D&D 5E Advice on How to Run a Megadungeon Game

[Fenris-77]

The point about gating is very much not to baby the characters, but rather to provided a sense of progression and to provide a built in series of goals that feel like actual accomplishment. A megadungeon that's just sandbox can very easily feel endless and interminable and players can get bored because despite the number of rooms explored they don't feel like they're getting anywhere. What I'm really talking about is using the physical dungeon to help add the right narrative beats to keep the game interesting. Obviously that's not the only way to include narrative beats, but it's a good one.

Regardless of exactly how it's accomplished, the narrative is as key to a megadungeon as it is to any other well run adventure - you need short and long arcs, and major and minor goals.

 

[Enrico Poli1]

The best megadungeon I know of Is "Eyes of the Stone Thief" for 13th Age. It's incredible. You have to try this one unique thing.

 

[Todd Roybark]

I would also recommend treating the Dungeon itself as an NPC and consider how to “show” the dungeon’s specialness.

Optional rules like having training costs apply above ground, but not in the Dungeon itself, are a great way to add flavor, and encourage power hungry to delve one more time into the deeps.

I personally like setting Mega-Dungeons under cities, this allows for a change of pace, and it is cool for a adversary to seek sanctuary on a tough level.

Another “Go To” model I use is the Expedition. Where Characters hire Hirelings, supplies, set up a base camp and explore.

Encourage Mapping by your players. It slows the game down, but the map itself is often a cherished possession of the group.

All of the advice above is excellent.

 

[Retreater]

Two of my favorite megadungeon experiences were in 3rd edition, both published by Necromancer Games. One I was a player in, and the other I DMed ("Tomb of Abysthor" and "Lost City of Barakus," if you're curious).

The common trait is that both used the dungeon as a setting for adventure, not the adventure itself. "Retrieve this artifact" or "hunt down this villain" were the missions, not "explore this dungeon." Think of the verb for your adventurers and find something related to action and excitement and give them purpose for exploring the setting. Otherwise, using a megadungeon will be as drab as "walk through this forest" or "tour this city."

Give the party specific, finite goals. Let them dive into the dungeon, explore, then come out to have wilderness encounters and go back to their home base to relax (or have other adventures).

 

[Coroc]

Apologies in advance for posting two threads in such a short time span.

Can any DMs with experience in running megadungeons offer me any insight? I have run mostly open-space with scattered dungeons in my campaigns, often utilizing large open spaces, and haven't really incorporated any megadungeons in my campaigns before.

What are the most important considerations when planning a megadungeon game?

To be specific, I am concerned about the following factors:

- How must a megadungeon be themed? Is it feasible to have a consistent theme in a megadungeon? If so, how, and, if not, what is the best method of theme variation?

- How can a plot work in a megadungeon environment? And, how must factions be organized in such an odd environment?

- What is a good way to justify the existence of a megadungeon?

Along with all others associated with running a megadungeon-style game. I want to create a truly great megadungeon for my players, and I would appreciate advice on both how to create the sheer level of content and how to run megadungeon games.

1. Ban all teleport and gate and misty steps and such, megadungeon is only cool if PCs cannot come and go as they like. Make the group start at the bottom level!
2. Create safehavens in a meaningful way, where the party can heal (?resurrect their fallen for a price) and shop a bit
3. Design the dungeon so that it has a microcosmos ecology that makes sense.
E.g. introduce some plentyful food and water sources.
4. Group mobs in a way that make sense, no orcs in one room and a dragon in the next, unless the orcs are slaves / foodsupply of the dragon.
If in doubt what to pair a mob group with, put in some (mindless) undead. They can quite easy coexist with about anything, since they do not compete for food / water / shelter. At higher levels demons and devils can fill in here for the same prupose.
5. And maybe the most important, ask your group if they are fine with that. I got some player who sometimes complains about a dungeon being to big to be realistic if it got two levels.

 

[generic]

I'm going to recommend Angry GMs Megadungeon Monday series. He gives legitimately great advice.

Thank you for this. I've been reading his articles, and they are actually very good, in terms of advice, especially because I'm part of the "videogame generations".

Thanks to you, I found a great resource.

And thank you, everyone in this thread, for your great advice.

 

[Bacon Bits]

All that I can think of offhand is that, if you're running 5e's Dungeon of the Mad Mage, you need to add magic items to it. We got to level 9 (that's character level) and the only useful magic items we had were a couple of wands. If the motivation for the adventure is the promise of treasure, you have to have some stinking treasure. It's a cool adventure and the maps are great, but being a level 9 barbarian/fighter whose only magic item is a potion of frost giant strength is really freaking boring.

 

[Fenris-77]

Thank you for this. I've been reading his articles, and they are actually very good, in terms of advice, especially because I'm part of the "videogame generations".

Thanks to you, I found a great resource.

And thank you, everyone in this thread, for your great advice.

No problem, I love sharing resources. Don't stop with the MDM articles either, the whole site is pretty much gold.

 

[NotAYakk]

Steal ideas.

One megadungeon idea I've wanted to play with is sword art online.

The world is a series of levels seperated by dungeons, which go up. Each tier of the dungeon has multiple floors and a theme. The dungeons themselves are generated by some nigh-omnipotent being as a game. The levels between the dungeons can support more and more advanced civilizations.

Character level, in-world, is limited by the tiers of cleared dungeons.

The dungeon tiers themselves are large enough to require logistics and base camps. The dungeon responds to too many invaders with overwealming force, so you need to clear it with small elite forces, then move up logistics.

Finding the key to the next level is challenging.

The game might start with exploration stalled; nobody has solved the 3rd tier of the dungeon in 50 years of trying (level cap is 3).

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Another idea is that the dungeon is a leftover "bunker" from a previous civilzation, wiped out by the war between the gods and the titans.

Modern day adventurers mine it for magic.

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Explaining why "just send an army" isn't the answer something I want to include. If it is important, in 5e the power of a 100 person squad of grunts makes a 4th level party look like a joke. So why not armies? Why the PCs?

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Is thr dungeon a ruin? A way to cross dimensions? A living thing? A trap? What do the PCs know about it?

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What happens if the PCs do nothing? If the answer is nothing, try again. There should be a ticking clock, even if the PCs do not know it.

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What pacing? Gritty rests so PCs want to retreat to safety? What does that do to encounter budgets? With week long long rests, you need to be able to make progress in an area in 3ish scenes (between which you can take a short rest), each with deadly-ish XP budgets broken into 1-3 encounters. What does that look like?

Clearing out a tribe of 100 orcs is a really long grind this way, even for a L 20 party.

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How full is the dungeon? Is it like the underdark, or is it packed? What is the ecology? How stable is it?

 

[Eltab]

When the PCs go back topside between delves (assuming they can) give them a map of the areas they have been in. This way the players do not get lost. Especially easy to explain if somebody has the "map in my head" background ability.