Dungeon23: Week 2

This is my second weekly post summarizing the progress I’ve made on my hexmap for Dungeon23. My project for the year is “The Swamp of the Great Honker” a big swamp hex map. You can check out all of the posts for the project here.

This week has honestly felt a bit less exciting than the first week. I think a lot of us are already feeling that. I even forgot to do it two different days and had to make up for it the day after. But, I’m sticking with it, and I hope other folks can keep their spirits up about the project too.

Part of what’s made this week feel different is that it’s all hexes, and none of the other worldbuilding bits I threw in the first week. I think that might be a clue as to how to keep this interesting, at least to myself. So, I’m going to plan to get at least one item done outside the hexes each week, be it an encounter table, or a faction description, a new monster, or whatever else to add to the depth of the world that’s coming together here.

And, at the end of the week, it’s still nice to look back and see how much the map has grown in just the course of two weeks. I’ve finished the path of the canal through the quadrant of the map I’m focusing on now, and I’ve started the road that crosses it. Once those two are done, I’ll be diving into the spaces between them to add more.

I realized after taking this photo I’d forgotten to connect the road to the structure in Hex 64 to the road in Hex 45, so I’ve done that, but I can’t be bothered to do a new photo right now.

Day 8 (1-8-2023)

Hex #23: Canal through thick reeds. Heavy stench of marsh gasses wafting from nearby. 1-in-6 chance of encounter on canal encounters table.

Day 9 (1-9-2023)

Hex #43: Canal through thick reeds. Dead tree is stuck blocking the canal and covered in faintly glowing fungus. 1-in-6 chance of encounter on canal encounters table.

Day 10 (1-10-2023)

Hex #44: Canal through lighter reeds. Royal road crosses canal via high-arched wooden bridge allowing canal boats to pass underneath. 1-in-6 chance of encounter on canal or road encounters tables (roll 1d2 to determine which table to use).

Day 11 (1-11-2023)

Hex #64: Canal through lighter reeds interrupted by lock connecting this part of the canal to a higher section. Takes 1 hour to pass through lock in either direction. There is a large structure housing guards and a waterwheel-powered pump for the lock. Four mudwoggers serve as guards and operate the lock.

Day 12 (1-12-2023)

Hex #65: Canal through thick reeds. 2-in-6 chance of encounter on canal encounters table.

Day 13 (1-13-2023)

Hex #85: Canal through thick reeds. A flock of geese stands on the edge of the water staring menacingly. You get the feeling you shouldn’t linger here.

Day 14 (1-14-2023)

Hex #45: Road through thick reeds. 1-in-6 chances of encounter on road encounters table.