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Totally Guy
2009-04-08, 04:39 PM
I was thinking about dungeons again and realised that a lot of what we can plan is based on what we can reasonably transcribe to the gaming table.

I have a really cool set of dungeon tiles and I decided to test them to their limits of what I could reasonably use in a game.

Here are the results.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/macdonnell/PlatformRun1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/macdonnell/PlatformRun2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/macdonnell/PlatformRun3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/macdonnell/PlatformRun4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/macdonnell/PlatformRun5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/macdonnell/PlatformRun6.jpg

I hope I can use this to present a dungeon with a completely different combat dynamic to the regular flat ones.

Anyone run anything similar to this? Any advice?

chiasaur11
2009-04-08, 04:41 PM
I was thinking about dungeons again and realised that a lot of what we can plan is based on what we can reasonably transcribe to the gaming table.

I have a really cool set of dungeon tiles and I decided to test them to their limits of what I could reasonably use in a game.

Here are the results.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/macdonnell/PlatformRun1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/macdonnell/PlatformRun2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/macdonnell/PlatformRun3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/macdonnell/PlatformRun4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/macdonnell/PlatformRun5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/macdonnell/PlatformRun6.jpg

I hope I can use this to present a dungeon with a completely different combat dynamic to the regular flat ones.

Anyone run anything similar to this? Any advice?

No, but it looks awesome.

Your players do have good abilities for vertical movement, right?

hamishspence
2009-04-08, 04:42 PM
"mmm, platforming" (best Homer tones) :smallbiggrin:

that said- sounds like a great idea.

Mr.Bookworm
2009-04-08, 04:45 PM
Okay.

A) What did you use to make that? And how did you do that?

B) That is freaking awesome.

C) That should be really fun to play. Change up the dynamic a bit.

D) Can you get a couple of bigger pictures that show the entire thing?

EDIT:

I was just thinking, flip that on it's side, and suddenly you have walls.

Also, how exactly does that work? Does that show multiple levels, or is there raised platforms, or what?

SurlySeraph
2009-04-08, 04:53 PM
That is the most awesome thing in the history of awesomeness. You win all the cookies. All of them!

Totally Guy
2009-04-08, 05:01 PM
Oh go on then, here's a magic spoiling full view before I tidy it away.
Edit: For real magic spoiling look for the doors and torches that are the wrong way up. /Edit

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/macdonnell/WholeView.jpg

Originally it's a tile kit to be played horizontally but I used velcro to keep everything secure. So I realised that if I designed the dungeon just right I could tip it onto it's end and play D&D like a platform game.

I made this kit out of card and glue after paying to download the PDFs from a company called Worldworks Games. I've only bought a couple of their products but I'd recommend them if you've got the time and money to commit to building the stuff.

As far as players vertical movement goes... just jump checks and climb checks. Maybe a rope or two. I put in a ladder prop and the log bridge which I'd allow them to manipulate.

Thajocoth
2009-04-08, 05:16 PM
That looks awesome. And like fun.

TheCountAlucard
2009-04-08, 05:40 PM
For added lulz, you might decide to play with one of the different types of planar gravity, like objective-directional (M.C. Escher FTW!) or subjective-directional (my personal favorite!), or even have it vary from place to place.

Dogmantra
2009-04-08, 05:43 PM
If you were my DM, I'd hug you.

Though I have hugged all one of my DMs before, so that would be nothing new.

It looks really cool, send it to me when you're done :smallwink:

Chronos
2009-04-08, 06:31 PM
And here I thought it was going to be full of lammasus and archons. Really, though, that's a pretty cool idea, and a nice change of pace from all of the standard horizontal crawls. There are, in fact, some monsters whose lairs are supposed to be like that: Beholders, for instance, are said to carve out caves of mostly-vertical tunnels, to give nonflying things a disadvantage.

RandomFellow
2009-04-08, 06:39 PM
This is your Crowning Moment of Awesome (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/SugarWiki/CrowningMomentOfAwesome?from=Main.CrowningMomentOf Awesome), Glug.

Atamasama
2009-04-08, 06:41 PM
If I was going to play a character running through that dungeon, I would have to base him off of Mario.

(He'd probably be a monk with a maxed-out Jump skill and an Italian accent.)

SurlySeraph
2009-04-08, 08:38 PM
Oh go on then, here's a magic spoiling full view before I tidy it away.
Edit: For real magic spoiling look for the doors and torches that are the wrong way up. /Edit

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/macdonnell/WholeView.jpg

You have succeeded only in making it more awesome. Because that's a lot bigger than I thought it would be.

Llama231
2009-04-08, 08:52 PM
Awesomesauce!

Now for nitpickiness and questions.:smalltongue:
It seems a little short and small for an adventure, though would work amazingly as an encounter.
What levels is this for? High level would run right through this very quickly.
Are you planning on using this for 3.X, 4e, or something else?
How exactly do monsters work in it?

Huh, it must be really good, I cannot really think of anything else...

Shadowbane
2009-04-08, 08:54 PM
...If I was one of your players I would hug you.

Calinero
2009-04-08, 09:12 PM
That looks really cool. I assume you have it measured out to know how far they can move per turn?

Also, a whole new idea for planar shift, or some spell like that. A neat idea for future reference would be making a dungeon where gravity can be shifted--basically, you flip the dungeon onto its side, or upside down. I imagine it would quite a fun puzzle to make a dungeon that could work from any orientation.

Gralamin
2009-04-08, 09:23 PM
This is awesome. Best of Luck using it against your players.

Zephyros
2009-04-08, 09:29 PM
I'd name it the Pinball Dungeon :smallbiggrin:

Ascension
2009-04-08, 10:23 PM
It seems a little short and small for an adventure, though would work amazingly as an encounter.

It's not too short if you trap everything.

...

Everything. :smallamused:

monty
2009-04-08, 10:38 PM
It's not too short if you trap everything.

...

Everything. :smallamused:

Make it a vertical Tomb of Horrors?

Ascension
2009-04-08, 10:42 PM
Make it a vertical Tomb of Horrors?

I'd make at least the first two traps non-lethal. After they spring those they should have the idea that they ought to be making search checks. The next one should put the fear of god(s) into them, but not be too terrible. After that, yeah, vertical ToH.

Inyssius Tor
2009-04-08, 11:34 PM
Complete with, as Glug implied, gravity-shifting traps so that you can trap everything twice.

Or three times.

Totally Guy
2009-04-09, 06:15 AM
Gravity Shifting Traps? That's a bit too sci-fi for my tastes but I wouldn't be above looking for a mundane way to tip the whole dungeon onto one of it's other sides.

Unfortunately I shall have to wait to DM my campaign again. I'm going to be a player in a vampire requiem game first.

My campaign is in 4th edition and my players will be 10/11th level. I think that a set up like this would be good for a couple of encounters with some XP awarded for manoeuvering the terrain.

Kobold-Bard
2009-04-09, 07:17 AM
I remember that purple orb thing. Some careful rule-bending and hilarity ensued.

Great idea, Glug you are truly an artisan of dungeoning.

hewhosaysfish
2009-04-09, 07:40 AM
Gravity Shifting Traps? That's a bit too sci-fi for my tastes but I wouldn't be above looking for a mundane way to tip the whole dungeon onto one of it's other sides.

I like how you use the word "mundane" to describe turning a building upside down. :smallwink:

Roderick_BR
2009-04-09, 08:29 AM
The idea that comes to mind is "D&D Pinball". Looks awesome. Forcing players to think in 3D-ish situations seems like an interesting concept.

pirateshow
2009-04-09, 08:37 AM
A mundane way to tip the dungeon around? How about this: the surface we're looking at is one of the inner facets of a polyhedron, like a Dyson Cube. On the outer surfaces are printed a series of symbols. Titans are playing a dice game, and one of the dice is full of adventurers.
For extra points: leave a novelty D6 on your gaming table, something the players will inevitably fidget with and pass around. Keep track of which face corresponds to each possible orientation of the dungeon, and re-orient every time they turn said die over. Now they're the titans in question!

(edit: it might also be a good idea to permanently Feather Fall everyone on their way in.)

Chronos
2009-04-09, 11:38 PM
Fourth edition campaign with a lot of potential for falling off the edge of things makes me think that the players (and monsters) will be getting a lot of use out of forced-movement powers.

Kyouhen
2009-04-10, 12:12 AM
A mundane way to tip the dungeon around? How about this: the surface we're looking at is one of the inner facets of a polyhedron, like a Dyson Cube. On the outer surfaces are printed a series of symbols. Titans are playing a dice game, and one of the dice is full of adventurers.
For extra points: leave a novelty D6 on your gaming table, something the players will inevitably fidget with and pass around. Keep track of which face corresponds to each possible orientation of the dungeon, and re-orient every time they turn said die over. Now they're the titans in question!

(edit: it might also be a good idea to permanently Feather Fall everyone on their way in.)

This. This would make the game most epic. And it would be hilarious when they realize what's going on too.

As for traps, I vote for many, many pit traps. Especially if you're going to do the thing with the die. Some sort of snare trap would be fun too if they get caught on it just before the dungeon shifts. :smalltongue:

SydneyLosstarot
2009-04-10, 08:10 AM
Truly awesome.

You might also need a way to prevent flying.
Like a constant downward wind.

And a trap at the top that would teleport or otherwisw move a character back to bottom.
And a hidden elevator near the entrance)))