Writing up the first level of my tree-trunk megadungeon for my art competition winners, I hit upon the idea of using Excel as a megadungeon key. Viz [DON'T LOOK AT THIS IF YOU ARE A PLAYER IN MY GAME AND DON'T WANT SPOILERS]:
Hence, each sheet within the Excel file is a level of a dungeon (in this case, the only sheet visible is 'Fair Folk Level 1/Woodwoses'), divided into four columns.
The first column (the only one that I find slightly awkward/ungraceful) is a description of general conditions in the level.
The second is the random encounter table (using 2d6, natch).
The third logs the different entrances.
The fourth is the key itself.
You could easily bundle this with PowerPoint slide maps (or even more Excel spreadsheets) in a .zip file so as to contain an entire megadungeon, downloadable on itch.io.
I like it. Very usable, easy to scan. I think that's a great format for a megadungeon- looks even handier than something like Stonehell. THat on one screen + a paper map.
ReplyDeleteYou could fit an OoB or "What they know/want" for each group in column 1 as well perhaps, to assist in quickly running negotiations or dynamic combats.
Yeah, good idea. The only really inelegant thing is that the fourth column ends up being way longer than the others. That offends my aesthetic appreciation for the thing, somehow.
DeleteI've been doing my recent dungeons 100% in PowerPoint and been really happy with how they're turning out.
ReplyDeleteText boxes, pictures and arrows. What more do I need?
PowerPoint is a bit fiddly compared with pen and paper, but I think superior to other forms of digital mapping.
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