Published persistent mega-dungeons

[Mark CMG]

So my idea of a campaign dungeon includes the concept that it should support multiple levels of play, and that it should be able to support more than one group rising through their PC levels, and that it should be large and open ended enough to support all that without becoming empty and "beaten." That means you'll need very large levels for the first few levels, especially (where there's a lot more exploration and a lot more PC attrition). You'll also need a lot of dynamism, so that sections of the dungeon can repopulate, adapt, and change as play continues. The need for these elements is one reason why I like the mythic underworld concept for these kinds of dungeons. It provides some justification for the expansiveness and the weirdness and the changeability that makes a campaign-style dungeon viable and interesting, without just throwing the ideas of ecology, purpose, and verisimilitude out the window.

That's as apt an explanation of the megadungeon as I have read.

 

[Mexal]

The Dungeon Under the Mountain from 0one Games is massive... while it's a mapset rather than a full-fledged and populated adventure setting, assorted individual bits have been detailed in the 'Rooms & Encounters' series.

 

[Wycen]

Two New Megadungeons:

Stonehell

Castle of the Mad Archmage

plus JM is working on publishing his Megadungeon:

Dwimmermount

And Monte Cook's subscription model Mega:

Dragon's Delve

Cool, though only Monte's counts as persistent (published previously in some form or another) and time will tell how that goes as well.

 

[Reynard]

Cool, though only Monte's counts as persistent (published previously in some form or another) and time will tell how that goes as well.

I don't think that's the definition of persistent we're talking about here.

 

[Bullgrit]

Is it ironic that there are more mega-dungeons published lately (since 2000) than there were published during the old days?

Bullgrit

 

[Chainsaw]

Is it ironic that there are more mega-dungeons published lately (since 2000) than there were published during the old days?

Bullgrit

After layering on another ~30 years of gamers, editions and companies? I don't think so..

 

[Odhanan]

Is it ironic that there are more mega-dungeons published lately (since 2000) than there were published during the old days?

Bullgrit

Nope. Considering that a mega-dungeon is a living construct that benefits from gradual improvements, rewrites, modifications and actual play, it's actually totally understandable. It's a distillation process, and it's one of the hardest products to actually build effectively, because there's no "design by committee" silver bullet on this one.

 

[Theodric the Obscure]

Folks interested in the dungeons below Ptolus developed as a mythic underworld might be interested in this piece: Mythopoeic Rambling: Guest Post: Ptolus as Mythic Underworld.

 

[Odhanan]

Folks interested in the dungeons below Ptolus developed as a mythic underworld might be interested in this piece: Mythopoeic Rambling: Guest Post: Ptolus as Mythic Underworld.

Oh my Lord! I gave this precise subject a lot of thought as I prepared by current AD&D First Ed campaign set in Ptolus in 431 IA, and still do now as I am running it. I will have to print this out and read it with attention. I'll comment there, if there is anything I have to say once my reading is done.

Thank you very much for the link.

 

[Stormonu]

There's an extensive dungeonworks in Dragon Mountain as I recall, so this may fit the bill. I also seem to remember an extensive dungeon set up in Axe of the Dwarvish Lords, but exploration of said dungeons, I do not think, was the goal.

Would the Caves of Chaos fit in as a low-level version of a megadungeon?