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Megadungeon delving as a campaign’s core; is it compatible with modern play?
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<blockquote data-quote="Argyle King" data-source="post: 8804832" data-attributes="member: 58416"><p>Can it be done? Yes</p><p></p><p>I'd go so far as to say that Ptolus was built around the idea.</p><p></p><p>I did something similar with a home game, by leaned even further into the dungeon delving aspect. The campaign was a location-based campaign, taking place in a city built around a megadungeon.</p><p></p><p>In fact, the reason for the city existing was because of the dungeon. I loosely based the town on old gold rush towns, with delving for loot being the rush. Stories spread about the mass of riches possible for those willing to brave the dangers. Shops, inns, and other such businesses were built nearby to serve (and make money off of) delvers. </p><p></p><p>How character-driven play mixed into that is that the stories became about why someone would choose to come there. Sure, there were promises of riches and glory, but -to the average person- going into a danger-filled pit in the ground seemed somewhere between suicidal and psychotic. </p><p></p><p>•For one character, the story was coming from an impoverished family and trying to make enough (and survive) to save the family farm back home.</p><p>•For another, they were tasked by their holy order to retrieve an artifact rumored to be in the megadungeon. The artifact was also sought by a villain because it was believed to be the method through which one could claim a mantle of godhood discarded by a deity long ago. </p><p>•For yet another, he was the second born of a noble and viewed unfavorably, so undertaking (and succeeding at) a dangerous quest was his way of proving himself and earning a spot at the family table. </p><p></p><p>I can't remember the rest right now, but those were two that I remember. Each character had hooks related to why they would choose such a dangerous task or profession. Part of the ongoing story was interpersonal interactions and exploring what was meaningful to each character. Some of it was also the war-veteran-like bond which develops among a group routinely subjected to near-death. In some cases, the dungeon itself revealed information which changed a character's worldview.</p><p></p><p>I should also point out that a big part of it the diet also involved the outside world not being static. In the case of the character working for the holy order, that meant that other delving teams might be hired (by the opposition) to retrieve the artifact first -which could mean dire consequences. </p><p>For the player looking to save the family farm, it meant sending supplies (and money) back home, as well as tuneup family's situation getting better or worse. </p><p></p><p>I'm not sure if any of this makes much sense, but the point is that it's possible.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Argyle King, post: 8804832, member: 58416"] Can it be done? Yes I'd go so far as to say that Ptolus was built around the idea. I did something similar with a home game, by leaned even further into the dungeon delving aspect. The campaign was a location-based campaign, taking place in a city built around a megadungeon. In fact, the reason for the city existing was because of the dungeon. I loosely based the town on old gold rush towns, with delving for loot being the rush. Stories spread about the mass of riches possible for those willing to brave the dangers. Shops, inns, and other such businesses were built nearby to serve (and make money off of) delvers. How character-driven play mixed into that is that the stories became about why someone would choose to come there. Sure, there were promises of riches and glory, but -to the average person- going into a danger-filled pit in the ground seemed somewhere between suicidal and psychotic. •For one character, the story was coming from an impoverished family and trying to make enough (and survive) to save the family farm back home. •For another, they were tasked by their holy order to retrieve an artifact rumored to be in the megadungeon. The artifact was also sought by a villain because it was believed to be the method through which one could claim a mantle of godhood discarded by a deity long ago. •For yet another, he was the second born of a noble and viewed unfavorably, so undertaking (and succeeding at) a dangerous quest was his way of proving himself and earning a spot at the family table. I can't remember the rest right now, but those were two that I remember. Each character had hooks related to why they would choose such a dangerous task or profession. Part of the ongoing story was interpersonal interactions and exploring what was meaningful to each character. Some of it was also the war-veteran-like bond which develops among a group routinely subjected to near-death. In some cases, the dungeon itself revealed information which changed a character's worldview. I should also point out that a big part of it the diet also involved the outside world not being static. In the case of the character working for the holy order, that meant that other delving teams might be hired (by the opposition) to retrieve the artifact first -which could mean dire consequences. For the player looking to save the family farm, it meant sending supplies (and money) back home, as well as tuneup family's situation getting better or worse. I'm not sure if any of this makes much sense, but the point is that it's possible. [/QUOTE]
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Megadungeon delving as a campaign’s core; is it compatible with modern play?
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