OPD 2022, Just a little randomness...

The 2022 One Page Dungeon Contest closes today, with almost 70 entries at the time of this writing. I've thrown in an entry every year since 2013, so didn't want to break my streak.

Creatively, I still feel I'm in a lull, with little to stand out in the last year(s). The Muse, she does not speak so clearly these days.

The contest always gets a wide swath of content, although I do feel that it leans more towards a competition of design, rather than content. Probably me just bein' grumpy since my design skills are 'gorilla with a crayon' level. 

My objective is to create something hopefully fun and playable as an entry, so I scrolled through my map files and found a five-room cavern that have been languishing, tucked into my notebook pages. The 5-room dungeon is an easy trope, with many variations of the entrance/guardian/trap/fight/reward model available. So I tabled out four tersely-described scenarios, using more of the classic "dungeon stocking" approach - empty, trap, special, monster, big-bad/reward model. The first four components were mixed about, with the final fight and reward in "Room 5." And since random tables are always good, why not offer the option of selecting a room from any of the four in that particular table row? Makes for 20 little adventures, or more, if other elements are considered. And while the "straight down the column" scenes might have some internal consistency, throwing dice at each room definitely lends itself to a certain level of chaos...

and you get to use this deceitful little caltrop

Welcome to a little cavern down on the coast, with its host of potential challenges and foes. 

Download me here

Anyway, I have a full table for the brewery game tonight, so I need to read up a bit and get my psyche on. At least one new-to-RPGs in the group, so hope to make it a fun intro.

OPD 2021

 One Page Dungeon Contest time again, and my brain was empty. I've entered consistently since 2013, and having a deadline always helps creativity.

(Shuffles around in his collection of downloaded maps)...

What's this?

blame Jackson

Well, I had a space to work with, and a title. And somehow, in my notes, there needed to be the potential for encountering drug-addled unicorn-folk revelers. That's what random tables are for.

A compact 'adventure' area with a built-in mini-game in the vein of the classic "case the joint and dlo a heist." Bribe folks, buy information, figure out how to get the McGuffin and get out, and maybe clear a bit of extra cash for yourself. Who knows?

Here ya go: Have A Cigar

One Page Dungeon 2020 - Eggs for Breznac

So, the 2020 One Page Dungeon contest. An annual context of creative brevity. And with many things this year, the deadline was postponed (July 15 for your last-minute creativity). It had slipped my mind until I checked the site, and then, as a repeat offender, I got a reminder email from organizer Aaron Frost...

Dammit.

Not going to lie - Like many folks this spring and summer has been highly disruptive and emotionally taxing. I have been fortunate to be working straight through. Although I've been stretched with typically >40 hour weeks (construction-adjacent roles). So my brain is not in a creative space.

But I had a few notes. And a scribble in a notebook. So that's what we are going with this year. 

I swiped a simple graphical map style that I utilized a couple years ago, and tried to work out a somewhat faction-based adventure with multiple pathways. I like the idea of a low-level adventure where the protagonists have no chance against the "big-bad" of the scenario. 

And John Large of Red Dice Diaries recently said something to the tune of  "an adventure isn't old school if there isn't a random fungus table." I can abide with that...

And did I mention that the PCs are goblins?

So have at it. There's eggs to be swiped. 

7/11/20: Entry updated based on some reader comments - thanks for the suggestions, hopefully decreased the suck. I appreciate it!

A Few Kid-friendly Adventures

Martin Thomas of Daddy Rolled a 1 recently put out a few threads regarding inspiration and playable content that may be kid-friendly for adolescents. I've talked with other friends with young-uns about gaming, before, as well, and gotten the "kid-friendly" question, as well. I discovered that I have (inadvertently, perhaps) written a few adventures that might be suitable for the kidlets.

And, since people may be stuck at home and getting some "quality family time" in over the next while, having a few play options may not be the worst thing.

So here's my list of six+ adventures.  Feel free to download, tweak, play, and let me know how it goes!

OPD 2016 – “Bowls of Stars” - Save the dragon! Solve the mystery of the alien 'grubs' and illnesses and role-play with some kobolds and others to get the halves of a sphere. The somewhat body-horror 'grubs' may be deleted/tweaked. I did receive a message that this scenario was run by a father for his kids with some tweaks to the role-playing aspects.

OPD 2017 - “You have acquired the deed to a ruined tower...” A mostly open hexcrawl involving uprooting a bunch of drunk halflings from a tower that you "own," as well as bunch of oddball local factions, including a leaderless cult, vegetarian orcs, and goblins with a hot-air balloon....

OPD 2018 – “The Dragon's Lantern” 0-level funnel – Hapless PCs are sent on mission by dragon to retrieve an artifact among a ratling warren.

Drokki's Tomb –  Reverses trope by 'returning' something to a tomb. Low combat, mostly negotiating a few puzzles and traps. Beware the Hammer Calliope...

Malleth's Cave – A small complex with multiple locations: There are possibilities to role-play/negotiate truce between two groups of quarreling goblins. Two side-areas include interesting 'toy soldiers' and a mean badger. Players attempting to retreat/rest at the abandoned farmhouse will find it haunted by a harmless but insistent ghost.

Nemar's Truancy – Convince a wayward prince to return home (or not) and come up with non-lethal ways to deal with his pet bear. One of four adventures built around Dyson's "Grizzly Eye Cavern"(some may also find "Trakhor's Bath" amusing - involves fighting a naked ogre armed with a wet towel)

Be safe and healthy out there, folks.

OPD Entry 2019

It's the season for the 11th edition of the One Page Dungeon contest (https://www.dungeoncontest.com/) where brevity is the soul of wit - and adventure.

And it's time for Max and I to drop one more annual entry...

Dude, get out of my dice box.

A bit of timey-wimey funny business, this go-around....

Before?

Download "Now & When..."

After?

Much thanks to Matt Jackson for lending me his "two" towers.

OPD 2018

Well, in spite of Max's "help," I was able to concoct and submit this year's One Page Dungeon Contest entry in record time.

Max has a liberal idea of a soft spot to chill.

After several days of considering how to include the theme of "Sustainable Dwarves," I shelved that concept for another time.  So let's see what transpired...

Strayed from the last couple of years' hexcrawls and went small.  And low-fi.  0-level low, that is.

"It's not every day that you take the loot back to the dragon. But he did give you an offer you couldn't refuse..."

Download

It's the 10th year of the contest, which is pretty damn cool. And the support/sponsors/enthusiasm is impressive this year.  Enjoy!

Edit 042218: updated entry with slight text and map changes.

One Page Dungeon entry progress...

Status: slightly delayed.

OPD 2017 Runner-up 2 - The Forest of the Shrike

Per my previous post, this is adventure 3 of 3 in my attempts at coming up with a serviceable One Page Dungeon contest entry.  This is actually the first of my three drafts, something that had been rattling about in my head for a bit.  My intent was to take a familiar undead monster, but to reskin it to make it much more dangerous and challenging due to a hidden resource.  I think that, although the idea was sound, that the scenario overall didn't have quite enough depth to really create an evocative environment, even with the 'butcher bird' imagery. That said, this idea is something I may return to/refine at some other time - I think that the idea of a hidden resource or link is a good theme.

Runner-up 2 - The Forest of the Shrike.

Map - Click for adventure download

A similar-appearing wraith (though differently-powered, and slightly sillier) shows up in my final entry, and the map has similar layout (I think this one turned out a touch better).  Oh, the Clockwork Knight also shows up, as does the druid that is referenced in this adventure, but who I had to cut due to space and overpowered magic concerns. 

OPD 2017 Runner-up 1 - The Pyramid of Lake D'Juna

I sorta simultaneously worked up three One Page Dungeon contest entries, working from the theory of not getting to wedded to a single idea or conceit in my creative process. The three adventures are different in objective and tone (although there is a little overlap in encounters in two). So they weren't apples-to-apples when I was either writing or choosing my final contestant version.

I'm not sure if it created a better single product in the end, but bonus!, I have two spare dungeons to share.  I was having enough of a challenge to select one of the three, that I put up a vague G+ poll to allow the hoi polloi to assist in my selection process...

No. 1 is the runner up on my poll:  The Pyramid of Lake D'Juna - PCs are quested to recover a relic from a shrine located in a subterranean lake. The Shrine is accessed by two routes, the PCs can select either one, I think the challenges are comparable, but each is unique.  Once they get to the lake there are still a couple of 'environmental' challenges lurking, as well as having to solve a number of riddles to enter and exit the shrine safely....

Map - click to download OPD

One thing that I have to confess is that this is not all-original material - I recycled the "interesting fungus" from my treatment of Dyson's Owen's Mine map (variation 1). So although the rest of the content felt good, having shoehorned in some old content didn't feel quite genuine.

OPD 2017 - "You have acquired the deed to a ruined tower..."

In spite of having to overcome insurmountable obstacles between me and my drawing tools...

and simultaneously writing three competing dungeons over the last couple of weeks (leading me to put up a poll on G+ to help in my selection process), I sent in my One Page Dungeon entry this afternoon. 

Donjon's Random Pickpocket Loot generator (among others) will occasionally spit out, among the small coins, sets of false teeth, and "blob of iron" is the "Deed to a ruined tower." I always thought it was a bit of an evocative device, ripe for a side adventure, or for use as a base for clearing an area and carving out one's own place in the world.

So I wrote one up this year. Come on down and meet the neighbors.

Download link

I'll post the runners-up over the next couple of days.

Still not helping...

One Page Dungeon Entry, 2016

The instigators of the 2016 One Page Dungeon Contest are at it again, sponsoring the annual contest of brevity and (hopefully) wit.

My writing has been off this year, but I prepared a small hex-based adventure with an alien threat.  I don't think it came out as evocative as I hoped, but I do like the idea of assisting critters normally thought of as foes, or at least nuisances, in restoring their 'god' who has been infected by something horrible.

Download

One Page Dungeon Entry, 2015

Well, compiled, composed, and composted this year's entry - a bit of a rogue pocket universe (or universes) invading a little town...

Download

Contest website here, with entries so far.  Looks to be another excellent year of creative goods!

One Page Dungeon Entry 2014

Sent off the One Page Dungeon entry last night.  And as with any submittal, I had to finally stop tweaking words, formatting, etc., say, "Enough!" and send it into the gloom.  It was either that, or toss it all and throw together my alternate, " A Bad Night At the Cheese Factory"...

Original Here

(Of course, as I woke up yesterday morning, an excellent OPD idea came to me...  next year... :) )

Editing the OPD

The One Page Dungeon entry undergoes some serious revision and late brainstorming.

Like many stories (and adventures), the characters apparently have minds and agendas of their own...

OK, off to bed.  I have an 0400 wakeup.

One Page Dungeon

One of the challenges for any writer is brevity.  I've always considered the short story to be one of the more challenging narrative forms - build a world, create characters with strengths, weaknesses, backstories, put them in a challenging environment or against a problem - mix thoroughly.  And do it in 5000 words or less.

Likewise, adventure creation can be complex verbose, or compact and sparse, yet with depth and detail.

Enter the One-Page Dungeon Contest.  For the sixth year - create a fully fleshed out adventure, and make it fit on a single-sided piece of paper (without too much trickery).