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First time making a "serious" dungeon! How do you do it?
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<blockquote data-quote="Imaculata" data-source="post: 7027746" data-attributes="member: 6801286"><p>Drawing inspiration from various concept art sources is a great way to form a picture of what the dungeon might look like. I often do this as well for inspiration. What I'll do, is I start writing a short description for each key location, which describes what it looks like, what it feels like, and some simple backstory to go along with it. This helps to flesh out the locations.</p><p></p><p>For example, I recently wrote this lengthy description of the island Dunster Hollow:</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>My descriptions are usually not quite as lengthy as this one. But there were a lot of details to cover. This description is not one I would literally read to my players. Instead, it is one that I read myself to remind myself of important details, so my telling is consistent from session to session (and to get in the right mindset). Some of the important names that are dropped in the text, have their own descriptions as well, later on in the document.</p><p></p><p>Often I'll also look up some fitting artwork to go along with the description. Again, this is not something I feel I need to show to my players. It is purely there for myself as something to fall back on.</p><p></p><p>I think it might be a helpful aid for your dungeon to follow this same approach. What do the areas look like, and how would you describe it to yourself? </p><p></p><p>Lets start for example with the Dragon Aerie, and how it connects to the upper gardens. What sort of environment is the Aerie located it? You mentioned a desert, but there are many kinds of desert. Is it a rocky area, sandy, or perhaps covered in salt? What sounds do the players hear? What is the weather usually like here? What is the overall mood? Can the players see the upper gardens from the entrance at the Aerie, or is it all obscured by a vast complex? This also raises an important question: Is the garden an interior or exterior location?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Imaculata, post: 7027746, member: 6801286"] Drawing inspiration from various concept art sources is a great way to form a picture of what the dungeon might look like. I often do this as well for inspiration. What I'll do, is I start writing a short description for each key location, which describes what it looks like, what it feels like, and some simple backstory to go along with it. This helps to flesh out the locations. For example, I recently wrote this lengthy description of the island Dunster Hollow: My descriptions are usually not quite as lengthy as this one. But there were a lot of details to cover. This description is not one I would literally read to my players. Instead, it is one that I read myself to remind myself of important details, so my telling is consistent from session to session (and to get in the right mindset). Some of the important names that are dropped in the text, have their own descriptions as well, later on in the document. Often I'll also look up some fitting artwork to go along with the description. Again, this is not something I feel I need to show to my players. It is purely there for myself as something to fall back on. I think it might be a helpful aid for your dungeon to follow this same approach. What do the areas look like, and how would you describe it to yourself? Lets start for example with the Dragon Aerie, and how it connects to the upper gardens. What sort of environment is the Aerie located it? You mentioned a desert, but there are many kinds of desert. Is it a rocky area, sandy, or perhaps covered in salt? What sounds do the players hear? What is the weather usually like here? What is the overall mood? Can the players see the upper gardens from the entrance at the Aerie, or is it all obscured by a vast complex? This also raises an important question: Is the garden an interior or exterior location? [/QUOTE]
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