#Dungeon23: Februari/Level 2

Go here if you want to look at the room keys, the encounter table and the map:

LINK

Discussion:

Keepin up:

I've noticed it is becoming a bit more difficult to stick to the one room per day spirit of the challenge. Keep observers will notice a telling sign of this is that I finished februari one day early. On top of that, I've not posted as much on the blog. The weekly updates where becoming a challenge moreso than writing the rooms. This was primarily because my handwriting is shit, so I feel pressured to digitize my entrees so I can better share them.

For this reason I wanted to try sharing on a monthly basis for this level. It might end up being too much for folks to read in a single go, but it should have slightly more cohesion and be less spammy (not that I have written anything other than dungeon23 updates lately). 

Planning:

I struggle with just winging stuff. In general, I want to make sure I am doing whatever it is I am doing 'correctly'. This is why I insist I cannot cook: without a recipe I just don't feel comfortable making stuff, even if I have made it plenty of times before. 

This has invaded the challenge as well. Rather than grow the dungeon organically, as seems to have been the idea, I planned out the main theme for the over all structure as well as most of the levels. Before starting januari, I made a random encounter list for the entire level, doing the same for februari as januari went along. Once I had an idea of the general shape of the first level, I wanted to make sure that my second level would make sense, so on the second day of februari I drew the entire map for that month (without keys though). 

Though I don't think planning this project is bad (there seem to be folks who are planning their #dungeon23 projects even more than me), I do notice that it is causing me stress. Again I find myself wanting to do it 'right'. Having never made anything that can be called a proper classic dungeon, I can't help but want to nail it the first time round, while doing it as a daily challenge. 

To combat this, I am going to try to let go more and more as this project goes on. As the first three levels are above ground (though the bottom two are currently under water) I am still bound by the general shape of the building, so for March I am still going to try to keep that shape in mind. I also want to maintain consistency with the vents and the stairs, but other than that I am going to try to embrance the piece meal construction of the level, one room at a time. 

Starting from level 4 I'll be underground and thus less beholden to the layout of the preceding levels. I will still want to keep stuff like ventilation and stairs in mind, but other than that I am going to try to let go even more. 

Ghouls:

Most ghouls seem typified by hunger. I wanted an undead that was similar to a ghoul, but instead have it be typified by loneliness. The ghouls in Level 2 all combat that loneliness in different ways, but if you keep in mind the stereotypical emo kids that you saw (or were) in middle school, mixed with lonely elderly people you might have encountered (or become) you are in the right ball park. 

You still run them as ghouls in combat, but rather than separating paralyzed adventurers to eat them, the ghouls try to drag them to one of the ghoul turning rooms to get a friend and be less lonely. This always fails, as ghouls are completely self absorbed in their loneliness and aren't actually capable of forming meaningful bonds that would make them less lonely. 

Size: Human
Speed: Human
Intelligence: Teenager
Disposition: Lonely

• Paralyzing Claws: When their claws break the skin you become overwhelmed with isolating loneliness and unable to move.
  
• Forever Alone: Ghouls feel lonely because they are unable to meaningfully connect with others. They combat their loneliness in various ways.
• Undead Bodies: As long as the head is intact, ghouls cannot die. Their bodies can be rendered useless by damaging it enough. 

Ogre Spiders:

The Ogre Spiders are probably the most serious threat up until now and would probably be undefeatable if it wasn't for the fact that they are in disaray due to Mother's illness. I feel like due to this, players should be able to deal with the Spiders regardless of their approach (barring the really stupid ones). Combat will be hard, but possible due to the Spiders currently being unable to mount a real counter-offence, but abusing the rift in current spider society is probably the easier route.

Size: Cow
Speed: Dog
Intelligence: Human
Disposition: Cunning

• Net Ambush: Ogre Spiders capture you in nets of stretchy silk. The silk fuses together with hair, nails and clothing made from these materials such as wool. 
• Venomous Bite: Ogre Spiders are able to paralyze their prey with their venom, after which they wrap their targets in silk. Further bites will begin the liquifying process, from which there is no return (not even as a ghoul). 
• Night Vision: The huge eyes of the Ogre Piders Spiders allow them to see with only the littlest bits of light. They also make for relatively easy targets.