How To DM This %$@# And Other Questions When you download and read The Dungeon Land you may be suddenly gripped by its full, ​ ​ beautiful descriptions, surreal atmosphere, and enthralling plotline. You may think to yourself “Oh just they wait, next D&D session heads are gonna roll!”, but wait. We at Perilous Prints feel that a disclaimer is needed, a sort of DM warning, to make sure our little project doesn’t cause unnecessary problems for your play group. To that end we have included this short book; to answer questions, give advice, and aid the DM in running this clever trainwreck.

Inside this book you will find all the tables from The Dungeon Land organised into a helpful ​ ​ collection, a quick overview of when quests are obtained by the party, and a Q&A for dungeon masters running this material for the first time. It is requested that the dungeon master read the Q&A prior to running The Dungeon Land because it is not simply a tutorial, but contains ​ ​ necessary information about balancing the module and how to deal with the relevance of its contents to the rest of your game world. On the contrary, the tables and quests are discussed in short hand for the dungeon master who has already familiarised themselves with the module and do not wish to continuously cycle through an 80 page book.

Finally I would like to say a few words. To the dungeon master that ‘railroads’ their players along, to the player who rifles through the books for hours finding the rule that will give themselves an edge, to all those who believe that Dungeon and Dragons is about winning and doing what they want; turn back! This is not the dungeon for you. This is not the dungeon for ​ ​ anyone who places rules above fun, themselves over the group, or winning over playing. To those that are jaded, bored, and broken, who favor ‘darkness’ and ‘brutality’ to adventure and joy; turn back! This a land of wonder, and of hardship, and of companionship. Here the players find the story. Here you will find challenges beyond the influences of min-maxing. Here only a ​ ​ ​ party that behaves as a unit can survive. Here you will find dangers and villains reminiscent of ​ ​ cartoons and fairytales. The world that Dungeons and Dragons has created is about ​ ​ ​ imagination, togetherness, and balance. A world that we count ourselves, here at Perilous Prints, honored to experience with others. Treat the world right, and treat each other right. Now let me tell you how to DM this %$@#...

1 DMing Dungeon Land The Dungeon Land is very hard to DM. Between keeping track of quests, random encounters, mutation, traps, and generating the dungeon, not only can it take a while but it can become overwhelming. It gets easier, however. Over time, as the DM, you will begin to memorise the table locations and results and the time it takes to generate the dungeon will decrease.

But becoming fluent in the dungeon is not the biggest problem faced by Dungeon Land DMs. What a Dungeon Land DM must be able to do is weave a story. Listen to the dungeon and what it’s telling you; the random generation method can lead to interesting encounters no doubt, but even the most unique room needs the theatricality of the dungeon master to make it really sing. When encountering a room full of monsters, traps, and treasures, it is the dungeon master’s job make a story. Take for example, a room with multiple creatures; are they fighting, are they on a team? Whose treasure is it, and where did they get it? NPC’s being randomly encountered, magical pools found in rooms, and some of the more devious traps all allow for some really interesting storytelling if you keep your eyes open.

Now that the storytelling element of The Dungeon Land has been considered, next is the mechanical. The first thing to keep in mind is that you run the dungeon, not the other way around. This is not an excuse to control the dungeon, there is a real reason behind the dungeon ​ ​ ​ ​ master having an influence over the map. The dungeon master is indeed Lord Vecna, and keeps an active role in the dungeon, changing things as he sees fit. Looking at the dungeon through his eyes is different then through the eyes of an impartial DM. Problems that occur, questions without answers, and other threats to Dungeon Land, should be treated as variables that may change with your whims. This does not mean mess with your players or fudge rolls! This means that you are taking the place of Dungeon Lands creator, and the dungeon behaves as you wish it to. Here are some suggestions on using you influence.

The Rule of Reroll If something doesn't make sense, is causing problems, or is too strange or unfavorable, then reroll. Do not use this power too often, but it is a necessity in some cases. If the result of the reroll is still unfavorable, then pick a favorable option.

When your players begin Dungeon Land they may be the type that is respectful to their boundaries. They may not be. Some players, in our experience, may attempt to break through walls, ceilings, and floors. Attempting to find their own path, and are completely uninterested in what the dungeon has to offer under normal conditions. Players that purposefully attempt to derail or destroy Dungeon Land will be met will great opposition. Firstly, the walls are not walls! This may be frustrating and confusing to the players, but this is not of Vecna concern. The walls are boundaries of a world, the thin veil between Dungeon Land and nothingness. Dungeon Land is a collection of demi-planes, not a building as first it seems. Secondly, Vecna will defend his work. First by causing the monsters within the maze to focus troublesome individuals, then by granting those individuals unfavorable mutations, and finally by deletion (see monster

2 despawning). Note that this is a very extreme measure and is not to be done lightly. Only after it becomes clear that a player is wholly disinterested in the story and dungeon, seeking only to destroy.

This is a defense mechanism. Put in place to maintain the secret of Dungeon Lands falsehood. The people, the places, the creatures, the dungeon itself are all lies constructed by Vecna. This also defends the dungeon master, the questions of what and how lies beyond the walls, and what The Dungeon Land is are impossible to answer. If all else fails, and these questions must be answered, make it up. Change, adapt, and lie, this is the last solution to troublesome players. Do not be afraid to alter the dungeon or it peices. You control The Dungeon Land.

3 Quest Points Here we have gathered a short list of all the quests within The Dungeon Land, along with their triggers and fulfilments. This list is made so that the dungeon masters who have already familiarised themselves with the full quests can keep track of their group's progress. Through play testing we have become aware it is easy to forget a quest opening, or similar event, unless there is someway of being reminded.

Story quests are discussed first, however there is no guarantee that they will be started before side quests. Some quests begin at the same time, or end when others begin, and because of this some events will be of particular importance to the dungeon. Events such as discovering the top or bottom of The Dungeon Land, discovering or completing a Mini-Dungeon, or finding a Town.

Story Quests ❖ Not In Kansas Anymore Gained when entering The Dungeon Land Completed after defeating a mutant monster ❖ A Maze With No End Gained when entering a new biome the first time Completed after reaching the top or bottom biome ❖ A Light At The End Gained when entering a Town the first time Completed after a long rest in a Town ❖ We Need Your Help Gained when completing A Light At The End ​ Completed after finishing their first Mini-Dungeon ❖ Reaching For The Top Gained when attempting to find the Wizard Completed when arriving at the Mountains Biome ❖ The Edge Of The World Gained after finding Dragotha in her Mini-Dungeon Completed after defeating Dragotha ❖ The Wizard That Did It Gained after completing The Edge Of The World ​ Completed after confronting the Wizard ❖ Finding The Wizard Gained after completing The Wizard That Did It ​ Completed after interrogating the bust ❖ Into The Heart Of Darkness Gained after completing Finding The Wizard ​ Completed after reaching the Ocean Biome ❖ Slaying The World Eater Gained when attempting to enter The Wizard’s lair Completed after defeating the Tarrasque ❖ At Last We Meet Gained at the end Completed after surviving Dark Lord Vecna ❖ On Our Way Home (Epilogue)

Story quests are always alignment neutral; they require neither good nor evil actions to complete and do not require players to be of a certain alignment. Some side quests, however, have an alignment requirement, or are designed to be completed by a party of adventurers of a specific alignment.

4

Side Quests ❖ Fear No Evil Gained when discovering their first Mini-Dungeon Completed after beating all Mini-Dungeons ❖ How Many Roads (good) Gained after discovering their first Town Completed after discovering all Towns ❖ A Fish Out Of Water Gained after discovering their first Gate Completed after beating all Gates ❖ Legacy Of Achaikos (evil) Gained after pillaging a Town Completed after pillaging all Towns

If the dungeon master wishes they may create additional side quests for replay value or if they see a missed opportunity. It is important to keep the pacing up and give the players reason to move forward, but overwhelming players can also be a concern in The Dungeon Land. It is advised that the dungeon master modify the number of quests players have by adding and subtracting side quests until the pacing is right. Examples of quests might be slay a number of creatures of a specific type, escort an NPC back to town, or to defeat a challenging mutant foe.

5 The Dungeon Land Q&A Q: ​None of this fits with my setting! A: Although the material of The Dungeon Land is out of the ordinary, it is a closed system. None of the material inside the dungeon can escape without the players or dungeon master making it so. The emergence of The Dungeon Land will not change the political, military, or environmental landscapes of the setting, and in most cases the Wizard will keep the dungeon a secret. The Dungeon Land is simply a building from outside, able to be dropped into Faerun, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, or any other setting.

Q: ​You can’t involve Vecna! A: Vecna is powerful and extremely influential, even in the days before he was a god. From his days as a Wizard King, to his battle with the Lady of Pain, Vecna has dominated the scene; showing all others what is and what is not possible. Now, as a god, little has changed for Vecna; The Dungeon Land is simply another of his ploys.

Q: ​11 Artifacts, are you kidding me!? A: The Mini-Dungeons are extremely dangerous! By the point your group of adventurers is going to attempt a Mini-Dungeon it is likely that they will either die fast or deserve an artifact. That being said, we do not wish to infringe upon the rights of the dungeon master. If you don’t believe that your players deserve an artifact, believe that they don’t deserve one every Mini-Dungeon, or believe that an artifact is simply too much, then feel free to modify when or if they discover one. Artifacts are unique, and expecting that every settings artifacts can be found in The Dungeon Land is ridiculous.

Q: ​Great, my player has an immortal character... A: Magical Mutations are perplexing and difficult to get used to. Players can quickly amass many mutations and some, such as the Immortality mutation, are bull%$@#. However, they are ​ ​ not always beneficial to the creature. Some have integrated weaknesses as well as strengths, and others can be purely negative. If mutations begin to become too much of a boon or detriment, the dungeon master may wish to limit mutations. Limits on the number of mutations a creature may have, or restricting their function to within The Dungeon Land are both excellent solutions to this balancing problem.

Q: ​Are mutations permanent and always active even if the creature would be harmed by some unforeseen circumstance? A: Yes.

Q: ​ Is it better to pregenerate the dungeon or roll at the table? A: It is better to roll at the table, it gets easier and faster the more practice you get. Pregenerating isn't as fun and you have no idea where the Party is going to go.

6