Have you ever entered Rappan Athuk, either as a DM or as a Player?

Published for D&D 3E, Swords & Wizardry, Pathfinder 1E, and D&D 5E.

A Massive Megadungeon.  Dozens of levels.  Very lethal.  The end boss, is Orcus himself.

We played around with some of it back in the 3E days. Never ran the whole thing all the way through. It had some fun stuff.

There is enough there to play for a decade or more. It's 100% my favorite megadungeon of all time. It's been greatly expanded on from the original three softcovers that came out during the 3.0 era, and now has something like 2.5x the number of dungeon levels. It's easy to break apart into different dungeons as well if you wanted to do that.

Note that it's absolutely brutal in many places, so if your players aren't the type to enjoy that, it might not be a good fit, but I love it.

The single volume hardback of Rappan Athuk, is massive.  It's like the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, massive.  The 5E printing, is supposed to be the latest revision; with a few new levels added.  It seems like an unsurvivable, mega dungeon; unless the DM gives in, and takes it easy on the PCs.  Too many opportunities, for PCs to bite the dust.  Once you're a few levels down; leaving to go back to town for safe rest and supplies, isn't simple.

This isn't Phandelver.

Quote from: shoplifter on August 26, 2024, 08:15:30 PMThere is enough there to play for a decade or more. It's 100% my favorite megadungeon of all time. It's been greatly expanded on from the original three softcovers that came out during the 3.0 era, and now has something like 2.5x the number of dungeon levels. It's easy to break apart into different dungeons as well if you wanted to do that.

Note that it's absolutely brutal in many places, so if your players aren't the type to enjoy that, it might not be a good fit, but I love it.

I never played it, for four hours of play a day, once a week, is that a:

1 year campaign
2 year campaign
or
10 year campaign

Quote from: honeydipperdavid on August 26, 2024, 11:59:42 PM

Quote from: shoplifter on August 26, 2024, 08:15:30 PMThere is enough there to play for a decade or more. It's 100% my favorite megadungeon of all time. It's been greatly expanded on from the original three softcovers that came out during the 3.0 era, and now has something like 2.5x the number of dungeon levels. It's easy to break apart into different dungeons as well if you wanted to do that.

Note that it's absolutely brutal in many places, so if your players aren't the type to enjoy that, it might not be a good fit, but I love it.

I never played it, for four hours of play a day, once a week, is that a:

1 year campaign
2 year campaign
or
10 year campaign

If you really wanted to do the entire thing? Only a rough estimate, but I'd not be shocked if it took a group 5+ years to do the entire thing at 4hrs a week. Part of that will depend on the pace a table plays at. In the 3.0 version, my group completed 5 levels and it took over a year. Might be faster in S&W, Pathfinder would probably be about the same pace I'd think.

Rappan Athuk is the epitome of "Fuck Around and Find Out" dungeon.  There's death around every corner, plenty of traps and ways to die, egress' to deep dungeons found on higher levels, monsters that will  devour the whole group who charges in headfirst. 

To counter that the treasure is abundant and you get a feeling of accomplishment when you take down 'boss' type monsters knowing that the planet has one less asshole causing it grief.   

The maps are well designed and easy to use.  The VTT bundle has everything you need.  If you can find a physical copy grab it, as I have every edition from 3->5

It's an old school dungeon that lives upto it's meatgrinder name and i stil have the t-shirt that says "Do not go down the well!".


If you want something a bit different: Slumbering Tsar saga is also a fun dungeon delve, not as long term as RA but still in the same challenge arena.

I believe it's the kind of product, that will rarely be played to completion.  It could be broken down into large bits and pieces, to run normal sized dungeons. 

There are leftover names and references, from the previous editions it was published for.  For instance, the D&D 5E edition, which is the most recently published; features Umbral Dragons.  A Dragon type, found in Pathfinder.  The Umbral Dragon, has "Shadow Breath".  So it's a Shadow Dragon?  Etc.

I bought the S&W KS set from a guy at NTRPGcon a few years back...it was cool. Lots of interesting stuff. Never played it...I don't think I could run it because, honestly, megadungeons are impossible to run except for the ones you make yourself. Bill Webb can run it, I can't.

I'd suggest getting a copy, though, because it's an excellent example of how to make you own. Same with Yggsburgh or however you spell it.

We played maybe 10-12 sessions of it in Swords & Wizardry a couple years back.  We might have played longer, but at the time I had just gotten the updated Necropolis campaign and we really wanted to run that, so I had one of the teleportals in Rappan Athuk take the party to the other adventure, which we did complete in about a year plus.

But, like some others, I'd say Rappan Athuk is my favorite megadungeon.  And we've done most of the Gillespie ones, a bit of Stonehell, Anomalous Subsurface Environment and others.  It's got a bit of a theme, but there's a lot of variety.  Tons of levels and connections, but most levels can be completed in one 2-3 hour gaming session.  Not too much verbiage in descriptions, unlike, say, Arden Vul. Another huge plus is that full monster stats with XP values are right there in the text, at least in the S&W version.  I hate running megadungeons where all that is in a separate location or the designer is too lazy to put XP values in.  I will likely run it again with a new group and try to finish more of it.  Since Matt Finch just released the Book of Options with lots more character classes, it could be fun to try them out in Rappan Athuk.

Quote from: Persimmon on August 27, 2024, 11:07:07 PMNot too much verbiage in descriptions, unlike, say, Arden Vul.

I like Arden Vul a lot, but from my initial reading I felt like it would be very difficult for me to drop into any campaign, whereas Rappan Athuk is *very* easy to do so.

As mentioned, the number of levels and interconnections make it really easy to break apart if so desired. I don't really feel like you need a huge amount of prep to run it either - just know where the party would be entering, read that floor and the floors that are connected and you're set. It never even felt like work to me, it was a fun read.

I'd also agree that it will rarely be played all the way through (good luck on the last floor, regardless) but because of how modular it is you can still get a lot of out it.

I DMed multiple sessions of Rappan Athuk (using the S&W version for an OD&D game), mostly the lower levels, environs, and the well (an all too easily accessible gnarly area) for a semi-weekly in-person pick-up game that had regular players and some irregulars. It was high-risk, high-reward and a lot of fun. If you/your players like old-school dungeoneering, it will scratch that itch. I'd like to run it again.

I ran it back in the 3.0 days. The players never explored too deep down (Level III is how far they got before characters started getting eaten by purple worms and getting messed up by skeleton kings), but it was a lot of fun. RA probably works better when it's not a full campaign, but a place that's there in your setting, and the characters sometimes have to get something from it on an expedition. That's when the lethality and teenage asshole sadism works to its fullest. If you use RA, it will start to develop a reputation among your players, and that's the best kind of thing to hope for.

I think the original three-booklet version is the best and purest; the later editions add a bit too many extras that muddle the picture. Still, it is very well made even in its later incarnations; this is pure dungeon design craftsmanship from guys who know their stuff.

(Disclosure: one of my adventures, Cloister of the Frog-God, was included in the expanded versions, and I consider Bill Webb an old friend.)

$35 bundle for the swords & Wizardry edition at DrivethruRPG. got it on my wish list.