A Dungeon Game within the Game

[Gamerprinter]

So doing some brainstorming here. I'm closer to bringing my FreeRPGmaps.com up and running, and am looking for ideas to better market my Endless Terrain Battlemaps product.

Quick overview of that product: 4 each, double-side printed, full bleed, 11 x 17 battlemaps with available 1 inch square or hex grid. Each face has a unique terrain/dungeon layout, however the edges of all maps are geomorphic, so adjacent map graphics lineup no matter which map face is adjacent (placed down, rotated 180 degrees, flipped upsidedown)

Related to my August 2008 challenge - Dungeon Tiles set, are these Cavern Maps using the same concept.

Here's my August 2008 Challenge Entry - now these tiles are square, but my product will be just like these except at 11 x 17 dimensions.

The Shifting Dungeons of (some Wizard's Name)

An adventuring party is given a set of instructions as they are to enter a bizarre dungeon complex belonging to some mad wizard, now long gone. They must head in a general direction (predetermined by the GM) to arrive at a specific catacomb/subterranean location. The GM decides it will take 12 tile crossings to arrive at the given destination - the end plot of the day's gaming session.

The shifting Dungeons of (some wizard's name) are a set of dungeon chambers and corridors that shift once an adventuring party passes through an area, so its impossible to 'map while in dungeon'. This also eliminates a GM's need to map a dungeon complex ahead of time, he just uses the Endless Terrain Battlemaps - Dungeons, which can easily link up to the Cavern set to widen the gaming possibilities.

Next create a booklet of adventure hooks, some pre-made encounters, a reasonable random encounter chart for varying levels, perhaps some unique tribes and factions of dungeon dwellers to add some color to the gaming aid, along with rules on using the Endless Terrain Battlemaps to simulate travel through the Shifting Dungeons.

I could even make the Shifting Dungeons gaming aid booklet PDF as a Free Download, to accompany purchase/subscription of Endless Terrain Battlemaps.

Threadjack: oh regarding the subscription productline. An idea I had for my Free RPG Maps website I still haven't got setup, but I'm working on that right now. (Hey, TILT! I need some help!)

The Free RPG Map concept: each week I will create a unique encounter location as an 11 x 17 full bleed gridded map that will match each month's Endless Terrain Battlemap set offer. So over a month period that's 4 different unique locations. These are available as free PDF image sliced maps ready to print at home, also in strictly PNG format for use in Virtual Tabletop apps. However, I will also make a printed set available for $10.49

Endless Terrain Battlemaps, set of 4 double side printed and laminated map tiles are sold for $19.95 a set right now. I plan to offer a different set of ETB each month: dungeons, caverns, forest, jungle, arctic, alleys, desert, mountain, etc., with multiple versions of popular sets.

For a subscription service of $19.95 per month (plus separate shipping cost), subscribers get the month's current set of Endless Terrain Battlemaps, plus the four free encounter maps printed as 2 double-side laminated 11 x 17's

Also an economy subscription of pick four faces of the the current month's ETB set (your choice), plus 2 free map tile designs, and get a set of 3 double-side printed and laminated map tiles for $10.49

I think adding the Shifting Dungeons Game Module as a free download with subscription signup, in addition to the free weekly map downloads should make for an interesting attraction to the site.

Thoughts?

GP

[tilt]

always ready to help GP - just pm me

like the shifting dungeon idea - poor players when they half dead try to find their way out again in hope of going where they allready cleared the monsters

[Gamerprinter]

Another idea. Offer a point system with subscription, say get 1 point for a single month's subscription, once acquires 6 points, offer subscribers a custom map made specific per their request - they give five keywords to include in a custom 11 x 17 map design with a random new map on its reverse. Although they still have to pay for the extra laminated map, but it meets their custom order. Perhaps 10 points allow for full 4 faces and 10 keywords for a custom map set.

Trying to get creative with product marketing ideas - if I could get some site fans willing to submit 4e monster/NPC stats, I could provide alternate versions of different free mini-adventures with each monthly subscription map set. So clients can signup for 3x/Pathfinder, 4e, etc.

This of course is a free bonus with subscription - got to get subscribers to make this model work. Still individual purchases, are available to non-subscribers, but no bonus maps included, as with subscribers.

Thoughts?

GP

[Sharpe]

Man, I love this! The concept is awesome. Very creative and interesting.

Also, thank you for offering them in hexes as well. We poor GURPS players have a heck of a time.

In such a shifting dungeon, portal/gate/teleportation/transportation magic will be at a premium. Might want to say something about that in your module; like such spells always send you to a random location.

[Gamerprinter]

Thanks, Sharpe!

When I first created my Endless Terrain Battlemap idea, long ago, I first created Heavy Woods, then I created Woodland Path. The problem with Woodland Path, was that it looked more like a board game design than a realistic map, in my eyes. But then thoughts that on how I could extend the value of these map tile designs to accomodate its own game. And while I'm still looking for a board game idea, I thought using the existing tiles in a 'switcheroo' style of play might actually work as a shifting dungeon game within the game.

I can even beat a dead horse and carry that paradagim over to a Fey Woods, where the same shifting occurs there as well. You wouldn't want to do that with all the Endless Terrain Battlemap sets, but it would work for one idea.

I am actually looking forward to create a desert design sometime soon.

GP