Don’t be frightened…we eat hamsters

Last minute change

As I was roughing in the final stages of my trap-infested one page dungeon yesterday, I realized that the level of detail I needed was simply a bit much for the required space. I wound up switching to one of my bizarre designs, which was already finished and was going to be loaded here as the contest closed; meaning that I’m now going to go back and put more detail into the “trap dungeon” and make it available here when I’m finished.

Regardless of whether my actual entry winds up being published through the contest, I plan on posting it here as well. Considering that I used a new “monster” (sans stats, of course), it would no doubt be more interesting if I could truly flesh it out.

My ultimate goal was to blend AD&D/C&C/LL with…well, Dark Conspiracy for lack of a better comparison; and I believe I could make it far more effective with stat blocks, abilities, and a slightly more robust set of guidelines for the DM. For example, I commented at one point about “radiation,” but didn’t have the column space to go into any details about whether to use it as a hazard or how it might be used in play.

In any event, it appears that the contest was a big hit as there were some 60+ entries. With competition like that, I don’t figure on coming in at the top, but I have to admit it was fun to participate. I’ve said before that my gaming style is a combination of old school rules and modern storytelling arcs which ultimately means that I don’t do a lot of traditional dungeon crawls. But, like so many gamers who got hooked in the late 70’s, I certainly came from those roots, and this contest put me back in touch with those early, passionate, forays into the unknown.

I’m looking forward to seeing the winners.

Crunch time for 1 page dungeons

Is everyone busy finishing their One Page Dungeons? I am (when I’m not working). In fact, I had a number of false starts – a few of which produced bizarre but ultimately interested ideas – but I finally settled into a simple, old school, trap-infested dungeon that will hopefully conjure up memories of the Tomb of Horrors. And if it’s even a fraction as deadly/funny/frustrating, I’ll be thrilled.

Tech levels for fantasy games

If you’ve been playing fantasy RPGs for any length of time you’ve no doubt run into someone who has attempted to drop various bits and pieces of technology into their settings. I have no problem admitting that I’m one of those people. While I often tow-the-line when it comes to tech level, sticking with a rather traditional (Tolkien-like, if you will) setting, I do find myself fiddling with what appears in any given game based on how I wind up envisioning it.

I’m sure a lot of DMs develop their worlds in a fairly holistic fashion. But I tend to stick to a credo that I picked up years ago that says: worlds don’t develop as a whole but by fits-and-starts. For example, the United States might have nuclear energy today, but most of South America is still relying on methods that are considered one generation behind for producing electricity. The dictum for world building is that one area might be the equivalent of a Medieval era kingdom, but the continent to the south could be filled with barbarians that have yet to make it past the Bronze Age.

As a longtime Traveller GM, I used to rely on a pattern similar to that game’s tech level system. But when I’m working with a fantasy campaign setting, I find it more useful to have “fine” control of technology.

What does that mean in practice? It means I tend to break everything down into categories to help me identify where I want each in terms of advancement:

Armor/Weapons
Communications
Medicine
Science
Transportation

Since I tend to think of this as a technological continuum, I will often give the category a “name” based on the highest level attained in that area. For example, if the calendar is the best a culture has mastered when it comes to Science then that’s how I tag it; if a given society has discovered the usefulness of the carrier pigeon, then Communications might be pegged in that way.

At the moment, I’m working with a homemade Castles & Crusades setting which uses the traditional medieval Tolkien backdrop, but has been filling out with a partial blend of Renaissance era elements. At the moment, the overriding elements of the world look like:

Armor/Weapons: Rapier (1500)
Communications: Basic Printing Press (1440)
Medicine: Primitive glasses (1300)
Science: Telescopic observations (1609)
Transportation: Compass (1190)

This then serves as the baseline for the entire world with variations from place-to-place. By doing this, it effectively gives me the freedom of introducing technologies/discoveries in one area without disrupting the entire game. It also creates a level of realism that can trickle into other facets of the game — trade, conquest, diplomacy, etc. — providing a richer tapestry for the players.

One page, one dungeon, one contest

As many of you have no doubt already heard, Chatty, Chgowiz, Amityville Mike, and Sham are holding a one-page dungeon building contest. Whether you’re a fellow blogger or just a passing reader, I encourage everyone to pull down the files and try your hand at concise design.

Back shortly

I just wanted to leave a quick note to say that I’ll be traveling and not blogging for the next five days. I should be back to a fairly regular posting schedule at the end of next week, when my group will be starting our new Castles & Crusades game. That ought to be interesting…