Dungeon Geomorphs
Encyclopedia
Dungeon Geomorphs is an accessory for the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
.
and published by TSR in 1976. Dungeon Geomorphs, Set Two: Caves & Caverns was written by Gary and Ernie Gygax, and Dungeons Geomorphs, Set Three: Lower Dungeons was written by Gary Gygax, and sets two and three were published by TSR in 1977. Outdoor Geomorphs, Set One: Walled City was designed by Gary Gygax and also published by TSR in 1977. All of these initial sets consisted of 12 sheets of puzzle-piece map sections.
Sets One, Two, and Three were compiled in 1980 as the Dungeon Geomorphs set, as 48 cardstock pages, with a cover by Bill Willingham
. This was printed again in 1981. Each sheet in the booklet can be divided into two square and one rectangular map section; these are partially geomorphic, as not ever corridor will connect with every other one, but at least two always will. The geomorphs are not given any scale, although the maps are covered with 1/4" gridsquares.
#41 in 1981. Jackson felt that the geomorphs would be nice for any Dungeon Master
who needs a complex dungeon level in a hurry. Since they are well-keyed, he noted that a given layout could be quickly written down for later use, and they allow for a lot of possible combinations. Jackson noted the lack of scale on the gridsquares and that one square could be taken as anywhere from 5 to 20 feet, although he felt that the designers probably intended them to be 10 feet. He considered the choice of color a disappointment and the only real drawback, as the light-blue ink all the maps are printed in makes them hard to read. Jackson concluded that the Dungeon Geomorphs are nice at the price, but not a "must".
Kurt Butterfield also reviewed the Outdoor Geomorphs in the same issue of The Space Gamer. According to Butterfield, this set of city plans helps a Dungeon Master to contstruct a fairly large walled city in a matter of minutes, saving an enormous amount of time and leaving the DM only to populate the city and add special details. The notes that the walls, towers, and other structures are clearly mapped out in blue on durable, white graph paper with marked lines to allow them to be cut out; the square and rectangular pieces can then be fit together in almost any fashion the DM desires. While Butterfield did not find much wrong with this set, he was annoyed by some unexplained shaded areas and the fact that the set wasn't as large as he would have liked; ultimately, he recommended the city geomorphs to almost any DM.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
.
Contents
The Dungeon Geomorphs were a DM's aid that consisted of dungeon map sections that can be cut apart and put together like puzzle pieces in various ways. Set One was for standard dungeon corridors and rooms, Set Two was for irregular dungeon corridors and rooms, and Set Three was for larger, stranger dungeons corridors and rooms. The Outdoor Geomorphs set was for a medieval walled city.Publication history
Dungeon Geomorphs, Set One: Basic Dungeon was designed by Gary GygaxGary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
and published by TSR in 1976. Dungeon Geomorphs, Set Two: Caves & Caverns was written by Gary and Ernie Gygax, and Dungeons Geomorphs, Set Three: Lower Dungeons was written by Gary Gygax, and sets two and three were published by TSR in 1977. Outdoor Geomorphs, Set One: Walled City was designed by Gary Gygax and also published by TSR in 1977. All of these initial sets consisted of 12 sheets of puzzle-piece map sections.
Sets One, Two, and Three were compiled in 1980 as the Dungeon Geomorphs set, as 48 cardstock pages, with a cover by Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham is an American writer and artist of comics.-Career:Willingham got his start in the late 1970s to early 1980s as a staff artist for TSR, Inc., where he illustrated a number of their role-playing game products...
. This was printed again in 1981. Each sheet in the booklet can be divided into two square and one rectangular map section; these are partially geomorphic, as not ever corridor will connect with every other one, but at least two always will. The geomorphs are not given any scale, although the maps are covered with 1/4" gridsquares.
Reception
Steve Jackson reviewed the 1980 compilation of Dungeons Geomorphs in The Space GamerThe Space Gamer
The Space Gamer was a magazine dedicated to the subject of science fiction and fantasy board games and role-playing games. It quickly grew in importance and was an important and influential magazine in its subject matter from the late 70s through the mid-80s...
#41 in 1981. Jackson felt that the geomorphs would be nice for any Dungeon Master
Dungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
who needs a complex dungeon level in a hurry. Since they are well-keyed, he noted that a given layout could be quickly written down for later use, and they allow for a lot of possible combinations. Jackson noted the lack of scale on the gridsquares and that one square could be taken as anywhere from 5 to 20 feet, although he felt that the designers probably intended them to be 10 feet. He considered the choice of color a disappointment and the only real drawback, as the light-blue ink all the maps are printed in makes them hard to read. Jackson concluded that the Dungeon Geomorphs are nice at the price, but not a "must".
Kurt Butterfield also reviewed the Outdoor Geomorphs in the same issue of The Space Gamer. According to Butterfield, this set of city plans helps a Dungeon Master to contstruct a fairly large walled city in a matter of minutes, saving an enormous amount of time and leaving the DM only to populate the city and add special details. The notes that the walls, towers, and other structures are clearly mapped out in blue on durable, white graph paper with marked lines to allow them to be cut out; the square and rectangular pieces can then be fit together in almost any fashion the DM desires. While Butterfield did not find much wrong with this set, he was annoyed by some unexplained shaded areas and the fact that the set wasn't as large as he would have liked; ultimately, he recommended the city geomorphs to almost any DM.