Topic: The Darkness Beneath - Thread 2 (Read 1,379 times)
calithena Moderator Official "Fight On!" Scribe member is offline
Will Withstand Adversity
Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,643 Karma: 55
The Darkness Beneath - Thread 2 « Thread Started on May 23, 2008, 2:02pm »
It would be nice if someone with better artistic skills redrew this at some point. The gold standard of dungeon cross-sections is visible at Jeff's Gameblog:
Joined: Mar 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 300 Location: Los Angeles, CA Karma: 6
Re: The Darkness Beneath - Thread 2 « Reply #2 on May 23, 2008, 2:32pm »
I'm going to need some space for level 9, btw. You don't fit 30m ziggurats and a (surprise!), and giant-sized trolls riding brontosaurs (well brontosaur like) in a small area.
Joined: Oct 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 1,220 Location: Argentina Karma: 47
Re: The Darkness Beneath - Thread 2 « Reply #5 on May 26, 2008, 10:32am »
I'm thinking of the Palace of Eternal Ilussion as a relatively secret, or isolated, hard to find place. How do you feel about that? If that is too of an obstacle, maybe a small portion of the map can be of easy access, so as to allow inter-level navigation, but keep the main of the Palace as a sort of "secret level".
I would also like to keep the level very light in monsters and have it full of ilussion traps and tricks. Some ilussions will not be necessarily magical. The Palace would be "ruled" by the insane and lonely "Zteog, the false magic-user".
calithena Moderator Official "Fight On!" Scribe member is offline
Will Withstand Adversity
Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,643 Karma: 55
Re: The Darkness Beneath - Thread 2 « Reply #6 on May 26, 2008, 10:38am »
The whole level can be pretty secret, that's fine with me. The 'back door' from 3 to 4 to 7 is supposed to be a serious advantage if PCs can get through and it's the only back door to the Citadel of the Dark Trolls (they don't know about it either). So yeah, 7 is hard to find even from 4, moreso from 8 and 9.
Joined: Oct 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 1,220 Location: Argentina Karma: 47
Re: The Darkness Beneath - Thread 2 « Reply #8 on May 26, 2008, 10:44am »
I'm also going to try something that was quite succesful in a campaing I runned. The idea of a "false magic user". A non-casting NPC that has prepared the dungeon in a sort of "HOME ALONE" (the movie) fashion, so that it appears he is a wizard, but in fact he has no real magical powers. That is a new way of "ilussion".
This guy would have found the Palace abandoned after the death or departure of it's very high level master ilussionist and somehow managed to take relative control of the place.
He will not be the only theme of the level, of course. Other areas, protected by illusions and traps of different sorts are still unconquered and great treasures await!
calithena Moderator Official "Fight On!" Scribe member is offline
Will Withstand Adversity
Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,643 Karma: 55
Re: The Darkness Beneath - Thread 2 « Reply #9 on May 26, 2008, 11:05am »
I like that. Maybe he's a master thief, or maybe just a lucky nincompoop.
Opens up the possibility of PCs taking over the level later on and using it as a home base for deeper delving, also. Though it should never be quite safe - the 'palace' may have a mind of its own...
The whole level can be pretty secret, that's fine with me. The 'back door' from 3 to 4 to 7 is supposed to be a serious advantage if PCs can get through and it's the only back door to the Citadel of the Dark Trolls (they don't know about it either). So yeah, 7 is hard to find even from 4, moreso from 8 and 9.
Just a note on the way I've designed 3 so far. There are a trio of treacherous entrances from 3 to 4. Two very deep dead drop stone shafts/chutes, and a waterfall. The inhabitants of 3 will certainly go out of their way to cut or untie ropes secured from the top of the two shafts. It's truly a bold move to take the plunge into 4 from 3.
Joined: Mar 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 362 Location: Maryland, USA Karma: 24
Re: The Darkness Beneath - Thread 2 « Reply #12 on Jun 9, 2008, 9:37am »
More concerning level 3:
It should be ready for 'draft submission' very soon. I'm a bit concerned that it will be too big for FO!.
It has 53 keyed areas, some are empty, some are short descriptions, but others are fairly complex (and this after I keep checking myself with sticking to essential information). Toss in the dozen or so new monsters, as well as the eight 'named Monsters', and it's going to be big.
Maybe I can pare it down before the final sub, but there's just a lot going on for this level.
In my efforts to organize, it's broken down into six regions. If you look at the map, you'll see what I'm alluding to. Aesthetically, I am very happy with the map. This is, after all, a megadungeon. I think BIG when I hear that term.
Anyway, taking some of Cal's prior advice, I want to give some spoilers and teasers in regard to level 3.
There are three major factions within. The Tribe of the Claw, The entire Crab cycle, and Quimlin's Forces. The Tribe are Cavemen who worship the Crab Demon Garaskis. They revere crabs, and pursue an unholy ritual which turns their chosen members, slowly, into giant crabs. The various stages of this metamorphosis yield a few new monsters (true abominations!). The crab cycle is ruled over by the Great Crab, the favored daughter of Garaskis, Seskiima. Mindless, aggressive, hungry, these transformed abominations of half man/half crab live together with the Children of Garaskis, various sized crabs that prey on anything that enters their regions. Quimlin's 'Forces' dominate a portion of the level. Quimlin is a deranged arcano-tech NPC, conducting bizarre experiments in his efforts to assemble a force capable of penetrating the Crystal Hemispere below.
There are named Monsters involved with possible role-play ramifications. The whole thing is littered with strange morphed and mutated Monsters. Seskiima and Quimlin should prove to be a blast to run.
I'm just hoping that in the end, pulling all of this together won't end up being too much text.
What happens if this thing ends up being, say, 22 pages long?
In the end, I suppose I could redo the map and submit two levels, but I really like the map as is.
I just thought I'd throw some info out, and ultimately it's up to Cal and Iggy. Either way, I hope that everyone enjoys my level. I'm trying to strike a balance between grounded and gonzo, and so far I think it's working out OK.
What happens if this thing ends up being, say, 22 pages long?
In the end, I suppose I could redo the map and submit two levels, but I really like the map as is.
What happens? I suppose what happens is we end up with 22 pages of awesome, old-school, crabby goodness!
Seriously, I don't think too long is a real problem. If necessary, the key can be chopped up and released in installments, maybe spanning multiple issues of Fight On!, but I don't really see that as a bad thing.
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