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Topic: Dungeons with Momentum (Read 374 times)

slade
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Dungeons with Momentum
« Thread Started on Oct 1, 2010, 5:06pm »

I need to design a dungeon that can't just be CRAWLED, that can morph into a rollercoaster ride at the roll of a die.

A dungeon, maybe with a time element, that forces the players to speed up their characters movement, that varies pace - crawl-sprint-crawl, where the characters are often too busy legging it to notice dungeon dressing, secret doors or search for traps.

- as DM, how do you vary the pace, if you do ?

- what is the Fastest Dungeon module, why, how does it achieve it ?

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tavis
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Re: Dungeons with Momentum
« Reply #1 on Oct 1, 2010, 6:43pm »

In game I like the idea of a solar labyrinth that changes with the shadows cast by the sun moving across the sky. Or just where it gets real dangerous when the sun goes down.

Out of game we always try to return to safety at the end of the session, so there's a predictable pace with caution at the beginning giving way to haste to make a big score / escape alive at the end.

Implacable threats, like a wave of green slime, could randomly trigger a fast-paced run, giving way to slow pace when they find a door to hide behind and then learn there are no visible exits but many potential hazards waiting to be triggered.

Things that amp the pace:
- running away from threats
- scoring treasure and wanting to get it out safe
- being poisoned, diseased, etc.

Things that slow the pace:
- lots of options with time to consider
- obvious hazards and rewards with no visible trigger or immediacy

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jeffr0
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Re: Dungeons with Momentum
« Reply #2 on Oct 1, 2010, 8:47pm »

One trick I have [just] used is to set up sort of a Rube Goldberg machine in terms of several things happening at once. Allow the players a chance to interact with the events... and allow for varying degrees of success/information.

This is then followed by a slower investigation/planning phase... which is then capped off by a titanic battle at the end.

The middle section is implemented in a slightly more static, tradition "crawl" approach. You can ratchet up the tension by putting a time limit on it-- ie, all hell will break loose at sundown one way or another.

(This model is more of a TV-action approach that can contrast and/or complement the stuff that tavis mentions.)

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shadowheart469
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Re: Dungeons with Momentum
« Reply #3 on Oct 2, 2010, 1:25am »

Get the characters into a good and deep part of the dungeon, then cut off their known escape route. A cave-in is a good solution, because that can also explain why the tunnels they are in are now flooding.

Now must they not only escape, by tunnels previously unexplored, but also face other denizens of the dungeon, perhaps those more often found at a lower level, also fleeing up to escape the rising water level.

Haven't used this idea mind you, but it would be one way to abruptly change the pace of a dungeon.

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cadriel
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Re: Dungeons with Momentum
« Reply #4 on Oct 2, 2010, 5:53am »

One thing to consider is the timers in the game. The main ones built in are the wandering monster chart (which speeds things up), the lifespan of torches (same), and the requirement to rest after 5 turns of exploration (which slows things down). Fiddling with these timers, or building in new ones, is the most straightforward way of altering the pace of your dungeon crawl.

In terms of timers, the flooding dungeon is an interesting idea, although it's a bit one-time. Riffing on that, what about the idea of a tidal dungeon level? Where on a certain level, there is a body of water that rises and falls, and when the tide is low some areas are just damp but as it comes in they fill with water. Some parts could be above the high water mark, and "safe," while others would only have a limited time before they flooded again. Of course we know where the good treasure will be. Another timer that I think would be interesting is a known radiation level - you HAVE to leave the dungeon within say 4 hours, and if you don't you have to save vs poison every hour or get a lethal case of radiation poisoning.

The other thing to consider is physical layout. A dungeon with a lot of twists and turns and alternate routes will be explored more slowly, while one that resolves down to pretty much a straight line will be explored in a quicker fashion. And if you build in things like mine carts and chutes and the like (which was pretty much where my mind went on seeing the title of this thread) you can really make it literally fast. Well, that and you can have a classic Indiana Jones style mine cart chase with a bunch of orcs, which would be pretty cool.

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Finarvyn
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Re: Dungeons with Momentum
« Reply #5 on Oct 2, 2010, 7:17am »

Oct 1, 2010, 6:43pm, tavis wrote:

In game I like the idea of a solar labyrinth that changes with the shadows cast by the sun moving across the sky. Or just where it gets real dangerous when the sun goes down.

That's one neat thing about vampires. You can have them sleep in the day, wake in the night. Puts a timeframe on the adventure so that if they move quickly they can beat the thing with less effort. If they wait too long, he wakes!

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