Interview with Jeff Martin, creator of True Dungeon

Courtesy True Adventures

True Dungeon (TD) is a d20 variant that allows players to experience their D&D adventure within a life-size, walk through dungeon environment. True Dungeon focuses on problem solving, teamwork and tactics while providing exciting sets and interactive props. It takes two hours to explore the dungeon, and teams of players need only bring their imagination and quick wit. Jeff Martin, creator of True Dungeon, took some time to chat with me about how the game differs from a LARP, the number of players, and how the latest changes in Dungeons & Dragons have affected the game.

MT: If people would like to play True Dungeon, where can they go?

JD: We only hold it once a year at Gen Con Indy in Indianapolis, IN.  Tickets go on sale online this year April 11 at www.gencon.com.  We always sell out very fast, so if you really want to play be sure to be ready to click when the tickets go on sale.

MT: True Dungeon identifies itself as clearly not being a LARP.  How does it differ?

JM: We never ask the player to put on a persona.  True Dungeon is about see how "YOU" would do in a challenging environment, and we don't want to take people out of the fun by asking them to play someone else.  The game is designed to be enjoyed upfront and viscerally.  There is no need to have a character to enjoy the intense gaming action.

MT: The web site indicates that parties consist of seven members.  How did you come to that number?

JM: For the last couple of years it has been eight players.  We really just found through experimenting that it is a good number of players for how we do combat and how we design our group puzzles.

MT: Is it possible to have more than one person of the same class?  Or is the dungeon specifically geared to one person of each class?

JM: It is designed for one class per group because we have specific class skill tests that would not be as fun if someone else does it.  Also, it makes balancing the adventures easier since we have a good idea of the group's abilities.

MT: Memorization seems to be a great way of emulating spell casting for the various magical classes.  How did you come on this physical challenge?

JM: I wanted TD to be cool in that it takes a good balanced team to do well in the adventure.  So, I designed the tests to challenge various cognitive and physical abilities.  This means that a group of MENSA geniuses is more likely to get slaughtered on the physical skill checks such as combat.  You not only need some good puzzle solvers, but you need some players who can perform exactly physical tasks under pressure.  It just seems more like the arch-type D&D experience where you have a diverse group of individuals contributing their own particular skill for the welfare of the whole party.

MT: Death recently changed to encompass ghosts following the party.  Why the change?

JD: In order to really expand the quality of our sets, props and monsters we raised our admission price considerable.  The event still sells out in a few hours, but I felt that people paying this higher ticket price should be entitled to at least see the rest of the dungeon.  Besides, we put a lot of work into these later rooms, and we want to show them off!

MT: Do players ever dress up for True Dungeon? Should they?

JD: I would say about 5-10% do, which is cool.  TD is many things to many people, and I like the fact that people bring their own fun into the game.

MT: Do players ever role-play their characters (like a LARP)?

JD: Honestly, the environment of the game is so intense that most people drop any role-playing by the second room.  They get caught up in just experiencing the game first hand, and they forget that they wanted to play a character in the beginning.

MT: How has True Dungeon changed with the advent of the most recent version of D&D, if at all?

JD: To WotC's great credit they have allowed us to keep the game unchanged over the years.  TD is kind of a blend of 1st-3rd edition rules anyway, so it is a hybrid to start.  I think they realize that the event is a great way to introduce people to the D&D experience, and they are not worried too much about exact rules.

MT: Do races affect characters in True Dungeon?  Are those statistics already figured in?

JD: There are no racial bonuses in keeping with the whole "True" concept of you being the character, but we do have STAT modifiers in combat.  So a character with a high Strength does get a bonus to hit.

MT: I saw mention of True Dungeon Arena...is there a player vs. player mechanic or plans in the works for such?

JD: This is a cool fan event that uses specialized combat rules for 1-on-1 matches.  It basically is an elimination tournament to find out how is the best combat slider.

MT: What responsibilities does the Dungeon Master of each room have and how does that differ from a traditional Dungeon Master?

JD: The hard part for TD DMs is understanding that their role is a secondary one in the room.  TD DMs should try to stay out of the players' way and allow them to experience the room without the DM getting in the way. Our DMs try to set up a room with a little introduction (if need be) and then they try to stay back and let the group explore and enjoy the room.

MT: Have you considered expanding True Dungeon beyond the dungeon to other settings?

JD: We had an outdoor module last year, and next year we are thinking about an underwater one as well.

MT: How do you volunteer to help out in True Dungeon?

JD: We have around 150 volunteers that love to make this event happen.  If anyone is interested please email volunteer@truedungeon.com.  Full-time benefits include free Con badge, free hotel and free food!

MT: Anything else you would like to add?

JD: I would just like to add that TD happens because of a lot of great people think it is fun to work our butts off to provide a game so other people can have a lot of fun.  I think the TD volunteers and the game itself is a pretty unique thing, and it is a great privilege to be the head volunteer coordinating things.