This concept is inspired by rogue-like and sandbox adventures involving procedural random maps and adventures, along with epic storytelling. Avernum, Dungeon of the Endless, and Rogue Legacy vibes.

"You did nothing wrong. You were just a normal human, living a normal life, but the rulers of your lands didn't want you around anymore, for one reason or another. So they snatched you up from your home, gave you a few meager provisions, and threw you through some portal.

Now deep underground, you arrive in a massive dungeon complex called The Lattice, a seemingly infinite array of aging hallways, winding caverns, and crumbling chambers. Light is scarce, and food and water are constantly in demand.

It's been this way for generations now, and the people of the Lattice have started to settle the corridors and chambers around the portal. They cultivate the strange subterranean flora and fauna. They craft tools and weapons from broken bits and pieces, and mine out the dungeon to uncover new passageways and ores buried in the rocks.

Everybody has their jobs. Having a purpose makes you a valued and trusted member of the Lattice, and the more you provide for others, the more others provide for you. New arrivals are always given the benefit of the doubt, for there's different portals for criminals, other races, as well as the truly dangerous and powerful beings from the world above."


This is a D&D 5th edition game concept that involves a massive dungeon crawl with a survival vibe. Everybody would start at 1st level, and be human. However, as you explore the complex, you can "unlock" other races to play as, as well as additional "character slots" based on the success and ease of running the game, allowing people to play multiple characters as the game progresses.

I would be interested in the possibility of expanding the number of Game Masters as well on this project if it picks up a lot of interest, and working with players and GMs together to expand on the setting and world design.

Initially, however, I'd have it start with a group of 4-5 players, who would join the group and make characters together to compliment one another, and expand upon that number as the game progresses and player attrition occurs. I'd also be using a number of variants and house-rules to account for the unusual setting and story concept.

Some variants that come to mind off-hand are the rules for renown, sanity, slower healing and resting, injuries, and morale. A house-rule I'm considering for this game would involve "favor" being a regional currency you use to buy and sell with, an intentionally foggy mix of barter and charity that reflects the world's lack of an established economy. Once the settlements are stronger or better established, they would switch over to formal barter and currency.

This sounds really cool. I still haven't had a proper crack at 5e yet, so I'd be throwing down as a player rather than a GM. Any classes restricted or altered for setting (Clerics, etc.)?

This sounds like a game I also would be interested in joining.

I don't intend to restrict class choices outright, but for the setting's unique feel, certain spells would not work as intended. Conjuration and planar magic, in particular come to mind (no teleporting yourself back to the world above). However, I'm interested in discussing those restrictions with the players and get a feel for what's appropriate to make it fun, unique, and challenging.

this sounds pretty interesting i'd be down.

I am interested, count me on please.

*Raises hand*

Also interested.

Um I guess, though I am not so sure about tjis suddenly changing race thing, unless you mean for future characters...

Just a thought, but I would think that if areas become inhabited by people dropped into it, the areas around the inhabited regions would quickly become mapped, because of the constricted and enumerable paths.  I would think getting those mapped would be a priority.

Obviously, areas controlled by enemy factions would be potentially be unknown past the areas of their influence.  Otherwise, unless a settlement didn't have enough people to be able to afford to send someone out to scout outward for additional resources and dangers, I would think that settlements of any history would have quite a bit mapped.

You could avoid that situation by either generally only having young groups, or you could have some sort of magical storms that seem to cause the Lattice to 'shuffle' causing areas that were once known, to suddenly be a frontier with any number of potential resources... and dangers beyond it.

Do people whom are thrown into the Lattice always appear at one of standard portals, or do they appear randomly in places?  If randomly do such portals appear silently and unexpectedly, or does a portal show up as some sort of growing anomaly over some interval of time that eventually opens, the people emerging shortly after?  If these locations are random, are there sometimes random storms that suck people and things up from within the Lattice?

It sounds like an interesting idea, and a game concept that could withstand players coming and going relatively easily.  Obviously, the concept brought all sorts of questions to my mind.  However, I think that is more to do with it being interesting and having a lot of different possibilities.

As far as unlocking races or classes, I assume that means you would allow people to potentially have more than one character, or allow them to exchange characters after time.  Would unlocked options be per player, or would it be communal to the whole game, or by adventuring group?

New to 5E but it's an interesting concept that I've had similar thoughts on. I'd be willing to try if noobs are accepted.