Using Dwarven Forge dungeons

[Brandigan]

Just wondering how people with this or something like it set it up prior to playing. Do you just place all the monsters and treasure markers in it. Or place that when the players actually enter the room or have everything
covered with paper and peel it off while the players adventure? What seems to work best?


Thanks!

 

[jdrakeh]

Just wondering how people with this or something like it set it up prior to playing. Do you just place all the monsters and treasure markers in it. Or place that when the players actually enter the room or have everything
covered with paper and peel it off while the players adventure? What seems to work best?


Thanks!

I was wondering this same thing, as I'm thinking of recreating Caliban (an Arduin dungeon) using cardstock dungeon walls for the local mini-con next month (I'm running the dungeon in question as a Swords & Wizardry event).

 

[Ktulu]

I only ever played with them once and found them to be best used if they're all setup and the DM just places stuff in the rooms as you can see it. when he tried to surprise us with side rooms, it was kinda klunky to deal with.

I could just be jealous since I don't have any, too..

 

[Stoat]

I've done it once.

One of my players has a huge number of DF pieces, but we rarely use them because getting them out and setting them up is kind of a hassle.

So the whole group got together, and we built a dungeon using every single piece we could get our hands on. Big rooms, little rooms, secret doors, mazes, whatever we could do.

I told the players that they had stumbled on a map of the complex, so they knew the layout in advance. They didn't know what was lurking in the ruins.

I dropped in monster minis, furniture, etc. as the players moved their minis through the dungeon.

It wouldn't work on a regular basis, but it was fun for a one shot.

 

[Toric_Arthendain]

I have a bunch of Dwarven Forge and it is tough to use in a game if it isn't set up ahead of time. Grabbing the right pieces and configuring them can slow the game down a bit. That said, if you can set it up prior to the start of the game, then it is great! It really helps everyone visualize the scene and also eliminates arguments about line of sight and other related issues. A three dimensional dungeon is pretty cool.

If I set it up ahead of time, I usually cover it with paper or posterboard and remove the coverings as the PCs explore.

 

[MythosaAkira]

Like others have said, it works best if you can set it up ahead of time. I generally lay out the pieces and cover different areas with pieces of cardboard, pulling them off as they enter a new area. Often, I'll throw some pieces I'm not using into "in-between" areas and cover those areas up as well, to keep the players guessing.

Laying the pieces out during the session doesn't take too long if the areas aren't too complicated and the pieces are already at hand on the table. But doing that and placing other scenery (Grendel, other pieces) on the fly definitely slows things down.

 

[The Shaman]

I prefer to set up the floorplan in advance, and add the encounter elements when the room comes into view, but I have a distinct advantage: I 'm using the sci fi sets to recreate the insides of space stations and starships, so it doesn't matter if the players see the layout in advance, since they're probably walking around with the deckplans on their hand computers anyway.

You could do the same thing with fantasy set-ups, of course: give the players the map of the dungeon in advance, and only add in things like secret rooms and hallways as discovered. It would also be fun to change something up from what they expect, too: "Hey, this doesn't look like the map . . . !"

 

[Wycen]

I game with the owner of Black Diamond Games, so he has access to lots of goodies, though lately he's been using dungeon tiles instead of dwarven forge, which is fine.

His usual method with dwarven forge was to build it out before we arrived and keep towels over the portions of the dungeon we had not explored yet.

 

[WillOH]

I have used them/seen them used in a couple of different ways.

1. The players have a map, so the set-up is revealed on the table. Monsters are added as the adventurers get into the room. - Easiest way to do things.
2. Build the adventure and cover sections with different colors of construction paper, cloth, etc. reveal the rooms as the party gets there. This of course is easier if the rooms have some light source so that the whole room can be revealed. Sometimes miniatures are already inhabiting the lay-out.
3. I have used this a number of times: Pre build the set-up on small pieces of ply-wood or on the boxes that are used to add elevation. When the party arrived at the room, I put the section on the table. It adds a little suspense but you need some extra room (that the players cannot see) to store the dungeon sections. Still since you are adding whole rooms, it is not too bad. Adding monsters after the sections are put on the game table.
4. Build as you go - not recommended as it can take too much time, it's as if the players actually are mapping it themselves... Though this is not bad with the cavern sets because the pieces are fairly large.

 

[CharlesRyan]

I have a ton of Dwarven Forge, and I love it and use it as often as possible.

I'm going to buck the trend here and go with build-as-you-go, with a couple of tips to speed things up.

1. First, I've made a bunch of mid-sized pieces by permanently gluing smaller pieces together. For example, I made some 1x2 and 2x2 floor tiles. And some wall sections 2 units long. This complements the larger (2x3 and 3x3 floor tiles; 3-unit wall sections) pieces, and lets me make mid-sized rooms without needing 15 or 20 bits. (Thanks to Andy Collins for this idea.)
2. Second, before play I generally figure out what I need to make the next few encounters, and I set those bits aside near the gaming table. When the players kick down the door, I can quickly scoop them up and set them out on the table. Not a whole lot slower than drawing on a battlemat, frankly.
3. Lastly, I ignore the butterfly ties. Completely unnecessary. (In fact, I think DF has got rid of them in recent releases?)

That's what works for me!