World's Largest Dungeon?

[jim pinto]

After finishing reading chapter 2 last night, I realized the chances you'll end the dungeon with the same PC you started isn't likely to happen. And it might not always be easy to explain in the traditional fashion how your replacement PC shows up. I was bored at work this morning, so...

SNIP

-DM Jeff
(co-author of section O)

jeff ibach and his charts... god bless you man

(although some of those items need an editor)

Region B has a lot of traps and jeff is right,
its deadly, but only for completists who must
explore every square foot of tile.

someone on here posted that they played it at
dragoncon and they didn't like the # of traps.

sounds like the DM.

since i wrote Region B, here's my dollar-fifty

cut the damage of each trap in half
make spoting them easy
allow the PCs to get a clue and realize the dungeon
isn't there for their comfort
cut out half the traps and save them for future adventures
allow SPOT checks to find them
develop a SOP (standard operating procedure) that includes
a list of things the group does before EACH room. have their
search and spot checks rolled ahead of time (say 30+ for each
PC) and then cross them off as they're used.

this will save a lot of time

deadly traps are not the fault of the designer,
(although they are his/her brainchild)
but the curse of the DM who must monitor how
well the PCs are doing.

a good rogue is going to find ALL the traps and then
someone is going to say the dungeon was too easy.

role-playing games (unlike video games) require a human
element that must monitor the level of the persons
playing. you as the DM know the best time to drop
another trap on them. you as the DM know the best
time to make a room empty so they can rest.

saying the dungeon is too hard is like saying your
coffee is too hot. give it time and it'll cool down.

and since many of the traps protect something useful
for the PCs, its hardly a stretch for the DM to assume
he can add a few healing potions to the deadlier rooms
that the bugbears and goblins have been unable to get
passed.

anyway.

enough soapboxing. i'm glad to see people playing and
enjoying the product.

game on.

[mr. ibach... you've had the book 2 weeks and you've only
finished one chapter. for shame.]

 

[Demon Gnome]

About the mapping, as a DM a couple things you can use would be a sheet of 1 inch graph paper under a sheet of clear plexiglass (can get at most hardware stores) and dry erase markers. That's what we used for the longest time until a few months ago when I got some Tact-Tiles (http://www.bc-products.net/Index.html) and they've been worth every penny since. As for the players keeping a map of there they've been, I feel that's their responsibility and up to them as to how they want to do it. I know until WLD most of my players didn't map at all, but we have a new guy now who is keeping his own map based off what I draw on the tiles.

 

[DM_Jeff]

Reading

>>[mr. ibach... you've had the book 2 weeks and you've only finished one chapter. for shame.]

One word for ya...GenCon (that's one word, right?). Took 5 days out of that for me! I'm reading, I'm reading! It's a lot of text per page!

-DM Jeff

 

[twofalls]

Traps!

Jim gets a big round cookie stuffed with chocolate chips for Region B. I love traps, and couldn't agree more that monitoring what the party can handle is one of the many balls the GM has to keep in the air during the game. I mentioned to the Sanguine Sentinels before we started play that one section of the dungeon has more traps in it than I'd typcially put in design and they groaned in anticipated misery as I have a bit of a reputation for them. There are trapped traps! Woohoo!

The current anticipated resloution is going to be that I will map the game as they play, and update it as we go along when they request it. We discussed photocopying the map, using whiteout to remove the symbols and then creating a second photocopy. However since the space between rooms is dark brown the whiteout areas would stick out like a soar thumb and make it obvious where to check for traps.

As for placing minis on the table, the Sentinels purchased the Fiery Mountian Gold Collection of counters yesteday specifically to use for the dungeon, and I have a huge collection of tiles to use with them. For $25 I highly recommend the counter set as an inexpensive alternative to a massive minature collection.

As far as finishing the entire dungeon with original characters... HA! Fat chance. I actually made it a goal just to give them something to worry about. Our campaign concept is that the evil will be unleashed upon the unsuspecting world unless the PC's deal with it. Each player gets two PC's that are mystically linked, when one dies he can activate the link to bring in the other if he wishes. Monsters and other Dungeon allies will present themselves during the game as potential allies and replacments for PCless players. If at any time all twelve of the PC's created at the start of the game (this includes the backups) are all dead, the game is over and the players loose. No ressurection maigc is avalible outside of what I personally place in the dungeon, and there is no level loss penalty for raising anymore. I only plan to place one raise potion and one raise scroll in each Region... carefully hidden/guarded of course.

Jim Hauge - I attempted you at the address you listed but it bounced. It's uncommonly kind of you to make the offer you did and I won't hold you to it, but whatever assistance you can offer in this direction will be greatly appreaciated by myself and future DM's who encounter this issue... THANKS! You could try me at jamesbeadle@sanguinesentinels.com if you have the opportunity.

 

[Ghost2020]

How many entrances to the dungeon?
There's the main entrance right?
Is that it?

 

[twofalls]

How many entrances to the dungeon?
There's the main entrance right?
Is that it?

Deeper in this thread is your answer Ghost. My understanding is that one entrance is outlined in the text, however the maps show many other entrance possibilities... just glancing at "Region C" I see three false doors that COULD be entrances...

 

[jim pinto]

Deeper in this thread is your answer Ghost. My understanding is that one entrance is outlined in the text, however the maps show many other entrance possibilities... just glancing at "Region C" I see three false doors that COULD be entrances...

Regions D, H, L, M, N, and O have very obvious entrances/exits
that are up to the DM on how to use. However, twofalls is correct,
the PCs can litterally walk in anywhere.

A secret door or false door that occupants never found opens into
the dungeon, only to close behind the PCs, sealing flush with the wall.

Etc

 

[DaveMage]

Hey jim pinto:

Any truth to the rumor that AEG is working on the World's Largest City? And if so, are you going to lose as much sleep as you did with the WLD?

 

[Psion]

Any truth to the rumor that AEG is working on the World's Largest City? And if so, are you going to lose as much sleep as you did with the WLD?

If it's not true, the ad in the back of WLD is false advertising.

 

[jim pinto]

If it's not true, the ad in the back of WLD is false advertising.

curse you and you're ability to read... <shaking fist>