TEXT: A
  Dispatches from the Raven Crowking 
  IV - Megadungeons and Campaigns
  Daniel J. Bishop
  
  I
  Dispatches from the Raven Crowking 
  IV - Megadungeons and Campaigns
  Daniel J. Bishop
  
  II
  Contents
  Introduction
  1
  Dungeon Crawl Classics: 
     Short Story or Novel
  2
  Balanced Encounters
  4
  M is for Megadungeons
  6
  The Importance of Names
  7
  Evocative Monsters
  10
  Legendary Treasures
  13
  Brainstorming
  14
  Pattern Mapping
  16
  Placing Elements
  20
  From General to Specific
  24
  Otyughs: Dwellers in Filth
  39
  The Megadungeon and 
     Dungeon Crawl Classics
  41
  Open Game License
  47
  
  1
  Introduction
  Welcome to the fourth volume of Dispatches. 
  This volume focuses on the idea of a megadungeon. In the early days of 
  gaming, these grand edifices were often the focus of extended campaigns, 
  forming a “tent pole” that propped up the rest. Of course, this is not the 
  only way to use a megadungeon, and astute readers will note that several of 
  the best known early campaigns had more than one such structure.  There 
  is something in deep in our psyche that responds to the idea of deep places 
  underground, extending farther than one could ever explore.
  While this work is predominately skewed towards the Dungeon Crawl 
  Classics Role-playing Game, the advice is general enough to work in any 
  system where megadungeons might exist.  Moreover, a lot of the advice 
  herein applies not only to megadungeons, but also to the construction of 
  campaign settings as a whole. 
  Finally, as always, what follows is my opinion. There are other ways of do-
  ing things. This is just the way that works best for me. 
  This product is made possible with the generous 
  support of our Patreons: Craig, Daniel Bishop, Diogo 
  Nogueria, EnochSeven, Geoff Forcella, Hunyock, Jeff 
  Goad, Jeremy Friesen, Keith Nelson, Lorne Cooper, M 
  Woolsey, Maxwell Spann, Michael Jones, Patrick Pil-
  grim, Paul Go, Rompcat, Ryan, Stephen Murrish, Stew-
  art Wilson, Terry Olson, Tony Hogard, Trevor Bramble, 
  Wes Fournier.
  To become a Patreon please visit: https://www.patreon.
  com/DCC_PDG
  
  2
  Dungeon Crawl Classics: 
  Short Story or Novel?
  One of the objections to the megadungeon concept in the Dungeon Crawl 
  Classics Role-playing Game is that the source fiction of Appendix N is 
  primarily short stories, and that the DCC role-playing game works best as a 
  series of short stories in consequence. 
  Well, there is certainly some truth to the idea that many of the Appendix 
  N authors wrote primarily short fiction, as they were writing for the pulps.  
  Robert E. Howard, for example, wrote primarily short stories.  There is only 
  one Conan novel, The Hour of the Dragon, and his planetary adventure 
  novel, Almuric, seems to make up the list of Howard’s longer fantasy.  Fritz 
  Leiber, of course, wrote short stories that sometimes strung together into lon-
  ger plots.  H.P. Lovecraft and August Derleth were also primarily short story 
  writers.  For Lovecraft, At the Mountains of Madness, The Case of Charles 
  Dexter Ward, and The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath are notable 
  exceptions.  The Lurker at the Threshold was completed by August Derleth 
  from a Lovecraft fragment.
  In the case of Manly Wade Wellman, Howard, Lord Dunsany, Lovecraft, or 
  Derleth, one story may very well be disconnected from other stories, even 
  in the same series.  It matters little what order Wellman’s Hok the Mighty 
  or John the Balladeer stories are read, for instance.  In other cases, such as 
  the stories of Gardner Fox or Leiber, the order matters quite a bit, because 
  the stories resolve into larger plots.  These are not so much short stories, but 
  serialized novels.
  (Manly Wade Wellman went on to write five John the Balladeer novels, of 
  which I have managed to obtain The Old Gods Waken and After Dark, the 
  first two.  When one compares that to the short stories, which can be col-
  lected in a single book, one has to wonder in this case whether it is fair to say 
  Wellman is writing primarily short stories or novels with this character.)
  If we examine Appendix N, 22 specific books are recommended and 13 
  specific series.  Of the 22 books, 20 are novels and 2 are collections of short 
  stories.  Of the 13 series, 4 may be considered series of short stories, although 
  
  3
  I would argue that the listed series of Gardner Fox are novels that were pub-
  lished serially, and that the Fafhrd & Gray Mouser series by Fritz Leiber in 
  places comes close to being the same.
  The megadungeon model does not require that each session revolve around 
  the megadungeon, but merely that it always be part of the background in the 
  event that the players are looking for something to have their PCs do.  It is a 
  convenient resource to allow the players to choose their own course - if they 
  absolutely refuse to follow rumours and plot hooks to Hirot, they can choose 
  to explore westward into the Great Ruins of Thereitis. 
  While many believe that the megadungeon was invented by J.R.R.T.’s vast 
  ruins of Moria, or the halls of Thror under the Lonely Mountain, one can 
  discover vast underground tunnels and ruins in the writing of Edgar Rice 
  Burroughs, Gardner Fox, Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, and Margaret 
  St. Clair.  Vast ruins (including underground ruins of many levels) also fea-
  ture in Sterling Lanier’s Hiero’s Journey. 
  Like it or not, the vast ruin, and the network of underground tunnels, are 
  as Appendix N as any other aspect of gaming.  Likewise, novels are at least 
  as influential as short stories in Appendix N fiction.  As a consequence, the 
  megadungeon is an apt fixture in many (but not all) Dungeon Crawl Clas-
  sics campaigns.  It provides a place for the PCs to explore, it allows the play-
  ers to make meaningful decisions about what quests to undertake, and it gives 
  the judge a place to locate lost civilizations, forbidden magic, and all of that 
  goodness that puts the “dungeon crawl” into Dungeon Crawl Classics. 
  
  4
  Balanced Encounters
  When people talk about “balanced encounters”, they may mean one of sev-
  eral things – anything from creating encounters that are generally appropriate 
  for a dungeon level (as with early D&D) to ensuring that the PCs can win ev-
  ery fight with an “appropriate” risk and expenditure of resources (as with the 
  base assumptions of 3e and 4e).
  What underlies this, of course, is a simple question: If the PCs fail, who is 
  responsible?
  Look back through forums focused on 3e, and you will discover all sorts of 
  complaints about the CR system.  I have not been an aficionado of 4e, but I 
  imagine that similar observations related to that system’s encounter budgets 
  also occurred. The books, essentially, offer a way for encounters to be “bal-
  anced”; if the PCs fail it is either because the books failed, or the DM didn’t 
  follow the guidelines.
  The first time I encountered this was in 2nd edition Advanced Dungeons & 
  Dragons, where the DM was encouraged to fudge in order to save the PCs. 
  In 1e, there was certainly language that suggested that the DM was allowed 
  to do so; in 2e the suggestion was that the DM should do so. 1st edition’s 
  “balance” was focused around campaign-length play and mechanisms that 
  allowed the players to estimate their risk. A prime example of this is that, in 
  general, the deeper one delves, the greater the treasures and the risks. This, of 
  course, was not absolute – PCs may encounter “Monster Level” 3 monsters 
  on the 1st level of the dungeon.
  Moreover, while these tools were available, reading the advice to players in the 
  1e Player’s Handbook, it is clear that players should expect the DM to try to 
  trick them into undertaking more risk than expected. Long sloping passages 
  that lead down to another level without being noticed, chutes that do the 
  same (but obviously rather than slyly!), and traps that cut off retreat are to be 
  expected.
  In 1e, not only is managing risk the player’s job, but the DM is expected to 
  make this difficult. Not impossibly so – the DM is not supposed to be a jerk-
  wad – but difficult enough to push the players into upping their game.
  
  5
  The modern obsession with balanced encounters starts with the idea that it is 
  the GM, not the players, who must find the balance point. In a game where 
  the GM forces the players to dance to his tune (and thus forces encounters 
  upon the players, as with 3e, 4e, or most “adventure paths”), it makes sense 
  that the GM has an increased responsibility to make those encounters “fair”. 
  Applied to all gaming, though, the idea is a nightmare. Every time you hear 
  that the GM has “made a mistake” and has to “correct an encounter” as the 
  reason for fudging, the idea that the GM should balance encounters is at its 
  heart.
  I do not like games where the book, or the GM, is supposed to balance the 
  encounters. I like games in which the GM is supposed to allow enough 
  context to exist (which does not, by the way, mean that the context simply 
  appears without being sought out by the PCs) to allow the players to gener-
  ally balance the encounters. And which allows the players to be wrong. 
  Some players will “play it safe”, while others will take great risks, courting 
  disaster in order to have a chance for great rewards. That is, to me, part of the 
  interest of the game.
  
  6
  M is for Megadungeons
  This article began as a series of forum posts, which in turn became a series 
  of blog posts. The initial impetus began with the idea of putting together a 
  megadungeon setting for my own “fantasy heartbreaker” game, RCFG, as a 
  persistent part of a campaign milieu. Although the posts began related to a 
  different game, the theory and ideas presented herein can be used with Dun-
  geon Crawl Classics as well. Where appropriate, I have revised the original 
  posts to mesh better with the Dungeon Crawl Classics system.
  There are several advantages to including one or more megadungeons in a 
  sandbox campaign setting. The first should be obvious – even lacking any 
  other clear plan, players always have a location that they can investigate in or-
  der to play.  This dramatically reduces the amount of “hang time” in sandbox 
  play, while the players decide their characters’ next move. 
  Another, less obvious, use is to include history and mythology into the cam-
  paign world in small chunks.  Rather than being just a collection of rooms 
  and corridors, with groups of evil humanoids, cultists, and wandering mon-
  sters to fight and treasures to be found, a comprehensive megadungeon can 
  be intimately linked to the history of the campaign world.  Imagine, if you 
  would, a megadungeon in a “Medieval Earth” world, built by Roman-types 
  on Egyptian ruins, which eventually goes through a Sumerian region to reach 
  pre-human caverns.  At the very least, the un-dead encounters would be 
  marked by the era in which they first died.
  In games using the d20 System, the Game Master can select resources that 
  reflect this.  Green Ronin’s Testament, for example, could be used to lay 
  out the oldest regions, with Hamunaptra being used to lay out the regions 
  atop that.  And so on.  As characters descend further into the dungeon, they 
  encounter monsters, spells, and magic items they have never encountered 
  before.  The wise GM has linked these to stories of the mythical past…so that 
  there is a thrill of recognition, and an understanding of age, as the characters 
  encounter these things.
  There is no reason that discerning judges cannot adapt game elements from 
  other role-playing games. The most important consideration is to reduce 
  complexity of game mechanics, while retaining the desired feel. 
  
  7
  The Importance of Names
  Gary Gygax had a knack for introducing new places and people, and making 
  them seem old. “The illusion of history” as it were.  I think that Ed Green-
  wood has this as well, or certainly did when The Forgotten Realms was first 
  appearing in Dragon Magazine. I think that this illusion of history is neces-
  sary for a setting to “feel” right.  (I also tend to think that this is why we keep 
  going back to Greyhawk.)  Creating an illusion of history is a skill that the 
  wise GM works hard to cultivate.
  Prior to setting pen to paper, I know that I want the megadungeon to contain 
  both “Name” places and “Name” creatures - things that the players can use to 
  mark their PCs’ progress through the whole.
  It is far more exciting to encounter an interesting location or being that you 
  have heard many rumors about than it is to encounter the same without any 
  build-up. So, I first devise a list of place-names to use, which can be men-
  tioned in rumors, scrawled messages, etc. The goal is to give the players loca-
  tions to search for, and to allow them the satisfaction of locating some area 
  that they have long desired to find.  This also adds to the “illusion of history” 
  of the place.  It implies an existence beyond what the players can immediately 
  – or may ever – see.
  At this point, I don’t know what these locations actually are, although the 
  names themselves are suggestive in some cases.  I created the following list 
  by looking at the names of dungeon areas and descriptive elements from the 
  1st Edition Dungeon Master’s Guide. This is probably the greatest fantasy 
  role-playing resource ever produced, and if you do not own a hardcopy, it is 
  well worth investing in. Looking at the Dungeon Dressing tables, you will 
  see many names for various types of rooms, as well as many good adjectives 
  to describe them.  In order to prevent myself from falling into favored tropes, 
  and in order to spur creativity, I made a list of elements I liked, and then used 
  random rolls to link them together.  This is what I came up with:
  The Amber Courtyard  
   
  The Bandit’s Roost
  The Black Hall  
   
   
  The Burning Dome
  The Cerulean Well 
   
   
  The Chamber of the Bronze Throne
  The Cistern of the Dun Waters  
  The Copper Pool 
   
   
  
  8
  The Crimson Catacombs 
   
  The Crypt of Red Markings 
   
  The Crypt of Sleeping Dogs 
   
  The Dripping Garden  
   
  The Ebony Grotto 
   
   
  The Green Lake 
   
   
  The Groaning Arch 
   
   
  The Hall of the Bitter Banquet  
  The Library of Bones  
   
  The Machine of Sparkling Crystal
  The Moving Pool of Xar Yggar  
  The Pool of Shadowed Vermin
  The Restful Chapel of St. Vigilant 
  The River of Uncertain Dreams 
  The Scarlet Gallery 
   
   
  The Sea of Ivory Stones 
   
  The Smoking Shrine of Ly Valle 
  The Sour Temple 
   
   
  The Spinning Chapel  
   
  The Tapestry of Winds  
   
  The Tawny Altar of St. McCoy  
  The Verdant Caverns  
   
  The Vermillion Idol of Destiny  
  The Wandering Library 
   
  The Waterfall of Fearful Whispers 
  The Yellow Fountain
  
  9
  The Bandit’s Roost will obviously be a place where bandits gather.  The idea 
  of a roost makes me want this place to span several levels, with criss-crossing 
  rafters and hidey holes in the walls.  I can easily imagine narrow beams that 
  slope across a wide drop, allowing access from one level to another.
  The Dripping Garden makes me think of a damp, misty place where plants 
  are growing in a sort of hanging garden. Perhaps there are also primordial 
  oozes, and giant slugs?
  The Moving Pool of Xar Yggar is a teleportational device, perhaps leading 
  to other planes, or other regions of the campaign milieu.  Xar Yggar is, if not 
  obvious, an anagram of “Gary Gygax”.  
  The Machine of Sparkling Crystal is probably an artifact, now malfunction-
  ing, created by a madman. Perhaps I’ll name him Mull.
  The Restful Chapel of St. Vigilant should be a safe place for adventurers to 
  hole up and rest.
  The Sea of Ivory Stones suggests a beach of water-smoothed bones.
  The Verdant Caverns is a series of locations with plant-based monsters.
  The Vermillion Idol of Destiny - idols and statues evoke many things, such 
  as a worship area, a trapped treasure (behind the giant gem eyes…) or a more 
  intriguing ‘Special’ like a sentient omniscient object that answers questions 
  under certain circumstances.
  The Wandering Library should appear on the Wandering Encounters tables. 
  Its location literally moves, and it may well move while the PCs are within, 
  depositing them on a different level altogether........ Yet within its moldering 
  tomes can be found much knowledge of use to adventuring types. The books 
  change location with the Library, so those who “borrow” one discovery that 
  they don’t have it for long. For this reason, perhaps, there is a kind of truce in 
  the library......Perhaps even a Librarian who enforces the peace?
  
  10
  Evocative Monsters
  As with places, there should be creatures within the megadungeon that 
  characters hear about before they encounter....or, alternatively, that they en-
  counter and then learn the significance of. The megadungeon needs about 20 
  “name” creatures to start with. Again, we don’t have to know the statistics of 
  these creatures, or anything about them really. We just need evocative names.
  We also want to include a wide number of creature types.  I am going to 
  follow the 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons convention of creature types 
  (although I changed “magical beast” to “beast” because, without a separate 
  “beast” type, why bother to continue with the “magical” adjective?). This isn’t 
  strictly necessary; you can choose creatures on the basis of whatever you like. 
  My specific goal here is, again, to ignore falling into my own favored tropes.
  (Everyone has game elements that they find themselves exploring repeatedly 
  throughout their lives. There is nothing wrong with this – it helps to give 
  the game a cohesive feel. Intentionally stepping outside these tropes doesn’t 
  prevent them from arising, but it does give space for the unexpected, and is 
  good for your creativity.)
  We want to have at least one representative of each of these types: Abomina-
  tion, Animal, (Magical) Beast, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Giant, 
  Humanoid, Monstrous Humanoid, Ooze, Outsider, Plant, Undead, and Ver-
  min. It is not necessary that each of our “name” creatures is actually a single 
  creature; it could be a particularly notorious group of creatures, such as a 
  tribe of orcs.  Animals, humanoids, plants, undead, and vermin are especially 
  good for this “notorious group” treatment.
  You may think, at this point, that the thing to do is to choose the biggest, 
  baddest creatures that you can, crank them up to 11, and call it done. Cer-
  tainly, this can be done for some of these creatures. But remember that the 
  goal is not simply to give the PCs a memorable fight.  Despite some claims 
  to the contrary, fantasy role-playing games are largely about exploration and 
  discover, not simply fighting.  The fellow who claimed that the game is about 
  fighting vicious monsters, rather than (as opposed to as well as) traipsing 
  through Faerie, is just plain wrong.
  
  11
  The goal is to create creatures that, directly or indirectly, the PCs will encoun-
  ter repeatedly, and which the players will talk about long after the last die is 
  rolled.  Indeed, for some of these encounters, no dice might be rolled at all! 
  If you have read earlier volumes of Dispatches, you will know that one of the 
  most important design rules I follow is: For every hour of design, you should 
  get at least two hours of play. Creating creatures with repeated play value 
  helps to meet this goal.
  These creatures must include both allies and enemies, and may fill any of the 
  major NPC roles. They can include potential mentors, patrons, rivals, infor-
  mants, protectors, and even love interests as well as mere foes to fight. Indeed, 
  they must fulfill at least a few of these roles or the whole dungeon will fall 
  flat. “Fight -> fight -> fight” does not a fantasy role-playing game make!  It 
  certainly doesn’t make a compelling setting.
  I decided to break down the creature types as follows. Note that “rats” are 
  probably the most obvious animal type for a dungeon, which is precisely why 
  I avoided them. It is harder to get your players interested in a group of rats or 
  bats in a dungeon than in, say, a form of subterranean hound.
  • 
  Abomination: Otyugh
  • 
  Animal: Cat, Hyena
  • 
  (Magical) Beast: Sphinx
  • 
  Construct: Golem
  • 
  Dragon: The Bludgrue Wyrm (we will decide what this means later, and 
  certainly some smaller dragons will be its offspring!)
  • 
  Elemental: Invisible Stalker
  • 
  Fey: Nymph
  • 
  Giant: Stone Giant
  • 
  Humanoid: Dwarf, Orc, Human, Kobold
  • 
  Monstrous Humanoid: Medusa
  • 
  Ooze: Gray Ooze
  • 
  Outsider: The Librarian (type?), Angel of some sort (chained?)
  • 
  Plant: Assassin Vine (representing some form of root?)
  • 
  Undead: Ghouls, Vampire, Ghost
  • 
  Vermin: Giant Centipede
  That gives us 22 individual “name” creatures to give titles to and to develop.  
  At the same time, we will want to develop the “name” locations, and (in some 
  cases only) link named creatures with locations where they fit. And we still 
  
  12
  need those evocative names!  It is desirable to have names that both “sound 
  right” and that reflect the atmosphere of the game.  I came up with these:
  • 
  Gathouse (from Gothous, from shoggoth)
  • 
  Etolkin (anagram of Tolkein)
  • 
  Ny Sandu (anagram of Dunsany)
  • 
  El Nysrith (anagram of Slytherin)
  • 
  Ogrushrub (anagram of Burroughs)
  • 
  Hobert Warder (from Robert E. Howard)
  • 
  Owlgrin
  • 
  Portersmith
  • 
  Malcaper
  • 
  Grimalkin
  • 
  Elzamere
  
  13
  Legendary Treasures
  In addition to some major sites, and some major creatures/
  creature groups, we need to consider major treasures – the 
  “swords & hoards” that lure the PCs into the dark. In 
  this case, we will be developing the following items (at a 
  minimum):
  • 
  Sword
  • 
  Staff
  • 
  Hoard
  • 
  Gem
  • 
  Crown
  • 
  Amulet
  • 
  Ring
  • 
  Shield
  • 
  Mail
  • 
  Tome
  Dungeon Crawl Classics has a general ethos that 
  magical treasures should be unique. Beyond that 
  general rule, we are considering ten treasures that 
  PCs would be willing to die for…perhaps even 
  willing to turn to betrayal in the darkness below, 
  slaughtering each other for the chance to hold 
  the campaign’s equivalent of the Arkenstone of 
  Thrain!
  
  14
  Brainstorming
  Once you’ve got all these potential names and elements, it is time to begin 
  linking them together. When brainstorming, don’t throw any idea out! Even 
  if you don’t use it on this project, it might be the perfect element to add to 
  something you are working on later.
  (1) The hyenas look like grotesque mastiffs. They might be linked to the 
  Crypt of Sleeping Dogs.
  (2) The otyugh dwells in Filthfall Middens, a great chasm that runs through 
  several levels, and is used by many creature groups to dispose of waste. Imag-
  ine the odor!
  (3) The grey ooze is huge, maybe even colossal...inky black, intelligent, and 
  telepathic (psionic?). It is called “Blott”. Blott is neither good nor evil, and 
  has plenty of food in the dungeon. It wants something that the adventurers 
  can bring in from the outside.....I am thinking some sort of drug that the ad-
  venturers would need to deal with the seamy underbelly of society to acquire.
  (4) The dragon’s name has softened over the ages. While ancient books may 
  refer to “The Bludgrue Wyrm”, it is now “Blothegrue”.
  (5) Cinderqueen. Not sure who this is yet, but I liked the name.
  (6) Some area of deep mudflats. Movement is very difficult for adventurers, 
  but not for flying creatures. Even something like stirges could cause problems 
  here, even for mid- to high-level adventurers.
  (7) Remember those polished bones on the beach? Well, without wind there 
  won’t be regular wave action underground, so one has to determine what 
  polished the bones. I am thinking of a “Bonestripper’s Guild” (perhaps the 
  ghouls mentioned earlier). These are creatures the characters can talk to....
  from a position of strength, anyway. Think of the ghouls in Neil Gaiman’s 
  The Graveyard Book or their implied source in H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dream-
  Quest of Unknown Kadath.
  (8) Bandit’s Roost would be near the surface (so the bandits can get out to 
  
  15
  plunder). It is now occupied by a Parliament of Cats. Many, many cats from 
  miles around gather here for mysterious purposes of their own. And for this 
  to work, the cats must remain mysterious, despite the players’ fervent wishes 
  to learn their secrets! Some of these cats are just cats, others are tough, and 
  some may even have class levels. Cats can be found on any level of the dun-
  geon. They have their paws in everything in all of the human, halfling, and 
  elven communities for at least a league in all directions.
  If the cats are treated well by the PCs, all is well. They simply watch. If not, 
  the PCs find themselves haunted by cats everywhere they do. The cats meddle 
  in local politics, and use their influence to wreak vengeance on PCs who at-
  tack them. The city gaoler has a cat. When the PCs are refused a room at the 
  inn, the innkeeper’s cat blinks at them from atop the bar. Etc., etc.
  Eventually, the cats may deign to speak to PCs that consistently treat them 
  well, neither pushing their advances nor forgetting gifts of catnip or cream. 
  Perhaps by the time the PCs are level 3-5.....though a PC with a cat familiar 
  may be able to send said familiar to treat with the Parliament earlier than this.
  The cats know (or at least seem to know) absolutely everything. And their 
  influence can open doors that would otherwise remain shut to the PCs. Even 
  the King has a cat.....
  Another quick note, while I’m thinking of it. It is all too common for PCs 
  to encounter creatures that are in the prime of their lives. Our megadungeon 
  requires that there be young, and old creatures as well. Indeed, one of our 
  “name” creatures could be something that was the most dangerous thing in 
  the dungeon, once, but is now far past it’s prime.
  It is far too easy to think of setting as a location for PC encounters. If you 
  want your setting to live and breathe, though, it has to have a sense of exist-
  ing long before the PCs come onto the scene, and long after they are gone. 
  
  16
  Pattern Mapping
  It may be imagined that, once the basic elements are decided on, the GM 
  should simply begin mapping the project on whatever scale seems conve-
  nient. On larger projects, however, it is often useful to begin with a “pattern 
  map”; that is, a plan of the pattern by which the whole will be mapped.
  In our particular case, we have already decided that many of the upper un-
  derground ways will, in fact, be the sunken and collapsed streets of our ruin. 
  Therefore, it would help us greatly to have at least some general parameters of 
  that ruin in mind.
  What I have done is made a quick sketch of the River Ynde and the outlines 
  of the ruin. I then placed the major locations which would be visible from 
  the surface of the ruins. You will notice immediately that even getting this far 
  meant the inclusion of new features. The boundary of the town implies the 
  possibility of a wall (and towers?). I have added the location of the main Mar-
  ket, a Ruined Keep, an Island, Old Wharves, and the so-called Lesser Ruins 
  on the south side of the River Ynde.
  Market: This provides an area that is largely free of buildings and debris, 
  and thus is open to rife plant growth. We will place one or more entrances 
  to the lower levels here, as the result of subsidence. In effect, at least part of 
  the Market will be an area of uneven footing, deeply rooted trees, slopes, and 
  yawning “cave” mouths. Should be fun.
  Ruined Keep: An obvious landmark, the Ruined Keep will be on a rise of 
  land, looming over the remainders of the ruins. Flying predators, such as Es-
  bastus, are likely to lair here, especially in the upper towers (where and if they 
  are stable). The dungeons of the keep provide their own sublevel(s), above 
  (but connected to) the first underground level of the ruin proper. Because 
  of its fortified position, the Ruined Keep has become the lair of fairly tough 
  monsters.
  Island: Everyone loves Deep Ones, and where better to hide their secret base 
  than in tunnels beneath an island?
  Old Wharves:  Everyone loves Deep Ones, and where better for them to ex-
  
  17
  pand their secret base than in tunnels beneath some old wharves? Of course, 
  it is likely that wererats or other ratmen were here before the Deep Ones, and 
  may resent the intrusion. Smells like a faction war to me.
  Lesser Ruins: Another Deep One enclave, some animals, and a few monsters 
  from the surrounding woods make this portion of the ruin interesting, but 
  it is decidedly less dangerous than the main ruin. Thus, the Lesser Ruins are 
  a good place for new players/characters to “cut their teeth” (as it were). Still, 
  even an “easy” region wants for some looming danger, so we will add the 
  Bloody Door, beyond which lies a passage straight down into a very difficult 
  sub-level.
  
  18
  What we are doing now is akin to the “side view” maps of dungeons in some 
  of the TSR-era D&D books -- we are exploring the relationships between 
  areas that must be mapped, rather than producing actual in-play maps.  Loca-
  tions of some features should make sense within the whole, and the layout 
  of the streets followed from where boats could dock, where the Keep would 
  naturally be, and where the biggest Market (largely determined by the loca-
  tion of gates, wharves, etc.) would be.  Basically, streets radiate out from these 
  points. The goal here is to give a general layout of primary, secondary, and 
  tertiary streets to facilitate mapping.
  We can see how the pattern affects the parts. For instance, the Dripping 
  Garden has to be near the Amber Courtyard due to its backstory, but the old 
  streets need not follow the course the Dripping Garden now runs along.
  Once the old streets are mapped, the location of features in the first under-
  ground level can also be placed, as these should follow “street logic” in some 
  way. After that, we will place the rough locations of items on the second 
  underground level.
  After that, the work forks into two parts: (1) Determining what is happening 
  in the Middle Levels and (2) Mapping the Upper Levels. These accomplished, 
  we can begin placing encounters in the Upper Levels, devising Wandering 
  Encounter charts, and get the region ready for actual play.
  Thereafter, the Middle Levels get pattern mapped, and we go through the 
  process of fleshing them out while deciding exactly what is in the Lower Lev-
  els. The Middle Levels then get mapped while the Lower Levels are pattern 
  mapped. The Middle Levels get encounters, the Lower Levels get mapped, 
  and (finally) the Lower Levels get encounters.
  By the time all of this is done, the Upper Levels may have been “in play” for a 
  year or more.
  
  19
  
  20
  Placing Elements
  By this point we have quite a few elements to play with. Now we have to 
  decide where they should go in the overall structure. 
  A megadungeon has upper levels, middle levels, and lower levels. Without 
  knowing exactly how many levels the dungeon has, we can divide the dun-
  geon in this way. Thus, each of our elements can be found in one of these 
  sections.
  Where an element is found will affect its development. A major treasure 
  located on an upper level must be very well hidden, or have a truly fearsome 
  guardian, or it would have been plundered long ago. Likewise, a major mon-
  ster located on an upper level must have some reason for not simply deci-
  mating everything within its grasp...including the PCs! A creature like Blott 
  might be found on the upper levels, for instance, because it is more interested 
  in satisfying its addiction than in eating people.
  Some of the creatures and places we’ve already described belong on a particu-
  lar tier (upper/middle/lower) of the dungeon on the basis of the development 
  work we’ve done already. For instance, Filthfall Middens should be on the 
  Middle Levels, where it can be accessed by many creatures (perhaps falling 
  into the Lower Levels), and Bandit’s Roost should be in the Upper Levels.
  Otherwise, we can roll 1d6, spreading these elements evenly throughout the 
  dungeon. 
  We should also consider how many entrances to develop. I would say, 4d6 to 
  the Upper Levels, 2d6 to the Middle Levels, and 1d6 to the Lower Levels. Of 
  these, most will be hidden and/or otherwise obscure. Discovery of a new way 
  into/out of the dungeon can be a treasure itself!
  There should be ways to move easily from the Upper Levels to the Middle 
  Levels, and even to the Lower Levels.  Some levels and sublevels may well 
  be “hidden” -- difficult to find. Likewise, if a primary level is spread out far 
  enough, finding the ways out of it can be a fun challenge. What is important, 
  though, is that once they are found they are relatively easy to use without 
  slogging back and forth every time.
  
  21
  (In my AD&D 2e campaign, the Dungeon of Thale had one known en-
  trance/exit, controlled as a business, where adventurers paid 10% of their take 
  to use the gate. There were many other entrances, through the city sewers, in 
  basements, through teleporters, etc., waiting for the PCs to discover so that 
  they could avoid the toll!)
  I am also considering a “Circvs Minimus”, where miniature animals and 
  monsters were once displayed and sent to fight each other. Those animals are 
  long gone now, and the Circvs is the home of trolls. Luckily, these trolls are 
  too small to do much harm, although they are as loud and vocal as ordinary 
  trolls (which might make PCs hearing them give them more heed than neces-
  sary).
   
  • 
  Amber Courtyard - Upper
  • 
  Amulet - Lower
  • 
  Angel of some sort (chained?) - Middle
  • 
  Bandit’s Roost - Upper
  • 
  Black Hall - Lower
  • 
  Blothegrue - Upper
  • 
  Blott - Upper
  • 
  Bonestripper’s Guild - Middle
  • 
  Burning Dome - Middle
  • 
  Cerulean Well - Middle
  • 
  Chamber of the Bronze Throne - Middle
  • 
  Cinderqueen – Lower
  • 
  Circvs Minimus – Upper 
  • 
  Cistern of the Dun Waters - Lower
  • 
  Cloudy Vault of Whispering Leopards - Lower
  • 
  Copper Pool - Upper
  • 
  Crimson Catacombs - Lower
  • 
  Crown - Lower
  • 
  Crypt of Red Markings - Upper
  • 
  Crypt of Sleeping Dogs - Upper
  • 
  Deep mudflats - Middle
  • 
  Dripping Garden - Upper
  • 
  Dwarf - Middle
  • 
  Ebony Grotto - Middle
  • 
  El Nysrith (anagram of Slytherin) - Upper
  • 
  Elzamere - Middle
  • 
  Etolkin (anagram of Tolkein) - Lower
  
  22
  • 
  Filthfall Middens – Middle 
  • 
  Gathouse - Middle
  • 
  Gem - Lower
  • 
  Ghost - Upper
  • 
  Golem - Upper
  • 
  Green Lake - Lower
  • 
  Grimalkin - Middle
  • 
  Groaning Arch - Middle
  • 
  Hall of the Bitter Banquet - Lower
  • 
  Hellroot: Assassin Vine - Lower
  • 
  Hoard - Upper
  • 
  Hobert Warder - Lower
  • 
  Human - Lower
  • 
  Invisible Stalker - Upper
  • 
  Kobold - Upper
  • 
  Library of Bones - Middle
  • 
  Like-Not - Lower
  • 
  Mail - Upper
  • 
  Malcaper Middle
  • 
  Medusa - Lower
  • 
  Monstrous Centipede - Upper
  • 
  Moving Pool of Xar Yggar - Middle
  • 
  Ny Sandu - Lower
  • 
  Nymph - Upper
  • 
  Ogrushrub - Middle
  • 
  Orc - Lower
  • 
  Owlgrin - Upper
  • 
  Perfumed Machine of Sparkling Crystal - Middle
  • 
  Pismire’s Yellow Fountain - Lower
  • 
  Pool of Shadowed Vermin - Upper
  • 
  Portersmith - Middle
  • 
  Restful Chapel of St. Helmbright the Vigilant - Lower
  • 
  Ring - Upper
  • 
  River of Uncertain Dreams - Middle
  • 
  Scarlet Gallery - Lower
  • 
  Sea of Ivory Stones - Lower
  • 
  Shield - Middle
  • 
  Smoking Shrine of Ly Valle - Upper
  • 
  Sour Temple - Upper
  • 
  Sphinx - Upper
  
  23
  • 
  Spinning Chapel - Middle
  • 
  Staff - Middle
  • 
  Stone Giant - Lower
  • 
  Sword - Lower
  • 
  Tapestry of Winds - Upper
  • 
  Tawny Altar of St. McCoy - Middle
  • 
  Tome - Lower
  • 
  Vampire - Upper
  • 
  Verdant Caverns – Middle 
  • 
  Vermillion-Handed Idol of 
  Destiny - Lower
  • 
  Wandering Library - Vari-
  able
  • 
  Waterfall of Fearful 
  Whispers - Middle
  Looking at these, we can 
  see that there will 
  be some very 
  dangerous 
  areas even 
  in the Upper 
  Levels, so the 
  PCs should prob-
  ably have fair warning, 
  say, about the location 
  of the dragon’s lair.  
  There should also be 
  plenty of “inactive” 
  areas. After all, PCs need 
  somewhere to rest, and 
  you want the space to 
  build up suspense.
   
  
  24
  From General to Specific
  Eventually, we have to consider specifics for a megadungeon.  In this case, 
  we are looking at specific ideas of how some of our brainstormed material 
  might be developed. The areas between the major regions described herein are 
  mostly “empty” regions – lost streets and empty buildings, with a few lairs, 
  hazards, forgotten treasures, and (of course) wandering monsters to make 
  them interesting. There will also be clues as to the nature of the major areas 
  they connect.
  Overview
  Balton Major was a town nestled in the hilly Greenshaw forest, along the 
  River Ynde. It was founded upon (and largely built over) the ruins of Bal-
  tanus, an ancient city of a Romanesque people. Nearby, at the edge of the 
  Greenshaw along the Ynde, was Balton Minor. Balton Minor still stands; it 
  is a potential base of operations for PCs and NPCs alike as they explore the 
  megadungeon.
  It may seem odd to some that this megadungeon project begins above the 
  surface, in a ruined city.  The classic megadungeon is below the ruins of a 
  castle, in a giant skull-shaped mountain, or something like that.  This mega-
  dungeon happens to intersect with, and be built beneath, the ruins of a city.
  Where a megadungeon is located will have a (potentially) profound effect 
  on its structure.  I have run megadungeons located beneath a bustling urban 
  metropolis (the Dungeon of Thale…similar in some ways to Undermountain 
  in The Forgotten Realms), megadungeons modeled off the MERP versions of 
  Goblingate and Moria, and even a “Wandering Dungeon” that spans many 
  planes (entrances were on the random encounter tables of other adventuring 
  sites).
  Beneath Baltanus were many catacombs that led eventually to natural cav-
  erns, which in turn led into a mythical underworld unguessed by Baltanus’ 
  citizens (and, perhaps, portals to other planes of existence). Baltanus also had 
  a system of real sewers, which Balton Major did not. Baltanus was ruined due 
  to humanoid incursions, and later subsidence buried portions of the old city. 
  It was further subsidence, leading to an actual collapse of an entire cavern 
  
  25
  system, that brought Balton Major low roughly 300 years ago. Now much of 
  the town is below ground, buried by rubble and time. 
  The Upper Levels consist of the buried streets of Balton Major, including 
  still-intact or partially-intact buildings, often twisted or lop-sided (to create 
  fun three-dimensional areas) as well as the upper reaches of Baltanus. Water 
  runs through the Upper Levels in places, making some of these structures 
  appear almost cavern-like. Others are still open to the sun, at least dimly, and 
  in their upper areas, not unlike steep-walled canyons, some dry and others 
  swampy. Wider “canyon” areas are generally vegetated, and may include the 
  odd plant monster.
  Blothegrue’s lair is in the ruins of a warehouse near the largest of these open 
  areas, which the dragon uses as a place to take flight and land. The “Name 
  Treasure” hoard is Blothegrue’s, and it is still known as the “Merchant’s 
  Hoard” because it is believed to have been culled primarily from the ware-
  houses in and around the dragon’s lair.
  The Amber Courtyard
  A region of honey yellow cobblestones and ruined warehouses near the 
  River Ynde, the Amber Courtyard is open to the sky. Some of the attached 
  warehouses are likewise open, their roofs having fallen in long ago, but this 
  is certainly not the case for all of them. Tangled trees obstruct the roadways 
  still leading into the Courtyard – some of these are now tunnel entrances – 
  and provide homes for quick, agile scavengers. This is the home of the great 
  yellow-gold dragon Blothegrue, and the location of the Merchant’s Hoard. 
  Blothegrue is the daughter of the Cinderqueen, found far in the lower reaches 
  of the dungeon. In fact, Blothegrue did not so much settle in the ruins as 
  crawl up from below them to make this her lair.
  (In Dungeon Crawl Classics, a dragon’s personal outlook and abilities are 
  not tied to its color – Blothegrue is a house-sized fire-breathing dragon with a 
  venomous bite.)
  Blothegrue’s hoard contains a massive amount of trade goods (as befits its 
  name), but it also contains somewhere within its vast bulk the fabled Ring of 
  Artimax, an artifact created by the legendary wizard whose name it bears. In 
  addition to being a powerful ring of rejuvenation, the Ring of Artimax is said 
  to have seven gems set within it, each with a different power that is released 
  
  26
  when pressed.
  It is recommended that the judge examine the description of artifacts and 
  relics in 1e Dungeon Master’s Guide for ideas as to what these powers might 
  be, then weave them into hints and legends of the Ring throughout the cam-
  paign.
  Blothegrue spends much of her time in the Amber Courtyard – she is not 
  so active as she was a century ago – but enterprising players may attempt to 
  pilfer the Merchant’s Hoard while she is away. Obviously, any such pilfering 
  will be detected, and the dragon will do its utmost to wreak vengeance on the 
  perpetrators, perhaps going so far as to lay waste to Balton Minor.
  If the judge wishes, an NPC may eventually steal from Blothegrue, putting 
  the PCs in conflict with the dragon whether they wish it or not (unless they 
  leave the area entirely). This sort of conflict is a means by which the GM can 
  eventually bring the Cinderqueen into play. As with Grendel’s Mother in Be-
  owulf, the Cinderqueen does not take kindly to the slaughter of her offspring, 
  no matter how much her offspring has provoked just such a reaction. Obvi-
  ously, some care must be taken with this development, as the Cinderqueen 
  will be a truly epic monster.
  There is a group of kobolds in the upper levels, so we will link them with the 
  Amber Courtyard as well, and call them the Yellow Claw tribe. The Yellow 
  Claw worship and serve Blothegrue, maintaining pits and cages where cap-
  tured beings are kept as ready meals both for themselves and for their dire 
  mistress. Thus, low-level adventurers defeated by the kobolds are not imme-
  diately slain, but are in need of rescue or escape. Again, these kobolds will go 
  through the crucible of the tables on page 380 of the Dungeon Crawl Clas-
  sics core rulebook
  In some cases, meals may last months before being consumed. There should 
  be plenty of time for rescue attempts, escape plans, or even negotiations (“A 
  captured bear surely has more meat on it than one small halfling....”).
  Most of the area occupied by the kobolds are ruined and buried (with some 
  surface) streets. They are winding, narrow, cobbled, and dangerous. Rooms in 
  this region are the interiors of old buildings, some of which have been con-
  nected together in ways they originally were not.
  
  27
  The scavengers in the trees include both blood-drinking flyers (modeled after 
  stirges), and small monkeys with horrid skull-like faces.
  Angels and Devils
  The Wandering Library is occupied by a devil (something suitably human-
  looking) known as the Librarian. It is trapped here. The chained angel men-
  tioned earlier was chained as the price for trapping the devil. The devil is 
  trapped until the angel is released, and does much to cause this to happen, all 
  under the guise of offering friendly advice.
  The chained angel is bloody, with wings torn out and bones obviously bro-
  ken. She is clearly in pain, but her eyes are lucid and her voice is clear. She is 
  chained because she chose to be so, in order to stop the devil, and she does 
  not regret her choice.
  The Librarian is intelligent enough to know that it needs powerful heroes to 
  release the angel (and thus itself), and so will attempt to aid heroes in gaining 
  the experience needed to do so. It is willing to play the long game. However, 
  it does reveal itself in fits of temper when pressed.
  The Librarian can take either male or female form, and will use this ability 
  to make it appear as though there are two Librarians, either of which may be 
  away at any given time. The Librarian has been the lover (in either of its hu-
  man guises) of several prominent (but foolish) adventurers over the centuries.
  The devil will not mention the angel unless characters do first. It will then 
  refer to the angel as “My bright sister”, claiming that the angel is cursed, and 
  cannot ask to be released. Indeed, she will beg not to be. The devil will not 
  admit to being trapped itself under any circumstances – doing so will obvi-
  ously reinforce what the angel says (as she tells the truth).
  If the devil is slain, the Library no longer Wanders, and the angel is instantly 
  released and restored. In this event, she will grant some boon to her bene-
  factors. Obviously, the devil must be more powerful than the angel, or she 
  would have slain it herself. 
  Bandit’s Roost
  This is a narrow chasm running from the surface down four levels of the dun-
  geon, with tunnels and roofing beams criss-crossing everywhere, sometimes 
  
  28
  from one level to another. Bandit’s Roost was originally occupied by Ten-
  Penny Dick and his gang, but some 40 years ago Ten-Penny Dick was cap-
  tured and hanged at the crossroads north of Balton Minor, and the remaining 
  members of his gang were driven deeper into the Greenshaw.
  The area is now occupied by a Parliament of Cats. The senior cats refer to 
  themselves as “Senators”, with the Chief Cat being called the Lord Speaker. 
  Cats do not have long lifespans, which is true even for these cats, but they 
  do tend to live at least twice as long as the average cat. Some few of these 
  cats may even have a limited form of teleportation, which only works when 
  no one is watching. Certainly, they seem to have some mysterious ability to 
  bypass doors and get into closed rooms.
  The cats do not themselves keep treasure, but the bandits have hidden trea-
  sure in this region. The cats have no use for it themselves, and will not be 
  upset if it is removed. They know about it, of course, but cats do not volun-
  teer information, and seldom give a straight answer to any question (if they 
  are willing to speak at all).
  Where the interlaced beams go from one level to another, it is obvious that 
  subsidence has caused a street to fall, so that it is now on more than one level. 
  Some of these areas might still be unstable.
  The cats hate the Yellow Claw kobolds, who view them as food, but have 
  good relations with Esbastus, sometimes giving her information on successful 
  adventurers.
  Bandit’s Roost is a home to a lurk as well – a fey creature that can fit into 
  impossibly small areas, loves shiny things, throttles people from behind, and 
  likes to display its treasures in the moonlight. The lurk and cats simply ignore 
  each other. Of course, there must be a nearby area, open to the moonlight 
  (but sufficiently lonely....perhaps a room with a fallen roof) where the lurk 
  can display its treasures when it wishes to.
  Blott
  Found as a wandering monster, Blott is a gargantuan, inky-black, intelligent 
  grey ooze with telepathic and psionic abilities. It makes an easy living as a 
  scavenger in the ruins of Balton Major and Baltanus, and has no need of 
  adventurers as a food source. It shuns the sunlight, however, and knows full 
  
  29
  well that leaving the ruins would make it prey for many creatures...especially 
  adventuring types.
  Blott is addicted to mallumas, a highly addictive plant-derived hallucinogen 
  that sometimes awakens dormant psychic powers. It became addicted long 
  ago, when it consumed an addicted adventurer, who was carrying a consid-
  erable amount of the drug. It was this incident which awakened Blott to its 
  psionic potential, and changed it from the slate grey of its kind to the inky 
  black color it now possesses.
  Mallumas, when consumed, can cause periods of torpor – nearly hibernation 
  – as well as hallucinations of out-of-body experiences. When Blott is there is 
  a 20% chance it is quiescent, and will take no actions unless attacked. When 
  deprived of mallumas long enough, addicts can become extremely violent – 
  there is a 10% chance that Blott will be in this condition when encountered, 
  attacking anything and everything unless offered a dose of mallumas. The 
  other 70% of the time, Blott combs the ruins, looking for adventurers who 
  can purchase drugs for him in Balton Minor.
  Should the PCs (willingly or unwillingly) become Blott’s suppliers, they will 
  discover that the ooze has a vast knowledge of the upper levels. Blott can 
  certainly point them to the easiest areas to explore, where they have the best 
  chance of looting with the least chance of being killed. But Blott also wishes 
  to protect its suppliers, and will lie to keep them away from what it views 
  as “dangerous areas” (even if the party wishes otherwise). If the PCs do not 
  make regular shipments, Blott becomes angry, threatening, and (eventually) 
  violent. Of course, the ooze will not kill all of the PCs, even if it wishes to 
  make an example. There must be someone to bring it more mallumas, after 
  all.
  The ooze offers no coin for its drugs, either, and each “hit” of mallumas costs 
  25 gp or more, as well as potentially causing legal problems for the purchaser. 
  What Blott initially tries to sell as a mutually beneficial “partnership” is just a 
  form of slavery. The ooze doesn’t care about the group’s goals, and – sooner or 
  later – if they wish to be free of Blott, they must leave the dungeon forever, or 
  kill it.
  Bremeni’s Copper Pool
  Located in a great, cathedral-like done, Bremeni’s Copper Pool is a circular 
  basin some 20 feet across, whose water looks coppery (possibly from reflect-
  
  30
  ing the painted ceiling, possibly for some other reason) and tastes somewhat 
  metallic. The pool always keeps the same water level, no matter how much is 
  removed, and no matter how much matter is placed into the pool. How this 
  is accomplished is unknown, but the pool radiates strong magic. The water is 
  cool (but not cold), and safe to drink.
  Many creatures come here to drink. So long as characters remain in the 
  cathedral-like dome where Bremeni’s Copper Pool is located, other creatures 
  (including mindless creatures, such as vermin) offer no violence. Undead do 
  not come here. Thus, this is a very safe place to make camp.
  If characters use this area to ambush monsters coming to the Pool, they au-
  tomatically get surprise for the first 1d6 encounters. Thereafter, all creatures 
  they encounter here become aware of their presence automatically, and are 
  automatically hostile to the PCs, even if they would not otherwise be. 
  As with all “Name” places and creatures, it is worthwhile to allow the PCs 
  to hear about this place first, through rumors, other adventurers, or scrawled 
  graffiti, so that they can seek it out, recognize it when they’ve found it, and 
  actually get some use from it. Not everywhere in the megadungeon should be 
  “challenging” – some areas should provide opportunity to rest, to gain allies, 
  and/or to learn about the setting. 
  Circvs Minimvs
  Somewhere in the lower parts of the upper levels is the fabled Circvs Minimvs 
  of ancient Baltanus. This group of rooms is the buried remains of a coliseum, 
  its related rooms and pens, and the sewers that once ran beneath it.
  In the ancient days, the archmage Artimax discovered a means to reduce 
  the size of creatures permanently, and then cause them to breed true at their 
  new size. He then bred creatures for exhibition at the coliseum, which were 
  intended as a curiosity. When Baltanus fell, the miniature creatures survived, 
  and the normal-sized creatures died. The miniature creatures still breed true 
  throughout this region, which has many areas that are magically lit (and 
  thus has vegetation, and a whole ecosystem in...ahem...miniature). There are 
  diminutive horses, elephants, ostriches, lions, tigers, apes, and even rhinocer-
  oses. In short, any animal the GM desires may have reduced members here. 
  What Circvs Minimvs is famous for, though, is its many inch-high trolls. 
  
  31
  These trolls are too small to offer harm to any PC, but their voices are loud 
  enough to be heard, and they resent the intrusion of larger beings into their 
  region. They especially resent that such beings can see farther than they do, 
  and live in a larger world. They follow the PCs around, heckling them at 
  every opportunity, trying to engage them in narrow-minded arguments, and 
  in all ways trying to pull larger creatures “down” to their level.
  Moreover, they seek to convince any who will listen that Baltanus was always 
  the ruin that it now is, that the larger creatures which lived here were no dif-
  ferent than those that live here now, and that the coliseum was always buried 
  beneath the earth. In short, things have always been as they are now. Any 
  mention of Artimax brings snorts of derision, for they deny the archmage was 
  responsible for anything, and claim that his accomplishments have long been 
  eclipsed by their own modern accomplishments. Trolls are, they will point 
  out, giants, whereas Artimax was merely human.
  The Circvs Minimvs isn’t particularly dangerous for PCs, and may offer a safe 
  place to rest, if one can ignore or eliminate the trolls.
  Crypt of Red Markings
  Once part of the catacombs of Balton Minor, the Crypt of Red Markings is 
  a series of un-dead-haunted tombs, tunnels, and crypts. Scrawled upon the 
  walls are occasional runes and glyphs drawn in blood. As one gets toward the 
  center of the Crypt, the runes and scrawls appear more frequently and more 
  densely. These are, effectively, the “spellbook” of Yl Nesrith, whose ghost still 
  haunts this area.
  Most people who know of the ghost believe Yl Nesrith to be a necroman-
  cer, and it is certainly okay for the player characters to believe the same. Yl 
  Nesrith has used his magic to create bizarre un-dead here, as well as cunning 
  traps, all in an attempt to prevent his mortal remains (and treasures) from 
  being pawed over by adventurers. Reburial in a modern graveyard, with all 
  of his grave goods, will lay Yl Nesrith’s spirit to rest (at least until his grave is 
  despoiled....).
  A PC wizard who is able to spend enough time here unmolested could 
  potentially learn a great number of spells from the walls. It is even possible 
  that a PC could become apprenticed to Yl Nesrith. However, although the 
  ghost has altered some of the un-dead, it controls none of them, and cannot 
  guarantee safe passage to anyone. Some of the spells scribed on the walls are 
  
  32
  
  33
  living spells, and are themselves dangerous to examine, requiring a Will save 
  to avoid casting them once read.
  Crypt of Sleeping Dogs
  This area of broken crypts and tunnels is in the middle upper reaches. It is 
  occupied by the numerous feral descendants of the hounds of Balton Minor, 
  which have developed infravision and a natural immunity to ghoul paralysis. 
  Statistically, they are similar to hyenas, having a heavy build and strong jaws 
  for cracking bones. In appearance, they are huge black mastiffs with red eyes.
  This area is rumored to contain a fortune in grave goods, including the fabled 
  Chainmail of Vraxgyg, but adventurers are warned to avoid the region. “Let 
  sleeping dogs lie” is the common wisdom, although the Hounds of the Crypt 
  are far more likely to be prowling in search of fresh meat than they are to be 
  found asleep.
  The ghouls of the Bonestrippers’ Guild would dearly love to see the Hounds 
  done away with, so that they could claim and polish “them lovely bones”, but 
  the ghouls lack both the power and the courage to destroy the Hounds. The 
  kobolds of the Yellow Claw are terrified of the Hounds, and the Parliament of 
  Cats would like to see the Hounds destroyed for their own reasons. Thus, the 
  PCs have several potential allies in assaulting this area, although these allies 
  are not all equal, and few alliances will survive the end of the Hounds them-
  selves.
  The Dripping Garden
  A series of cobbled streets, with running water down the center of them, seem 
  almost like natural caverns, trapping the moisture and making everything ex-
  tremely damp. In places, there is no ceiling, so that lush vegetation can grow. 
  In other places, roots push down from the ceiling, and/or there is a heavy 
  growth of fungus. Plant monsters and vermin are found here in abundance. 
  The Dripping Gardens also include the buildings lining the streets, whose 
  doors have long ago rotted away, making the interiors easily accessible for all 
  sorts of creatures.
  The Yellow Claw kobolds hunt in the Dripping Garden, generally for vermin 
  (for their own table, not that of Blothegrue). They will be happy to capture 
  adventurers there as well. The kobolds speak of (and fear) Kyckbodimyk, an 
  albino centipede of huge size that sometimes hunts the hunters.
  
  34
  Within a natural-seeming grotto off the main route of the Dripping Garden, 
  the oracular nymph Eodora has taken up her abode. The kobolds know of 
  her, and fear her, also, but they treat her as a goddess (rather as humans might 
  fear and propitiate a goddess of death). Eodora doesn’t normally appear to the 
  kobolds (who leave her, truth be told, disgusting gifts), but might prophesy to 
  adventurers. Indeed, Eodora offers the judge the ability to ensure that players 
  learn whatever information he wishes.
  Esbastus
  Esbastus is a gynosphinx that patrols the outer perimeter of the ruins of 
  Balton Major, asking riddles, demanding tribute, and sometimes eating an 
  unlucky adventurer or kobold. She has learned to avoid the ranger, Owlgrin, 
  of whom she is afraid.
  Typically, when encountering humanoids, Esbastus offers them a choice 
  between paying tribute or answering a riddle, where failure is death. She will 
  not accept less than 100 sp in coins as tribute, but has a craving for gems. 
  This craving, combined with an inability to properly evaluate the value of 
  gems and jewelry, may prove her undoing – her lair already contains many 
  gems which are in fact made of paste or worth far less than she esteems them 
  to be.
  The judge must have several riddles prepared, and be ready to use them. Once 
  a riddle is answered, Esbastus should not repeat it to the same characters. 
  Generally, the judge should allot no more than 10 minutes of real time for 
  answering the riddle before Esbastus becomes impatient, and then no more 
  than 5 additional minutes before she pounces. Remember that PCs should 
  not be allowed to receive the answer by rolling dice. A good many riddles 
  can be resourced off the Internet, as well as being taken from primary sources 
  such as Mother Goose.
  In the event that PCs can neither pay tribute nor answer a riddle, Esbastus 
  politely asks them which of their number they wish to sacrifice – and she is 
  not interested in the party’s mule or dogs! She will give them no more than 5 
  minutes to decide before becoming impatient, and then no more than 5 more 
  minutes before making the decision herself (through random roll). 
  If the party manages to escape intact (which is certainly possible), Esbastus 
  will attempt to get surprise on their next encounter and pounce on them, 
  
  35
  slaughtering them all. Whoever survives this second encounter she will actu-
  ally admire, and greet as though an old lover thereafter, perhaps asking for 
  gems or riddles from that character, but neither expecting tribute nor answers 
  to her own riddles. If the group manages to wound her to half her hit points 
  or more, she will avoid them thereafter as she does Owlgrin.
  Esbastus is on something like cordial terms with the Parliament of Cats, but 
  they will not mourn her death, nor she theirs. The judge may allow players 
  who are good at riddles to be known to the cats through Esbastus’ admiring 
  words about them.
  The Green Woman
  This jade golem currently occupies a crossroads in the mid-upper levels. 
  While it relentlessly pursues any who attacks it, so long as they remain within 
  the dungeon, no one is certain what its other commands may be. It is gener-
  ally doing nothing more than standing – a fortune in jade for the character(s) 
  who can finally collect it! Somewhere in the dungeon are clues that would 
  actually allow the PCs to discern what this construct is here for, and perhaps 
  even control it.
  The “Old Blood”
  The vampire mentioned earlier predates Balton Major, and preyed on the 
  town while it existed. It is a “survivor” of the Romaneque people (we will call 
  them the Aetali). I am unsure at the moment whether “beautiful seductress 
  vampire” or “creepy Nosferatu vampire” is more appropriate for the dungeon. 
  It could, like Jack the Ripper, select its victims on the basis of some particular 
  criteria, and be self-limiting in its progeny as a result. If it attacks only crea-
  tures it hates on some basis, then it may well destroy its own spawn.
  Earlier, we had determined that there would be some orcs in the lower levels 
  (the mythic underworld). Perhaps these are descendants of the humanoids 
  who sacked Baltanus. In this case, the vampire may hunt those who show 
  signs of “the orcish taint”. It would be a terror and a legend among local orcs. 
  As always, we should use the tables in the Dungeon Crawl Classics core rule-
  book to make these orcs different from generic humanoids. 
  The vampire knew both Baltanus and Balton Major as they were as living, 
  thriving communities. It has existed within the megadungeon as a dungeon. 
  As a result, it has knowledge which is invaluable to adventurers, if they can 
  
  36
  find some way to wrest that knowledge from its guardian.
  Owlgrin
  The 3rd level warrior, Owlgrin, hunts monsters in the upper reaches of the 
  megadungeon. The judge may use this character to provide occasional timely 
  assistance to PCs in need. Owlgrin doesn’t make friends easily, and prefers to 
  remain semi-mysterious. Eventually, of course, he might go to the PCs for 
  help with some problem, but this is more likely to be worded as “You must 
  go to X and do Y” than “I need your help”.
  Pool of Shadowed Vermin
  This deep pool is surrounded by sunken streets, tunnels, and chambers rife 
  with vermin. The pool itself radiates strong transmutation magic, as drink-
  ing from (or bathing in) this pool transforms the unfortunate victims into 
  vermin. The pool is located in the lower part of the upper levels. By the time 
  that the PCs reach this far, they should have had some opportunity at least to 
  be warned....and if not, capturing their erstwhile companion without harm-
  ing it, and then restoring him or her to natural form, could be an adventure 
  in and of itself. Characters able to break enchantment may find that some 
  vermin in the area are actually other monsters, humanoids, or (grateful) ad-
  venturers, but vermin reproduce quickly, and there are many vermin here that 
  are simply that. If the judge desires, some vermin might change into other 
  types (potentially more or less powerful), as the pool affects vermin as well.
  Smoking Shrine of Ly Valle
  A rift in the floor of this chamber allows noxious fumes to fill the room, 
  disappearing upward through a wide chimney. This is a shrine to Ly Valle, an 
  Aetali goddess of divination. Any who leave food or coin here might (20% 
  chance) hear a prophesy spoken. Unfortunately, these prophesies are now 
  spoken by an invisible demon, which was conjured long ago and pressed into 
  service maintaining the shrine. It is insane from its long servitude, and attacks 
  anyone who profanes the shrine in any way. The demon is, however, bound 
  to remain within the shrine, and is thus easily avoided.
  The judge is encouraged to keep a roster of 10 potential prophesies, with 
  about 20% of them providing some level of accurate information. When a 
  prophesy is used, the judge should line through it and provide a new one for 
  that position.
  
  37
  The Sour Temple
  Originally the Temple of Umartal in Balton Major, the air in the Sour Temple 
  now smells and tastes acrid with the displeasure of its god. Still, the Sour 
  Temple is a place of some refuge in the upper ruins, and truly evil creatures 
  seldom venture therein.
  Umartal has a church in Balton Minor, where an order of adventuring priests 
  and monks – known as the Seekers of Restoration among themselves or the Sil-
  ver Chalices (for their emblem) among the locals – works toward the cleans-
  ing of the Sour Temple. This is a major undertaking, for it requires that the 
  Upper Levels at least be cleared out enough for human habitation.
  Once PCs become established, they may well be approached by the Restora-
  tionists, who are willing to supply adventurers with information, advice, heal-
  ing, and other resources in exchange for their work restoring Balton Major. 
  The Restorationists will also expect to receive reports on what is encountered 
  in the ruins, and to have the opportunity to copy maps created by adventur-
  ers supported under their charter. The Seekers will not work with characters 
  that are obviously immoral.
  The judge is encouraged to make use of the Seekers of Restoration both as 
  a potential group to which PCs can belong, and to provide NPC backup 
  for smaller groups. The Seekers can provide a limited supply of NPCs to aid 
  groups on important missions.
  If the PCs manage to eliminate any of the three major threats of the Upper 
  Levels – Blott, Blothegrue, and/or Esbastus (see previous), they will receive a 
  boon from Umartal the next time they enter the Sour Temple. These boons 
  should be special abilities which aid the PC in question (so that each PC can 
  receive a different set of boons). No boon should be more powerful than the 
  ability to cast a 1st-level spell once per day.
  Tapestry of the Winds
  I like the idea of the Tapestry of the Winds leading to a pocket plane. Let’s run 
  with that. In fact, let’s let the party know that the Tapestry exists ahead of 
  time, and that there are rumors of survivors of Baltanus having fled through 
  the tapestry with their treasures. Somewhere on the pocket plane, there is a 
  major hoard to be found.
  
  38
  Of course, the pocket plane will be a whole new environment all to itself, 
  with Romanesque intrigue, some unusual monsters and substances, etc. 
  Moreover, the Tapestry will be hard to find as it is no longer hanging upon 
  the wall, but is folded up in a storeroom somewhere gathering dust.
  
  39
  Otyugh: Dwellers in Filth
  Deep beneath the city, where the offal from the sewers collects in deep pits, 
  dwell the dreaded otyughs. These creatures have three stumpy legs and 
  three tentacles protruding from an oozing mass of diseased flesh. Two of the 
  tentacles are long, ending in spiked paddles that can strike or entwine other 
  creatures. The third tentacle has been modified to support two eyes, allow-
  ing the otyugh to see while submerged in the odious contents of its lair. Its 
  central body has a huge mouth with sharp fangs capable of delivering deadly 
  bites. Even if the victim should survive, he may succumb to disease thereafter.
  A concealed otyugh automatically gains surprise unless looked for, and even 
  then it gains surprise on a 5 in 7 chance.
  When it makes a tentacle attack, it can reach up to 15’ away. The otyugh 
  must determine if it wishes to attempt a blow or to entwine prey – a blow 
  does more damage, but entwined prey takes 1d4 constriction damage each 
  round and can be drawn 5’ closer. A DC 10 Strength check prevents the ot-
  yugh from drawing its prey nearer during any given round; if the check result 
  is 15+, the victim escapes. This check is not free; it requires an Action Die.
  Anyone bit by the otyugh’s filthy maw must make a DC 15 Fort save or suffer 
  1d3 points of temporary Stamina damage. Thereafter, even if the initial save 
  succeeded, the victim must make an additional DC 10 Fort save each minute 
  or suffer an additional 1 point of temporary Stamina damage. This condition 
  lasts until magically healed, three consecutive saves are successful (including 
  the initial save), or the victim is dead.
  Otyughs do not eat freshly killed prey. Instead, they allow bodies to rot for 
  3d3 weeks before they are fit for consumption. Because of their rubbery hide, 
  they take only half damage from bludgeoning weapons. Their bodies are 
  about 8’ in diameter.
  There are persistent rumors of evolved otyughs, smaller but smarter than their 
  more common kin. It is possible to speak to, and bargain with, these beings. 
  They often know much about the area they live in – be it a sewer system or 
  a dungeon – and want nothing more than new and interesting carrion and 
  feces in return. Don’t ask. The life of an otyugh, evolved or otherwise, is not 
  
  40
  something most humanoids would wish for.
  Otyugh: Init +1; Atk tentacle blow +6 melee (1d8+3) or tentacle entangle +4 
  melee (1d3 plus entangle) or bite +5 melee (1d12 plus disease); AC 16; HD 
  8d8+16; MV 20’; Act 2d20; SP surprise, entwine, constrict, draw closer, dis-
  ease, ½ damage from bludgeoning weapons, immune to disease and poisons, 
  infravision 120’; SV Fort +12, Ref +4, Will +4; AL C.
  Evolved Otyugh: Init +3; Atk tentacle blow +5 melee (1d6+1) or tentacle en-
  tangle +2 melee (1d3 plus entangle) or bite +3 melee (1d8 plus disease); AC 
  15; HD 6d8+12; MV 30’; Act 2d20; SP surprise, entwine, constrict, draw 
  closer, disease, ½ damage from bludgeoning weapons, immune to disease and 
  poisons, infravision 120’; SV Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +8; AL C.
  
  41
  The Megadungeon and 
  Dungeon Crawl Classics
  For my money, Dungeon Crawl Classics is the best system out there for 
  Sword & Sorcery type gaming.  But I want my game to take place in a per-
  sistent world, where player investment in each game session adds to a total 
  lore that allows them to take control of the adventure and make it their own.  
  I want the players, not the judge, to dictate that they shall try to steal gold 
  from ancient Opar, or take the gates to old Barsoom, or travel to Shadrizar 
  the Wicked, or seek a lost spell in the ruins of Melniboné.
  Ideally for me, a game should consist of three types of adventures:
  1.  Persistent Locations:  Areas that the PCs can learn about and choose to 
  adventure in as a matter of course.  This includes, of course, the exploration 
  of the campaign milieu itself, and all manner of penetration in the the known 
  and the unknown!
  2.  Opportunities:  Things that happen at a particular time and offer a par-
  ticular chance to adventure which can be taken or left, but which, if ignored, 
  have consequences (even if those consequences are only that a particular 
  opportunity is lost).  For example, a ship crashing into a reef has some oppor-
  tunity for rescue/exploration, but if the PCs do not recover the cargo, other 
  parties will.  Most of the published DCC adventures are of this nature.  
  3.  Player-Initiated Quests:  The PCs require something, and go out seeking 
  it.  This requires the ability to discover where the thing may lie, as well as the 
  chance that it lies somewhere in the world to be discovered.  The DCC core 
  rulebook gives strong reason to include this sort of material, from the Quest 
  For It advice to the need for wizards and elves to seek out new spells, and the 
  need for clerics to seek the means to appease their gods.  
  The thing about Player-Initiated Quests is that they need to be tied into 
  either a persistent location or an opportunity to adventure.  For example, 
  a desired new spell may always be in the ruins of the Castle of the Dragon 
  Kings, or it may be placed by the judge to “hook” players into pitting their 
  Blades Against Death, but the thing that the player(s) seek must exist in the 
  
  42
  milieu, either all of the time, or as the result of special circumstances.  There 
  is no point in telling the players they can seek out Stardock without placing 
  Stardock in the campaign milieu, or placing some method to reach Nehwon 
  in order to seek the mountain in its original continuum.
  A megadungeon is not an area intended to be explored as the exclusive focus 
  of a campaign milieu (or, at least, not necessarily) but rather a place where 
  it is always possible to return i.e., it is large enough, and complex enough, 
  that it cannot be “used up” in a single adventure.  There are many examples 
  of megadungeons used in this way in Appendix N literature - from Moria in 
  Lord of the Rings, to several complexes in the writings of Burroughs, How-
  ard, Farmer, and Fox (among others), which are dipped into by their heroes 
  for specific purposes, but never fully explored.  In some cases, heroes of these 
  stories do later return to some ruined pile in other adventures, giving a clear 
  idea of how such a location can be used.  There are even hints of megadun-
  geons in Lovecraft.
  Megadungeon play works very well with the Dungeon Crawl Classics rule-
  set.  This is true even if one uses a megadungeon that was initially designed 
  for another system - I have gotten excellent mileage out of Greg Gillespie’s 
  Barrowmaze and Barrowmaze II, initially designed for Labyrinth Lord.  
  Versions of Moria designed for MERP and The Lord of the Rings RPG by 
  Decipher are both easily adapted to DCC.
  In the end, of course, the DCC-inspired megadungeon will reflect the DCC 
  rules and design aesthetic, so that it might become the location of a number 
  of quick forays over the course of a campaign, with lots of things to do, lots 
  of places to see, and lots of secrets to uncover.  Even where a megadungeon is 
  the center around which the campaign milieu revolves, other areas to explore, 
  other people and monsters to oppose, and other opportunities that arise will 
  send the PCs after pirates for one or more sessions, hunting man-apes for sev-
  eral others, and so on, in addition to their forays into the Great Ruined Pile.
  The more Appendix N fiction I read, the more I note that most Appendix N 
  adventurers live in worlds with multiple ruined cities and potential megadun-
  geons, from the vast ruins in the swamp of the Palood to the hidden tunnels 
  of the Worms of the Earth.  
  One thing I noticed pretty quickly is that every dungeon area would have a 
  real sense of scale.  Creeping around in narrow rooms and tunnels does occur 
  
  43
  in Appendix N fiction, of course, but vast expanses – even vast underground 
  expanses – are also pretty common.  So, many regions should include some 
  impressively large areas.  For instance, it became clear that one area would 
  have thermal vents that created a hothouse jungle environment, and that it 
  should probably have some form of “sun” to that it is always lit – even if only 
  from the reflections of deep earth lights upon the high cavern ceiling.
  When viewed in this way, it becomes clear that a dungeon “level” is going to 
  be a complex three-dimensional area which may contain many smaller levels 
  or sublevels.  Some of these might exhibit strong influences of other Appen-
  dix N authors, so that an area which is similar to the Africa of Edgar Rice 
  Burroughs and Robert E. Howard might also contain a temple not unlike 
  those that Leigh Brackett placed in her planetary romances.
  In any OSR megadungeon, connectivity is important, because it is desirable 
  that players can choose their level of challenge.  In a DCC megadungeon, I 
  find that this is even more true.  The gonzo nature of DCC encourages play-
  ers to take risks, and the play structure must do the same.  Also, as each area 
  will have its distinct features, the players gain an ability to “choose their own 
  adventure”, whether facing the ape-men and dinosaurs of the hothouse level, 
  or seeking lost knowledge among the courts of the shadow elves.
  Both obvious and hidden connectivity must exist, and discovering hidden 
  connectivity must be a reward unto itself….it must confer an advantage upon 
  the PCs who discover it.
  Creating some “standard monsters” for each area is desirable, and is probably 
  necessary to run a large and complex area.  However, these monsters should 
  be non-standard creatures, for the most part, created to match the needs of 
  the dungeon area.  In this way, learning about the inhabitants is a benefit to 
  the players, and is a bonus for long-term play. 
  Nonetheless, each area also need cool and unique monsters and NPCs that 
  are one-of-a-kind, and these need not always be adversaries.  Or, rather, some 
  may be potential allies and potential adversaries, based upon circumstances.  
  La of Opar, in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan novels comes immediately to 
  mind. NPCs must exist which can become allies, adversaries, love interests, 
  mortal patrons, and rivals.  This is, again, very much in keeping with the 
  early essays in this volume of Dispatches.
  
  44
  Sometimes, the players will just want to kick in a few doors, kill a few mon-
  sters, and take their stuff.  This sort of play must be supported.  But Dungeon 
  Crawl Classics is a game built to allow players to “quest for” extras, and there 
  must be cool things in the dungeon that can be objects of those quests.  Not 
  only are there unique objects to be found, and unique patrons for wizards 
  and elves, but there are places where spells may be learned, martial training 
  may occur, stats can be boosted, corruption can be undone, and so on.  Even 
  a Fountain of Youth might be of value if some of the characters are elderly.
  Not every treasure in DCC comes in the form of gold and gems.  In fact, the 
  most valuable treasures do not. 
  Finally, because of all the gonzo directions in which such a dungeon can go, 
  there must be a unifying force or conflict that affects most, if not all, of the 
  dungeon areas.  This conflict or force should exist on a grand scale, so that it 
  cannot be resolved in a few sessions of play.  Best of all are conflicts that can-
  not be resolved outside of years of play, and that resolution should change the 
  nature of the region forever – perhaps even destroy it.  Read Michael Moor-
  cock, A. Merritt, Poul Anderson, and Fred Saberhagen for ideas regarding 
  overarching conflicts, and how resolving them can change everything.
  Nonetheless, players should be given plenty of opportunities to have their 
  characters meddle early on, and their meddling should have consequences, 
  both for them and for the environment.  A unifying force or conflict creates 
  the unity that makes the megadungeon more than just a random collection of 
  sites.  Being able to take sides, and to influence that conflict, makes the game 
  meaningful and fun.
  Another Example
  Examining the possibility of doing a megadungeon for Dungeon Crawl 
  Classics, it becomes obvious to me that each “level” should instead be viewed 
  as an “area” that may, in fact, contain many traditional “levels” – as well 
  as buildings, villages, or whatever is needed to make the area work.  Each 
  “level”, in this sense, is not going to simply be a relatively flat area on a sheet 
  of graph paper, but instead be a three-dimensional area which may take up 
  several sheets.
  Not only this, but there will be little or no “boxed text” or area descrip-
  tions in the traditional sense, as most parts the area will be in constant flux 
  
  45
  throughout the process of exploration/adventuring.  In some ways, explora-
  tion of a DCC megadungeon is similar to a hexcrawl…you will encounter 
  peoples, make enemies, make friends, and find interesting areas to explore 
  within the overarching structure. This, in fact, is the approach taken by Carl 
  Bussler in Black Powder, Black Magic Volume 4, when describing the mines 
  beneath Brimstone.
  For example, a megadungeon could have a first level/area randomly deter-
  mined to be based largely off the work of Mr. Edgar Rice Burroughs.  This 
  suggests many possibilities, from the jungles of Tarzan’s Africa, the dry 
  steppes of Barsoom, and the fierce beings of cloud-shrouded Amtor.  Bur-
  roughs was also quite fond of “Lost World” tales, as with his stories of Pelluci-
  dar and Caspek.
  With this in mind, I can see the entrance area to the megadungeon belonging 
  to some form of mist-shrouded tropical jungle, a Lost World of prehistoric 
  creatures and peoples, with the remains of some fantastic civilization and 
  alien monsters.  The temple of La in Opar is a good founding idea for one 
  part of this region, because of its strong potential for intrigue, action, and 
  treasure.
  In addition, it is desirable to have more than one village of cavemen.  Indeed, 
  we should strongly consider three types, with a sliding scale of development 
  from cannibalistic brutes to relatively modern people.  These need not be 
  fully “human” in the earthly sense – we can color-code these people if we so 
  desire, as Burroughs does his Barsoomians.  Let us say that the mostly-extinct 
  ancients were golden, the closest to modern people red, the next most ad-
  vanced green, and the least advanced also golden (they are the descendants of 
  the ancients). 
  Some or all of these people can be advanced enough to potentially supply 
  0-level characters for funnel play, once the players have encountered them 
  and learned enough about them to make such play work.  Beware giving 
  away the secrets of an area to let the players choose people from that area!  
  But, likewise, once the area is explored and the people known, don’t be afraid 
  to make best use of them by letting the players try their hand at playing a 
  green man of the Lost World!
  We will want to have some of the alien types that Burroughs uses on Bar-
  soom, Amtor, the moon, Pellucidar, Caspek, and Jupiter.  I will select two 
  reptilian types – serpent/lizard men as well as telepathic pterosaur-folk akin to 
  
  46
  the Mahars of Pellucidar – and a race similar to the Skeleton Men of Jupiter.  
  Using the Skeleton Men as a seed idea also allows us to consider the ghouls of 
  Fritz Leiber.   Perhaps our creatures will be an amalgamation of the two?
  (Actually, I created such an amalgamation for The Vault of Ash, published by 
  Shield of Faith Studios for the Crawljammer setting.)
  As you can see, even without including actual “monsters” (and local animals), 
  we already require quite a bit of work to get this “dungeon level” ready for 
  play.  Nonetheless, it should also be quite easy to gain a minimum 2 hours 
  play value for every hour spend devising the setting.
  Let us next examine what other “levels” will connect to this area:
  • 
  Level 2, which is a combination of Robert E. Howard’s Conan and Solo-
  mon Kane stories, mixed with the Harold Shea stories of L. Sprague de 
  Camp and Fletcher Pratt.
  • 
  Level 3, which is intended to be influenced by Lin Carter, August Der-
  leth, and Lord Dunsany.
  • 
  Level 5, which is intended to be influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien, Sterling 
  Lanier’s Paloud swamp from Hiero’s Journey, and Edgar Rice Burroughs 
  once more.
  Let us also assume that level 1 will link to sublevels that take their influences 
  from Andre Norton, Manly Wade Wellman, Clark Ashton Smith, and Philip 
  Jose Farmer.  Part of the creation process is determining what these influences 
  are, and how they will be used.  Then, if the level/sublevel connections exist, 
  we must also decide how those influences leave a footprint on the first level 
  area.  These footprints are important hints that connections exist, and also 
  allow the judge to foreshadow the themes of the new megadungeon area.
  Hopefully, by this point, you have more than enough inspiration to tackle a 
  megadungeon of your own!
  
  47
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  15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  System Rules Document Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based 
  on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  DCC RPG, copyright © 2012 Goodman Games, all rights reserved, visit www.goodman-games.com or contact info@ goodman-
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  Dispatches from the Raven Crowking V.IV - Megadungeons and Campaigns © 2017, Purple Duck Games; Author Daniel J. Bishop
  This product is based on the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game, published by Goodman Games. This product is published 
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeon Crawl Classics/DCC Supplements/Dispatches from the Raven Crowking/Dispatches from the Raven Crowking vol 4 Megadungeons and Campaigns.pdf