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From: srt@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: How do you write a dungeon?
Message-ID: <3146@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 10-Jan-85 12:56:44 EST
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.3146
Posted: Thu Jan 10 12:56:44 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 14-Jan-85 03:24:38 EST
References: <2173@nsc.UUCP> <190@dspo.UUCP>
Reply-To: srt@ucla-cs.UUCP (Scott Turner)
Distribution: net
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 38
Summary: 


 Balancing a dungeon is tough.  Gygax's original idea - having the dungeon
increase in toughness and rewards as one descends - actually works out
rather well, surprise, surprise.  For a long time I balanced my scenarios
by using a variant of the Monstermark system published some time ago by
White Dwarf.  The idea is to come up with a numerical rating for every
monster (or character) based on their expected battle toughness (i.e.,
average points damage times rounds to be killed by a 1st level fighter
armed with a long sword).  This becomes very difficult to calculate for
high-level characters/monsters, but it is certainly a good starting point.

 One thing it took me a while to learn was to keep my dungeons small.  I
usually don't put more than ten rooms on a level.  Bigger dungeons end up
boring the players (or so I find).  Even if the level has some movitivation
or theme, it is difficult to concentrate on that for very long.

 Typically I divide my "dungeons" into two groups.  The first type is a small,
consistent adventure, basically one-shot with a strong history/theme/purpose.
The second type is the archetypical dungeon - a large, rambling structure
that requires a fair suspension of disbelief.  I much prefer the first type -
both as a DM and as a player - but the second type has its uses, particularly
in a long running campaign.  Then the dungeon is ready whenever somebody has
a whim to go delving, needs money, or if the DM simply hasn't had time to
prepare anything more specific.

 As far as populating dungeons go, I lean toward enigmatic devices and curious
situations.  One of my dungeons had in it a statue that answered the first
question put to it by a character.  The players spent two years trying to
figure out why the statue only answered some questions (high character
turnover had something to do with that).

 More on this subject later.

    Scott R. Turner
    UCLA Computer Science Department
    3531 Boelter Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90024
    ARPA:  srt@UCLA-LOCUS.ARPA
    UUCP:  ...!{cepu,ihnp4,trwspp,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!srt