The Original Dungeoneer RPG

Like many in middle school I started designing my fantasy heartbreaker when I was around 12. Anyone who is a DM becomes a game designer as soon as they start modifying the 'official' rules. One concern I have about the current batch of players of 5e is that they seem to have an even more devotion to the letter of the official rules than any of the 'rules lawyers' from my youth. I know, that's one of those "kids these days..." sentiment from an old man. So as long as they are having fun and exercising their imaginations it is all good.

This game that eventually became the Dungeoneer card game lived most of its life as a pseudo-RPG. I say pseudo because it was always kind of boardgame like in its design philosophy. I didn't know it at the time, I was just trying to make something fun and interesting to play. It very naturally evolved into a card game. Still, I wonder what it would be like to finish that RPG I started back then. A major motivation in becoming an illustrator was so I could illustrate my own games. Looking back at those old drawings is painful as all I see is how to draw them better. But I suppose there is a certain old-school charm to them.

Here is a scanned in page from one of my attempts to actually lay the RPG out with art. I was still enamored with the 3-column layout that was popular in the era of TSR modules that I think started around the time of the first Dragonlance modules. Now I find that format too cramped and ungainly. This was originally laid out back when I was just learning about desktop publishing in Aldus Pagemaker, which Adobe bought and turned into InDesign.

How Many Barsoomian Mars RPG's Are There?

Fans of Edgar Rice Burrough's classic Mars novels (barely novella length by today's standards) have it good these days with several high quality fan made and official Barsoom inspired RPG's. This wasn't so until somewhat recently.

Before Warriors of the Red Planet the only Burrough's RPG material was few and far between, there was the ill-fated Warriors of Mars by TSR that was quickly squashed by the Burrough's estate. Which wasn't really an RPG, it was a miniatures war game. There were a few other wargames with some RPGish elements like John Carter Warlord of Mars and John Carter Warlord of Mars ... yeah, really and they came out a year apart. But the influence of ERB and his incredible imagination could be felt all across the world of tabletop gaming.

Recently Polyhdral Nonsense compiled a good list of current Barsoomian RPGs with some addendum by commentators here:

Polyhedral Nonsense

btw. While looking up the links for this post I stumbled across my old review of the Disney John Carter movie, which I gave pretty positive marks. I stand by that review, especially when compared to what they've done with Star Wars since then.

Dungeoneer Roleplaying Game

For some time I worked on a tabletop roleplaying game version of Dungeoneer. The design got quite far in various directions, but kept hitting some roadblocks. With some frustration the project was set aside, occasionally revisited, but never quite finished.

I still get asked from time to time what has become of the Dungeoneer RPG. So, to answer that question the "beta" version of the RPG is now available as a free download. The book is as much a world bible as it is an RPG, there are lots of interesting bits of lore that tie in with the flavor text on the Dungeoneer cards. If you are interested in getting your own PDF copy you can download it on DriveThruRPG.

Here is the link:

Adventures in Tarnys

I'm Running a Demo at Gamescape in San Rafael

Game #2 – A Darklord Emerges!
World of Dungeoneer 3-5 Players
GM - Thomas Denmark
Mon Jan 30

The Darklord and his minions are marching across the freelands of Tarnyss. A ragged band of heroes is all that stands between enslavement and peace. You can defeat the Darklord by beating back his armies, by crushing his dungeon strongholds, or by destroying the artifact of evil that gives power to the Darklord. You will face impossible quests and overcome heroic challenges to win – or you will die trying…

World of Dungeoneer is an RPG-like boardgame set in a grim fantasy world. It is based on the popular card game series published by Atlas Games. At the start of each game, a “Darklord” card is chosen who is trying to conquer the world with his evil minions: Angrihm the Lich King and his Undead Hordes, Nakari the Queen of Darkness and her legion of Naga maidens, or Umbar the Golem Lord and his mechanized horde. Players work cooperatively against the game. The war rages on both a giant world map where armies battle, and small dungeon maps where special Quests are completed by the players’ characters. Run by the famed artist and creator of the Dungeoneer card game, this will be a great chance to try it out before it hits the shelves!

Working on Layout

The final document for Dungeoneer Deluxe, simply called "Hero's Guide" is now in layout. There are still some loose ends to tie up in the back end of the book, various things like using other Dungeoneer sets with it and some optional rules. But I can really start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This is a huge milestone in the long saga of developing this game.

Still have some illustrations to finish for the cards themselves. By some of course I mean lots. :)

Mistress of Illusion

One of the fascinating things about product development is refining the components that will come in that product. There are a lot of factors, not only the game design which is the primary motivation. But also the cost of materials, the opportunities for higher quality components if you just adjust the design a little, and any number of other little things.

Since Dungeoneer Deluxe has been in development for so long, I've reached the point where I really want to publish it and get it out to you! I don't like the word compromise, I prefer to think of it as practicality, but I have been focusing on taking this design that has been worked on for so long and making sure it can be published. What this means is that instead of being "vaporware" it will someday, soon, be a real product.

Gvandir

The greatest hero in the mythos of Tarniss - the grim fantasy world of Dungeoneer - is Gvandir. He is a mighty paladin who defeated the forces of Lashtar, demon lord of the abyss, in an epic battle. He sealed their defeat with the eternal whirlstorm over the island of Bandimar that prevents the demon hordes of the abyss from returning to Tarniss. This is a drawing I did of Gvandir battling the demon hordes, it is intended to be an interior illustration for Dungeoneer Deluxe.

Torchiere

Some time ago I did a drawing of a concept for Torchiere. A card that had the effect of dealing damage over a series of turns agains undead. While the card mechanics itself has changed over the course of many playtests, the illustration I did for it has remained essentially the same. This is a drawing I did and recently inked for an interior illustration in Dungeoneer Deluxe.

This drawing was inspired by a card from Wrath of the Serpent Goddess: Torchiere Corpse.

Interior Art

To me, the interior art of the Dungeoneer Deluxe booklets is every bit as important as the art on the cards. The interiors must be black & white due to printing restrictions, but I believe b&w art can be every bit as compelling as color art. Even more so in some circumstances. The limitations of b&w art and the stark feeling it creates can often lead to more compelling illustration in some circumstances. I have done quite a bit of pen & ink work for the interior illustrations of Dungeoneer Deluxe. One of my biggest influences goes way back to the early days of D&D: Dave Trampier. His inking style, and storytelling skills are an inspiration to me.

I have done a number of illustrations for Dungeoneer Deluxe using a brush trying to get that wonderful thick-to-thin quality Trampier achieved in his beautiful illustrations.

This scene depicts a warrior leaping in midair and a wizard disposing of some pesky skeletons in a deadly dungeon.

Shadowhaven Dragon

I wonder what the stats are on this little beastie?

A Review of the Original Dungeoneer

In 2003 a little game called Dungeoneer was published. I poured my heart and soul into the game, and it was incredibly difficult to make. I had this idea: a genuine dungeon crawl in a deck of cards. The game was well received, probably what the movie industry would call a "cult hit". It made enough money that I was compelled to create additional sets, but never enough that I could quit my full time job. I was just rereading this review by Shannon Applecline, who has been a supportive Dungeoneer reviewer from the beginning. It brought back old memories and is inspiring me to make the Dungeoneer RPG (which will probably be released as "Dungeoneer Deluxe") the best I can make it.

http://www.boardgameinfo.com/review/9/9195-Dungeoneer%3A-Tomb-of-the-Lich-Lord

Palanthion

Palanthion is the capitol of Dolmaranthuz - the most powerful empire in Tarniss. It boasts the tallest castle-palace in the world, home to emperor Kaelus the great. If you are a citizen of Dolmaranthuz, an "imperial", you are afforded special privileges that no foreigners get - access to the socialized system of the empire.

You may notice some subtle changes to the map card layout. I think it adds to the legibility of the map cards, and makes the game better. (the final Peril/Glory value of the card hasn't been settled yet, so I've left that off. Playtesting, playtesting...this game needs to be awesome).

Leaf Nosed Dragon

Another card preview for the Dungeoneer RPG. This is a Leaf Nosed Dragon. They can be found in the heights of the Shadowhaven mountains, though they occasionally reside in deep forests, particularly when brooding.

Here is a detail of the illustration:

Yep, I flipped it for the card. Many of my illustrations are done digitally, but for the Dungeoneer RPG I'm trying to do as many in real paint (acrylics) as I have time for. This one is 10"x14" acrylic on Arches hot press watercolor block.

Character Sheet Sampler

A Dungeoneer RPG character sheet. Human Warrior at 1st level with 1 melee, 0 magic, 2 speed, 6 life, 7 peril, 8 glory. His culture is "Ancient" and his calling is "Renown".

 

Character Sheet Sampler

With each revision the Character Sheets having gotten simpler, tighter, and more refined. We've boiled the game down to its essence without losing any verisimilitude. This has been one of the most difficult parts to design. Creating a Character is now 3 Steps:

1. Deal a Character Sheet to each player. (analogous to "class")
2. Deal 1 Culture card to each player. (somewhat analogous to "race")
3. Deal 1 Calling card to each player. (vaguely analogous to "alignment")

Done!

Here is a sample of some of the Character Sheets that will be included in the set:

I'm particularly happy with the way all your stats are tracked on a single bar at the top of the sheet where it is easy for everyone to see. Peril, Glory, Melee, Magic, Speed, Life - all on 1 tracker.

Happy Easter

Melee Attribute

One of the important translations from the card game to an RPG is to establish the basic abilities of the character. In traditional roleplaying games these are strength, intelligence, wisdom, etc. each with specific game values. Dungeoneer RPG uses a very similar, simplified version of these by converting Melee, Magic, and Speed into basic attributes for the character.

Melee
Melee represents physical strength, combat ability, and overall physical prowess of your Hero. It is a combination of brute muscle strength, combat ability and resistance to physical harm.  Melee is used in Tests which represent entanglement, poisoning, grappling, or other feats of strength, constitution and fortitude.  Melee is used in any kind of physical combat. Coming out ahead in a trade of sword blows, hitting a target with a thrown rock, or getting the timing right to deliver a swift kick to the tender parts of your enemy’s body all rely upon Melee. Many of the challenges you will face will be based on Melee. Paladins and Warriors rely on Melee.

Bard

The Dungeoneer RPG has six core classes, we've already looked at the Warrior. This week we take a look at the multi-talented, lyrical, Bard. In Dungeoneer the Bard fulfills the roll of team support member. Not as powerful in combat or magic as other classes, the Bard works best in a team where she can encourage the other members to greatness.

Bard
You are a wandering minstrel and keeper of lore. Your music can inspire allies and destroy the morale of enemies. Your singing voice is attuned so that it can influence the fields of magic that permeate the world. This gives you some spell casting ability.

Bards are multi-talented performers, adventurers, and dabblers in magic.  They study the oral histories of cultures, through song and tales. They have a broad range of skills ranging the spectrum from common thievery to the hidden knowledge of arcane lore.  You may not be as powerful in battle as others, but your many abilities make you handy in many situations. 


Lyric: a chosen ally gets +1 to all attacks this turn.
Battle Hymn: all allies get either +1 Melee or +1 Magic this turn.
Symphony: at the end of each combat round, all allies recover 1 Life. A symphony lasts the duration of the encounter.
Academy: you establish a music school that attracts followers to your style of music, these followers are extremely loyal to you.

Empire of the Domains mini-game

One of the things I miss from the early days of playing role-playing games is the sense that your hero was becoming important in the world. I don't mean just saving the world or traveling to other dimensions and slaying demi-gods. We played for the goal of your character eventually becoming "name level" and earning a castle and land to rule.

Another thing I enjoy is when your character can make a permanent change in the world. Once an evil tyrant was deposed that nation would be changed by the leader who replaced the tyrant, or sometimes that replacement leader would be you! This is often referred to as an "end game", and it seems that fantasy RPG's have very much lost their end game. Nowadays it's all about gaining levels and getting more powerful stuff. Cool things to be sure! But where is the satisfaction of completing a campaign? Maybe in this day and age it is too hard for a majority to keep their gaming group together long enough to play through a whole campaign. Or maybe rpg's are so fun nobody wants the campaign to end. Whatever the reasons I think there is room for this style of play to return.

With the Dungeoneer RPG being able to have a regular meeting time is less of an obstacle. Much like how a boardgame is played in 1 session, Dungeoneer RPG can be played in a single session, or generally as few as 2-3. But still maintaining the satisfaction of a campaign. This makes the end game an imperative.

The end game for Dungeoneer RPG is a little mini-wargame called "Empire of the Domains". Your heroes accomplish world domination one nation at a time by defeating evil tyrants, slaying horrible beasts, even by leading armies to victory. Eventually your hero will be a king, a clan leader, or rule a wizard's guild. This progress is tracked on the world map where the side your heroes choose will slowly take over the world one region at a time as you succeed in your adventures. These sides can be classic good, neutrality, or evil, or whatever factions your gaming group chooses to come up with.

Upon achieving 10th level your hero will join the immortal ranks of great heroes before him or her, and the world will be forever changed.

Dungeoneer RPG layout

First I want to thank all of those who send emails encouraging me to complete the Dungeoneer RPG. You don't know how much your emails mean to me. If you have any Dungeoneer questions don't hesitate to ask: tldenmark at gmail dot com

Dungeoneer fan Michael Klein asks "Hello, I am writing to inquire about whether or not the Dungeoneer RPG project was still alive."

Thank you Michael for your question. It is an important one. The Dungeoneer RPG has been in development at least since 1995, and a beta version was available for a few years through Lulu.com. It is no wonder that 5 years later Dungeoneer fans may wonder if a published RPG will ever be released.

Each Dungeoneer expansion I have ever made has been a bit like giving birth, okay, that's hyperbole. But, creating 55 or so unique pieces of art in addition to a well designed card set that is fun is no easy task. But, I've complained enough about the challenges of game design on this here blog. You want results, not excuses!

With each Dungeoneer set I like to convince myself that I am increasing the quality of the design and art. And the RPG is the ultimate expression of that philosophy. Is that true though? It is easy as an artist and designer to sit here in the shelter of my studio and tell myself I'm making this better than any Dungeoneer set, but I know when this is published the various forums and blogs will tell me the truth whether I have succeeded in making a compelling game experience or not (Den of the Wererats, great job Thomas! Epic: Call of the Lich Lord, not so much. At least you redeemed yourself with Wrath of the Serpent Goddess.).

I love designing and illustrating this game. I love it so much that I keep spending more time creating art, designing, and laying out pages. But eventually it has to get out the door and to the printing press or all the work is for naught. So I want to say emphatically that yes I intend to publish this game. I don't have any illusions about revolutionizing the industry or making a hit game, this is simply a labor of love and all I hope for is that others have fun playing it.

So, to give this post something substantial, worth your precious time to peruse, here is a layout test I recently did. This is the chapter heading for Character Races in the Player's Guide. Enjoy.