Free OSR - Megadungeon #3 (Hack & Slash)

At some point, Courtney priced Megadungeon #3 as PWYW. If you haven't sampled any of Hack & Slash's Megadungeons, you should, as the amount of immediately usable game material is ridiculously high.

You can pay what you want for Megadungeon #3—grab it for free or leave Courtney a tip; it's up to you. As a way to try before you buy other releases from Hack & Slash, it's another one of those no-brainers!

Dungeon adventures, NPC's, and resources suitable for any campaign! Dual-statted for Basic Dungeons & Dragons and 5e. Come explore the upper and lower crypts of Hierax. Visit the sadlark mine, get lost in non-euclidean space. Meet interesting people and kill them!

Articles on actual play in the gaming renaissance, as well as disscussing dungeon restocking, and the Cannitie faction in Numenhalla.

Heavily illustrated by the talented OSR artists, Todd McGowan, Kent Miller, Sean McCoy, Evlyn Monroe, with a cover by Luka Rejec!

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Deal of the Day - The Halls of Arden Vul Complete (HUGE Megadungeon)

Let me open by saying that I own The Halls of Arden Vul Complete in Print and PDF, and yes, the print is damn expensive but worth every penny. While I am unsure I'll ever run The Halls of Arden Vul Complete as the whole campaign (which is likely impossible for me) I do plan on liberally stealing from it during my next campaign ;)

Until tomorrow morning around 11 AM Eastern, The Halls of Arden Vul Complete is on sale for $43.60 in PDF (down from its usual $109 in PDF, so 60% off). It is a monster of a mega-dungeon, extremely well-written, and a literal shit-ton to read and digest. ears of gaming await you ;)

Prepare to Beard the Halls of Arden Vul!

• Arden Vul is the most ambitious megadungeon ever created, with over 1,100 Pages of Incredible Adventure. This First Edition compatible fully-bookmarked PDF product features:
• 2,162 Encounter Descriptions
• 14 NPC Factions
• 10 Massive Levels
• 15 Extensive Sub-levels
• 7 Dangerous Exterior locations
• 149 New Monsters
• 332 New Magic Items
• 69 New Technological Items
• 44 New Spells
• 189 New Books through which PCs can gain a deep understanding of the dungeon
• A full NPC appendix with 10 competing parties at 3 levels of power
• Over 140 original pieces of art, including 28 full-page illustrations!

All of this is mapped via 33 Amazing Maps that you can download for free at The Maps of Arden Vul. As we have gotten requests for VTT player's maps we have created The VTT Maps of Arden Vul for free as well. If you know you want the physical copies, just head over to the Arden Vul Bundle and get everything Arden Vul in one fell swoop.

There has never been anything like Arden Vul, and there never will be again.

Welcome to the Halls of Arden Vul!

If you want everything but can't afford the full Arden Vul Bundle right now, those who order this PDF can receive 33% discounts on the print versions at a later date so you can piece-meal your purchase as finances allow. Just send me an e-mail (josephbrowning@gmail.com) with your Complete PDF order number and I'll get the discount codes to you.

 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar   

Bundle of Holding - Halls of Arden Vul (OSR Mega Dungeon)

When it comes to published megadungeons, nothing comes close in size or scope to Halls of Ardun Vul. I actually own Arden Vul in print, which is a many-volume hardcover set. I have yet to give it the complete reading it deserves.

Halls of Ardun Vul is a current offering on Bundle of Holding. Normally $109, and currently on sale for $81.75 in PDF, you can get Halls of Ardun Vul for $24.95 via Bundle of Holding. At that price, every old-school gamer should own a copy.

Arden Vul is the most ambitious megadungeon ever created, with over 1,100 Pages of Incredible Adventure. This First Edition compatible fully-bookmarked PDF product features:

• 2,162 Encounter Descriptions
• 14 NPC Factions
• 10 Massive Levels
• 15 Extensive Sub-levels
• 7 Dangerous Exterior locations
• 149 New Monsters
• 332 New Magic Items
• 69 New Technological Items
• 44 New Spells
• 189 New Books through which PCs can gain a deep understanding of the dungeon
• A full NPC appendix with 10 competing parties at 3 levels of power 
• Over 140 original pieces of art, including 28 full-page illustrations!

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar

Deal of the Day - The Halls of Arden Vul Complete (OSR Megadungeon)

I put The Halls of Arden Vul in the "Holy Shit" category. It's of the size that no group will likely ever complete the experience, but it is of such high quality they would wish they could. I own this in Print plus PDF (thanks to the amazing community here at The Tavern and the use of affiliate links like the one on this page). I've yet to complete my reading of the various volumes in this collection, but what I've read I truly do like.

The Halls of Arden Vul Complete is normally 109 in PDF, due to it being over 1100 pages, but until tomorrow morning at 11 AM Eastern, it can be snagged for 43.60 (a 60% discount off of its regular price). This is definitely not an impulse buy, but it is one hell of a mega-dungeon.

Arden Vul is the most ambitious megadungeon ever created, with over 1,100 Pages of Incredible Adventure. This First Edition compatible fully-bookmarked PDF product features:

• 2,162 Encounter Descriptions
• 14 NPC Factions
• 10 Massive Levels
• 15 Extensive Sub-levels
• 7 Dangerous Exterior locations
• 149 New Monsters
• 332 New Magic Items
• 69 New Technological Items
• 44 New Spells
• 189 New Books through which PCs can gain a deep understanding of the dungeon
• A full NPC appendix with 10 competing parties at 3 levels of power
• Over 140 original pieces of art, including 28 full-page illustrations!

All of this is mapped via 33 Amazing Maps that you can download for free at The Maps of Arden Vul. As we have gotten requests for VTT player's maps we have created The VTT Maps of Arden Vul for free as well. If you know you want the physical copies, just head over to the Arden Vul Bundle and get everything Arden Vul in one fell swoop.

There has never been anything like Arden Vul, and there never will be again.

Welcome to the Halls of Arden Vul!

If you want everything but can't afford the full Arden Vul Bundle right now, those who order this PDF can receive 33% discounts on the print versions at a later date so you can piece-meal your purchase as finances allow. Just send me an e-mail (josephbrowning@gmail.com) with your Complete PDF order number and I'll get the discount codes to you.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern. 

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on YouTube - Tenkar

Deal of theDay - The Halls of Arden Vul Complete (HUGE OSR Mega-dungeon)

I'm not even sure how to say this, without sounding overly dramatic. If you define a Mega-Dungeon as a dungeon no party will ever complete, due to sheer size alone, The Halls of Arden Vul Complete certainly fits that bill. You'll want to use it all, I just don't think a party could ever hope to do so, even with years of weekly gaming.

Now, just to put this out there - I own The Halls of Arden Vul Complete in multi-volume print glory, thanks to the generosity of those kind enough to use The Tavern's affiliate links. I have barely scratched the surface of the content, as it can be intimidating. Still, as a mega-dungeon option for the campaign I plan to kick off later this summer, it is high on my list.

The Halls of Arden Vul Complete is today's Deal of the Day at DTRPG. Normally 109 for the 1100+ pages of mega-dungeon glory, until tomorrow morning, The Halls of Arden Vul Complete on sale for 43.60 in PDF.

I suspect with the discount you can get off of the hardcover print versions with this purchase, it may be cheaper to buy the PDF than the print copies if you desire to go that route. You'll need to figure out the math on that one ;)

Arden Vul is the most ambitious megadungeon ever created, with over 1,100 Pages of Incredible Adventure. This First Edition compatible fully-bookmarked PDF product features:

• 2,162 Encounter Descriptions
• 14 NPC Factions
• 10 Massive Levels
• 15 Extensive Sub-levels
• 7 Dangerous Exterior locations
• 149 New Monsters
• 332 New Magic Items
• 69 New Technological Items
• 44 New Spells
• 189 New Books through which PCs can gain a deep understanding of the dungeon
• A full NPC appendix with 10 competing parties at 3 levels of power
• Over 140 original pieces of art, including 28 full-page illustrations!

All of this is mapped via 33 Amazing Maps that you can download for free at The Maps of Arden Vul. As we have gotten requests for VTT player's maps we have created The VTT Maps of Arden Vul for free as well. If you know you want the physical copies, just head over to the Arden Vul Bundle and get everything Arden Vul in one fell swoop.

There has never been anything like Arden Vul, and there never will be again.

Welcome to the Halls of Arden Vul!

If you want everything but can't afford the full Arden Vul Bundle right now, those who order this PDF can receive 33% discounts on the print versions at a later date so you can piece-meal your purchase as finances allow. Just send me an e-mail (josephbrowning@gmail.com) with your Complete PDF order number and I'll get the discount codes to you.

 The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube,  

or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar  

 

Deal of the Day - Castle Xyntillan (Swords & Wizardry / OSR)

Gabor Lux is one of those names that's floated around the OSR since the early days, and he had articles in Fight On! and Knockspell zines. He always had great stuff to share, and Castle Xyntillan is no exception.

Castle Xyntiillan is Gabor's take on a funhouse megadungeon. While certainly not for everyone and every group, I've enjoyed Joe Bloch's Castle of the Mad Archmage as well as Frog God Game's take on Tegal Manor.

Until tomorrow morning, Castle Xyntillan is DRTPG's Deal of the Day and is marked down from 20 bucks to 10 bucks in PDF.

A 136-page adventure module for 1st to 6th level characters, Castle Xyntillan is a a funhouse megadungeon for the Swords&Wizardry game (and broadly compatible with other old-school systems). The module describes the three massive levels of the eponymous haunted castle inhabited by the remnants of a reclusive and eccentric family, from the soaring tower of the Donjon to the inky depths of the Oubliette (and beyond). Hidden rooms, secret passageways and long-forgotten sub-sections complete a collection of the dangerous and macabre from the gothic imagination – providing ample opportunities for exploration, confrontation, and subterfuge.

Castle Xyntillan has been designed to be versatile, open-ended, complex, and accessible. It is above all, a fantastic place – built on surrealism and dream logic, yet a place which makes a certain amount of sense if you look at it sideways. It should be entertaining, fascinating, and always a bit mysterious. Whether you would like a dungeon for one-off expeditions and convention play, or repeated forays and full campaigns, Castle Xyntillan should suit the demands and particulars of your campaign!

This electronic edition includes the following:

• The PDF version of the module, with cartography by Rob Conley, and illustrations by Peter Mullen, Denis McCarthy, and Stefan Poag.
• GM and player maps of the module, as well as a set of virtual tabletop maps, with helpful setup instructions by cartographer Rob Conley for Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds.
• A GM’s Worksheet, used to track time and characters as the company explores the depths of Xyntillan. Adapted from Dungeons and Companies, a Hungarian retro-clone, and designed by Istvan Boldog-Bernad and Andras Szabo, this is a highly useful play aid for dungeon scenarios.

 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar

A Quick Look at Megadungeon #1 (Courtney Campbell / Hack & Slash)

About a week and a half ago I ordered Courtney's Megadungeon Zine, Issues 1-3 in print and PDF. I've enjoyed Courtney's work for years, and his take on the Megadungeon is a good one. I might not agree with all of his thoughts, but I enjoy them none the less.

Megadungeons are about resource management. Oh, and loot. Killing monsters is almost irrelevant.

What I find most interesting within is his introduction of skills to the B/X game, or really any OSR ruleset. I may seriously yoke this.

Courtney also introduces a new class.race. Think Warforged in the Eberron setting. I like it. A lot.

What is Megadungeon #1 missing? It has advice, setting material, random tables, a new class, 5e conversion rules. Heck, there's even an Ettercop lair and an entrance hall to whet your dugeoneering appetite.

5.99 in PDF, 9.99 in Print plus PDF

The first issue of Megadungeon is upon us!

Dungeon adventures, NPC's, and resources suitable for any campaign! Dual-statted for B/X and 5e. Come explore Numenhalla, the god halls. Learn about the altars and the logos, see the ettercop lair. 

Articles on the pillars of megadungeon play, and using 5e and the megadungeon!  

Heavily illustrated by the talented OSR artists, Sam Mameli, Todd McGowan, and Kent Miller!

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Christmas in July - The OSR Picks - Megadungeons & More

Time for Round two of the OSR Picks for the Christmas in July Sale at DTRPG. Without further ado lets jump right in, the water is fine :)

The Halls of Arden Vul Complete - over 1100 pages of megadungeon greatness. Undermountain, quiver in fear! - "Arden Vul is the most ambitious megadungeon ever created, with over 1,100 Pages of Incredible Adventure. This 1st Edition compatible fully-bookmarked PDF product features: 2,162 Encounter Descriptions, 14 NPC Factions, 10 Massive Levels, 15 Extensive Sub-levels, 7 Dangerous Exterior locations, 149 New Monsters, 332 New Magic Items, 69 New Technological Items, 44 New Spells, 189 New Books through which PCs can gain a deep understanding of the dungeon, A full NPC appendix with 10 competing parties at 3 levels of power, Over 140 original pieces of art, including 28 full-page illustrations! All of this is mapped via 33 Amazing Maps that you can download for free at The Maps of Arden Vul. As we have gotten requests for VTT player's maps we have created The VTT Maps of Arden Vul for free as well. If you know you want the physical copies, just head over to the Arden Vul Bundle and get everything Arden Vul in one fell swoop. There has never been anything like Arden Vul, and there never will be again.
Welcome to the Halls of Arden Vul! 109  81.75

Low Fantasy Gaming Deluxe Edition - the last game my Saturday Night group played. Very solid system - "Low Fantasy Gaming is a tabletop RPG built for gritty adventures in low or moderate magic settings. It has simple rules, dangerous combat, flexible PC customisation, and mysterious, unpredictable magic. Designed for short, episodic adventures in sandbox worlds, LFG provides the mechanics and tables needed for easy GM improvisation. It’s a heady mix of the best old school, modern, and new game design, wrapped around a familiar d20 core." 20  15

Old-School Essentials Classic Fantasy: Rules Tome - I love this presentation of the Basic / Expert Rules - "Old-School Essentials is an adventure role-playing game of exploration, danger, monsters, and magic. The game is intentionally rules-light, putting the focus of play on imagination, improvisation, and fun. The rules are optimised for ease of use at the table, with meticulous attention to wording and layout clarity. What's more, Old-School Essentials is 100% compatible with the classic Basic/Expert game from 1981, meaning that decades of adventure are at your fingertips! A Complete Game All in One Book. The Old-School Essentials Rules Tome is a complete game of classic fantasy adventure, containing the following: Core rules: Rules for character creation and advancement, adventuring in dungeons, the wilderness, and at sea, magic and combat. Character options: Seven classic classes (cleric, dwarf, elf, fighter, halfling, magic-user, thief), complete lists of weapons and adventuring gear, extensive lists of vehicles, mounts, and vessels, mercenaries and specialists for hire, rules for stronghold construction. Spells: The complete set of 34 cleric spells (from 1st to 5th level) and 72 magic-user spells (from 1st to 6th level), for use by players or cleric, elf, and magic-user characters. Monsters: A selection of over 200 classic monsters to challenge adventurers of all levels. Treasures: A hoard of over 150 wondrous magic items. The material in this book forms a complete clone of the classic Basic/Expert game, including all rules, classes, spells, monsters, and magic items."  20  15

Barrowmaze Complete - the premier OSR megaduneon - "Local villagers whisper of a mysterious place deep in the marsh - a place shrouded in mist and dotted with barrow mounds, ruined columns, and standing stones. The tomb-robbers who explore beneath the mounds - or rather the few who return - tell tales of labyrinthine passages, magnificent grave goods, and terrifying creatures waiting in the dark. Are you brave (or foolish) enough to enter the Barrowmaze? Barrowmaze Complete (BMC) is a classic old school megadungeon for use with Labyrinth LordTM and other fantasy role-playing games. BMC includes everything in Barrowmaze I and II in the same book in addition to new material, art, layout, and cover art by Ex-TSR artist Erol Otus. Barrowmaze Complete will keep your players on their toes and your campaign going strong. BMC is brought to you by the Old School Renaissance (so don’t forget your 10’ pole)." 29  21.75

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New Release - Gunderholfen (OSR Megadungeon)

I've had a couple of Taverners point me at Gunderholfen over the last few days. This looks like a VERY interesting megadungeon. Maybe I can put this on my birthday list...

Gunderholfen… Ancient, abandoned dwarf hold, battleground of arch-liches, cultist base, wizards’ playground, heroes’ bane and treasure-seekers’ tomb. Gunderholfen is a classic, old school exploratory sandbox-style mega-dungeon consisting of ten levels, a mini-campaign setting and one demi-plane. 

This mega-dungeon and mini-campaign setting is designed for character levels 1-10+. It is compatible with any OSR system. Play it as an integrated, complete mega-dungeon campaign or just pick out individual levels to run as separate dungeons. Gunderholfen includes the following:

• 10 main dungeon levels consisting of 22 sub-levels and numerous sub-areas, with approximately 930 keyed locations, all detailed in 40 maps.
• 1 demi-plane level.
• A mini-campaign setting insertable into any existing campaign that includes a detailed overview of Longfelt, a nearby city complete with NPCs, including possible patrons for PCs, places of interest, encounter tables and rival factions.
• 32 encounter tables with full monster stats for each level of the dungeon and the surrounding lands.
• Extensive ready to play lists of NPCs including 10 pre-generated NPC parties that can be used as foes or allies.
• 1 fully detailed mini-side adventure.
• A brief overview of the history and background to Gunderholfen.
• Rules for a new class of priest including 18 new spells.
• Many new monsters and magic items.

10 bucks in PDF. 47 in hardcover plus PDF.

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There is a D&D 5e Humble Bundle on sale right now. Every Humble Bundle purchase made via The Tavern's Affiliate Link raises monies that help support The Tavern. 
Please don't forget our Amazon affiliate store :)   Amazon.com/shop/eriktenkar. 

Deal of the Day - Dungeon Full of Monsters (Modular Megadungeon)

Today's Deal of the Day is Dungeon Full of Monsters, a modular megadungeon. Normally $15 for this 352-page monstrosity, until tomorrow morning it's on sale for $7.50 in PDF.

Dungeon Full of Monsters is a modular megadungeon for use with Labyrinth Lord and other old school fantasy role-playing games. 

The Dungeon is Modular 

The megadungeon is composed of 50 individual sections, separated into 5 different levels. You can assemble these in any configuration you like, either randomly or not, either before the campaign or on-the-fly in play. You can also use these sectiosn on their own, without reference to the larger dungeon itself. 

And Full of Monsters 

The second half of the book contains dozens of monsters, illustrated in full colour, often with multiple variations and types. Combined with the unique monsters located in specific dungeon sections, this book contains over 150 different monster stat blocks. There are criminal organizations, insane cultists, meddling deities, evil wizards, undead kings, infernal demons and other invaders from beyond the stars, numerous unspeakable horrors and arcane beasts, and even a few rival adventurers. Use these monsters with this dungeon or any other. 

Specific conversion guidelines for The Nightmares Underneath are also provided. 

Dungeon Full of Monsters was written by Johnstone Metzger and illustrated by Nathan Jones. 

The digital pdf is Half-letter sized 5.5 by 8.5 inches, 352 pages, and also comes with a file containing only the dungeon maps, and a file containing only the monster illustrations.

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Thieves Guilds & Megadungeons Debate - Matt Finch & Alex Kammer - Noon Central / 1PM Eastern Today (Sunday, Jan 25th)

Two lawyers enter but only one will reign supreme! heh heh

At Noon Central / 1 PM +Matt Finch (Frog God Games) and Alex Kammer (Gamehole Con) will debate all things Thieves Guild & Megadungeonery:

Sunday at noon central, two attorney-gamers with different opinions about the two vital topics of thieves guilds and megadungeons, head to head, live. Alex Kammer has terribly wrong opinions on thieves guilds (he thinks they don't make sense) and megadungeons (he's against them in some way). 

Abuse then both in Live Chat ;)

Kickstarter - One Hundred Dungeons: A Make/100 Dungeons Project (Crowdfunded and Crowdsourced)

Alright. The One Hundred Dungeons: A Make/100 Dungeons Project makes me scratch my head a little:

1 - Its crowdfunded - obviously

2 - Its crowdsourced - "everyone who backs at the Dungeon Builder level (up to 100 backers) will become an active participant in the creation of this Mega Dungeon.  You will be able to see and comment on layouts, room elements, traps, monsters, quests, and even the overarching storyline.  You can be as involved as you like -- you can even submit dungeon layouts or object and artifact suggestions, that we can then vote on as a group." bTW, this level is 75 bucks.

3 - Its a "megadungeon" of 100 levels, but the sample maps shown only show one set of stairs each, so they aren't leading to other levels. That does not make a multileveled dungeon let alone a megadungeon.

4 - at the $75 level, you get commercial use of the art assets of this project, which aren't bad. The corridors and rooms are nothing to get excited about, but the dungeon trappings look decent and were hand drawn. I'm not saying they are worth $75, but if you buy into the concept of the project, its a nice bonus,

5 - Its for 5e, which gives it a welcoming source of funds.

6 - Its a "megadungeon" - sure, I mentioned this already but megadungeons generally need a theme to be successful. 100 random levels doesn't seem like much of a theme. As an aside, are 5e players particularly fans of megadungeons? Oh wait, I was wrong - classic megadungeons don't have themes:

One Hundred Dungeons is an attempt to build an old-school MEGA DUNGEON -- an insanely deep and varied dungeon -- with this one having 100 different levels -- each a complete dungeon on its own that can be explored (some small - some large - some enormous), but together they form a Mega Dungeon that can provide years of adventures for your party. 

Most classic Mega Dungeons are deep labyrinths without one real overarching narrative -- you can simply explore, find treasure, fight monsters, and discover various secrets while your party ventures through the dungeon. 

With One Hundred Dungeons, what I hope to do is create a classic Mega Dungeon -- but one that comes with an optional overarching story -- and which you could alternatively use for individual stand alone adventures with your group. 

Still, like I mentioned earlier - you still need a way to get from level to level, and the sample maps are missing that.

I'd be interested in the theme or narrative that can carry through 100 levels and possibly that many creators inputing their ideas.

This is not my type of megadungeon. It may be yours...

Kickstarter - Barrowmaze: The Forbidden Caverns of the Archaia (OSR Megadungeon)

Just in case you didn't get enough Barrowmaze, +Greg Gillespie brings us Barrowmaze: The Forbidden Caverns of the Archaia.

Let me start this off by saying I backed this at $100 on the first day of the Kickstarter. Greg does some of the most accessible writing of Megadungeons that I've seen, and Barrowmaze Complete, while huge, is made to be broken down into easily digestible pieces (and if you don't already have BM Complete, you can add it for a mere 50 bucks)

More Barrowmaze is, quite simply, more better :)

Seriously, at a session a week you could probably game for years with Greg's releases, and why wouldn't you? It's a blast (I enjoyed running Barrowmaze with my regular group)

I can't wait for the summer to be over and the return of active gaming...

Initial Impressions - Depths of Felk Mor (5e Megadungeon)

+Roderic Waibel was kind enough to send me a print copy of Depths of Felk Mor, a megadungeon for D&D 5e but written with old school gaming in mind.

Now, if you know me at all, you know that I tend to look at RPG material from a Swords & Wizardry (or sometimes even an AD&D 1e) view and do this weird mental translation to make things that aren't Swords & Wizardry read like Swords & Wizardry. If that makes any sense. I think I just confused myself a bit there ;)

In any case, I'm finding that the Depths of Felk Mor is presented easy enough to do that mental translation without even thinking about it. The stat blocks are clean and it's easy to strip away the 5e-isms. Which means when it's time to review this (and that means squirreling away some free time), although it's written for 5e I'll be able to do the review justice from an OSR point of view.

Layout is easy on the eyes with sufficient white space and the art is certainly old school in feel. Yep, definitely need to put some time aside to read this thoroughly.

BTW, I do very much like the cover. I'd love to see my group run from the beast shown ;)

The "B-Team" Will be Taking on The Castle of the Mad Arch Mage

Trying the get the "one Friday a month B-Team" to finish adventures in a single session is far from the easiest thing to do. Not because they aren't willing and able, but most adventures just seem to take more than a single session to complete, which really isn't conductive to "drop in / drop out" play.

So, I gave it some thought after today's morning post and decided a megadungeon would be the way to go. I also left the choice to the regular "B-Team" members. I gave them a list to vote on that included the following options:

Temple of Elemental Evil

Stonehell

Castle of the Mad Archmage

(Barrowmaze was not on the list, as there are already groups on G+ playing such, and if my group is going to do session write ups, we may as well use a different megadungeon)

Castle of the Mad Archmage won hands down in some of the quickest voting I can ever recall seeing. It doesn't hurt that it's a relatively new product that hasn't been read, run and played to death ;)

We'll be using this in conjunction with the classic Thieves' World Boxed Set - so, urban sandbox when the players desire and megadungeon to kill shit when killing is their business ;)

How Important is the Plot to a (Mega)Dungeon?

How important is the plot to a (mega)dungeon? 

It's a simple question with some not so simple answers, so I figured I'd throw it up as its own post.

Is consistency important?

Is it more important to line up the staircases between levels on the map or to ensure the various plot elements don't contradict each other?

Are contradictions in the plot good or bad?

Does it make a difference if the dungeon is "old school" or "new school"?

At What Level(s) Does a Megadungeon Work Best?

We've touched on themes. We are still talking about which systems work best with the megadungeon format (surprisingly it's a very varied grouping of systems).

What I'd like to talk about now is "what levels work best for a megadungeon?"

Does the format work best with lower levels, middling levels, high levels?

Does it work equally well across the board, or do you need to make certain adjustments at one extreme or the other?

Does it work better or worse with a system that is level-less (generally sill based), such as GURPS, RQ/Legend, Savage Worlds, etc?

Is it feasible to have one megadungeon go from level 1 to 20, or should there be a grouping of smaller megadungeons that are linked thematically / by story / regionally / etc and are broken down by level ranges?

Can a megadungeon actually be a campaign setting? Can it be a sandbox styled setting?

You've all given me much to think about over the last few days. I suspect you've given each other a lot to think about to. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Does System Matter in the World of Megadungeons?

Map by by Tim Hartin

Does the system used to play through a Megadungeon matter? I'm not talking about converting from one system to another.

What I mean to say is this: "Are some RPG systems a better match for the Megadungeon format than others?"

I suspect that less heavy systems fair better in a Megadungeon environment.

So, OD&D through AD&D and their assorted clones would be a good match. D&D 3.5 / Pathfinder less so, as combats get more intricate and drawn out. D&D 4x would be a horror from a time investment alone.

Dungeon World would probably fair very well, as would Tunnels & Trolls.

Rolemaster / HARP I think would crumble under the lethality (and long term crippling potential) of the combat system without some major houseruling.

GURPS Fantasy would probably make a poor fit for the above reasons.

I don't have enough experience with Savage Worlds to definitively say one way or another, but I suspect not.

Am I wrong? Would 4e work in a Megadungeon?

I'm sure I missed some systems, so let me know what you think? Which ones would work and which ones wouldn't.

Heck, could you make a Megadungeon that plays to the strengths of the systems that wouldn't otherwise be a good fit?

What Makes a Dungeon "Mega"?

What makes a Dungeon "Mega" to you?

Is it the size? The challenge? The backstory?

Does it need to be deadly? Gonzo? Epic?

Is it a dungeon the players can leave, come back, leave and return yet again? Or is it a mini campaign, where the players keep at it to they hit their goal?

Should it have a goal? and endgame? a way to "win" or should it be primarily exploration and gathering loot?

Barrowmaze, Rappan Athuk and Dwimmermount will all play out very differently, yet they are all megadungeons.

Are some RPG systems a better fit for megadungeons? why?

You would think with all of those questions, I'd have some answers, but no. I have my thoughts on it, but I want to hear your thoughts.

What makes a MegaDungeon special for you?

A Kickstarter That Makes Me Want to Weep Out of Frustration For the Hobby - The Grande Temple of Jing

+Jason Paul McCartan brought the following to my attention, and expressed his own thoughts on it over on G+ - I highly recommend you peek at what he wrote, as it is spot on.

Jason pointed out his deal breakers. Me, I see them as insults and hucksterism at it's worst. Kickstarter has always had a bit of of the "but wait, there's More!" to it that reminds me in no small part to whatever the latest infomercial making the rounds is trying to sell.

The Grande Temple of Jing is all that and more. Here, let me start to count the ways:

1 - "You've seen other megadungeons, but this is the dungeon crawl that rules them ALL." Really? Not only do I doubt that, but this statement sets up the rest of the hyperbole that will follow later.

2 - "We are proud to announce that the Grande Temple of Jing will feature several celebrity contributors starting with: Jonathan Tweet,  Monte Cook, Skip Williams - More celebrity contributors will be announced if certain stretch goals are reached." Are we that starved for celebrities in this hobby of ours? Are any of these truly "dungeon creators"?

3 - "Some backer rewards allow people to contribute a monster, treasure, or level to the Grande Temple of Jing. If you choose these rewards, we will work with you to create something unique. Your work will appear in the book, right along with the celebrity contributors we mentioned above!" Awesome, I can pay extra to have my crap published with the crap of others and put next to hopefully not so crappy stuff my "celebrities". Is Vin Diesel going to write a level?

4 - Players will be enthralled (really?) by the many wonders of the grande temple and challenged by its many clever tricks. Magical puzzles, devious riddles, and wondrous magical effects will keep them entertained for hours (can we find a heavier sales pitch?) and allow them to experience the height of dungeoncrawling fun.

Perhaps the best example of Jing's trickery is the resurrection mechanic. You see, Jing draws great amusement from the trials of his guests. So much so that if they entertain him…but die in the process…he will often resurrect them so that they can continue (awesome! they should make a 4e version and then there will be truly Zero Risk of character death) What does this mean to the average player? It means they can seek and find incredible treasures and artifacts - things that they normally only see in their dreams. And if they die in the search - but amuse Jing in the process - he just might grant them a do-over. (yes! a funhouse dungeon without risk! sounds really "old school" to me!)

5 - We LOVE trick filled dungeons, and so do our celebrity contributors. We've armed them with the tools they need to create some FANTASTIC dungeon levels, and we've set them loose in the grande temple. We've asked them to really push the limits and design something that they could never include in a "normal" megadungeon. We can't wait to see what they come up with and we're ready for anything! Are YOU? Are you ready for Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams - UNLEASHED??? (Because you CAN'T CAPITALIZE ENOUGH!!! more celebrity bullshit).

6 - And what notes we've got. Sidebars, icons, minimaps, pullouts, box text - (Pussy, pussy, pussy!
Come on in Pussy lovers! Here at the Titty Twister we’re slashing pussy in half! Give us an offer on our vast selection of pussy! This is a pussy blow out! Alright, we got white pussy, black pussy, spanish pussy, yellow pussy. We got hot pussy, cold pussy. We got wet pussy. We got smelly pussy. We got hairy pussy, bloody pussy. We got snapping pussy. We got silk pussy, velvet pussy, naugahyde pussy. We even got horse pussy, dog pussy, chicken pussy. C'mon, you want pussy, come on in Pussy Lovers! If we don’t got it, you don't want it! Come on in Pussy lovers!)

7 - The $20 reward includes "a PDF map of a random level of the adventure (don't tell you GM)". What The Fuck is this bullshit? Why the fuck would I want me players having a map of a level of the dungeon that is NOT gained through play? This is where I get REALLY fucking pissed. Is this what the hobby has come to? Is this bullshit our future?

8 - A part of the grande temple was originally published in 2000 as a thin, digest sized book, compatible with the d20 system. With your help we will update, upgrade, and MASSIVELY expand that book. (Which leads me to believe this is the current state of the project - a thin, digest sized book - soon to be a HUGE mega whimsical whatchamcallit dungeon - not!)

You want a mega dungeon? Try Rappan Athuk, Try Stonehell, Try Barrowmaze, Try Dwimmermount. You want something that seem to recall the goofy and insulting Castle Greyhawk (maybe Jin can bring some animated Gummi Bears to the dungeon) this might be it.

Shit, I feel like a spent time with a used car dealer reading this Kickstarter...