Why are there so many Dungeons?

[GameOgre]

Gygath, God of Dungeons Deep and Labyrinths Dark.


Gygath was once a mortal Archmage of tremendous skill and power. During his long life Gygath and his band of heroic followers delved into many vast and ancient ruins and fought there way into dark labyrinths filled with powerful magics and lost peoples. It is believed that it was then that the foundations of his madness began.

As time rolled on he grew more and more fascinated with the delves themselves and obsessed with there very architecture and hidden beauty.He drew comfort from the darkness and the deep and came to appreciate the work and even art found within the deadly mazes. He began to delve into them alone so that he could study as he willed and even started his own black delve.

It was on one of these forays that he discovered The Iron Lich. A creature of such vast might and power that Gygath was over matched and forced to flee. Returning with his fellow adventurers again and again he was defeated. One by one all of his companions fell to spell or blade and eventually Gygath found himself alone in the deep dark and on the edge of utter ruin and defeat.

It was on this edge of total destruction that Gygath made his discovery and ascended to Godhood.It is rumored that he stole the very ritual needed from the Iron Lich and that to this day that dark entity rails against the injustice of the deed.

Whatever the case may be none may argue that Gygath became the God of Dungeons and Dark Depths and from that day forth has continually sought to turn the minds of the powerful towards the depths of dark delves and Dungeons. The number of such places in the world has exponentially increased and become far more deadly places. More and more adventurers fall to such places every year and many now speak of something new and sinister waiting in the darkness,watching.

 

[GameOgre]

I like the thought of something driving the powerful into creating dungeons. A insanity that twists minds into digging down into the depths and filling there creations with deadly traps and foul creatures as both a growing mental disorder and a tribute/sacrifice to there twisted God.

Also I love the thought that while the adventurers are fighting and dying someone is watching and seeking there deaths.....Dungeons getting more and more deadly as time goes on ect..

Just good stuff for games!

 

[GameOgre]

Not one comment? Come on guys what do you think? I can take it! Does it just suck a** or not fit your game world?Too simple and shallow or do you love it?

I have mixed thoughts myself but I need a overall reasoning for so many Dungeons all over he place and lets face it..many of thme created by Powerful Mages.

This idea could work though I have yet to develope it to the point where he would have priests ect..

Im just kicking it over and need some feedback.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I like it, but I already have an in-game explanation for the lone mega-dungeon in the setting.

You would have gotten more feedback on the general RPG section, I suspect.

 

[BriarMonkey]

If it works for you, great!

For my part, I use the term dungeon to refer to pretty much any specifically delineated space that the PCs may be adventuring in. That would mean catacombs, necropolises, ruins, sewers, etc., etc. would all qualify - and thus, I need no grandiose or over-arcing reason for these to exist as they all have purposes and reasons for being already.

Having said that, thanks for sharing as it is always interesting to see what others are doing! (That, and it helps foster idea "sharing".)

 

[gamerprinter]

I've never really used too many true Dungeons in my homebrew games. Many publishers seem to love them and continue to create them, but I seldom run published adventures. There is the periodic catacombs under old cities, temples and the like, but these aren't arbitrary dungeons, rather they belong to the location above appropriately fitting some historical reason to be there long ago.

We mostly game in urban, wilderness, or surface ruins, sometimes caverns, but almost never in actual dungeons. It seems too artificial to fit in my games.

GP

 

[Loren Pechtel]

In general a dungeon is crafted from very strong materials and thus they will last a *LONG* time. There are so many dungeons around because they get recycled over and over and over but there are always some megalomaniacs around that build new ones.

 

[Haltherrion]

If it works for you, go for it

As an aesthetic, it could strike many as somewhat heavy handed but there are ways to integrate it into the setting to make it work. For me as a gamer, if it was offered as a reason for dungeons but then Gygath had no obvious presence or impact on the world, I'd have to say I wouldn't care for it. It would just seem like, to be perfectly honest, clumsy myth making for little purpose.

BUT if you had the god's presence affect the world in such a way that revealed a personality and an on-going effect, it could actually be interesting. If players see dungeons being created as conscious offerings to the god, potentates being subtly pressured to delve, maybe a few who have gone mad under his effect that would be more interesting. Especially if you had his presence increase as the players level. Or alternately contrive to get the players to worship him early on (maybe he is a pretty minor god and eager for followers; players will often be quite loyal to any divine being that favors them with any attention at all).

I guess I would put it in the category of an interesting idea but one that requires a little nourishing for it to work. Put it in the pre-campaign backstory and never come across it again and it just strikes me as a little oddball, a ref construction to explain something that doesn't really need explaining (in a fantasy world) and an explanation that is awkward. But build something around it, give Gygath a personality rather than leave the god a distant abstraction and it could work. Could be quite interesting in the end.

So... interesting thought

 

[Herobizkit]

qv the original Legend of Zelda (NES). Ganon made the dungeons to guard specific treasures.

Now, how about this...

Gygath is a 'good' guy: Gygath generates dungeons to challenge his faithful. The stronger his faithful become, the more powerful Gygath becomes. The 'spawning' of a new Dungeon is an event worhty of celebration and feasting. As a general rule. these Dungeons do not pose a threat on the area's ecology, but perhaps they might, if such was in the spirit of the challenge. He could be partnered with your deities of Power/Strength, Wisdom/Magic, and Courage. Hyuk.

Gygath is a 'bad' guy: The Dungeons become living entites, in fact, avatars of Gygath. In Gygath's perfect world, he plots to re-shapes the Prime into one of those "upside-down/all-around" worlds like in the Labyrinth, and by M. C. Escher. Not only he is the Dark Depths and such, he also feeds on confusion and misdirection. Souls that die in his mazes become his property, making him a partner, yet at odds, with your Death deity.

 

[Summer-Knight925]

Gygath?

its a dungeon, stop asking questions about why it is here and start hacking at the monster munching on your cleric?

to harsh?

fine, I like the idea of a deity of dungeons, however I do find it a bit unneeded. You could have him as a demigod, gun a campaign arc where the PCs fight this evil being (after going through his deviously designed dungeons)

it would be great, it would also waste breath, no offense, its easier to say "roll initiative" than it is to say "and this one was created by so and so for reason X to hide Y from the world and keep Z at bay"

see what I'm saying? Just go with it and who cares why there's a dungeon, just go into and loot, nuff said