Node-Based Megadungeon: Drilling Deeper

I thought I’d expand somewhat on the Node-Based Megadungeon Design I started yesterday.  I’d said the same processes and techniques are usable at multiple levels and that the nodes shown on the previous diagram can be expanded in a similar manner.

Time for me to show that.

I will point out that the initial megadungeon design (node graph) was just that. As I flesh out the individual nodes I have found that there are places the edges (links between nodes) should be changed.  I most add new ones, but there may be some others removed.

In each of the following pages I will present another graph for the specific node.  Each new node identifies an area of interest in the map, and

… vocabulary could be a challenge, since I’ve got ‘node’ as a legitimate term at multiple layers in this exercise.  This is what happens when things go fractal, I suppose.

Anyway, each node in the maps expanding the high-level nodes identifies a region of interest.  ‘White nodes’ are specific to the region, the shaded nodes actually indicate the nodes in the megadungeon graph.

I hope that makes sense.

• Abandoned Tower: Abandoned, broken-down wizard’s tower.
• Wolf Den: A large wolf pack bent on mayhem and domination of weaker creatures.
• Goblin Warren: Desperate goblin clan looking for a way to escape their erstwhile ‘allies’.
• Clockwork Hell: Mechanical madhouse, with lots of inexplicable machinery (and servitor automatons to protect and repair it).  I am suddenly reminded somewhat of Castle Heterodyne from Girl Genius, and of the ‘advanced civilization’ areas of recent Zelda games.
• Dwarven Safehold: Military base staffed by professional soldiers.  Not a lot of amenities, but dwarves don’t need them.
• Fungoid Cavern
• Aristothanes’ Sanctum [Mad Wizard’s Sanctum]: Sanctum of an eccentric wizard who wants to know “how everything works”, and is prepared to disassemble anything needed to figure this out.
• Pit of the Misshapen
• Aboleth Conclave Outpost: A sink of depravity and treachery, where those in power oppress their subordinates while appearing to work together until active betrayal becomes a viable path to power.
• Fane of Baalshamoth [Dark God’s Altar]: Alien source of knowledge, though the price is often misunderstood.
• Shalthazard the Pale