Defend the Dungeon

[Limiate]

Hello all,

Thanks for taking a minute to read my thread.

A number of my players have expressed an interest in playing a PNP RPG Dungeon Keeper Style. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeon_Keeper)

Does anyone know of a campaign or game system that exists that is along these lines?

I’m starting an outline of what I need to make this a fun game system for the PCs and so far my thoughts are to combine elements from PC games of RTS and Survival Genre and then adapting D&D rules for combat.

What I'm really searching for is HOW the PCs will play monsters. Not the combat and mechanics as much as what do they do between defending the lair from adventurers and raiding caravans... you know what monster stuff happens when they're not being hacked to pieces?

DK gives us an idea of what goes on... expanding the lair, keeping monsters happy/loyal but what else? Do I make a crafting system? Do I have monster technology tree that they can research? How do I determine how they build their lair?

I’ve been thinking about a number of ways to do this and I think I’ve come up with a solid plot. I’ll have the players roll up normal characters for a normal, level 1 dungeon delve for whatever system I end up using. When the adventure starts, it will go horribly wrong. In the end they’ll be captured by goblins and sacrificed on an altar to an evil god. This god will accept the sacrifice and decide to use their souls for his own devices… namely making each of the PCs into a goblin and using them to expand goblin interests…

So the PCs are re-incarnated as Level 1 adventurer (or whatever) goblins who are influenced by the god with the mission of building a goblin lair.

I’ve toyed with the idea of when they complete their “mission” allowing them to somehow upgrade to another race, level up an adventuring level or possibly some other reward. I’ve also thought that instead of experience, I could replace it with treasure… since monsters hoard treasure for some inexplicable reason... maybe its to give them more power... it seems like the logical thought anyway.

I would make the game a 25% in the lair doing monster things – building traps, running a tribal economy, crafting, etc - 50% defending the lair from other monsters, dealing with problems and NPC adventuring parties/assaults from the nearby town - and 25% monster PC adventuring where they go out and raid/dungeon delve.

Thanks for your comments and time!

-Limiate

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

I've played in several individual sessions that reversed the norms, where our normal PC adventurers had to defend a dungeon-like location instead of attacking a location, using normal D&D rules. They were fun.

One thing I would suggest to make defense more fun is including high-mobility attackers with a goal other than "killing them and taking their stuff," at least some of the time. Encountering an attacker who is trying to get to a location to do something (grab the widget, perform the ritual, break through to the other side, wake the sleeping balrog, whatever) will make adventures more fluid and fun. I'm not saying that should be in every adventure, just that it should be in some.

Good luck!

 

[bagger245]

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Archive: Reverse Dungeon

 

[Herobizkit]

In all honesty, you can play it as any other typical adventure, save that the dominant race in the area is generally Humanoid and Monstrous Humanoid. Instead of exploring unmapped hexes, you are tunneling underground into unexplored caves. Check out this link for an idea of how to run the hex-style game and inspiration on how to flip it.

 

[Aramax]

sounds fun,heres some stray thoughts

Since they are going to be in one spot I think a little humanoid romance would be fun roleplaying,buying or impressing brides or fathers,who can build the biggest hareem.

a contrary shaman, who is always making demands,"More Sacrifices!"
and is the only source of healing.

devilish children doing all sorts of wacky things but must be protected

a knightly order determined to eradicate goblins would make a good recuring foe.

a very powerful but stupid paladin would make a nice recuring also

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

One key is that the players should have more knowledge of the area they're defending- they live and work there, after all!

As for them being monsters, well, it isn't entirely necessary. They could just be evil adventurers who found a nice gig; they could be mercenaries.

Assuming 3.X, I'd start off by re-working the PC race list by ditching almost every race in the PHB except Human and Half-Orc, then add Hobgoblin, Orc, Goblin, Ogre, Kobold, etc., and letting them take levels. Given that some will have LAs, I'd start the PCs off at somewhere between 3rd and 5th level.