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[MrCompassionate]

Wasn't sure whether to post here or in the Modding category, after all it's still modding if I mod other games to BE Dwarf Fortress, right? Either way.

This is a full but non proof read, non edited version of a D&D 5E Dwarf Fortress homebrew! Many of Dwarf Fortress's gameplay mechanics are simulated using randomisation tables with detailed rules for such things as Fey Moods, Forgotten Beasts, Evil Biome weather and Syndromes however there are also guidelines on how to run a settlement management style 5E game with randomisation tables for minerals, foliage and weather. Ideally I would like feedback, whether that be simply a quick perusal and critique or a more detailed analysis of it's flaws. After all if I'm going to print out 35 pages of stuff I want it to not have many glaring flaws. Without further ado here is the link.  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T_0t5w6pCo7n55BEpyy1PZi1urBY4m7WrR5bM-BPq2k/edit?usp=sharing

[Urist McVoyager]

Last paragraph of page one. errors are in quotes, fixes in perentheses.

As DM there are numerous times you will be required to roll for random "rescorcess" (resources). I recommend you make the players do the roll while you check the corresponding Tables, as if to include them in the creation of the world. Upon them founding their first settlement you should immediately roll "of" (for) metals, economic rock and foliage. I recommend 2 or 3 rolls for metal, 2 or 3 rolls for economic, 1 to 3 rolls for gemstones and at least 2 rolls for both trees and (other) plants. You should also roll for foliage whenever the players move a significant distance away from their camp and for metals and economic rock whenever they strike earth at a new location.


First paragraph of page five only has one error I found. A factual one where you call 2000 pounds 2 tons. That's only 1 ton.

In your list of starting supplies you gave the players hundreds of pounds of wood but not a single ax to cut more. I know you supplied them with coal and pickaxes, so they could gather more wood eventually, but wouldn't it be more efficient on space to give them some regular axes and have them clearing the site from the start like a lot of players do? Besides, with this being a random number game with dice rolls, they could get unlucky on their first site and wind up without the weapon grade metals needed to make gear like axes.

Your months chart is a bit misaligned. The top row is shifted one space to the left from where it should be to keep everything neatly labeled.

Bottom of page eight:


There are myriad risks to settler life in the fort. Strange weather, madness, syndromes and forgotten beasts being examples. Some dangers are a product of the supernatural while starvation, dehydration, heat stroke and frostbite "and" (are) more mundane concerns. As DM you should force the players to think laterally or pragmatically to solve problems, and throw dangers at them they cannot face with raw power. For example if a Stone Giant attacks four level 1 players they might die in a direct assault but if you give them time to scheme they might find a more creative approach. Whenever they become comfortable direct disaster their way or scheming villains to infiltrate their camp. Maintaining a sense of danger without making the players feel constantly bombarded with improbable misfortune is a careful balance. Try to foreshadow long term threats whole sessions in advance.

Will edit as I find more.

[MrCompassionate]

Thank you very much! I'll edit those errors now.

[Civillain]

This is fantastic! I've just been working on my own version of D&D 5e as Dwarf Fortress, but your version is so much further along. I'm definitely going to incorporate a good chunk of this into my game!

[Shook]

HMHM, very cool! I've got a bit of feedback for you:

- The snowfall table isn't very intuitive; does +2 mean you subtract 2 from your roll? I'd just either make the modifier a negative number or flip around the table so that 6 is whiteout, either way would prevent confusion.
- You've written hyperthermia instead of hypothermia in several places, beginning at page 11 in the document (10 in the book; "Climate Table does not say..."). Big difference, hyperthermia is being too hot. :v (at the same time, you've written "Climate Table Table" on the beginning of that page)
- Technically, you could refer to Heat Conditions as hyperthermia, but that's pretty minor.

Otherwise looking solid.

[MrCompassionate]

HMHM, very cool! I've got a bit of feedback for you:

- The snowfall table isn't very intuitive; does +2 mean you subtract 2 from your roll? I'd just either make the modifier a negative number or flip around the table so that 6 is whiteout, either way would prevent confusion.
- You've written hyperthermia instead of hypothermia in several places, beginning at page 11 in the document (10 in the book; "Climate Table does not say..."). Big difference, hyperthermia is being too hot. :v (at the same time, you've written "Climate Table Table" on the beginning of that page)
- Technically, you could refer to Heat Conditions as hyperthermia, but that's pretty minor.

Otherwise looking solid.

Thanks! I've solved these problems now I think, well spotted.

[MrCompassionate]

This is fantastic! I've just been working on my own version of D&D 5e as Dwarf Fortress, but your version is so much further along. I'm definitely going to incorporate a good chunk of this into my game!

Thanks! You could add more Dwarf Fortress stuff I didn't such as new playable races, I'd love to see it when you're done 'cause I'll probably run another DF5E game sooner or later.

[Civillain]

Thanks! You could add more Dwarf Fortress stuff I didn't such as new playable races, I'd love to see it when you're done 'cause I'll probably run another DF5E game sooner or later.

I'm going more for thematic Dwarf Fortress than a copy of Dwarf Fortress, but I'll put it on the internet when I'm done!

[MrCompassionate]

Thanks! You could add more Dwarf Fortress stuff I didn't such as new playable races, I'd love to see it when you're done 'cause I'll probably run another DF5E game sooner or later.

I'm going more for thematic Dwarf Fortress than a copy of Dwarf Fortress, but I'll put it on the internet when I'm done!

Oooh that's interesting, what kind of stuff is gonna be in it?

[Civillain]

Thanks! You could add more Dwarf Fortress stuff I didn't such as new playable races, I'd love to see it when you're done 'cause I'll probably run another DF5E game sooner or later.

I'm going more for thematic Dwarf Fortress than a copy of Dwarf Fortress, but I'll put it on the internet when I'm done!

Oooh that's interesting, what kind of stuff is gonna be in it?

It's going to be based around reclaiming an abandoned fortress after tragedy strikes the one the players reside in. I want to experiment with the idea of alternating between a central dungeon they can keep exploring and colonising, fortress management and politics, and exploring the outside world. The "central dungeon you keep going back to" is a theme I haven't done before, and it makes for some interesting game design! Plus there's the whole mystery of "how did this last fortress fall?"

The world itself is going to be very hostile. In D&D you normally have a nice combat progression curve, but I like the idea of some encounters being more random in difficulty, so that standing and fighting isn't always the right thing to do, and other combats are super easy. On that note I want to run a game with interesting decisions, where sometimes the characters need to do shady things in order to ensure the survival of the fortress.

Basically it's going to be a tough, morally grey game with lots of randomness to it! And dwarves.

[pikachu17]

PTW

[MrCompassionate]

Thanks! You could add more Dwarf Fortress stuff I didn't such as new playable races, I'd love to see it when you're done 'cause I'll probably run another DF5E game sooner or later.

I'm going more for thematic Dwarf Fortress than a copy of Dwarf Fortress, but I'll put it on the internet when I'm done!

Oooh that's interesting, what kind of stuff is gonna be in it?

It's going to be based around reclaiming an abandoned fortress after tragedy strikes the one the players reside in. I want to experiment with the idea of alternating between a central dungeon they can keep exploring and colonising, fortress management and politics, and exploring the outside world. The "central dungeon you keep going back to" is a theme I haven't done before, and it makes for some interesting game design! Plus there's the whole mystery of "how did this last fortress fall?"

The world itself is going to be very hostile. In D&D you normally have a nice combat progression curve, but I like the idea of some encounters being more random in difficulty, so that standing and fighting isn't always the right thing to do, and other combats are super easy. On that note I want to run a game with interesting decisions, where sometimes the characters need to do shady things in order to ensure the survival of the fortress.

Basically it's going to be a tough, morally grey game with lots of randomness to it! And dwarves.

Man that sounds exactly like the 2 DF D&D5E games I ran for the past year! It works super well by the way. The players being in one location that they feel responsible for means you can design encounters you never could in a murderhobo game. For example having the camp infiltrated by a night hag or having people offer them shady deals for their supplies. Other times rival factions would show up and offer an alliance against their former masters or try to sell them slaves which becomes a moral quandary.

One time I had the camp attacked by about 45 goblins with wargs and orges, this local "businissman" (devil) named Garl offered them a guaranteed win at the cost of the paladin's soul, of course as a do-gooder protecting his civilians he had to take the deal only to find out the whole thing was orchestrated by Garl's boss to trap them into taking the deal in the first place.

I also had a dungeon below the fort they'd go into over and over, delving deeper each time. Sometimes they'd run into stuff well out of their league and they'd have to outsmart the problem. Other times they'd face weaklings. They also fought a Forgotten Beast (back when my Forgotten Beast system was far more simplistic). There's nothing much more badass than a player mind controlling a giant hypnosis-eyed eagle made of silver, attaching reins to it and riding the thing around to impress their citizens.

Basically what I'm saying is you should totally do it, it works super well so long as you have players who are into the idea.

[Civillain]

Thanks! You could add more Dwarf Fortress stuff I didn't such as new playable races, I'd love to see it when you're done 'cause I'll probably run another DF5E game sooner or later.

I'm going more for thematic Dwarf Fortress than a copy of Dwarf Fortress, but I'll put it on the internet when I'm done!

Oooh that's interesting, what kind of stuff is gonna be in it?

It's going to be based around reclaiming an abandoned fortress after tragedy strikes the one the players reside in. I want to experiment with the idea of alternating between a central dungeon they can keep exploring and colonising, fortress management and politics, and exploring the outside world. The "central dungeon you keep going back to" is a theme I haven't done before, and it makes for some interesting game design! Plus there's the whole mystery of "how did this last fortress fall?"

The world itself is going to be very hostile. In D&D you normally have a nice combat progression curve, but I like the idea of some encounters being more random in difficulty, so that standing and fighting isn't always the right thing to do, and other combats are super easy. On that note I want to run a game with interesting decisions, where sometimes the characters need to do shady things in order to ensure the survival of the fortress.

Basically it's going to be a tough, morally grey game with lots of randomness to it! And dwarves.

Man that sounds exactly like the 2 DF D&D5E games I ran for the past year! It works super well by the way. The players being in one location that they feel responsible for means you can design encounters you never could in a murderhobo game. For example having the camp infiltrated by a night hag or having people offer them shady deals for their supplies. Other times rival factions would show up and offer an alliance against their former masters or try to sell them slaves which becomes a moral quandary.

One time I had the camp attacked by about 45 goblins with wargs and orges, this local "businissman" (devil) named Garl offered them a guaranteed win at the cost of the paladin's soul, of course as a do-gooder protecting his civilians he had to take the deal only to find out the whole thing was orchestrated by Garl's boss to trap them into taking the deal in the first place.

I also had a dungeon below the fort they'd go into over and over, delving deeper each time. Sometimes they'd run into stuff well out of their league and they'd have to outsmart the problem. Other times they'd face weaklings. They also fought a Forgotten Beast (back when my Forgotten Beast system was far more simplistic). There's nothing much more badass than a player mind controlling a giant hypnosis-eyed eagle made of silver, attaching reins to it and riding the thing around to impress their citizens.

Basically what I'm saying is you should totally do it, it works super well so long as you have players who are into the idea.

That sounds exactly like what I want to run! That's fantastic. I may or may not steal a few of these ideas. The thing I love about this idea is being able to design new encounters, and I'm having so much fun with it. And you're absolutely right that player investment in the idea is key - the whole thing falls apart if they abandon the settlement to ruin!

[The Riddled Basement]

Amazing, just found this!

I read that you playtested this for a year in 2018, have you played it since?

Perhaps I will be DMing my longtime group at some point, looking for something !fun!
Starting with landfall, and then a procedural hexcrawl, looking for the best site to settle, and then adventuring from that base.
This is a great tool for me to do this, thank you very much!

xx