Substack Community Dungeon Project

Putting out a feeler for building community while having some fun.

I am always awed by the games, writing and art that I come across on substack. There is no lack of amazing talent and incredible imagination in the substack community, which brings me to recent events.

So myself and a couple of other substackers have been playing around with the idea of making our own substack community mega-dungeon- publishing each level via a substack newsletter, and then perhaps afterwards collect all the levels into one pdf, and if enough people were interested make it available in print at cost.

I'm very open to this but I have a few concerns that we would need to hammer out. I’m of the thought that if we were to do this we would need to make the levels or small sets of levels somewhat self-contained so that people feel like they have something they can drop into their own game with each substack newsletter. If we were to make each level at least semi-modular, then there's something there people can use directly in each newsletter, which I feel is important. It’s got to be something that can immediately be played at the table self contained but also a part of something much larger should people want to run/play the whole mega-dungeon.

We could even have areas on certain levels which are very difficult or inaccessible to access without the proper ‘keys’. Adding re-playability to the mega-dudgeon as players may miss entire areas on their first playthrough.

The wonderful community created megadungeon from Fight On! Magazine issues 1-15.

THE BIRTHING OF AN AMATUER D.I.Y PROJECT
Just putting a feeler out in the wonderful substack community to see if there is anybody out there who may be interested in working on or contributing to this? no matter how small or large. This would be open to anybody and everyone regardless of skill and experience levels. Whether you are just beginning in your gaming journey or are a longtime veteran. I was thinking we could stick with classic OD&D or BX, since they are quite compatible with each other. So far what has been bandied about between a few of us has been for OD&D but BX/OSE has definitely been mentioned as a possibility that might just reach a larger audience.

For OD&D we could go with the 3LBB’s or use the Delving Deeper SRD which is available for free online. As is the OSE (BX) SRD which everyone could easily access. Making it for original BX D&D would be super cool as well.

Now, as it turns out, I happen to have a framework ready to go for a mega-dungeon that I have been working on with a few of my substack subscribers and will be getting some play very soon when I start up a campaign for my kids and their friends.

Note that if others were interested in making this a community project, everyone involved would have ample opportunity to get creative with their own levels/sublevels and even add new ones, or rename current ones. The end goal would be to have a coherent mega-dungeon with levels and sublevels submitted by the substack community.

NO AI!

Also this project would be completely AI free, with any and all art being done the good old fashioned way- by hand. That means that all maps and monsters would be hand drawn and not relying on an automated internet dungeon creator. I personally love this old school D.I.Y approach as I am growing a bit bored with all of the art splat zines, panel layout systems, and similar looking maps, or just plane abstract puzzlement that seems to be in almost every book of late the sits on my shelf.

This is by no means aiming to be a professional product, just a fun D.I.Y amatuer community project that we would keep fun. No serious deadlines or anything like that.

It would also be freely available.

For art it would be super cool to get some people on board who would be interested in contributing some pieces and even cooler if the dungeon level designers themselves were able to contribute some art no matter their skill level. Cool but by no means a requirement.

,The Original D&D (3LBB’s) Sample cross section map.

B4 The Lost City cross section map for BX D&D.

WHAT ABOUT FICTION

I know there are a lot of great writers out there on substack and it would be wonderful if anybody wanted to contribute some fiction for the dungeon levels or if they had any other ideas we could definitely accommodate as this would be a very flexible project.

This is the amazing side view cross-section map by Thomas Denmark of Night Owl Workshop that inspired this whole idea!

Pulling inspiration from the above cross section map so far this is what has been formulated for the yet untitled Mega-Dungeon.

SURFACE AREAS LEADING TO THE MEGADUNGEON

• The Burning Forest

• The Necropolis of The Metal Mages

• The Glitterdooms (Wastes)

LEVELS OF THE DUNGEON WITH LEVELS THEY CONNECT TO IN PARENTHESIS. (Please see above map for how this would look).

1. Palisades of the Eternal Youth (1,2)

2. Spires Of the Weeping Saviors (S, 2, 3, 5)

3. Under Crypts Of The Bell-Scar (S, 1, 5)

4. Du-Lum, The Vanished Lands (1, 4)

5. Citadel Of The Thrice Damned Prince of Cats (3, 7)

6. City Of The Endless Night (1, 2, 6, 8)

7. The Throne Of Bone (5, 8, 10)

8. The Black Gate (4, 8, 9)

9. The King Beyond The Gate (5, 6, 7, 9, 10)

10. Sanctum Of The Serpent Vaults (7, 8)

11. Star-graves Of The Dying Suns (10)

For the map we could draw out the levels and their connections old-school style with boxes and lines for some lazy solitary fun. later on perhaps work on a hexcrawl for the surface.

ADVENTURE HOOKS
There comes a time when the promise of something greater presents itself.

A good delve with sword and torch in hand, and enough looted treasure to buy a good night for all at the local tavern, with little memory to burden ones conscious upon awakening. Do you have what it takes to sally forth in search of adventure. If your players are hewn from this superior ilk, and yearn for glory, little more need be said. But if you are stuck with a less capable crew, here are some ideas for getting them to brave The Black Gate Mega-dungeon. (tentative working title).

RUMORS TABLE (1d20)

To follow:

So if anybody may have some interest in this or at least getting a discussion going please feel free to drop me a message in the comments or direct chat. This could be a very fun project if we get enough people on board.

This would be a no pressure, freely available project. Perhaps add in an interview, and some random tables as well.