Random Dungeon Generator: Comments

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Huh?

While I like the intent behind online random dungeon generators, they can sometimes get a little too a little too analytical, and don't do a good job of representing what it's like to allow the imagination to 'fill in the curves' of the dungeon. I've been wanting to use a random dungeon deck for a quicker role-playing game experience for a little while now, but it seems that whenever I ask around about existing products, people keep pointing to those number grinding machines and shrugging their shoulders. "What's the difference?" they ask. Of course, they don't use those things... but if someone wanted to use one...

Very frustrating. Espcially since I know the tools have already existed. Multiple Dungeons and Dragons products have encouraged players to, if not make their own random dungeon decks, then to at least make a random creature deck. The idea of a randomly creating your dungeon goes all the way back to the 1st edition Dungeon Master's guide, which has an excellent, if not antiquated chart. I love that book, if for no other reason than that Appendix... but I need something a bit more practical.

One of the reasons I haven't made this thing yet, is because of the lack of resources. As I sat at my computer for the 20th time thinking about this problem, and being annoyed that there wasn't a good index card making "cloud" program on the internet, it occured to me that there was one. So thank you, yet again, Alex, for having invented something the internet didn't realize it needed. Using Magic cards in place of index cards is a little backwards, but it work where Google Docs does not... and this way I can get a bit of input too.

What an amazing idea. I love it!
I too was a fan of the random dungeon generator in the old 1st Ed AD&D DMG. If I was DMing and the players went somewhere I hadn't started/finished fleshing out I would use it to complete the dungeon on-the-fly.
So besides Oddity, Corridor, Room & Door cards/decks (using the different colours to denote different decks is a good idea), I am guessing there will be trap cards, treasure cards, etc???

Edit: Have you thought about different size/shape corridors? or would that be left up to individual users?

I plan on adding treasure, trap and maybe monster/random encounter cards, but not immediately. They might be in a separate card set altogether; I'll have to see how appropriate that feels. In theory, I want a person to be able to print the card set and use it without getting a pile of treasure the players don't need taking up multiple pages. That and Treasure / Traps and Monsters have a tendency to care about what roleplaying system you are using, but the dungeon proper is often neutral to this.

At first, I thought this project might be overwhelming, but it seems more like something that can be used practically in a very short amount of time, but can never be tweaked enough. That's fine... in fact, that would be an interesting twist that would contrast what Magic normally does: A single set that slowly increases over time... but in a balanced sort of way. Drafting that set would get weirder and weirder as time went on.

This might lend itself slightly better to the ToothyWiki Generators such as the Tabloid Headline Generator, the Arts Essay Generator, my Magic Card Generator and so on. You're welcome to use Multiverse for it if you'd rather, of course.

This is a great idea! I would have never thought of it.

Ah, I may need to port this over to generators later. But for now, the point is to make a bunch of cards, maybe get some people to comment on them, and to print them up for play at the table. I don't like using computers while Dungeon Mastering... it kind of takes away from the charm of rolling dice and flipping cards. And tactical things that you can share with other players makes for more interesting general conversation, than something hidden behind your screen.

This is fantastic.

Thanks NymphadoraTonks! You remind me that I really should get back to work on this. Too many projects, and not enough follow through. Lately, I've been working on making random encounter tables for 5th edition. I'll make sure to link to "The Forest: Levels CR 1/4 to 10" when I'm done. When I get done with that, maybe I'll take a critical eye to this. It deserves better than 'stuck in the bottom drawer' status.

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