So, people have asked me to work on Advanced Fantasy Dungeons (name TBC) in public, so, based on my close reading of the PHB, DMG, and some splatbooks from Second Edition, I’m going to start developing some systems here on Playful Void.

So, recapping my principles:

• Roll dice intentionally
• Draw systems to their logical conclusions
• Simplify using these concluded systems
• Remain in the intent and spirit of the original
• Excise discrimination
• Consider the role of the expanded product line in the games identity

I’m expecting a series of interlocking or sibling systems that will need to be hashed out initially and then re-considered in light of each other before there’ll be a playable beta. I’ll start with sketching out these milestones, to break a significant task into manageable chunks. I’m focusing on rules here, not on principles, so a lot of cool things in the read through won’t be documented until a later pass. I’ve given each section a theme as well, based on the read-through, to keep me focused on what the subsystem is for.

Basic principles

• Timekeeping
• Checks
• Bonuses
• Pools (Advantage/Disadvantage)
• Clocks
• Devils bargains

Player Characters (Theme: Unique Capabilities)

• Creation
  • Ability Scores, Associated Statistics and Proficiencies
  • Heritage and Classes
  • Alignment & Ethos
• Play
  • Experience
    • Class
    • Session
    • Desperation
  • Formative Experiences and Advancement
  • Equipment & Encumbrance
  • Living conditions
  • Magic
  • Patron NPCs

Exploration (Theme: Risk and reward)

• Wilderness travel
• Environmental challenges
• Vision
• Surprise
• Encounter design
  • Wilderness exploration and random encounters
  • Dungeon exploration and wandering monsters

Combat (Theme: Chaos not tactics)

• Initiative
• Attacking
• Defending
  • Saving throws
  • Armour and magic resistance
  • Morale
  • Health

Social (Theme: Words are mightier than the sword)

• Attitudes
• Reactions
• Reputation

Intrigue (Theme: Substantial Investments, Insubstantial Threats)

• Followers and Lieutenants
• Landowning (Strongholds)
• Noble Title and Military Office
• Ruling a Domain
• Downtime

War (Theme: Reshaping Borders)

• Orders and Movement
• Troop Quality
• Supply Chain
• Strike Forces
• Battle Resolution
• Risks and Rewards

Campaigns (Theme: Living world, Superficial Preparation)

• Multi-character, multi-party
  • Keeping time
  • Making maps
  • Acting factions
  • Telling secrets
• World Supporting
  • 0-Level characters
  • Sketches and portraits
  • Societal and religious ethos
  • Treasure
  • Changing money values

I knew this was big, but wow. Maybe insurmountable. I’ll just work on things as they dawn on me, I’ll drop a system in and a system out, and when I reach a critical mass I may start going back and reworking them in the light of new systems. I suspect this is going to get unwieldy soon in terms of linking back to previous posts, so I’ll stop trying and figure out how to index on a blog. I don’t know if this list will remain accurate, but we’ll have to come back and summarise eventually, and that will be an interesting retrospective!

There are other important things from this the read-through unaddressed: Safety, Expectations, World-Building. I think I’ll be putting those on hold for now, and coming back to them.

The other question I need to ask myself: If this is an alternate universe edition, and I’m not aiming for textual fidelity, how much leeway do I give myself as a designer, to fill gaps in the design? What I perceive as significant additions or necessary gap-fills are italicised in the list above.

Let me know your thoughts (if you have any), here or on twitter. This is interesting, and I’m interested in other peoples opinions, particularly if I’ve missed things, or overstated things, or understated them!

Idle Cartulary,

30th March 2022