What is a Megadungeon?

What is a megadungeon? While yes, on one level (pun intended!), it is just a bigger dungeon. It'a also a bit more than that. Let's discuss!

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[haveswordwilltravel]

I never thought of Mega Dungeons as something to base a campaign around. I always figured that it was an enclose area that took multiple sessions to clear, pacify, or solve.

Having learned about the esrly history of D&D it seems that the Mega Dungeon was the default campaign.

So now thanks to you I have a much clearer definition of a Mega Dungeon.

[Slackarius]

I think on a conceptual level a Megadungeon is a term I would use when pitching a new campaign with my group to signal that there is a primary site of interest that they would be interested in exploring. For example, in my current DCC/MCC campaign, the megadungeon is a semi-operational space elevator which survived the Collapse over 10, 000 years ago. The party has been exploring the ground station complex for the past few months in our weekly game. They've still found time to go off on caravans into the wastelands, tomb rob the crystal frontier, and explore the world a bit, but the main focus is on exploring the megadungeon and discovering more about the history of their world.

I do enjoy the funhouse aspects of megadungeon design though and in a system / setting as campy as Dungeon Crawl Classics I think it fits the tone well. It's a lot harder to design a plausible megadungeon in a more traditional setting that doesn't result in fatigue, which is probably why (h)exploration and social role-play are so important as well.

[perkinsdearborn]

When I first played D&D (at age 12 in 1976), we created and used an 8.5 by 11-inch sheet filled with rooms and paths. Probably a whole stack of these sheets. Going to a town did not cross our minds. We often played until a real Monty Hall (do we go through door 1, door 2, or door 3? Vorpal Blade or Ring of Invisibility?), and wacky rewards became the norm. Eventually, the game became boring; however (like eating Halloween candy). As kids, we kept at this deep dungeon dive for weeks. As an a-dult, a long slog through an endless dungeon doesn't have any appeal.

After this "mega-dungeon" or endless slog, I ran a small dungeon where the PCs were being chased by elite orcs. It was intense, PCs died, and players talked about the "death trap" dungeon for months. Our game evolved from there.

[BockwinkleB]

What is a mega dungeon? I would define it as Dungeons and Dragons.

[AdolphusOfBlood]

A mega dungeon is like a city, it has a lot of smaller parts within it that each have their own use, intent, and cause for being there, some are big some are small. don't just do level themes, do themes for areas within each level. Seems fitting to me.

[MrRourk]

My new definition is more than 4 factions. More than 5 entrances spread across the land.