World's Largest Dungeon: And the verdict is?

[DM_Jeff]

Wld

I got my author copy the night before leaving for GenCon and you really have no idea of the size until you hold it, ridiculous!

Would anyone go through it from start to finish? I can imagine a group playing only occassionally, beer-n-pretzels D&D that doesn't need to keep track of a half-dozen plot lines and 2 score NPC's to play this all the way through.

For myself, I see pulling rooms from various levels because of the set-ups and the very useful template- and classed-stacked monsters in there to shake up encounters.

And each "level" could be it's own dungeon with an entrance to the surface plopped in and the BBEG holding the thing or person the party must rescue.

Folks balking at the price, that I can understand. Providing I didn't write for it, I would have taken a VERY long look at it, and yeah, put up some old stuff on Ebay to help me offset the cost, it's the breakdown: The hardcover is like getting 18 modules for $5 each.

Personally I would have liked to have seen more art. I would have relished some artist's interpretations of rooms and creature situations, but I can't even imagine what the page count would have been like then!

-DM Jeff

 

[Jim Hague]

Not to cast a shadow on WLD but: I wonder why people think that's a good thing. I find that spenind that long at one activity gets people bored. I've been regaled with tales of groups that never finished RttToEE because it drug on too long.

That's part of the reason that my first question to the guy at the AEG booth was: Can you tear it apart? Break it down? Use it as a setting vice "just a dungeon"?

Well, I can't speak for the booth folks, since I wasn't at GenCon, but I can speak a bit on the parameters the project had - namely that it's meant to be modular. Steal a region, steal a room, a creature.

You can certainly run WLD as a single stretch, and I think it'd work - there's enough variety in there that it's not just a dungeon crawl - but I'm much more behind the modular approach to running it.

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

I can't imagine the World's Largest Dungeon NOT being helpful. If nothing else, could you not mine it for good stuff, puzzles, monsters, etc.

I don't even play D&D all that much and I would really like to get a copy.

 

[jester47]

Not to cast a shadow on WLD but: I wonder why people think that's a good thing. I find that spenind that long at one activity gets people bored. I've been regaled with tales of groups that never finished RttToEE because it drug on too long.

That's part of the reason that my first question to the guy at the AEG booth was: Can you tear it apart? Break it down? Use it as a setting vice "just a dungeon"?

Psion's don't cast shadows, they manifest them. So you are ok.

RttToEE I think was originally supposed to be just the temple, moathouse, nulb and homlett parts. The CRMs seem to be tacked on. The plot still works if you take out the CRMs.

Spoiler

The cult is a resurgant minor group that has discovered Tharizdun and came to Homlett and the moathouse to restart the cult. Someone has brough back Lareth who is not sure what he is doing in Nulb. The excavation of the Temple can be done as a reprise later in the story. Simply put, the players did not get all the cultists and the survivors have gained power and begun their excavation. The mystery still remains "who resurected Lareth?" OR you could do it where the Big Wigs are away while the players clean up the moathouse, nulb, and hommlet, and return start digging later.

In anycase, looking at the page count, the non CRM parts (hommlet, nulb, temple and moathouse) are equall to the length of Sunless and Forge.

I won't be getting WLD. Its too big, and too much for me. Rappan Athuk was pushing it. This is right out.

Aaron.

 

[Katerek]

Well I haven't read it all the way through yet, but I did pick this up at GenCon. So far my favorite part has been the part in the back, where Jim Pinto is giving thanks and he mentions Jay from Kansas City (thats me).

As to the actual product, I like the layout and the crunch. It harkens back to Undermountain. I think that most likely being able to run a full campaign with this will be difficult at best, as the players most likely wouldn't hang on for a two year dungeon crawl.

One thing that I can see being feasible, however, is using it as a backdrop for a continued series of pick up games. It is very modular, and I intend to use it in my actual campaign as a source for monster lairs and smaller dungeons.

The stat blocks are fairly well done, and the ecology of the dungeon makes sense when taken in the context of what it is meant to be.

I agree it is pricy, but to me it is well worth it. I know that there are many other books that I when stacked together may total up as much dollar wise, but crunch and content wise they are sorely lacking in comparison.

 

[Mourngrymn Dasha'r]

Being more of a watcher of these forums than actually posting my thoughts or opinions I felt I had to throw in a reply here.

The current campaign I am in is finally coming to an end. They never close, they just continue on with the story, but it is finally coming to a conclusion. This part of the campaign we are currently in has been a dungen crawl of sorts and has lasted, I kid you not, four years of actual gaming. No ingame time, but we have actually had the same group adding and removing one here and there but it has been the same group for over five years now, and this particular dungen has been non-stop for four years.

The good part about this is a real sense of accomplishment. When you take the same PC from low level to the highest levels possible is extremely rewarding. Also, the entire dungen gives a sense of meaning. Instead of traveling from one obscure mission to another and they don't really tie in together, it has all been working out well and we have a sense of really belonging with the NPC environment.

Now the bad side is, people get tired of their characters after a while. When they take this long to gain their high levels it can seem daunting. Or after three years of playing the same PC you see something you want better, but it can't be slipped into the campaign.

It would be neat to actually sit down and read the WLD, but to pay $100.00 for it... depends on if I like what I read.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Being more of a watcher of these forums than actually posting my thoughts or opinions I felt I had to throw in a reply here.

Welcome to the forums!


For my own two cents: WLD is a product I would love to own, but hate to buy.

 

[DaveMage]

Welcome to the forums!

For my own two cents: WLD is a product I would love to own, but hate to buy.

Psst, c'mon, BG, everyone's doing it...

You know you want to...

Just TRY a little...maybe look at the maps....

Don't be a prig - all the COOL kids are buying it.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Just TRY a little...maybe look at the maps....

No way. If I open that book up, I'll become addicted instantly. As it is, I go into my FLGS wearing a hazmat suit with a big chain on the back as a leash. I have to duct tape two copies of Femme Fatale on either side of the helmet to act as blinders to keep from looking at it. I navigate through the store with a GPS that uses Magic cards as waypoints. I'm getting pretty good at it by now. As long as I don't turn left at the Prodigal Socerer and just turn around completely if I see a Serra Angel I can avoid the d20 adventure section.

Now all I need to do is avoid asking questions about it and I'll be OK.

.... so .... what's the opening plot hook?

 

[Aaron2]

The super cheapies out there can get this from walmart.com for $62 plus $3 shipping.


Aaron