Fungi Alley [Neyjour dungeon 01]

[Larb]

It's always nice to see more fungus themed dungeon maps!

[Kier]

The fungus is among us.

The place I used to buy my beer supplies from also sold mushroom spores, and that was their saying. I couldnt resist it.

Very nice. I like the monsters beneath.

[Neyjour]

Larb - Yay for more fungi!

Kier - LOL! Thanks.

All the fungi is done, and the last critter has been placed. Now I'm just debating whether or not to add a few more minor details...

### Latest WIP ###

[Neyjour]

Added some watery ground depressions where the largest clusters of fungi grow, and made them a green-blue hue just for a bit of colour variation (the whole thing was looking a bit overwhelmingly purple-pink to my eye). I also added a few spiderwebs.

### Latest WIP ###


I love how the spiderwebs look, but... I'm not sure if I should keep them. My original intent was for my fungi monsters/critters to be large meat-eating (rats, people, etc.) ground-dwellers, that hide under the larger clusters of fungi and ambush their prey. But if I include these webs, it's implying that they're more of an actual "spider" species rather than just a "spider-looking" creature...

And those webs are way too small for my critters (at least, in their fully-grown form). They're also too small to trap larger creatures (so, they'd really just be for insects). And I really didn't want large swaths of huge webs, so I was trying to think of a way to make it work, and came up with a life-cycle for my critters that would explain the small webs:

* When they hatch out, they initially live/crawl on the fungi (and eat it) for a short time until they can start spinning webs. (Perhaps the fungi provides a special nutrient that helps them produce the substance for making the webs?).
* At this point, they stop eating the fungi and switch to insects-only (trapped in the webs).
* When they get older (and become too large/heavy for the webs), they gravitate to the ground and begin eating larger prey (meat) that "Momma" has caught...
* ...until they grow even larger and start becoming too much competition for the food. At which point, "Momma" starts eating them, and only the smart ones survive... the ones that quickly move off down the tunnels and set up a home in their own (solitary) cluster of fungi.

But... I'm just wondering (from a gamers perspective) if the whole "spider" thing is a bit "done-to-death" and boring? Yes, the fully-grown critters are not the typical "spider", but the webs are a huge tip-off that something "spider-like" is lurking ahead, and pretty much kills the "surprise ambush attack" that I originally had in mind.

So, a question to the gamers: Keep the webs (with that visual cue that something nasty and "spider-like" is coming up?) and engage with Momma and her babies? Or lose the webs and have a surprise attack from Momma (and possibly a small swarm of babies that are also hidden, ground-dwellers)?

[Mouse]

OMG! There is just no way you are ever going to persuade me to go down there!

My personal opinion on the spiders/no spiders question?

I think put different critters in the webs. Got to have spiders where there are flies, and there'll be flies where there are dead things, and there will be dead things where those original crab/spider beasties are lurking

If there was a prize of a £million at the other end I might risk it - in an alien-proof environment suit!

[ChickPea]

I'm starting to think Neyjour's got in in for me...

As a non-gamer, I can't really speak as to whether the webs are unnecessary. What I can say is that they look great, though perhaps it does give a clue that there's something nasty nearby.

My idea, when I started reading your comments about the web, was that Mamma Critter crawled up the wall, spun a web and laid eggs on it to keep them up off the ground where it was safer. After they hatched, they'd fall through, down onto the mushrooms where they'd get nourishment to grow.

Either way, it's ghastly!!

[Mouse]

Its really horrible, Neyjour! LOL!

*Mouse lifts foot with some effort and stares at the thick greenish strands of gloop attaching it to the floor of the cave like elastic bands, and something scuttles past too quick for her to see what it was!*

Are you sure these things aren't some kind of 'Alien' thing? Hatched out of a crab?

[Redrobes]

I really love the map. I kinda think that the justification for it all is over thinking it a bit. These could be historical webs or it could be from a non spider. The party could be preparing for spiders and something else pops out. Maybe its like a slug thing that eats fungi and spins webs. In D&D you had the 2nd level spell web so maybe these could have magic origin from drow or cave sprite or something like that too. So id say keep the webs and as a GM get a bit creative with what might have caused them.

My scout will get out his flask of oil, flint and steel...

[Bogie]

Beautiful map, dangerous & creepy. Love it. From a DM perspective, if I was running this game I would just let the players sweat over the webs, they will make up all kinds of horrible reasons to worry about the webs and then walk right into the real danger without noticing it.

[Neyjour]

Mouse, ChickPea, Redrobes, Bogie - Thanks so much for your input, guys. Really appreciate it! And LOL! at all your comments.

Okay, the webs stay. Yay!

Added some dirt/rubble piles, and now I'm calling it done! Here's the version for the GuildDungeon map:



And a "spruced-up" text/background/border version, for anyone who would like to play on it separately:

### Latest WIP ###


If you want the critters as PNG objects, I'll be uploading this version of the map (in a zip, with critters included) to my deviantART sometime tomorrow (barring anything unforseen). I'll post a link in this thread as soon as it's up.
In addition to the 3 fully-grown ones, I'll try to include some smaller-sized versions as well (individuals, and small groups/swarms).
I'll also include my usual grid or gridless options for the map.

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For personal non-commercial use only.
And please do not redistribute this map (or any of the Work-In-Progress versions).
If you know of someone who would like to use/play on it, you can direct them here, or to my deviantART.
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