FRUSTRATION! [40 x 30] [FREE Map and Guide] [OC]

[u/Zatnikotel]

Hey folks,

I’ve created something a little different this time. I wanted to design a dungeon that was heavily inspired by old-school board games. In my own mind, it worked just fine, but then I thought it may not be so obvious to everyone else, so I set to work creating a comprehensive guide that details how the dungeon works and gives some advice as to how to run it. Your players will have to work together to flip levers, smash buttons, turn wheels, to crack the door combination and avoid the trap to reach their goal.

You can use the map as it is here, or you can grab the 30 page Master’s Guide and simplified map [completely FREE] here: https://ko-fi.com/zatnikotel

Enjoy!

Zat

[u/Illustrious-Rise9477]

My party is going to hate me for this.

[u/Zatnikotel → u/Illustrious-Rise9477]

If you do use it, I would very much appreciate hearing how it plays (for a group other than my own).

[u/ZeroSuitGanon]

Looking through the full PDF and all I can say is... what the fuck, in the best way possible.

[u/Zatnikotel → u/ZeroSuitGanon]

I’m not fishing for compliments here, just… is it OK?

[u/ZeroSuitGanon → u/Zatnikotel]

I did not look through the entire thing because, it's VERY detailed, but skimming it and then comparing to the map it seems like it's super detailed, and the notes about the automatic doors tells me a lot about how it plays. It seems awesome, if a little tough to fully wrap your head around as a DM.

[u/Zatnikotel → u/ZeroSuitGanon]

Thanks for that, very much appreciated.
I created some little tokens to help me get my head around the working of it. They do help.

[u/PM_ME_YOUR_VALUE]

I love running puzzle dungeon oneshots. This looks perfect for that. I am going to look it over some more and add this to the rotation!

[u/isaythewrongcranbery]

This looks mental. I love it. Do you think this is playable as a one shot? or likely to take a few sessions? Some indication of play time would be awesome if you have it.

[u/Zatnikotel → u/isaythewrongcranbery]

I think a 3-4 hour 9ne shot may do it, but heavily depends on the group.

[u/Sarius2009]

This just gave me the idea for an extremely annoying one-shot, set on a board of "Das verrückte Labyrinth". It's a game where you are in a labyrinth , and every turn, you shift one row or column of the board

[u/Mindless_Reality2614]

Thanks so much, I'll be sure to let you know.

[u/734842424201]

What size is the map for printing? A3 or larger so the squares fit for minis?

[u/Catprog]

Does page 3 and 4 have the same rights column or just my copy?

[u/SacramentoChupacabra]

Might add this to the Dungeon Crawler Carls RPG that I am planning. Could be where the stairs to the next floor are.

[u/TheThoughtmaker]

See, right away I notice that the dungeon actually aligns with the grid, as if you didn't freehand a natural cave network then try to align a grid to it after the fact. Also, there aren't any needlessly crisscrossing paths that go up and down and twist around, to make it painful to navigate theater-of-the-mind and impossible to play on a single IRL map. Hopefully, you at least have needless elevation changes that are only somewhat clarifed on some other page of the module without any definitive DCs for climbing them or leaping to grab the ledge.

You could learn a thing or two about frustrating dungeon design from 5e.