Open Table Dungeon Crawling: Overview

If you've been listening to our episodes from November and December, you might be aware that I (William) have shifted away from a heroic fantasy-style of game.

Instead, I'm using the controversial Adventurer, Conqueror, King System (ACKS) to make my game come to life, mostly for its modeling of economics and demographics.

Because I'm using an open table, I need all of the players to be on the same page. Many of these players have never played an OSR game before (and several have never played any kind of D&D at all) so I needed something quick and easy. Here is the information I send to all new players before they play:

THE WORLD

 

The Fall of Rome - Imagine western Europe after Rome fell in 476 AD: The greatest empire the world knew had splintered, conquered by corruption, civil wars and barbarians. It was downright post-apocalyptic. Now add in terrible monsters and magic, and you've got a pretty good idea what you're walking into.

 

(Note: ACKS is already based in a faux-Romanesque fantasy world, so this is perfect).

The Mountain - This game is based around the exploration of a mysterious mountain fortress high in the Wintertop mountains. There are endless mysteries to uncover, so keep your wits about you and carry a big weapon!

The Surrounding Region - The mountain fortress is the primary focus of this campaign, but there are plenty of other adventures to be had: Resupply in the nearby town of Muntberg, explore the fallen Dwarven stronghold of Ghaz Droonan, or visit the bustling metropolis of Adamas. Many more geographical discoveries await you!

THE GAME

 

Combat is War - Unlike most video games or RPGs, the world is run more like a simulation: Enemies have their own lives and behaviors, and some of them are dramatically more powerful than the group of characters.

Know When to Run - Because of the likelihood of your party coming across vastly more powerful enemies, you need to be ready to run away! Death is always close at hand.

Player-Driven, Exploration-Focused - Unlike many games of D&D, there is no specific story or structure in mind; the game is completely driven by YOU, the player. As your dungeon master, my role is to create a plausible and realistic world that reacts to your choices. Exploration is a huge part of this game; between the mysterious mountain fortress, and the miles of open wilderness, discovery is the name of the game.

Gold is Progression - In some games, you level up by killing creatures. In this game, 1 gold = 1 experience point, so grab all the treasure you can! Also, note that you must get your treasure back to civilization and spend it before it is converted to experience points.

THE SOCIAL ASPECT

 

Drop-In, Drop-Out - This game is designed to be played by a multitude of people as their schedules permit. Each player has one character, and they all exist in the same world. Depending on who is available that week, the roster may shift a lot.

Real-Time - The world moves at real-time speed when we're not playing the game. That is, a week that passes in the real world means a week passes in the game.

The journey continues in part 2.