D&D General Jaquaying the dungeon - a term to avoid

[Vaalingrade]

Aw, man. This is like that time I kept trying to make "fetch" happen.

You know, she technically made 'make fetch happen' happen so...

 

[MGibster]

The 1e DMG? Certainly.

It's been at least 34 years since I've even cracked open the 1st edition AD&D DMG. I can't even remember the last time I read the 2nd edition AD&D DMG.

 

[pemerton]

It's been at least 34 years since I've even cracked open the 1st edition AD&D DMG.

Now that's heretical talk . . .

 

[Hriston]

I thought the original term was a nice acknowledgement of Jennell’s contributions to the hobby, but if she doesn’t want her name on it, then I’m going to respect that and stop using it.

From what I can gather from the blog post, she just didn't want her name misspelled on it, but for "reasons" adding the s back in wasn't going to happen on alexandrian.net, but that doesn't mean other people can't do it. I suppose clarification about what Ms. Jaquays, herself, actually wants would be in order and will have to await her recovery.

 

[haakon1]

I'm going to make a bold assertion: Having multiple pathways through a dungeon doesn't need a special term. Just don't turn your dungeon into a tube (like the Sunless Citadel or latter day World of Warcraft dungeons) and you're good. Not everything needs to be turned into jargon.

Thanks. I was wondering what they term is supposed to mean.

So all it means is non-linear dungeon.

 

[Reynard]

Thanks. I was wondering what they term is supposed to mean.

So all it means is non-linear dungeon.

It isn't quite just that. The key is that it has multiple routes that loop back on one another. You can have a non-linear dungeon without that: the main stairs lead down to a central chamber and then there are rooms in all directions with no set path. But that isn't a "warren" (which is the term I have decided to use until a better one comes along).

 

[Charlaquin]

So all it means is non-linear dungeon.

Yes and no. I mean, first off it’s a verb, so even in the simplest terms it means making a dungeon nonlinear, either in its initial design, or by making changes to a dungeon that was initially designed to be linear. In fact, the article in which Alexander coined the term was ultimately about changing the dungeon from Keep on the Shadowfell to make it less linear.

There are a lot of elements you can include in or add to a dungeon to [the term in question] it. Listing such elements directly from part 2 of the original article, we’ve got…

• multiple entrances
• looping paths
• multiple level connections
• discontinuous level connections
• secret paths
• sub-levels
• divided levels
• nested dungeons
• minor elevation changes within a level
• midpoint entry
• non-Euclidean geometry
• extradimensional spaces

Not all dungeons that have been [the term in question]ed include all of these elements of course, but any of them can be utilized when [the term in question]ing a dungeon. The purpose of the term was to give a name to the process of using techniques like these to make navigating a dungeon more of a challenge in and of itself.

 

[grankless]

I'm surprised he didn't think to ask her about it when he posted the original article.

 

[Reynard]

I'm surprised he didn't think to ask her about it when he posted the original article.

Based on this blog post, I'm not.

 

[This Effin’ GM]

She didn’t want it misspelled, he didn’t want a legal issue and also was tired of seeing hate directed either at him or at someone else.

So rather than name it something else that could have led to another legal issue or trying to come up w a term that could mostly fit though maybe not perfectly, he just chose his name.

Alright. Ok. His book he can call it what he wants.