Collaborative Modular Dungeon Project, map#1
Let's make a dungeon together!
I've written some software that spits out randomized maps, so we can use those. The maps each consists of a network of rooms, chambers and caverns, connected by corridors. Each of these maps includes 1-4 large tunnels that connect the various modules together. We need to know what's in those rooms! I think the ideal goal is that each room on a map is populated by a different person, but I'm new here and don't have a sense for how many of you will want to participate. Also, the final result for each map will be assembled into a PDF, released under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license (and by participating, you're granting those rights to your work) -- so we'll be making the world a better place for all game players. And hopefully, we'll even earn a little cash for our effort, just through the structure of Steem. And I'll share all the SBD this post generates equally among all participants.
Themes: Muddy caves, bricked walls, goblins and fungi
What should go in your writeup? Every 'room' should have a paragraph describing the physical environment. It might just be a single sentence or you might get more fancy. Maybe there's a cool trap or piece of art that needs a whole extra paragraph...whatever. But we're not looking for a book. Additionally, about half the rooms should be inhabited. Tell us what's living there, but also what they're doing. If nothing lives there right now, are there signs of travel or past use? The inhabitants should work for a slightly gonzo old-school dungeoncrawl. And about a third of the rooms should have a treasure of some sort. We're after names and descriptions, not stats and values. See those themes just above? Each map will have a few things listed like that. Think about them. That should guide you. Not every room needs goblins. Not every cave has to be muddy. But when not, why not? If you drop a giant slug into a room, consider how it interacts with the neighbors and work that in. If there's a treasure in a room without inhabitants...why is it still there?
So, look at the map. If you want to jump in, do this:
- Lay claim to the first unclaimed room (in numeric order) by replying to this note with the room number you're claiming and an estimate of how long it'll take you to get back to us with the details.
- Optionally, copy the map-image and tightly crop down to emphasize your room, so you can use that in your write-up.
- Submit a post with the title "Modular Dungeon project, map#1, room#n" (where n is the room number that you actually claim). Make sure to include the modulardungeonproject as your first tag. Give us the description of your room. You can include art but it has to be legit, your own work released for use in this project's, or public domain/ccbysa4.
- Come back to this post and reply to the response you made with a link to your writeup.
I'm committing here to upvote every legit submission. You should upvote this post and those of your fellow participants. If you can get other people to do so, even better! We all get more loot and we're incentivized to keep making cool, free stuff.
If you see any notable flaws in the way I've set this up, please let me know. I'm new here and have been trying to observe behavior norms, but could easily have missed something
OK, so I don't know that this is really going to happen here, but in order to help give it a fair chance, I'm going to start. (It'll also be a good chance to run through the step-by-step instructions, to make sure they work.) So this is me claiming room #1.
And here's my room!
So if I lay claim to the first room, must I choose room 1 on the map you posted?
I'm not exactly married to that, but it's how I envisioned it working. It would hopefully keep things easy to find in the tree of replies.
OK. That's fine. I just kinda wanted Room 14, but was worried in case we never got that high. I can take room 1. Final question/clarification: Are you building the things we describe into the game engine, or is this all imagination-based? Or something else? All sound good. I'm just curious.
I don't quite understand the question. I hope to compile our output into a document that any GM of any game where fantasy(ish) dungeon-crawling takes place could use. Since various versions of D&D and all the retroclones and modern D20 permutations use different systems, I think we'll just use descriptive prose rather than include any attributes. Statting up the contents should be easy for anyone looking to use the document.
If I've totally misunderstood your question, try to reframe it for me.
Your answer helps me out, even if I don't fully get it - I love fantasy, have an active imagination, but I've never played D&D. I feel if I had, it would help me understand how the map would be used. I guess I wasn't sure if you were porting the map into a specific game that was being developed, or if you were just going to compile the descriptions with the rooms for fun and let people imagine this dungeon. Turns out it's sort of a mixture of both, which is fun.
I understand what you mean by "don't include any attributes" though - I used to design my own trading card games as a kid.
Ah nice I love things connected to Dungeon Kepper .
I once invented a Dungeon Keeper trading card game. I lost the files :(