Non-Linear Dungeon Design Resources

While I am not actively working on a megadungeon project at present, I am still a big fan of dungeon design theory, and have been reading some great posts on the subject of late. Here are just a few of the great resources I've been enjoying:

Was Module B1 a Good Design? This is a post that Spawn of Endra mentioned to me during a recent conversation, then I backtracked and found it on Delta's D&D Hotspot. I think many of Delta's basic assumptions are spot-on, and I would also urge folks to read the comments to the post, especially this one by Justin Alexander, in which he provocatively suggests a new approach to "old-school," minimalistic dungeon location descriptions, saying that:

Minimal keys are great. Minimal keys that primarily focus on creatures and treasure? IMO, you're doing it wrong. [. . .]

I don't think DMs should prep the multi-paragraph litanies of B1, but I'd much rather have a key that said: 

27. A floor of smooth slate and two thrones of white marble. Purple and yellow draperies on the wall.

than:

127. ORC SERGEANT. The leader of the outpost (8 h.p.) with longsword and heavy crossbow.

What an interesting idea! I don't know how extensively I agree with it, but it has me thinking.

Of course, Mr. Alexander has a great deal of credibility, in large part because he is the author of another classic dungeon design post. . .

(Image from Melan's dungeon mapping post.)

Jaquaying the Dungeon. I actually must again thank Delta for reminding me of this great series of posts, though I am a fan of The Alexandrian and have read them before. In them, JA discusses how to "open up" a dungeon (and increase it re-playability value) by providing multiple entrances and exits from each level and locale. An excerpt:

In a jaquayed dungeon, the choices the PCs make will have a meaningful impact on how the adventure plays out, but the actual running of the adventure isn’t more complex as a result. 

On the other hand, the railroad-like quality of the linear dungeon is not its only flaw. It eliminates true exploration (for the same reason that Lewis and Clark were explorers; whereas when I head down I-94 I am merely a driver). It can significantly inhibit the players’ ability to make meaningful strategic choices. It is, frankly speaking, less interesting and less fun.

I always follow these principles when designing modules and highly recommend these posts.

Node-Based Megadungeon Design. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the blogosphere, I bumped into Keith Davies' fascinating posts about Node-based dungeon design, which he may well carry out to a level of complexity beyond my own interests, yet I confess I find the basic idea of Nodes as a dungeon-design starting point compelling. (I also plan to look further into Keith's broader series on Campaign and Scenario Design).

And lastly, it so happens that Justin Alexander has his own series on the Node-based design topic, which I have yet to read. . . .

Please leave a note in the comments if you have other recommendations for good reading on this or related subjects.

"Don't Prep Plots, Prep Situations" -- Justin Alexander

Top 15 Classic OSR Blog Posts: On Game Design and Campaign Resources

What follows is part two of a three-part list of individual blog entries that fulfill my criteria for being "classic." Let me again emphasize that these are MY picks for blog posts I return to again and again, posts that have been most influential to ME over time. It is therefore likely that my using the term "classic" is a misnomer, as that status should really be conferred via some process of group / community consensus.

Part one of the list included Classic OSR Posts on the subject of "Theory and History," i.e., general ruminating or ranting about what our hobby "means," discussing the role our blog community plays in the development and sustenance of that hobby, and/or documenting the real-world history of D&D, TSR, et. al.

This post deals with Classic OSR Blog Posts about in-game matters like setting design, DM strategies, good role-playing, creating new game content, and the like. At times, the distinction between the two broad topics was a difficult -- and ultimately arbitrary -- one to make. For example, is Zak's "How Much Do You Want To Be A Wizard?" simply about what happens at the game table (hence justifying its inclusion here), or is it a more general philosophical manifesto about good DM-player relationships and gaming-group chemistry? (I suppose it's both.)

Criteria / selection process:

1. I went with relatively well-known or "popular" OSR blogs. My main way of determining said popularity was by consulting Cyclopeatron's December 2010 report of Old School Blog rankings -- no post could be deemed an OSR "Classic" unless it came from a blog that scored fairly high up in those rankings. I didn't have a specific numerical cutoff point in mind when I started, but in the end, the lowest-ranked blog represented in this second part of the list is in the 18th rank; some are un-rankable (i.e., Wordpress, etc.); and I make a special exception for Gorgonmilk, a new blog by a veteran blogger.

2. The "test of time" was a factor, but an extremely minor one. While some readers could (rightly) argue that "Classic" implies something that has been around for awhile, remember that this is MY fucking list so in a few cases I included much more recent posts that happened to capture the "Classic" ethos or strongly spoke to me as I was compiling this Top 15. But overall I tried to favor posts that had been around in the blogosphere for a little while.

3. I play Labyrinth Lord in a Tolkienesque / Gygaxian mode. That preference surely colors my choices here, since (for example) there are no posts listed that deal with Gamma World / Mutant Future, Traveller, T&T, etc. -- believe me, it was hard enough narrowing this thing to a mere 15 posts as it is.

4. Lastly, in terms of my engagement with the online community, I mostly just read OSR blogs. I do not visit the discussion boards, I am not an avid web-surfer, etc. So everything on this list is stuff I found via my own primitive knocking around in the OSR blogosphere. Many apologies in advance if my own ignorance diminishes the interest or accuracy of the list.

All that said, I strongly urge anyone who disagrees with what I've included here or who spots obvious omissions to offer corrective comments below, or, even better, create your own "Classic Blog Post" lists as well -- I'd love to read them!

Note that this list is NOT in order of preference or "rank," but simply organized in a way that makes for interesting reading if read in this sequence.

1. James Edward Raggi IV, LotFP, "Guide to Adventure Writing"
Still my favorite general guide to good adventure design, written by the best module writer in the OSR.

2. James Maliszewski, Grognardia, "Locale and Plot"
This characteristically sharp analysis by James M. of old-school module design principles should be required reading for anyone wishing to design adventures with an old-school feel.

3. Zak S., Playing D&D With Porn Stars, "Riddles In The Dark (or, Earn It)"
More from Zak Sabbath, this time about why game balance (in the contemporary sense) sucks (my words). This post outlines how PCs should develop during game play, NOT as a result of complex character "builds," an idea I emphatically agree with. It is a relatively recent post but one I could not resist including.

4. Greg at Gorgonmilk, "On Boiling Down Your Setting to its Essential Salts"
The most recent offering on the list, this post by Greg (formerly of Eiglophian Press fame) offers a list of possible concepts that can be used to generate a "post-Tolkien" fantasy campaign setting. The post itself may not be "classic" yet, but the ideas it proposes surely are.

5. James Maliszewski, Grognardia, "Of Ancient Empires"
James' comments in this inspiring post refer to the background of his own megadungeon project, Dwimmermount, but the core idea is applicable to all of us megadungeon creators. A terrific idea!

6. Al Krombach, Beyond the Black Gate, "Megadungeon Resources"
Al Krombach is one of the great champions of megadungeon design philosophy and toolkit provision currently working in the OSR blogosphere. His list of megadungeon design resources is succinct, accessible, and absolutely essential reading for anyone wishing to design a megadungeon. I might especially wish to single out his superb (and fun!) Random Area Name Generator, which I have used many times. Also deserving of honorable mention are Al's yearly Beyond the Black Gate Compendiums for 2009 and 2010 -- chock full of great stuff!

7. Rob Conley, Bat in the Attic, "How to make a Fantasy Sandbox"
Rob Conley's thoroughgoing series of blog posts on Sandbox Design is required (and therefore "classic") reading for anybody in the OSR who wants to sit behind the DM's screen. Indispensable!

8. Michael Curtis, The Society of Torch, Pole, and Rope, "With New Old Eyes"
Curtis' reflections about what make a good megadungeon, written just as he completed the first volume of his Stonehell, constitute "classic" and essential reading for any megadungeon creator.

9. Dyson Logos, A character for every game, "Maps"
Though my Arandish campaign owes a huge debt to many of the classic posts listed here, I would say that the biggest practical contribution has come from Dyson Logos' excellent wordpress blog, A character for every game. Dyson is a very talented cartographer, and I have used three of his maps / dungeons -- Goblin Gully, Coruvon (which I used for the Arandish town of Swampsedge), and Level 1 of his mini-megadungeon, Dyson's Delve -- in my campaign so far. I will continue to use them. And while my praise here focuses on Dyson's maps, please check out his blog's other offerings as well, such as his Random polearm Generator and his great posts about elementals.

10. Dyson Logos, A character for every game, "2d6 Thiefing"
There has been much debate about and tinkering with the thief class waged over the years. Some have argued that it is an unnecessary / oxymoronic D&D class, others have expressed dissatisfaction with the B/X thief mechanics and have offered their own versions (e.g., Al K. and James M.). Yet Dyson's simple 2d6 system for handling thief abilities is the most elegant and appealing solution to the thief "problem" that I have yet seen.  In fact, I am such a fan of "2d6 Thiefing" that I have both installed it as the standard for thieves in my Arandish campaign, and Spawn of Endra and I have borrowed the concept in order to create 2d6 Bardery.  Dyson also reprinted this piece in Dyson's Dodecahedron Vol. 1 Issue 1, which is well worth downloading in its own right!

11. bat, Ancient Vaults and Eldritch Secrets
I cannot single out one post here, but must simply include the whole blog as one huge, ongoing, excellent resource for old-school gaming ideas.  The fact that bat cranks out a new spell, monster, or magic item pretty much every day of the year astounds me, and the fact that so many of them are so goddamn good is the sweet icing on the cake.  I cannot begin to tell you how many spells I have horked from "Ancient Vaults" -- but if I ever finish those Elementalist NPCs for my Arandish campaign, my great debt to bat's work will become readily apparent.

12. Jeff Rients, Jeff's Gameblog, "How to Awesome-Up Your Players"
Great DM'ing advice helping you to "empower the players to make the game a non-stop high-octane freak-out"!  Who can resist that?

13.Zak Sabbath, Playing D&D With Porn Stars, "How Much Do You Want To Be A Wizard?"
Zak is the best blogger around when it comes to discussing the intricacies of DM-player dynamics, and this is his most "classic" post on the matter. I am also fond of his more recent posts comparing RPG groups to rock bands and discussing RPG group "Design Specs", but I still choose this earlier post on player buy-ins as more "classic," nuanced, and outright true.

14. Alexis, The Tao of D&D, "30 Ways Not To Cheat At D&D"
I admit that Alexis' work at the Tao of D&D is at times daunting to me, both due to his high level of granularity and his sometimes inflammatory prose, but I am nevertheless glad that Alexis exists. And once in awhile, he hits a nail so squarely on the head that I am glad I check in over at his blog from time to time. This list of 30 player principles is one such post -- a great assessment of what we might call "gaming table ethics" that I feel would improve play for anyone who rigorously followed them. Not quite as impactful but still deserving of honorable mention is Alexis' post on the role of the DM, "The DM is Not a Player."

15. Noisms, Monsters and Manuals, "Gaming Advice #1: Don't Be A Dick Head"
How much more succinct can one get? Noism's key piece of advice here is fundamental to keeping our time at the game table enjoyable, and is certainly deserving of timeless, "classic" status.

And a Bonus Post Deserving of Honorable Mention:

Zak Sabbath, Playing D&D With Porn Stars, "Urbancrawl Rules For Slacker DMs"
Sadly for me, this is one of those really conceptually brilliant ideas that it is very difficult to see myself ever using in play. I am a bit too much of a Gygaxian naturalist / in-depth world-builder to likely ever need to use this elegant system for figuring out city travel distances, because I already know the basic layout of most of the major Arandish cities my PCs would visit. But nevertheless, this is one of the most memorable blog posts I have ever read on any subject, and I think Zak's idea here perfectly embodies the on-the-fly, random-dice-rolling, old-school gaming spirit I so dearly love. Bad ass!

Next time: "The Best of the Rest: Classic Posts from Less-Followed Blogs"

Top 15 Classic OSR Blog Posts: On Theory and History

What follows is part one of a three-part list of individual blog entries that fulfill my criteria for being "classic." Obviously that is a highly subjective term, and even before I outline my (admittedly slapdash) criteria for "classic" post selection, let me emphasize that these are MY picks for blog posts I return to over and over again. In other words, these are the posts that have been most influential to ME over time, so perhaps my using the term "classic" is a misnomer, as that status should really be conferred via some process of group / community consensus.

But these are the posts that are Classics TO ME, so take that or leave it.

This post lists Classic OSR Posts dealing with "Theory and History," i.e., general ruminating or ranting about what our hobby "means," discussing the role our blog community plays in the development and sustenance of our hobby, and/or documenting the real-world history of D&D, TSR, et. al. Part two (to be presented in a forthcoming post) will list Classic OSR Blog Posts that deal with in-game matters like setting design, DM strategies, good role-playing, creating new game content, etc.

Criteria / selection process:

1. I went with relatively well-known or "popular" OSR blogs. My main way of determining said popularity was by consulting Cyclopeatron's December 2010 report of Old School Blog rankings -- no post could be deemed an OSR "Classic" unless it came from a blog that scored fairly high up in those rankings. I didn't have a specific numerical cutoff point in mind when I started, but in the end, the lowest-ranked blog represented in this part of the list is in the 27th rank; most are in the low teens or higher.

2. The "test of time" was a factor, but a fairly minor one. While some readers could (rightly) argue that "Classic" implies something that has been around for awhile, remember that this is MY fucking list so in a few cases I included much more recent posts that happened to capture the "Classic" ethos or strongly spoke to me as I was compiling this Top 15. Nevertheless, overall I tried to favor posts that had been around in the blogosphere for a little while.

3. I play Labyrinth Lord in a Tolkienesque / Gygaxian mode. That preference surely colors my choices here, since (for example) there are no posts listed that deal with Gamma World / Mutant Future, Traveller, T&T, etc. -- believe me, it was hard enough narrowing this thing to a mere 15 posts as it is.

4. Lastly, in terms of my engagement with the online community, I mostly just read OSR blogs. I do not visit the discussion boards, I am not an avid web-surfer, etc. So everything on this list is stuff I found via my own primitive knocking around in the OSR blogosphere. Many apologies in advance if my own ignorance diminishes the interest or accuracy of the list.

All that said, I strongly urge anyone who disagrees with what I've included here or who spots obvious omissions to offer corrective comments below, or, even better, create your own "Classic Blog Post" lists as well -- I'd love to read them!

Note that this list is NOT in order of preference or "rank," but simply organized in a way that makes for interesting reading if read in this sequence.

1. Trollsmyth, "A Theoretical Framework for the OSR"
I admit I am not a super-regular reader of Trollsmyth's blog, but once in a while, he lays down something that really speaks to me. This post is one such case, and it seemed a great post with which to kick off the "On Theory and History" portion of the Classic Posts List.

2. Playing D&D With Porn Stars, "Like Playing Monopoly With Squatters"
Regular readers know that porn is only one important aspect of what Zak Sabbath offers on his excellent blog. Zak is a sharp writer and insightful RPG theorist, and this post is one of my all-time favorites about what the RPG experience is like in broad terms. And its title rocks.

3. Cyclopeatron, "Gary Gygax's Whitebox OD&D Houserules"
Cyclopeatron's list and discussion of EGG's own LBB house rules is refreshingly insightful, and definitely Classic.

4. Grognardia, "Picaro and the 'Story' of D&D"
James Maliszewski's most important (and , as always, highly enlightening) analysis of the roots of old-school D&D -- a breakdown of where its "DNA" and original premises came from, especially as regards "story." This post is required reading for anyone interested in the distinction between older editions of D&D and the newer ones James mentions near the end of the post.

5. Grognardia, "A Game of One's Own"
As anyone reading this knows, James Maliszewski is the undisputed leader of the OSR blogosphere (a recent post I saw somewhere referred to him as the "Pope" of the OSR). His insights into our hobby are always well-balanced, carefully considered, and informed by his many years of experience as a gamer and RPG industry professional. This is one of James' posts I refer back to a lot, for it succinctly sums up why I am in this hobby and why I play the specific types of games I do.

6. Lamentations of the Flame Princess, "I Hate Fun"
When I first started reading OSR blogs, James Edward Raggi IV's was the first one that made me jump out of my seat with delighted astonishment. While Maliszewski often speaks for me, iterating ideas I have maybe thought about myself but have not so clearly or authoritatively articulated, Raggi speaks to me, provoking me to consider our hobby in new ways I would not have come up with on my own. If Maliszewski is classic rock, Raggi is metal. And speaking of metal, this classic post was first drafted as an introduction to Raggi's metal 'zine, later adapted to address RPGs. See also Raggi's year-later retrospective on this post, I Hate Fun One Year Later.

7. LotFP, "The Cowardice of the Modern Grognard, or, Supplement V - Carcosa Reviewed"
This is Raggi at his passionate best, and I happen to agree with every word of this post.

8. ChicagoWiz's RPG Blog, "Old School Play - 'explore it'"
In response to Zak's awesome Riddles In The Dark post (to be discussed in a forthcoming Top 15 List), ChicagoWiz wrote this succinct post that exactly describes me. I play video games -- and D&D -- in exactly this same way, and thus this post is an "Instant Classic" for me.

9. Grognardia, "Thoughts on D&D Product Chronology Part 1"
This is actually my favorite single post ever published on Grognardia. I think one of the most essential and valuable functions James M. performs in his role as an historian of our hobby is to produce accurate analytical commentaries like this one. His D&D Product Chronology -- required contextual reading for this analysis thereof -- is something I refer back to again and again. When it comes to providing a knowledgeable and nuanced perspective on events in RPG history and their significance, nobody does it better than Maliszewski -- something this post aptly demonstrates. I prefer this "Thoughts Part 1" installment because it discusses the period of the D&D hobby I am most interested in, but you should also check out part two of his excellent commentary.

10. Jeff's Gameblog, "Listen Up You Primitive Screwheads (a rant)"
This post by the inimitable Jeff Rients not only wins the "Best Blog Post Title Ever" contest, its content is a brilliant assessment of exactly what is and is not important about the OSR movement. In very few words, it puts the term "New Golden Age of RPGs" firmly in its place, right where it belongs: at our game tables. Well said Jeff!

11. Akratic Wizardry, "The BRP Renaissance"
This succinct post offers an interesting insight into a somewhat overlooked aspect of our hobby, basic role-playing systems like Runequest. While I do not play the games under discussion, this post by Akrasia is one of those that forces me to reconsider / expand my notion of what my hobby actually entails / includes. Well done!

12. The RPG Corner, "Alternate RPG History"
Like Akrasia's post just discussed, SirLarkins' cool "Thought Experiment" outlined in this post really expands my thinking and gets my creative juices flowing. One of the best "What If?" posts I've ever read.

13. Jeff's Gameblog, "I got your threefold model right here, buddy!"
As usual, Jeff Rients uses a provocative and amusing title to lure the reader into a sharp and succinct post about a new way to conceptualize the RPG subculture in general. Meant as slightly tongue-in-cheek yet, as he points out, uncannily accurate as well. Great chart!

14. The Underdark Gazette, "OSR News Sunday, January 23, 2010"
The last two Classic posts on today's list represent two bloggers' efforts to chronicle the existence and output of the OSR blogosphere itself. James Smith's Underdark Gazette is a must-read for me, something I look forward to every time a new edition comes out. (Note that I linked to the latest version he had at the time I compiled the list; the specific edition above is not being singled out, merely offered as a representative example of the great work James does regularly.) James's "OSR News" tracks key developments in the OSR, offering reviews and product updates, spotlighting interesting blogs, etc. Great stuff, James, keep it coming!

15. Cyclopeatron, "December Old School Blog Rankings"
Last but surely not least is Cyclopeatron's Old School Blog rankings. This important feature helps us all to see what is out there in our community, and to get a sense for what everybody else is reading. What's more it is FUN (at least for me) to see where one stands in the community as a whole. Kudos to Cyclopeatron for providing this useful and interesting service! (Not to mention his list of links to all those ranked blogs.)

Bonus Honorable Mention Post!
I must additionally mention Hack & Slash's excellent (and thoroughgoing) OSR Essential Blog Reading List. Well worth a look!

That's all for now. Tune in next time for Top Classic OSR Blog Posts: On Game Design and Campaign Resources