In case anyone in my 'Aul for One' game is reading this... please don't?
Alright, friends! Long-time reader, first-time writer here needing some help creating a sort of dungeon map mechanic. The concept (heavily inspired by Magical Industrial Revolution by Skerples) is that a scientist, in an attempt to create cheap living space in a low-income part of a bustling city, has found a way to modify the 'portable hole' spell into a stable 'portable room'. This invention would change the face of living in Docktown (the lowest income part of the city), providing space and comfort to the cramped and squalid conditions residents are used to.
The invention seemed like a success, with the scientist able to create the space of a sizeable room with her contraption. As she attempted to tinker, adding more rooms and different sized spaces something curious began to happen. Rooms began adding themselves, and connecting to the outside world in strange and impossible ways. Doors in the portable rooms would sometimes open to places within Corin (the city). The rooms themselves would shift and change positions. After some time and careful study it became clear that the time of day is what affects the changing of the rooms, and where the outlet doors let out to in the city.
(If you've stuck along so far, I thank you), My question is, how could I best design a map/system that could incorporate these elements into it when the players inevitably enter, and additionally what would be the best way to keep track of this system? My current best idea is a modified version of The Rotating Labyrinth by Mind Weave RPG. Any and all helpful advice would be much appreciated!
Well, if things are constantly shifting, you don’t really need to keep track, the PCs go back through a door, and oops, they’re in a different room. It could be quite liberating and really cut down on your bookkeeping. But really I’d say you design the dungeon how you want it to be, and no matter where they go, they enter whatever next room you have planned. Yes, it’s a railroad, but procedurally generating a dungeon can quickly lead to a tpk or a party stuck without enough food, if you track that, or just in the dungeon for longer or shorter than you want. If you’re talking about where the door open to the outside world, I’d use a hybrid system. If I really wanted the characters to be in a specific place, the door would open there, or near to it. I’d probably use that method most of the time. But, if it really didn’t matter, I’d make up a chart for random rolling. Which you can make as simple or complex as you like.
And to maintain the illusion, I’d probably roll every time they used a door, even if I knew where it was going, so they don’t take it as a meta-game clue that something is up.
Honestly, this sounds like it belongs solely in the theatre of the mind realm.
Now I appreciate that with the rise of a lot of D&D actual plays and VTTs during covid lockdowns, a lot more players than ever before expect maps...or at least that's been my experience. So to speak to those that need maps to help with visualisation here's my thought.
I would make a list in your DM notes (journal, notebook, or doc) so the rooms that exist in this building. I'd then suggest making a list of which rooms each door can lead to (and I would limit them unless required for story/quest purposes).
Lobby can lead to:
Master Bedroom
Kitchen
Laboratory
Kitchen:
Garden
Workshop
Dining Room
Dining Room
Lounge
Ballroom
Study
If you had four options for each door, simply roll a d4 to see which room they get to when they open a door...or just decide...you're the DM after all.
If you want it to be reliable in any way I'd suggest a lever or buttons that allow you 'connect' to the desired room/rooms much like the Barrow Downs in Might and Magic VII. Each barrow had two doors that could link to one of two locations. You used switches to 'select' the destination. It was real frustrating way back when but as I learnt the game I realised its elegance as a puzzle.
I'd probably create each room as an individual map. That way you can roll/decide each time they pass through a door. Keeping track by time could be set out on a simple note sheet so that things change as certain times through the day. But it gives you the greatest amount of flexibility in how the rooms change position.
Yeah, this all sounds like it would want to a link map (like old text-based games used) rather than a standard map. Just note what room each door leads to (and if it varies, when it does so).
If it weren't for the time of day issue, you'd just use a basic table, such as
Apologies for the delay in response (holidays are wild here). Thank you all for the excellent suggestions. I think combining some of these and creating 4 variant maps that cycle through each other 12 times per hour (once every 5 minutes). That way I don't have to juggle to many different maps, and can be a little looser with the timing for narrative purposes.
Maybe you could give the players a blank paper and a map of what the space "should" look like. The scientist asks the party to map the space and document what happens in each room and their payment depends on it.
Then as they encounter each new thing they make the dungeon for you and you just throw all the random things at them. They will search every single room to make sure they get their payment.
Thank you, this should very much be the energy. The next step is to figure out what encounters to populate this with. The "boss" battle is the scientist's pet mimic which escaped and made its way to the center, feeding on lost stragglers and growing to room-size over time (and due to the strange nature of this place). Outside of that, these rooms and spaces are generated and newer, so perhaps trap-based encounters with rooms that tried to become more dungeon-like the further in they go?
Sounds perfect, maybe some rooms are filled with water (from a decanter of endless water being left on) or the rooms are so badly mashed up that things are flying around the room. These can be puzzle/trap rooms.
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Well, if things are constantly shifting, you don’t really need to keep track, the PCs go back through a door, and oops, they’re in a different room. It could be quite liberating and really cut down on your bookkeeping. But really I’d say you design the dungeon how you want it to be, and no matter where they go, they enter whatever next room you have planned. Yes, it’s a railroad, but procedurally generating a dungeon can quickly lead to a tpk or a party stuck without enough food, if you track that, or just in the dungeon for longer or shorter than you want.
If you’re talking about where the door open to the outside world, I’d use a hybrid system. If I really wanted the characters to be in a specific place, the door would open there, or near to it. I’d probably use that method most of the time.
But, if it really didn’t matter, I’d make up a chart for random rolling. Which you can make as simple or complex as you like.
And to maintain the illusion, I’d probably roll every time they used a door, even if I knew where it was going, so they don’t take it as a meta-game clue that something is up.
Honestly, this sounds like it belongs solely in the theatre of the mind realm.
Now I appreciate that with the rise of a lot of D&D actual plays and VTTs during covid lockdowns, a lot more players than ever before expect maps...or at least that's been my experience. So to speak to those that need maps to help with visualisation here's my thought.
I would make a list in your DM notes (journal, notebook, or doc) so the rooms that exist in this building. I'd then suggest making a list of which rooms each door can lead to (and I would limit them unless required for story/quest purposes).
Lobby can lead to:
Kitchen:
Dining Room
If you had four options for each door, simply roll a d4 to see which room they get to when they open a door...or just decide...you're the DM after all.
If you want it to be reliable in any way I'd suggest a lever or buttons that allow you 'connect' to the desired room/rooms much like the Barrow Downs in Might and Magic VII. Each barrow had two doors that could link to one of two locations. You used switches to 'select' the destination. It was real frustrating way back when but as I learnt the game I realised its elegance as a puzzle.
DM session planning template - My version of maps for 'Lost Mine of Phandelver' - Send your party to The Circus - Other DM Resources - Maps, Tokens, Quests - 'Better' Player Character Injury Tables?
Actor, Writer, Director & Teacher by day - GM/DM in my off hours.
I'd probably create each room as an individual map. That way you can roll/decide each time they pass through a door. Keeping track by time could be set out on a simple note sheet so that things change as certain times through the day. But it gives you the greatest amount of flexibility in how the rooms change position.
Yeah, this all sounds like it would want to a link map (like old text-based games used) rather than a standard map. Just note what room each door leads to (and if it varies, when it does so).
If it weren't for the time of day issue, you'd just use a basic table, such as
etc. If it varies by time of day, create multiply tables (consider making some rooms unreachable at some times)
Apologies for the delay in response (holidays are wild here). Thank you all for the excellent suggestions. I think combining some of these and creating 4 variant maps that cycle through each other 12 times per hour (once every 5 minutes). That way I don't have to juggle to many different maps, and can be a little looser with the timing for narrative purposes.
Still always welcoming any and all suggestions!
I think these suggestions are great.
Maybe you could give the players a blank paper and a map of what the space "should" look like. The scientist asks the party to map the space and document what happens in each room and their payment depends on it.
Then as they encounter each new thing they make the dungeon for you and you just throw all the random things at them. They will search every single room to make sure they get their payment.
Have fun!
Thank you, this should very much be the energy. The next step is to figure out what encounters to populate this with. The "boss" battle is the scientist's pet mimic which escaped and made its way to the center, feeding on lost stragglers and growing to room-size over time (and due to the strange nature of this place). Outside of that, these rooms and spaces are generated and newer, so perhaps trap-based encounters with rooms that tried to become more dungeon-like the further in they go?
Sounds perfect, maybe some rooms are filled with water (from a decanter of endless water being left on) or the rooms are so badly mashed up that things are flying around the room. These can be puzzle/trap rooms.