Been a while since I put an entry in this series! And only three left…such a slacker…
X is a difficult letter to identify a faction with, and so shows the limitations of the conceit of the megadungeon alphabet as a concept. Still, we’ve done it for 23 letters, more or less, and we’ll bring this on home.
The X-Factor.
OK, that is pretty easy as a concept: something unknown or unforeseen. But what does it mean as a defining characteristic for a faction in the dungeon? Especially given some of the other things we’ve looked at, like a “Q” sort of being from Star Trek?
Well, this is where it starts to make sense, actually. Because the Judge, in her campaign, must always be prepared. And when things are slowing down, or going too well, or even to bad for the party, that is when it is time to spring the x-factor faction.
Specifically, something theJudge makes up on the spot. Either a being, or a group, they will surprise the players (as well as the Judge) with their appearance and their actions.
OK, maybe the judge has had something in mind, and maybe that falls under this letter. But more importantly, this highlights one of the great freedoms about being the game master – improvising something out of the blue. In this case, a significant player in the conflicts in the megadungeon.
This is easier with experience, but a novice GM can do it, too. Don’t give away too much information in the initial encounter, so that you can think about it (or not) later. Don’t make the initial interaction decisive, unless you are looking to just do a one-and-done villain. That is fine, and falls under the x-factor, but it is more interesting to improvise and then fill in some backstory. A whole new front in the megadungeon opens up that way.
Once created, you can follow some of the concepts we’ve discussed before about their goals and structure, if any. Maybe there are no goals for this faction – maybe they are just an engine of destruction, like that big cigarette-thing from the original Star Trek series. Some kind of terrible hate-golem, made of mithril…That could be a one and done, or it could expand the campaign as the party tries to stop it from reaching the surface over a series of strikes.
The point here is thinking on your feet. Don’t be afraid to improvise, even if it doesn’t make a lot of sense right off. The megadungeon is a big place, and you can always locate some context for the players to find later. Spur of the moment creation can lead to unexpected but deep gaming.