Hello dungeoneers and other assorted nerds. Back at you today with a musing of sorts.
Finally started up a new job that gives me a lot of time for vibing out to music and podcasts, so I've been indulging in the absolutely fantastic BLOOD WORK. For those not in the know, it's a podcast about the economy of violence. There's a two part episode on the history of the car bomb that is particularly fascinating and was the impetus for this post.
In the episode, the car bomb is described as "a weapon that evolved to thrive in the urban environment." And because I'm a huge fucking nerd I immediately wondered
"Is there a type of weapon that specifically thrives in the dungeon environment?"
I've been thinking a lot about dungeon based play the last year or so. After a West Marches style game that fizzled out (maybe I'll write about that one day) I started thinking about limiting the scope of the games I invited people to play. More one-three session scenarios, that sort of thing. But in the back of my mind there's a part of me that just wants to create a weird dungeon and invite various people I know to put parties together and attempt to defeat it.
I even toyed with the idea of cribbing from the old TSR tournament scoring system and simply seeing what party had the highest score the end of a calendar year. Again, I'm trying to limit my scope here so that particular idea got shoved in a box. But thoughts about dungeons still remain.
When I think about dungeons it's usually in the context of "how can I make this kill my players?" Traps, wacky mechanics, wandering monster tables and the like. My mind never really goes to "how can the players take this dungeon?"
There was a thread recently that asked the question of how an army could clear out a dungeon. The overwhelming consensus was that they couldn't, that the standard dungeon environment would essentially be a death trap from any large, conventionally operating military force.
But that's not what an adventuring party is. The standard adventuring party, competence not withstanding, is more akin to a group of special forces mercenaries or burglars. Your job is to get in, grab as much loot as possible or maybe kill the necromancer filling the countryside with pesky zombies. Hence me wondering about weapons evolved for this environment.
In OSR design spaces I see a lot of talk about ten foot poles and hireling management but I see considerably less about what, if anything, gives players a decided qualitative edge over the denizens or occupying powers of a dungeon.
Taking a look at the OG equipment list from Men & Magic by Gygax and Arneson, there's some stuff that immediately sticks out to me.
Why not use that belladona to poison some wine and offer it to those Goblins instead of dealing with a fight.
Rope is incredibly cheap! Snare, deadfall and bow traps should be standard ways to deal with wandering monsters in parts of a dungeon the party isn't ready to full explore. I'm sure they could be constructed with rope (or fishing line) ten foot poles, spears and some iron spikes.
The story of Tucker's Kobolds is the stuff of legend now, and I guess what I'm saying is that players should attempt to be the kobolds. Oil is cheap and players could probably aquire barrels of it if need be. It shouldn't be out of the question to clear a dungeon floor by burning out it's inhabitants. My party used a similar tactic in a West End Star Wars session last year when negotiations with some Hutts went south. Won't come out of your swamp manse? Fine! We've got no problem repurposing our land speeder exhaust port into a flamethrower.
There's a diabolically upsetting combination of oil and animal companions laid out in this old Hill Cantons post. I would probably throw up a little if any of my players ever suggested it but I'd be hard pressed to challenge its efficacy against low level, generally disorganized enemies.
And that's to say nothing of 5e including Slings, Nets, Ball Bearings, Caltrops, Acid & Alchemist's Fire (aka a premade fantasy Molotov) as standard gear you can purchase right out of the Player's Handbook. There's some pretty filthy violence player characters in most D&D-likes can get up to without drawing a weapon.
And then there are the tables and settings that are more permissive with access to black powder and fire arms....
I've always thought the classical old school hand cannon would make an amazing part of a party's kit.
In all my musing I don't think I really found the car bomb of dungeon weaponry - short of just bringing a donkey driven cart carrying barrels of oil and alchemist's fire with you down into a dungeon (something just as likely to immolate your entire party as it is to help you clear a floor). Send this blog post to your players and maybe they will. And then you can hate me for it.
That's all from me today.
Have fun, stay safe, look out for each other.
And listen to BLOOD WORK.
