OSR: Running Maienstein / Stonehell

Why Stonehell?

It's tough to assemble a game. My aim is to prepare one where the goal is clear, the rules are light and streamlined, and there's a big enough player base interested in playing games. This will be my first megadungeon run, and I choose Stonehell. Here's why:

• It's dirt cheap. ~6$ for a 138 page megadungeon PDF. ~13$ for the softcover version (the first half of Stonehell, that is). I got both. Good and to-the-point writing. And if we get through that? There's a second tome detailing lower levels with the second part of the dungeon.
• Layout is praised. And I can see why. It follows the one-page dungeon format. Seems like it would be fairly easy to run out of the book, with minimal page-flipping or rewriting.
• Familiarity and gradual descent to strangeness. It covers the "trope" monsters and challenges one expects from a D&D game. This is good to introduce new players to the hobby. But it also gets weirder the deeper we get into the megadungeon. I like this design choice to not go full gonzo from the beginning.
• It's got decent coverage on reddit/blogs/discords to the point that I can seek advice and guidance from the great minds on the internet.

I started running two tables of low frequency play-by-post through Discord.

This thing contains spoilers (duh..) to the Stonehell module. If you're sensitive to them, stop reading and go do something else.

 

Backdrop Setting

The premise for the game will be that player's are in an outpost town (let's call it Priebe), a good 2 days travel away from the biggest city, Maienstein. Region is full of dwarves, Maienstein being originally ruled by them. The city has contracted the Gold Griffon Curio Corporation to recover treasure from Stonehell, to finance their upcoming war against the rival port city of Seciras.

This gives me the chance to introduce an alternative for players bored of the megadungeon, and reaching a high level to go off rails. Joining a mercenary company in the upcoming war, abandoning Stonehell altogether, going into the politics of Seciras. And more importantly, a strong motivation of why the dwarves of Maienstein don't take care of plundering the riches of Stonehell themselves.

I will keep the distance from Priebe to Stonehell at 1/2 a day, and have a random encounter check to get there and back (x-in-y chance). This should be a mutating random table reflecting interesting humanoids, bandits, beasts or simple travelers, that spice up the game. Objective is not to keep the game out of Stonehell (that would be an error), but paint a picture of the setting (without front loading!) and that traveling is dangerous.

Minor Change

Level 1 of Stonehell features Kobolds and other staples of low-level adventuring. I'm fine with that focus on tropes, and will embrace it. But I will replace Kobolds with Molekin, and make them a deal more organized and unique. I dislike the 5e kobolds as little dragonkin. And it's a way to imprint the Ancestries I decided for Maienstein. Why kobolds? Choose the cute disgusting little buggers instead.

Molekin evolution, by Manuel Castañón

Rules

For ease of entry, rules will be my Knave hack, Knave++.

Keeping a reference document  available online at all times for the players is extremely important. With the rules, table etiquette, tone, and expectations too. This can be referenced during game (price lists, rules), used for character creation, etc.

There's no better advice than to eat your own dog food. At least 2-3 mechanics I want to tweak already. Inconsistencies can be ironed out. Players and friends can give excellent advice. I'm glad and blessed we can work on the game as we go.

I'm also putting together a Referee's Guide for Knave++. Which is nothing else than a compilation of my favorite mechanics and practical advice on how to run a game. Overloaded encounter die, mechanics, etc.

In this discussion we get some advice on tracking turns for depleting resources and random encounter checks when exploring a dungeon complex. Food rations, water, torches, lamp oil, etc. This is very important for this type of game. Luckily, Stonehell already has encounter tables for each section of the dungeon, and I will be using the overloaded encounter die mechanic.

Learning to Megadungeon

 

... one level at a time

Cohesiveness is important, and frankly seems to be the selling point for such a campaign. Especially when comparing to a fun-house dungeon or a smaller dungeon. Levels should have themes, in its inhabitants, architecture, and current state.

Restocking tables, to keep things fresh. If the PCs explore and clean of monsters an area, it should remain alive. Don't want to keep the PCs "cleaning" the same level over and over again, but the environment changes and mutates.
Pg 9 of Stonehell has some basic guidelines on how to restock the dungeon, and remain it an ever-changing environ.
Each level can have its own theme, but there should be a cross-section. Short cuts. Loops. Vertical connectors.

This article is a good write-up with advice on how to run these kind of games. Key takeaways are:

1. Decide on grid vs loose mapping (and more importantly, who is doing that, the players, the referee?).
   This point is the one that's biting my ass at the moment. The game will be fully online, using Discord as the platform of choice.
   It would be fairly easy for me to clean the dungeon maps from the PDF, remove room keys, and use fog of war or similar.
   But that might be too forgiving for the players.
   So if we want to draw a map (and account for a PC or hireling doing so!), what best? I doodle the map? Should the players draw my painstaking descriptions? I have no answer.
2. Make sure there are enough loops, and branches present informed choices for the players.
   Stonehell design leans to this structure already.
   During the game, I have to remind myself to present choices to the players.
   An interesting trick is to provide maps/rumors, and the mole market of level 1 could be excellent for that.
3. Random encounters should be more interesting than "2d6 kobolds molekin".
   Maybe tying them to factions in the megadungeon?
   Additional roll for flavor/situation and lookup on separate table?
   How much content can I generate on the fly without over-saturating?
4. Traps should be interesting enough to encourage interaction, but safe enough to avoid skipping them be the default behavior.
   This link provides additional traps for the megadungeon.
• ... on a similar note, secret doors should be explained in the environment, and another opportunity for interaction with the environment. 
• ... there should be an obvious benefit for trying to interact/overcome the trap.
  Be it treasure, a door, a key. Show 'em the carrot!

Certainly there's a lot more to learn about the fine art of running a megadungeon like a boss.
But baby steps, these 4 pointers (+ tracking of player resources via turns) seem like an ambitious but logical first goal.

Given the price of the softcover, I will use it as a workbook, and just go all crazy on it. Color-mark entries (monsters=yellow, traps=green, treasure=blue) on each dungeon section page. And add post-its for each major section. This will help me reference the material when running, and spotting rooms quickly.

Take them markers out, pal!

Logistics

Justin Alexander has a series of great articles about running an open table.
They provide a great framework for me to phrase and write down the logistics to this campaign.

• Quick Character Creation & Easy Access Systems: Knave is perfect for this! Sprinkling a couple extra random tables (Ancestry for instance) to bring forward even more OSR
• Open Group Formation: not really the case here. But megadungeons are great it a player decides to drop off the game. Knave characters are mostly defined by their equipment (and in our case, an Ancestry and couple Knacks). So no big issue if the thief is sitting out this delve, just purchase the right equipment and cover for them.
• Default Goal & Default Action: get treasure. Get it from Stonehell. Spend it for XP. Simple. Clean.
• Regenerative / Extensible Content: Stonehell comprises two books, at about 280ish pages of megadungeon to explore. Pg. 10 mentions there are several opportunities to add extra custom levels/rooms (which I could do if I wanted). Restocking too. Frankly, there's plenty of game in here. Running out of content is not within my worries.

We are doing most of the game on Discord, with rolls done with a bot, and we have a game wiki to store the character sheets and most important information.

The biggest pain I have at the moment is with regards to mapping. Roll20 is nice as it lets me share a full blown grid map, but is very overblown for the task, and not mobile friendly (and a lot of times players post on their phones). For now I'm using google drawings, and looking for better alternatives. 

Campaign Time Management and upkeep costs during downtime will be winged, assuming PCs have a place to stay and basic food at Priebe. A 300 day calendar (10 30-day months) seems sensible, and is easy to remember. In-game time during a megadungeon should stay fairly low, so I'm not too worried about continuity. Characters returning to Priebe will be enforced to cash in loot for XP, although I could allow an outpost if the players are really clever and resourceful about it.

Unsorted To Do List

Games are pretty much started, but in early stages. Very early ones. The we-are-exploring-the-canyon stage. But I'm having a blast so far. And the PbP is very suited for this sort of megadungeon play. Content will be added and fleshed out pretty much as we go. So here is a short list of things that should get done (I will link in case any develop to their own post):

• Finalize the Referee's Guide to Knave++.
• Find a bloody mapping solution! For Discord and mobile play.
• Regional hexmap of the Stonehell area in the Maienstein area. Good excuse to finally use HexKit.

Knave Ancestries for Maienstein / Stonehell

A setting can be informed and presented to the players through several means. Probably the worst one is prescriptive, with a lot of given names, and with pages and pages of (for play mostly) irrelevant lore. What happens at the table is key. What directly concerns the characters is key. The rest, although interesting for the referee to build, takes a distant second stage.

One excellent way to create a setting is answering Jeff's 20 questions, which I am a big fan of.

Another complimentary one is with the available list of Ancestries (I personally prefer this to the term Race). Ancestry should be rolled for, and not chosen. The campaign's available Ancestries inform the civilizations present in the country/continent/barony, and we can distribute that with the dice choice. 2d6 is excellent. The following table is adapted from this Skerples table.

The following table is meant for my Knave hack for a Stonehell megadungeon game I have in the workings (see games I want to run). It informs the Maienstein region within Five Towns, full of dwarves and mountains. Players choose their Ancestry randomly by rolling. It also shows the likelihood for someone of said Ancestry to become an adventurer, dungeon delver or treasure hunter (or in the case of Fauns and Jotuns, there simply aren't many of them). Below there are visual hints, a bit more description, and facts about each Ancestry in my Maienstein - Five Towns setting. I hope to get this Stonehell game ready soon!

2d6	Ancestry	Improved*	Bonus	Malus
2	Faun	CHA	Eat half as many rations	Cannot tell the direct, blunt truth
3	Spiderling	INT	Can secrete 30' of rope per day	Cannot see more than 30'
4-5	Dwarf	CON	No penalties for broken or hilly terrain	Pervasive, unique stink
6-8	Human	Choice	Start with 1 extra Dungeoneering Gear item	Disadvantage to resist being mutated or transformed
9-10	Halfling	DEX	Can have 2 Snacks** per day instead of 1	-2 Inventory Slots
11	Molekin	WIS	Can crawl through narrow spaces	Save vs Fear when alone
12	Jotun	STR	Can see details at a great distance	Massive. Disadvantage to stealth rolls

* An Improved stat means that at character generation you give a +1 to the relevant stat.
** Snacks in this context is basically eat a ration to regain some HP, a little rule of my Knave hack Knave++

2 - Faun

Fey touched creature, by Oliver Wetter

 Elder Faun, by Darya Kozhemyakina

 

• Lifespan: up to 200 years, adulthood at around age 30.
• Size: most Fauns go above 6 feet tall, with slender and thin figures. They don't need much food. Some rumor they feed on other creatures' truths.
• Sample Names: Ekaraj, Yadav, Praveen, Uttam, Rojina, Nikeeta.
• Features:
• Antlers on the head and hooves instead of feet. Pointy ears due to their obvious Fey lineage.
• A mock within Fey society, but mystic and respected within mortals. Since Elves became almost extinct, Fauns are slowly taking their place as graceful alien creatures from another place.

3 - Spiderling

A Spiderling called Sister, by Bearded Devil

 

• Lifespan: (same as a Human) up to 70 years. When a Spiderling dies they turn to webs, which ultimately crumble to dust. Their souls return to the ether web, to be cleansed of any memory, and return as a new egg to start a new life.
• Size: average at about 5 feet tall.
• Sample Names: Abby, Nicolette, Clothilde, Laetitia, Victoire.
• Features:
• Many eyes, and with that many inputs it makes it hard to process. Therefore a Spiderling's sight is considerably weak. Huge bottom, due to their spider heritage.
• Spiderlings are linked to each other by the ether web, and can connect telepathically to one another. They share this trait as a hive-mind.
• Their sex is fluid and non-binary. A Spiderling can change it at a thought's notice to whatever suits their wishes.

4 - 5 Dwarf

 

Dwarf by Sergio Artigas

• Lifespan: on average a Dwarf lives up to 300 years. However, dying of old age is proof of a life not lived to the fullest, and is seen as a disgrace. Greybeard being a derogatory term. As a consequence war, drink and smoke are performed to the fullest.
• Size: between 4 and 5 feet.
• Sample Names: Ulrik, Harnof, Ilga, Olov, Alvin, Lizette.
• Features:
• Stocky and heavy, with secure footing.
• Admirable resistance to drugs and narcotics, which they gladly put to the test at any chance.
• Both male and female boast over their impressive beards. They might be hard to tell apart for Humans.

6 - 8 Human

 

Always ready! Humans by Charles Lin

• Lifespan: on average a Human lives up to 70 years, although lifespan varies greatly.
• Size: between 5 and 6 feet tall. But humans come in many shapes and forms.
• Sample Names: (in the Maienstein region) Eros, Mendaur, Didako, Ibon, Antonia, Latxa.
• Features:
• Capable of the best and the worst, humans are versatile and work best in groups.
• They helped consolidate Five Towns as a distant region of the Itean Empire, the obedient ants of Nemes, the Immortal Empress.

9 - 10 Halfling

Halfling by Cale Fortin

 

• Lifespan: Halflings live up to around 90 years of age. Larger lifespan than Humans, but shorter than other Ancestries.
• Size: average of about 3 feet, they are light and nimble. Obviously, hairy feet.
• Sample Names: (same as Humans) family name is far more important: Ironheart, Buttercheeks, Potter, Nimblefeet, Jamjar.
• Features:
• Nimble and petite, halflings are in general weak due to their size.
• Jovial and talkative. Surprisingly loud voice. The center of any party. Some find that amusing, others abrasive.
• Halflings integrate well into any society and civilization, and are seen as a necessary boost to morale in any group, town, or city.
  

11 - Molekin

Molekin evolution, by Manuel Castañón

 

• Lifespan: Molekin are short lived given their high mortality rate. Known to die at around 60 years on the rare instance of passing away of old age.
• Size: between 2 and 4 feet tall, they average at around 3 feet.
• Sample Names: Snot, Pimple, Cough, Stye, Rash.
• Features:
• Stronger than their size might suggest.
• Molekin live in large communities underground (tunnels, abandoned dungeons, mines, etc.), where they spread like vermin. Isolation breaks their minds.
• Molekin gladly take leftover jobs of any society: tending to sewers, cleaning stables or piling fertilizers. Hard time integrating.

12 - Jotun

Jotun Hunter, by Mark Hretskyi

 

• Lifespan: Jotuns live exactly 100 years. As they age, their bodies start to slowly turn into stone. A Jotun dying of old age is a culmination of this process, and their statues are priced treasures within Jotun society.
• Size: Jotuns have the blood of Giants flowing through their veins. Ancient unattended children of these behemoths, they boast a considerable size between 7 and 8 feet.
• Sample Names: Boulder, Tusk, Flint, Drift, Mist, Steam. Jotuns take as name the first object they remember from their childhood.
• Features:
• Tall and strong, very acclimated to great heights.
• Eyesight as good as an eagle's. Some have antlers, others don't.
• Jotuns live in sparse remote areas, and are suspicious of intruders, strangers, and travelers alike.

Castle Nowhere 20 Q&A

The Q&A dynamic by means of Jeff Rients 20 questions is a good gauge to see how a setting shakes. I handed this to my players at the start of the new campaign, Castle Nowhere, as an introduction to the world as a whole. Most of the action will take place in Grimewood, so that's where I focused on when answering.
This will be a hack between Into the Dungeon and GLOG.

1) What is the deal with my cleric's religion?
You can worship Nemes. Immortal empress of the Itean Empire.
You can worship the Crescent Sisters, whose origin is whimsical and misunderstood. They stand for nature and beauty. Their symbol are the moons.
You can worship The Open Eye, an order of holy zealots that seek justice above all, and see magic as a sin to be corrected. Their numbers are low, but are expanding from Diremouth.
You can worship The Voyager, a progressive demigod fond of travel, wealth and commerce.
You can worship the Maggot Witches, or any of the other cult that’s hot this season.
You can worship and old deities of the Elves, the Sidhes (“what Elves are to Humans, Sidhes are to Elves”; mostly artists), or the Lady of Broken Branches (who tends to all lost children). Elven deities are a rarity and even to know their names is a feat.
Dwarves worship their great-grandparents.

2) Where can we go to buy standard equipment?
All Five Towns, including Grimewood, will have most adventuring equipment.
In Grimewood you can try Greta’s Trading Post.

3) Where can we go to get platemail custom fitted for this monster I just befriended?
Best smiths in Five Towns are the dwarves in Maienstein.
In Grimewood there’s Ulrik Irontide, the local smith. He’s skilled, but drunk most of the time.

4) Who is the mightiest wizard in the land?
In Urth, Nemes.
In Five Towns, Lastleaf, the aging ruler of Grimewood. One of the last Elves alive.
However, your best bet for arcane debates is Caeldrim, illustrious member of the Silver Sages, who has his tower in Grimewood. People are accepting of his studies here, and he has some apprentice openings.

5) Who is the greatest warrior in the land?
Zsa Zsa Zelmer, a warrior said to tower at 8 feet tall. She’s lead numerous raids to the Devoured Lands North of Colkirk and returned to tell the tale.

6) Who is the richest person in the land?
The ruling monarchs, of course.
Nobody fully knows the wealth of the Swift Spirit Corporation in Seciras, but they probably own enough gold to make any dragon jealous.

7) Where can we go to get some magical healing?
There is no such thing, at least not for the public or that can be bought with coin.
Grimewood has Imo Kroth, a surgeon that can patch you up. No refunds.

8) Where can we go to get cures for the following conditions: poison, disease, curse, level drain, lycanthropy, polymorph, alignment change, death, undeath?
Imo Kroth, is always experimenting with concoctions to cure all sorts of ailments. The “price” he charges gets greater the more exotic the case.

9) Is there a magic guild my MU belongs to or that I can join in order to get more spells?
The Silver Sages are a good bet in Grimewood and across Five Towns (except Diremouth).

10) Where can I find an alchemist, sage or other expert NPC?
In Grimewood, Lastleaf is the most knowledgeable individual, but managing an audience is nigh impossible. Caeldrim is the resident sage. The Bleeding Ox might have passing experts.

11) Where can I hire mercenaries?
In Grimewood there’s the Bleeding Ox. It sports outlaws, swords for hire, and other adventurers.

12) Is there any place on the map where swords are illegal, magic is outlawed or any other notable hassles from Johnny Law?
In all five cities of Five Towns (including Grimewood) weapons have to be handed over upon entering. Sheathed rapiers and daggers are allowed. Failing to do so incurs a fine/prison.
Minor magics are fine, but will turn heads. Mind altering or powerful magic displayed in public is a hazard, and will bring the guard to your doorstep.

13) Which way to the nearest tavern?
There’s half a dozen of them in Grimewood. The Broken Beetle is cozy and has regular drinking contests. Knife & Needle is frequented by poets and anarchists.

14) What monsters are terrorizing the countryside sufficiently that if I kill them I will become famous?
Plenty foul creatures from the nearby Forest (close to Grimewood) that have terrorized the area in the past. Hobgoblins lead raids to nearby farms, but are more a nuisance that the local guards protect against.

15) Are there any wars brewing I could go fight?
Rumor has it that The Open Eye is gathering mercenary forces from across the Sea of Skulls (probably from the Purple Land) to oppose Nemes and overthrow the Itean Empire.

16) How about gladiatorial arenas complete with hard-won glory and fabulous cash prizes?
Such barbaric practices are not part of Grimewood. There are enough perils in the forest already.
Maienstein, southernmost city in Five Towns, has arenas where dwarves and whoever dares fight against foul creatures taken out of the bowels of the mountain range.
Colkirk, the northernmost city in Five Towns, has fighting tiger competitions.

17) Are there any secret societies with sinister agendas I could join and/or fight?
The Maggot Witches plot and scheme, bringing chaos and mayhem.
The port city of Seciras is full of backstabbing opportunists, so cutthroating practices could certainly be classified as “sinister” there.

18) What is there to eat around here?
Game and vegetables go into all sorts of stews. Note you’ll NEVER get rabbit around here, and you should avoid them due to their sacredness connection to the Elves.

19) Any legendary lost treasures I could be looking for?
Artifacts from the extinct Elven civilization can be recovered in the depths of the forest near Grimewood.
Seciras powerful merchant elite is able to bring in some interesting artifacts from the Purple Land across the Sea of Skulls.

20) Where is the nearest dragon or other monster with Type H treasure?
The massive Forest next to Grimewood surely has riches and creatures you wish never met.