Dev Blog #4 (Halfway there)

Hey Game Fam, we’re back with week four of our Mega Dungeon Dev Blog. If you’re new here, thank you for stopping by however you got here. If you’re a little confused, that’s ok. Check back to the start of these articles here and you can catch back up. For the quick review, we’re working on filling out more of the dungeon and seeing what else this beehive needs. To see what the dungeon looks like when we start, here’s a link to the map over at Inkarnate, and we’re going to dive right in. We’re on the home stretch, we’ve only got four more rooms to build and we’re not placing more doors. The dungeon’s final shape is emerging and let’s see what it looks like?  

Room 15:  

# of Room Shape Structures? 1 Room Shape: Circle

Room Size: 5x5

Shape Inconsistency: None

Ceiling Height: 10 feet

Room Oddities: 3 (Treasure, Intact Furniture, Ceiling Trap).

New Doors Out: 0 (Door Cap reached)

Room 15 is the nexus point of a bunch of hallways and closes off all of those corridors. It’s a little bigger than it’s supposed to be in an actual workable area of 5 x 6, but it works with the layout. In this room you have a ceiling trap, Intact Furniture, and some actual Treasure. Well, the treasure is guarded by a ceiling trap that doesn’t damage the furniture or the treasure itself, so I’m angling towards some kind of toxic gas trap. It fits with the other thematic elements of the dungeon and it works with this room.

So, what kind of furniture is in this room? I’m leaning into big, obvious looking treasure chests. The characters are down for that sort of thing, so let’s give them what they’re looking for. At least 1, possibly 2, giant treasure chests that are locked. The chests lack traps, but messing with them at all will set off the ceiling trap, flooding the room with toxic gas. Historically, this gas trap refilled itself, but time has worn down the mechanisms, so it has limited shots remaining. The first time it’s set off, roll 1D6. On a 4+, it refills. If it’s set off again, roll the 1D6, but it only refills on a 5+. The characters, if they can find the exhaust ports for the gas, can stuff them with rags and keep them from filling the room.

Yes, this room will look and feel like an obvious trap. It’s a huge circular room with treasure chests sitting out in the open. Let the characters explore and search for traps.  

Room 16:  

# of Room Shape Structures? 2 Room Shape: Octagon, Triangle

Room Size: 2x2. 3x2

Shape Inconsistency: None

Ceiling Height: 25 feet

Room Oddities: 2 (Puzzle, Healing).

New Doors Out: 0 (Door Cap Reached)

This is a tiny room with a lot of interesting things going on. There’s a puzzle built into this room. (it requires solving through the traditional methods of puzzle solving whichever system you’re using favors). If the characters took the time to study the library, they can solve the puzzle immediately. Solving the Puzzle allows them to use the healing font in the room, which will fully heal everyone in the party once per week. It also cures poisons and diseases. This is probably a fairly safe place for the characters to rest.  

Room 17:  

# of Room Shape Structures? 1 Room Shape: Square

Room Size: 2x2

Shape Inconsistency: Room is quadruple normal size

Ceiling Height: 15 feet

Room Oddities: 4 (Fake Treasure, Armory, Absolute Darkness, Wild Magic).

New Doors Out: 1 Door Down to the next level

Room 17 is the final official room of the dungeon floor. It has a way down to level two of this mega dungeon and has a quartet of interesting features. There is an armory in one section of this room, but all the weapons and armor stored in it are worthless junk (though they appear quite valuable). Unfortunately, Absolute Darkness blankets the entire room. This, coupled with the Wild Magic Field, makes it a risky proposition. Casting spells and navigating through this room can be a perilous situation. Near the far wall is the way down.  

Room 18:  

# of Room Shape Structures? 1 Room Shape: Circle

Room Size: 2x2

Shape Inconsistency: None

Ceiling Height: 10 feet

Room Oddities: 2 (Illusion, Torture Device).

New Doors Out: 0

Room 18 is a secret room off of the secret door in room 12. It has two key features, An Iron Maiden style torture device covered by an illusion that makes it look a regular statue. There are bones and other things gathered around the feet of the statue. 

The Dungeon’s layout is complete. Next week I will populate it and then I’ll try to explain my idea of dungeon design and populating things. We can probably finish that in one week, and then I will show you how I condense all this information down into a usable block of info for the person running the game.  

We’re still on track to hit our six-week timetable. If you want to check out the maps in progress, check here. If you want to pick up your own mega dungeon generator, you can do so here. If you just want to support this kind of project, you can always buy me a kofi here.  

I’ll see you next week, Game Fam.