In Greyhawk (closest to my rules & first use the things) has a 40 HP body, 20 HP eye, and 10 x 10 HP eyestalks. Not that simple - could be anywhere from 8th - 32nd level based on your calculations (though in OD&D it's closer to 3 or 4 HP per HD). I find the personal experience more valuable.
Thanks - I can't say there's much to that one - just a beholder lair, though one where an angel might make more sense! It has all the 90's Dungeon Magazine flourishes (see below) as well sadly.
I hadn't thought to check BECMI - but I should have given that whatever other flaws it has it tends to reconcile and streamline a lot of the weird accreted junk in AD&D. Do you know if beholders show up in any of the old TSR modules?
A question I meant to put in this original post... What level is appropriate for a beholder encounter?
In Greyhawk and AD&D give beholders don't have HD, and 5E has them CR rated for at least 10th level parties. My own thought is that a beholder is a serious challenge for a 6-9th level party?
Enjoyable list - I like the little set of hooks connected to the vignettes in each of these.
It was good times and in addition to sharing the local scene I think it may have encouraged me to end this hiatus from adventure design.
Bullet points are cool if you can know where to put a bullet.
Narrative text is cool if you know how to arrange text.
They are both good ... the dischorse is a false beast - a cursed steed. Driven by the desire for clout and engagement but promising only a path into the quagmire.
Basileus is a really good comic - it's weird sword & sorcery, but at the same time grounded and coherent in its environments, art and story.
You have a very very clear brand
One of the things I notice about the blog culture of the OSR and the podcast/youtube culture of whatever indie RPGs are now is reading comprehension.
Example: Reading only the first paragraph of this post one can see it as limiting play - if one can read all of it one notes it addresses this issue.
I think I agree with Bryce here to a degree, but I also like the detail. I wish more of it was interactive though.
I think what it could use is a brutal editor. Cut that description down, excise the useless stuff and shorten the prose.
Also don't love the use of kobolds but that's just me.
📀🎠"Why do more creators use obviously machine generated art on their covers..."
💿🐎 "OSR tradition demands badly repurposed public domain etchings for cover art."
🛞🦄"A real RPGF product shouldn't have a cover ... just bullet points."
Let the joust begin!
Pretty. I fear the symmetry, size, and open floor plan (like so many real world buildings) would make for a small or boring dungeon.
Expand the thing to a monumental scale, collapse some walls, and brick up some openings maybe?
A thing I really want to see is a megadungeon designed for online, episodic(expedition) based play. That is designed around the idea that the party should leave after every 2-3 hour session. It's a hard thing. I got 4 levels into writing/running one and had to stop but, it's worth doing I think.
I've been taking a look back at Blueberry
A good dungeon!
Its design was revolutionary for the era, and is still excellent.
Its lower levels bring some of the weird, but it can be bland otherwise.
Its treasure amounts are also fairly low, and it lacks enough entrances/exits to be played "expedition" style.
Immortality awaits!
Keying in as little space as possible while still making something interesting:
alldeadgenerations.blogspot.com/2020/09/one-...
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On keying megadungeons specifically and generally about writing keys to connect to theme and create coherence
alldeadgenerations.blogspot.com/2022/12/dung...
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As an aside I've written a fair bit on keying adventures - I am a structured paragraph designer, and don't discuss bullet points but the ideas should still apply:
1) Designing for Interactivity
alldeadgenerations.blogspot.com/2025/06/dung...
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I'm in agreement here - trying to make design methods fight like WWF stars is tiresome. Usability, complexity, and emotional impact are always in tension with writing.
Good writers find the balance that works for their subject with their skills .. and readers still have preferences.
The Post-OSR is so tiresome ... let's fight about keying design.
Bullet point vs. paragraphs... framed as artistry vs. utility. Ugh.
1) We had this discussion in 2016-2019 - productively.
2) Information/Communication design depends on context and designer subjectivity.
3) There is no one true way.
The horror ... the horror...
I saw them live in a record store in maybe 2006 or 2009? Not sure - before they were in that robot movie.
I'm sure you're aware of the history of White Plum - it was basically the author's "let me write dungeons" pitch deck to TSR and they decided to just publish it.
I think it's interesting that it's all weird tricks and gimmicks - a glimpse into the focus of early design. Fun though. Great post.
Happy birthday friend. Glad you're still getting to play.
I spent literally entire rainy days playing this game in the late 80's on the C64. Usually against my neighborhood friends. So much beheading. Good sprite work and surprisingly fluid controls for the era.
Well deserved - an enormous amount of work and wonderful reminder of how big our tiny scene really is!
Why not both?
