still mulling over that S&w game
I had an idea for the central dungeon of my S&W game last night--a large rift in the ground through which the top level of the dungeon (mostly natural caves and crudely cut passages) can be accessed. That means that character can--with some effort--access a number of different floors (I expect these floors will also have less obvious, more accessible entry points), and that the upper section of the dungeon will be part of the surround ecology. Because of the openness, these sections will refill with creatures a little more quickly than normal, unless something is done to keep them out.
I'm actually working on a smaller version of the same idea as a stand alone dungeon for the 3.5 round robin game I'm in--a dungeon with a large pit that connects four different levels. A flying character (the group's Mage and my character can cast the spell, but I have yet to use it) can access any floor through the pit. Of course, flying to the top floor might not be such a good idea. Characters can also lower themselves down using the pit. Actually, that's the only way to get to the lowest floor (the entrance is in the middle). But that's enough of that game, back to the S&W stuff.
I still need to figure out an overall theme for the dungeon, though that theme will only be hinted at in these early levels. When it's done, the dungeon will have three or four major sections. The rift and surrounding caves would be the first section, and each section below it will be increasingly connected to the theme. Since this dungeon is supposed to be the center piece of the game, the theme will be one of the more important things in the game.
Since it seems that the group is going to be mostly/all human, I wanted to use the lack of demi-humans to make them a little more interesting or mysterious. It occurred to me that one or more of these races (either the classics or ones I create) might live exclusively in the dungeon or see it as a secret heartland of their race. Dwarves spring to mind as being a good candidate for this treatment, because of their connection with underground environments. Kobolds would also work for the same reason, though I expect the group I play with are too used to the 3rd edition version of them to accept a version that is more connected with mining than dragons.
While looking for a theme for my central dungeon, a number of my standby ideas pop up. At the heart of the dungeon there could be something really powerful like a magical artifact, a god (trapped or dead), a portal to another world/reality, or some other unrivalled treasure. At the moment, those options aren't providing much in the way of inspiration.
I'm also resisting the urge to use some sort of ancient empire, but then without the ubiquitous ancients who built the dungeon? So, I guess they might be in if only to provide an explanation. If I do use the ancients, I think I might use include something like Superman's bottle city--a hidden community that holds the last remnants of the ancients. I think that Castle Greyhawk included a level called the bottle city, but I'm not sure what was actually on that level.
I'm actually working on a smaller version of the same idea as a stand alone dungeon for the 3.5 round robin game I'm in--a dungeon with a large pit that connects four different levels. A flying character (the group's Mage and my character can cast the spell, but I have yet to use it) can access any floor through the pit. Of course, flying to the top floor might not be such a good idea. Characters can also lower themselves down using the pit. Actually, that's the only way to get to the lowest floor (the entrance is in the middle). But that's enough of that game, back to the S&W stuff.
I still need to figure out an overall theme for the dungeon, though that theme will only be hinted at in these early levels. When it's done, the dungeon will have three or four major sections. The rift and surrounding caves would be the first section, and each section below it will be increasingly connected to the theme. Since this dungeon is supposed to be the center piece of the game, the theme will be one of the more important things in the game.
Since it seems that the group is going to be mostly/all human, I wanted to use the lack of demi-humans to make them a little more interesting or mysterious. It occurred to me that one or more of these races (either the classics or ones I create) might live exclusively in the dungeon or see it as a secret heartland of their race. Dwarves spring to mind as being a good candidate for this treatment, because of their connection with underground environments. Kobolds would also work for the same reason, though I expect the group I play with are too used to the 3rd edition version of them to accept a version that is more connected with mining than dragons.
While looking for a theme for my central dungeon, a number of my standby ideas pop up. At the heart of the dungeon there could be something really powerful like a magical artifact, a god (trapped or dead), a portal to another world/reality, or some other unrivalled treasure. At the moment, those options aren't providing much in the way of inspiration.
I'm also resisting the urge to use some sort of ancient empire, but then without the ubiquitous ancients who built the dungeon? So, I guess they might be in if only to provide an explanation. If I do use the ancients, I think I might use include something like Superman's bottle city--a hidden community that holds the last remnants of the ancients. I think that Castle Greyhawk included a level called the bottle city, but I'm not sure what was actually on that level.