SKELGAMOG! Intro bullshit.

SKELGAMOG!
The deepest dungeon there ever was!
SKELGAMOG!
The foulest curse upon thy name!
SKELGAMOG!
The folly of a thousand delvers!
SKELGAMOG!

I've wanted to make a megadungeon since I first learned about the OSR scene. I've tried and lost interest a few times already, but 2022 is the year. I'm gonna fight myself to finish it, and it's gonna get done damnit.

Inspirations
As much as I like traditional "elves, dwarves, orcs, and dragons" fantasy, I think I'm burnt out on it. I want weird, I want gonzo, I want grotty and gross and balls-to-the-wall crazy. This thing's gonna be a funhouse and I don't give a shit about realism.

I think it was Tim Sievert's Clandestinauts that really got this ball rolling for me. I dunno what it is, but that art is great. It's like the kind of thing you'd doodle in the margins of your school notebook and then get in trouble for because a rad zombie wizard popping a dude's head like a grape in a microwave is "too violent".

Hell yeah!

Dungeon Crawl Classics has the same sort of vibe going on, and if it weren't for the funky dice I'd probably be using the ruleset for this project. Magic-User patrons are wicked cool though, definitely gonna steal that.

I don't watch a whole lot of movies these days, but some of my favorites are Indiana Jones and The Mummy series (even The Scorpion King). I love the adventure, the pulpy action, the locales, the booby traps, the monsters, and all that delicious cheese.

Some other media I'll throw in the chemical vat; Rob Zombie music videos (Dragula and New Gods of Super Town), Dark Souls, Hellboy, some comics I picked up at a con a while ago and have forgotten the names of, and miscellaneous horror flicks that catch my eye.

The Plan

Step 1: Brainstorm an absolute fuckton of areas. I use GFC's method (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p3b07kxTGw) and it works pretty damn good.

Step 2: Map EVERYTHING. I generate the maps using Appendix A of the AD&D DMG and do the actual mapping on Dungeon Scrawl. 

Step 3: Stock rooms. Not gonna lie, this is going to be the most boring bit for me, personally. It's just a lot of dice rolling and tedium. I am gonna experiment with a bullet point layout for the rooms, so we'll see if that pans out.

Step 4: Stat monsters, spells, magic items, etc. Another sticking point. I like making shit, but actual numbers and mechanics are a drag.

Step 5: Art. I am not an artist, but I'll settle for doodles.

Step 6: Get the thing published. I'll probably go for DrivethruRPG for snazzy print-on-demand copies or something. I'm definitely including a free version somewhere though, because fuck it.

Step 7: ???

Step 8: Profit

And, kinda a side step, I'm working on this bitch EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Even if it's just a little bit. Like I said, this is going to get done. Full stop. No ifs, ands, or buts. 

Tools

Like I said, I'm using the AD&D DMG's Appendix A to generate the majority of the maps. Once I start stocking rooms, I'm definitely gonna use the Tome of Adventure Design (if you don't have a copy, what the hell is wrong with you?). Other than that, I'll probably just pick and choose random shit I find on the internet to help with whatever problem I currently have.

As for system for this monstrosity, I'm going with Swords and Wizardry. I toyed around with making my own system to stick in the front of the book (and I still might just do that), but that takes focus away from the meaty dungeon content I'm supposed to be making. S&W has some modern conveniences that make it not a total pain in the ass to run, so that's what I'm using.

If you got any other tools you think might help, give me a heads up.