changes in other things as I get more ideas, which cause revision to the map ...</p><p></p><p>Depending on the size of the adventure I then spiral outward from the dungeon itself to map the near environs, then the far environs, populate the region, and start to insert hooks and reasons for the whole thing to hang together.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Olgar Shiverstone, post: 6217789, member: 5868"] Usually I begin with a map. Well, OK -- that's a bit of a shortcut. I do start with a general theme or idea I'm trying to work with ("Raid the Dragon's Lair"). Then I build the map. Map building is key, because it helps me insert the type of encounters I want (Here's the complex one, here's the one with multiple terrains, over here is the trap/trick), reminds me to balance ecology (how does the dragon get out to eat? What about water? How does it stay fresh?), and reminds me to provide the players with meaningful choices (for example, always have more that one way to get to a goal. Make the choice between "right" and "left" interesting. If you just have a string of linear encounters, then make sure each encounter has more than one possible "solution".) Once I have the map sketched, I'll start fleshing out details, which inspires changes in other things as I get more ideas, which cause revision to the map ... Depending on the size of the adventure I then spiral outward from the dungeon itself to map the near environs, then the far environs, populate the region, and start to insert hooks and reasons for the whole thing to hang together. [/QUOTE]
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How do YOU design a dungeon?
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