[UA] UA Dungeon Crawl

[Kevin Elmore]

> But I also think that such 'assumption clash' can crop up
> in any RPG - UA or
> D&D are no more or less vulnerable to it than any other
> games.

Hmm, I have an idea.  What if someone wrote a UA Dungeon
Crawl?  

It could be a transition piece for people who have only
played D&D (or similar heroic-fantasy games) and
reluctantly agreed to try something new.  One thing nearly
all D&D players know about is a dungeon crawl.  Kick in
door, kill what's behind it, grab loot, and go.

In UA, this could be an abandoned warehouse.  Or something
larger.  Hell, there could be a mad cult in the catacombs
or sewers under the city.  

Instead of kobolds, you have crappy cult members (struggle
at 20, only 40 wounds).  Every so often, you have someone
competent (firearms 25, perhaps 50 or 60 wounds).  Then you
have some grand struggles between the PCs and something
more substantial like an adept or avatar or even a
clockwork.  

And within this all-so-familiar setup that gamers
everywhere can instantly recognize, you throw in a few
things that makes UA so UA.  Make the characters hardened
enough so they won't run away the first 5 minutes, but hit
them with something really unnatural later.  Maybe have a
trap that seals one PC in a dark room, away from the others
(make that Isolation check).  Let them view other parts of
the complex via security stations.  Show them an adept
pissed off as hell because he broke taboo at such a crucial
moment.  

Then sit back and listen for the reactions.  Those who
simply say, "Cool!  Did you see how I shot that cultist's
head off?  Sucks that I had to go fetal just for killing
him." may not be UA material; but at least they had a good
time.  Those people who say, "The coolest part was when my
character freaked out seeing all those fetus corpses,
reminding her of her failed pregnancy." could be enticed
into playing another game.

I dunno; it's an idea.  As much as I like bashing the
monogamous DnDphiles, I suppose that I should dedicate more
time to bridging that gap so that I can show these people
what other games are out there.  After all, there was a
point when all I played was D&D.

Kevin

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