My Paul Jaquays collection grows, but with a sad realization

Yesterday I got a package in the mail. It wasn't a White Box, but it was very cool, namely The Enchanted Wood by Paul Jaquays! Since it is considered his best work by himself, and he is a very well regarded adventure designer I was quite keen on getting hold of it. The last time it showed up on eBay it was very expensive, so I got lucky.

Since I have quite some time to spend every morning on commuter trains, I took the scenario with me and read some of it. The parts I have read closely are very good. The parts I have just skimmed look very good. All well that ends well, right? It would make a short post if that was the end of it.

The bad news is that the very cool idea behind this adventure is the very same I have been developing myself, for an adventure I was going to release later this year! Personally I was so proud of that one. It had the proper sense of wonder, and also some atmospheric and moody setting pieces I had hoped would blow your socks off. Now it's already done.

Well, nothing really is new under the sun, is it? Now I wonder if this means I should let my project slide into oblivion. Paul is a way better adventure designer than me, that's for sure. The Enchanted Wood is not exactly widely read (is it?) and is out of print, so I am thinking that maybe it can be redone. The question is of course how much it can be like his adventure with it all looking silly and derivative. I will have to think on that one.

Quite annoying, but fun as well! Great minds think alike, eh?

Designing a new dungeon - Named Areas

I have started a bunch of new projects lately. Anger have caused springs of creativity to spring forth, and now I have a few adventures lined up and maybe even a few more ambitious things.

Since I love the exploration style of adventuring in a big and exciting dungeon I started to plan, design and draw with a megadungeon in mind. Maybe I'll scale it back a bit, or it will have to be something I'll tinker with for a long time.

If you have searched the web for articles on megadungeon design you have probably already found much of the solid advice there is, so I'm not going to try to sound like I have anything new and revolutionary to add. But, I'll write about a nice way to invent a few of those places in a dungeon that stand out and feel a bit special.

Anyone who have read of old school dungeons probably have noticed that there are names areas which makes you wonder what might lurk there. The Black Reservoir is one of those names. Now you can make those yourself! Check out this wonderful blog post with some handy Named Areas charts!

I bet you would love to know what The Gate of the Deadly Harem Slime Ladies or The Mysterious Cave Lagoon of Copper Blood is? Me too. I'm making it up, and sooner or later you might find out. Slime Ladies? Yep.