#Dungeon23

Like many other bloggers and rpg writers, I really like Sean McCoy's #Dungeon23 idea. To sum it up, you get a journal and detail a megadungeon room a day for 2023. You can read Sean's original post here. Folks have already started compiling a set of resources for it. 

I do think this can go a few different ways. I'm going to quote my friend Jonathan from Monstrous Matters on this one, "well there's another longterm hobby goal for me to slack on." Given my track record, this is a definite possibility. However, I feel like I'm doing a disservice to myself by not trying. 

While I won't get them for a bit due to health issues, I plan on ordering a couple of  dot graph notebooks from Brad McDevitt's Etsy store to use for this one. The Orc and Lich ones are calling me. I've also thought about doing a Zombie23 for Bloat Games Survive This!! Zombies! 2e. It would feature encounter locations for that game. If I go that route, Brad has a couple of great zombie designs too. 

Rappan Athuk 5E

As many of you have seen Frog God has a kickstarter that updates the dungeon of graves, Rappan Athuk, to 5e. The kickstarter isn't just for a 5e conversion of the dreaded megadungeon. It also includes updated art, new areas, and lots of map support. While it's a healthy chunk of change, I want the hardcover and stretch goals for this one. I don't know if I can fully explain why, because honestly I'm definitely more "role playing" and not "roll playing." There's just something about the frogs and Orcus I guess. This has actually got me thinking about some recent posts and videos by +Venger Satanis. He's got some interesting thoughts on the game and running it. Even if you don't agree you should check out the videos. They're interesting.

Do you have any experience with Rappan Athuk? What's your favourite megadungeon? Anyone else backing this beast?

Thornkeep and The Emerald Spire

Pathfinder Online: Thornkeep and The Emerald Spire are Pathfinder products created to help promote to Kickstarters for the mmo, Pathfinder Online. Unfortunately, despite the Kickstarters, the mmo has run into some funding issues. That being said, the two books to come from the kickstarters are a lot of fun. I didn't back either Kickstarter and I don't care for mmo's, but I did snag both books.

The first Thornkeep is a hybrid setting and adventure book. Detailed within the pages is the titular Thornkeep, a wretched hive of scum and villainy in the River Kingdoms, and the the surrounding area. The area is cool because it contains Azlanti ruins (think Atlantean for those unfamiliar with the setting), as well as the ruins of a goblin kingdom (and let's be honest the goblins of Pathfinder are one of the coolest things). After the setting material we are given several short, interconnected adventures that take place in an ancient dungeon beneath Thornkeep. Each section is written by a different rpg superstar: Richard Baker, Jason Bulmahn, James Jacobs, Erik Mona, and Ed Greenwood.

As it states on the cover, The Emerald Spire is a Pathfinder superdungeon. I guess they didn't want to use the word, megadungeon. The hardcover discusses Fort Inevitable (an interesting town ran by Hellknights), which can serve as a homebase for the party. Most of the book discusses the levels of the dungeon, itself. Like Thornkeep, it features many big names in the industry: Keith Baker, Rich Baker, Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Ed Greenwood, Tim Hitchcock, James, Jacobs, Nicolas Logue, Erik Mona, Frank Mentzer, Chris Pramas, Sean K. Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Michael Stackpole, Lisa Stevens, and James L. Sutter.

Both books seem like they'd be a lot of fun to use and both are set in the same part of Golarion (the Emerald Spire is mentioned in Thornkeep). Want an old school dungeon crawl with a modern twist? Check out The Emerald Spire and Thornkeep.

Stonehell Dungeons - Gates of Hell

Roscoe Moon, performer extraordinaire

Saturday night David and I started Stonehell Dungeon. David decided to play a CG human bard, Roscoe Moon (stage name). We only played for a few hours, but had a lot of fun. Roscoe teemed up with Eben (LN human cleric of Wee Jas) and Brenya "Bren" Hammerpass (LG mountain dwarf fighter) to investigate goblin attacks on local trading caravans.

The trio entered area 0C: The Gates of Hell and cleared out all of the goblins. They also found the secret stash of magic items in the wizard's room and laid to rest the adventurer phantasms.

I like the layout, story, and design of Stonehell Dungeon. I'm running it in 5E. I've not encountered any original monsters yet, so I've just been pulling things from the Monster Manual. My copy of Into the Heart of Hell came in today, so I'm excited to read through it.

Does anyone else have experience with Stonehell Dungeon?

Saturday Night Dungeon Crawl

My normal bimonthly Saturday game has been canceled again. It's just going to be me and David, but we want to play.

He made a 5E character. Tonight he (and some hired muscle) are going to tackle Michael Curtis' Saturday night dungeon crawl masterpiece, Stonehell Dungeon.

As a side note, I really like Stonehell Dungeon. I'm waiting on Into the Heart of Hell. I'm expecting it to be just as handy as the first.

David's bard, Roscoe Moon, will start in the nearby frontier city, Palisade (yay for Rat Queens references), and be along with a few others to tackle a local goblin problem (current residents of the old gatehouse).

We'll see where it goes from there.