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Dungeon Design Inspiration

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
yomic
Aug 01, 2008 11:09:16 My current campaign is going to hold an elemental theme in which the PCs will first journey to 4 elemental shrines (fire, water, earth, and wind) and bring back a certain artifact from each (likely something to act as a controller of that element... to some extent after unlocking it as well as a gate key).

I currently have the theme of certain temples:

Water temple is located in the desert in the northern mountains (north of an unfriendly but non-hostile orc town). There is a shrine where inside the PCs will find a pool they must dive into and enter a drowned tunnel for serveral feet before reaching the dungeon. Inside they will encount puzzles that deal with the various states of water (ice, water, steam) and encounter water based creatures and elementals.

Wind temple is located inside a stationary typhon in which the PCs will have to hire an story centric NPC (leader of theives guild with many secrets) to sail close enough to enter the door. Entering the door in the typhoon will teleport the party to a tower in the coulds. I don't have a layout for this dungeon yet, but I know that wind will dominate the puzzles' themes. (I hope to introduce them to a Djinni here for fun).

I currently lack any ideas for the earth temple (possibly a foresty theme?)

I also don't know what to do about the fire temple besides it is in a volcano on an island west of the main (homebrewed) contenent.

Where do most of you go for inspirations in designing your dungeons? I'm trying to get ideas for elemental type traps and unique encounters. I've got some time (about a week since no one can get their scheduals straight) before this all must be finished, but I'm sure I can keep them from getting some places that aren't ready yet until a later session. Thanks in advance!
#2
cbot-the-contrarian
Aug 01, 2008 23:00:04 Avatar the last airbender (TV show) has a great elemental theme throughout that might inspire you a bit. I know I found it to be a huge source of ideas.
#3
world_slider_dup
Aug 02, 2008 13:23:00 Earth Temple - The PCs delve into a dense and lush forests, in the center is a sink hole surrounded by massive trees. As they drop into the sinkhole they are teleported to a temple that is choked by vine cover. As they make their way deeper into the temple they notice that the vines grow back rapidly behind them and the place is nearly a maze.

Fire Temple - The PCs travel into the inferno of a semi-active volcano. There they must find a hidden stairway that hugs the inside wall of the volcano. When they reach the bottom near the lava they are teleported to a island-temple in the center of the sea of lava.
#4
yomic
Aug 02, 2008 13:37:53 cbot: I do have a friend who has a box-set I'll see about borrowing them. I do remeber watching some of that show.

World Slider: I love the Earth temple idea. I can definately work with that. Especially since I think that temple may deal a bit with the Feywild too as its location is in a dense forest heavily influenced by the Feywild.

I don't like the idea of teleporting the Pcs to a fire-plane-like area since they may end up there (as well as the others) at a later point in the campaign (3.5 and before cosmology).

Thanks for the ideas guys, keep 'em coming! You don't have to specifically give me ideas either, you can make them as general as you want.
#5
world_slider_dup
Aug 02, 2008 14:20:09 Was more thinking in lines that the temple was in the middle of the pool of lava within the heart of the volcano that they travel to. Basically they travel down the staircase that is carved into the side of the volcano...once they reach the bottom there is a portal that connects them to the island out in the center, surrounded by lava.

Don't know if you play WoW, but think in terms of Blackrock Depths. The players enter through massive gates on the side of the volcano and travel their way to the interior. There they see a island out in the middle of the lava at the bottom with no apparent way to get down. They notice a platform far below them with what looks like a circular stone structure, yet there is no way it seems to get down there either. With some searching though they find that there is a stairway that was well hidden and carved into the stone. It winds down to the platform below them where there is a portal to the island where the fire temple rests.
#6
bitterash
Aug 02, 2008 20:33:51 Another idea too, corresponding elements should be the keys to unlocking the next temple, IE Ice/Water key needed to cool magma flows to enter the fire temple... Wind to break down a rocky entrance to the earth temple... etc.
#7
yomic
Aug 04, 2008 2:03:21 World Slider: Probably not a great idea since most of my players and I play WoW and have seen that place, but I get the idea. At least I'm starting to get a picture of a volcano-y place in my head

Bitterash: That is a very interesting idea. I'll think about implementing something similar (since I want them to be able to freely go to any of them without railroading the PCs to go somewhere first). I have been thinking of ways to open the "doors" to these places. I'm trying to come up with certain ways to open the entrance to these temples with little riddles as hints.
#8
world_slider_dup
Aug 04, 2008 12:47:48 "As you enter the side of the volcano...

...you are zerged by 40 people who have nothing to do..."
#9
theomnipotentsco
Aug 04, 2008 13:42:03
"As you enter the side of the volcano...

...you are zerged by 40 people who have nothing to do..."

Well, the upshot is now that you're dead you can get a quest from a ghost dwarf that's buried in that center island.
#10
yomic
Aug 04, 2008 16:03:20 It's almost as if they expect you to die and take the 5 minute walk from the graveyard back to the dungeon. Sorry, that doesn't sound too appealing for DnD game

DM: You all die!
PCs: Dang... We walk back to our bodies...
DM: Sorry, that's easier said than done. You are each in the respective planes of the deities you worship. Good luck!

#11
yomic
Aug 05, 2008 10:34:09 Good news for the earth temple! I'm going to be using a similar idea to the Mithrendain, Citadel of the Feywild, Dragon Archive Feature to host the earth temple. Instead of the citadel covering the underdark (which isn't under this continent in my world) it will host a hole deep underground that goes to the earth temple. They will have to convince the leaders of the area to open the barrier and let them in. Once inside they may have to fight the same formian enemies (which they have faught in a past adventure by me while on the plane of earth) found in the dragon article. Now if they only released a volcano shrine adventure... ;P

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 yomic Aug 01, 2008 11:09:16	My current campaign is going to hold an elemental theme in which the PCs will first journey to 4 elemental shrines (fire, water, earth, and wind) and bring back a certain artifact from each (likely something to act as a controller of that element... to some extent after unlocking it as well as a gate key). I currently have the theme of certain temples: Water temple is located in the desert in the northern mountains (north of an unfriendly but non-hostile orc town). There is a shrine where inside the PCs will find a pool they must dive into and enter a drowned tunnel for serveral feet before reaching the dungeon. Inside they will encount puzzles that deal with the various states of water (ice, water, steam) and encounter water based creatures and elementals. Wind temple is located inside a stationary typhon in which the PCs will have to hire an story centric NPC (leader of theives guild with many secrets) to sail close enough to enter the door. Entering the door in the typhoon will teleport the party to a tower in the coulds. I don't have a layout for this dungeon yet, but I know that wind will dominate the puzzles' themes. (I hope to introduce them to a Djinni here for fun). I currently lack any ideas for the earth temple (possibly a foresty theme?) I also don't know what to do about the fire temple besides it is in a volcano on an island west of the main (homebrewed) contenent. Where do most of you go for inspirations in designing your dungeons? I'm trying to get ideas for elemental type traps and unique encounters. I've got some time (about a week since no one can get their scheduals straight) before this all must be finished, but I'm sure I can keep them from getting some places that aren't ready yet until a later session. Thanks in advance!
#2 cbot-the-contrarian Aug 01, 2008 23:00:04	Avatar the last airbender (TV show) has a great elemental theme throughout that might inspire you a bit. I know I found it to be a huge source of ideas.
#3 world_slider_dup Aug 02, 2008 13:23:00	Earth Temple - The PCs delve into a dense and lush forests, in the center is a sink hole surrounded by massive trees. As they drop into the sinkhole they are teleported to a temple that is choked by vine cover. As they make their way deeper into the temple they notice that the vines grow back rapidly behind them and the place is nearly a maze. Fire Temple - The PCs travel into the inferno of a semi-active volcano. There they must find a hidden stairway that hugs the inside wall of the volcano. When they reach the bottom near the lava they are teleported to a island-temple in the center of the sea of lava.
#4 yomic Aug 02, 2008 13:37:53	cbot: I do have a friend who has a box-set I'll see about borrowing them. I do remeber watching some of that show. World Slider: I love the Earth temple idea. I can definately work with that. Especially since I think that temple may deal a bit with the Feywild too as its location is in a dense forest heavily influenced by the Feywild. I don't like the idea of teleporting the Pcs to a fire-plane-like area since they may end up there (as well as the others) at a later point in the campaign (3.5 and before cosmology). Thanks for the ideas guys, keep 'em coming! You don't have to specifically give me ideas either, you can make them as general as you want.
#5 world_slider_dup Aug 02, 2008 14:20:09	Was more thinking in lines that the temple was in the middle of the pool of lava within the heart of the volcano that they travel to. Basically they travel down the staircase that is carved into the side of the volcano...once they reach the bottom there is a portal that connects them to the island out in the center, surrounded by lava. Don't know if you play WoW, but think in terms of Blackrock Depths. The players enter through massive gates on the side of the volcano and travel their way to the interior. There they see a island out in the middle of the lava at the bottom with no apparent way to get down. They notice a platform far below them with what looks like a circular stone structure, yet there is no way it seems to get down there either. With some searching though they find that there is a stairway that was well hidden and carved into the stone. It winds down to the platform below them where there is a portal to the island where the fire temple rests.
#6 bitterash Aug 02, 2008 20:33:51	Another idea too, corresponding elements should be the keys to unlocking the next temple, IE Ice/Water key needed to cool magma flows to enter the fire temple... Wind to break down a rocky entrance to the earth temple... etc.
#7 yomic Aug 04, 2008 2:03:21	World Slider: Probably not a great idea since most of my players and I play WoW and have seen that place, but I get the idea. At least I'm starting to get a picture of a volcano-y place in my head Bitterash: That is a very interesting idea. I'll think about implementing something similar (since I want them to be able to freely go to any of them without railroading the PCs to go somewhere first). I have been thinking of ways to open the "doors" to these places. I'm trying to come up with certain ways to open the entrance to these temples with little riddles as hints.
#8 world_slider_dup Aug 04, 2008 12:47:48	"As you enter the side of the volcano... ...you are zerged by 40 people who have nothing to do..."
#9 theomnipotentsco Aug 04, 2008 13:42:03	"As you enter the side of the volcano... ...you are zerged by 40 people who have nothing to do..." Well, the upshot is now that you're dead you can get a quest from a ghost dwarf that's buried in that center island.
#10 yomic Aug 04, 2008 16:03:20	It's almost as if they expect you to die and take the 5 minute walk from the graveyard back to the dungeon. Sorry, that doesn't sound too appealing for DnD game DM: You all die! PCs: Dang... We walk back to our bodies... DM: Sorry, that's easier said than done. You are each in the respective planes of the deities you worship. Good luck!
#11 yomic Aug 05, 2008 10:34:09	Good news for the earth temple! I'm going to be using a similar idea to the Mithrendain, Citadel of the Feywild, Dragon Archive Feature to host the earth temple. Instead of the citadel covering the underdark (which isn't under this continent in my world) it will host a hole deep underground that goes to the earth temple. They will have to convince the leaders of the area to open the barrier and let them in. Once inside they may have to fight the same formian enemies (which they have faught in a past adventure by me while on the plane of earth) found in the dragon article. Now if they only released a volcano shrine adventure... ;P