Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
D&D Older Editions
Which Edition for a Megadungeon Campaign? Why?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Randomthoughts" data-source="post: 8502533" data-attributes="member: 6681248"><p>So, I've been wanting to get back into playing 4e regularly [edit: this time] on a VTT (Fantasy Grounds in my case) and I've been considering dungeon exploration as an easier "in" so this is beyond a theoretical exercise for me. I'm going to start with a smaller dungeon just to get the kinks out with the eventual goal of a mega-dungeon. So my pick would be a <em>modified 4e </em>b/c I think it offers all the tools I need.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Yes, this was my experience back in 1e and 2e, so that's what I'm shooting for. A few caveats:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I did mapping in the day, but I'm not sure if that's necessary for the experience now (since in VTT, it should "auto map"). Personally, I didn't care for it (and I'm sure my players will thank me for it).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Not mentioned in your post but "shorter combat length" was mentioned elsewhere. While I normally run 4e in a cinematic style focusing on set pieces, for this game, I wouldn't mind if filler combats would take some time since there isn't a "plot" to follow. Exploration and combat can move at their own pace. And this would encourage avoiding monsters as well. However, I would consider using minions (or what I've used in the past - "super minions"), lower level monsters or variants of SCs. Boss battles can remain the awesome set pieces they are.</li> </ul><p>As to why I would use 4e, [USER=20564]@Blue[/USER] and [USER=22779]@Hussar[/USER] explain it pretty well:</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I would add:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I've ran 4e with more strategy in mind. For example, PCs have prepped for an encounter (resolved as a SC) and the results of which gave them advantages in the encounter, including surprise, optimal placement, "advantage" (before that became a thing) or other benefits. I would do that here.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Healing surges are strategic elements, which are lost on failed SCs rolls or through the disease tracker.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">IIRC, DS had exhaustion mechanics using the Disease Tracker - or I remember seeing that somewhere. I would definitely use this to give it more a Darkest Dungeon vibe.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I used a "Wounds" system where your total healing surges would be reduced if you fell unconscious or suffered a bad critical (i.e., took more damage than your CON).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rituals of course is a strategic element that I would certainly encourage.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I used the Adventuring Day from 4e DS and I would probably use that here. Or split food from water.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Everyone using the Encounter/Daily model would make it easier to modify it e.g. Long Rests take 48 hours and only in a Safe Place. I don't mind folks normally refreshing their Encounter powers - instead, I would expand encounters beyond one simple room (e.g., a single encounter could be a section of a dungeon).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">When I ran DS, I used a house rule where you rolled 3d20 for your Death Save immediately (so you could theoretically die immediately) and you could not heal your DS even after a Long Rest.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Puzzles & traps can be resolved the old fashioned way (describing what you do etc.) or through SCs or mix of both.</li> </ul><p>I think I can manage it with 4e (with modifications of course). Pretty excited about the possibilities!</p><p></p><p>EDIT: minor typos</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Randomthoughts, post: 8502533, member: 6681248"] So, I've been wanting to get back into playing 4e regularly [edit: this time] on a VTT (Fantasy Grounds in my case) and I've been considering dungeon exploration as an easier "in" so this is beyond a theoretical exercise for me. I'm going to start with a smaller dungeon just to get the kinks out with the eventual goal of a mega-dungeon. So my pick would be a [I]modified 4e [/I]b/c I think it offers all the tools I need. Yes, this was my experience back in 1e and 2e, so that's what I'm shooting for. A few caveats: [LIST] [*]I did mapping in the day, but I'm not sure if that's necessary for the experience now (since in VTT, it should "auto map"). Personally, I didn't care for it (and I'm sure my players will thank me for it). [*]Not mentioned in your post but "shorter combat length" was mentioned elsewhere. While I normally run 4e in a cinematic style focusing on set pieces, for this game, I wouldn't mind if filler combats would take some time since there isn't a "plot" to follow. Exploration and combat can move at their own pace. And this would encourage avoiding monsters as well. However, I would consider using minions (or what I've used in the past - "super minions"), lower level monsters or variants of SCs. Boss battles can remain the awesome set pieces they are. [/LIST] As to why I would use 4e, [USER=20564]@Blue[/USER] and [USER=22779]@Hussar[/USER] explain it pretty well: I would add: [LIST] [*]I've ran 4e with more strategy in mind. For example, PCs have prepped for an encounter (resolved as a SC) and the results of which gave them advantages in the encounter, including surprise, optimal placement, "advantage" (before that became a thing) or other benefits. I would do that here. [*]Healing surges are strategic elements, which are lost on failed SCs rolls or through the disease tracker. [*]IIRC, DS had exhaustion mechanics using the Disease Tracker - or I remember seeing that somewhere. I would definitely use this to give it more a Darkest Dungeon vibe. [*]I used a "Wounds" system where your total healing surges would be reduced if you fell unconscious or suffered a bad critical (i.e., took more damage than your CON). [*]Rituals of course is a strategic element that I would certainly encourage. [*]I used the Adventuring Day from 4e DS and I would probably use that here. Or split food from water. [*]Everyone using the Encounter/Daily model would make it easier to modify it e.g. Long Rests take 48 hours and only in a Safe Place. I don't mind folks normally refreshing their Encounter powers - instead, I would expand encounters beyond one simple room (e.g., a single encounter could be a section of a dungeon). [*]When I ran DS, I used a house rule where you rolled 3d20 for your Death Save immediately (so you could theoretically die immediately) and you could not heal your DS even after a Long Rest. [*]Puzzles & traps can be resolved the old fashioned way (describing what you do etc.) or through SCs or mix of both. [/LIST] I think I can manage it with 4e (with modifications of course). Pretty excited about the possibilities! EDIT: minor typos [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
D&D Older Editions
Which Edition for a Megadungeon Campaign? Why?
Top