TOPIC: True Dungeon Timeline: 2003 Info

2015 INFO:

GENCON:

The look of the "free" themed area (or storyscape) that players walked through to get to the start of their events was changed for 2015. For the previous two years, players started their adventure at a forested crossroads that featured two inns. 2015 had a completely different look of being in an underground settlement called "Shallowdark". It was somewhat of a "neutral zone" where denizens of the Underdark and traders from the surface world meet to do commerce. It was an exciting place for players to begin their adventures as they descend further into the deep places of the world, and was populated by giant mushrooms, giant stalagmites, and lava pools. It was a fun and immersive "pre-game" Underdark experience as players entered the event to begin their adventures as they descended further into the deep places of the world and made a 200 feet journey to the back of the hall. This "cue-line" walk-through entertainment immersed the players in a dark expedition through caverns filled with giant mushrooms, towering crystals, lava flows and shimmering pools. They arrived in a large cavern where they found the entrances to the exciting events.

There was a puzzle at the end of the storyscape area, before the coaching rooms. The solution to the puzzle directed a Red Herring to be redeemed by 2 PM Friday. The Red Herring in the puzzle referred to the Red Herring given out to two individuals on the Golden Ticket Run a few years earlier. The owners of the Red Herrings were Mike Steele and Chad Delp (who acquired his from the original owner) both solved the puzzles, but too late to redeem the Red Herrings. It is possible there will be another puzzle in 2016 for the Red Herrings.

There were ten "House" signs in the storyscape area, each with a different colored light. The House names and the associated light colors came in handy for solving puzzles in the Dungeons. One of the first House signs players came to in the Storyscape set off a blast of air when a player got close to the sign. That provided a lot of scares and fun for players, and hopefully there will be similar interactive elements in future storyscapes. The House sign closest to the "Red Herring" puzzle was "House Steele", named for me (Mike Steele), and was in part designed to draw my attention to the Red Herring puzzle. It was a very nice touch of Jeff's and was very much appreciated!

One of the rooms in the 2015 Dungeon needed a "lava pool" effect. A certain monster would be found lurking there, and Jeff wanted to make a realistic looking pool of steaming lava. After a lot of trial and error, the team managed to pull off the illusion quite well using some orange string lights, some plastic tubes, five cans of expanding foam insulation and a cold-steam humidifier.

The 2015 event was the exciting FINAL year of the "Missing Dwarves of Icecrag Keep" 3-year story arc. The party's 3-year quest has been to locate the lost dwarves of Icecrag Keep (the setting of 2012's storyscape) to their rightful home. In 2015, the party finally had a chance to find the dwarves and rescue them from the depths of the Underdark. There were two completely new adventures (with two different versions of either puzzle or combat oriented) that ran consecutively to tell a grand story.

Part One: Into the Underdark (two versions offered: combat or puzzle oriented):
At the conclusion of the 2014 adventures, the party encountered a drow assassin that managed to escape deep into the caverns below the snake temple. In 2015 the party has followed the drow to a small underground trading village called Shallowdark (this year's pre-event space). In "Into the Underdark", the party must further pursue that drow assassin into the depths of the world to finally determine the whereabouts of the missing dwarves of Icecrag Keep.

Part Two: The Sable Gauntlet (two versions offered: combat or puzzle oriented):
The party was plunged into a deadly maze filled with terrifying monsters and perplexing puzzles. If the characters survive, the party would win the freedom for themselves as well as for the missing dwarves of Icecrag Keep. But beware! The wicked and cruel drow-noble "House Sable" has constructed a fiendish test, and only the bravest and most resourceful adventurers shall survive.

True Grind: Journey to Shallowdark: A combat hackfest. Players fight their way to a safe haven in the Underdark. Harder difficulties available. No XP. Expect a high casualty rate! Teamwork is essential & tokens also help! Historically, survival rates have been around 90% on Normal, 60% on Hardcore, and 10%-20% on Nightmare.

True Dungeon was a huge success again in 2015. The tokens once again sold out completely, and the tickets sold out (except for a handful of singleton tickets) within a day or two. The regular token run with all 40 Golden Ticket tokens had completely sold out by 9 July 2015, and additional tokens were made available with randomly inserted Mithral Coins of Fate instead of Golden Ticket tokens. Over 250 Volunteers supported True Dungeon at GENCON in 2015.

This year, there were Survivor pins for those that Survived the Dungeon, but there were no Ghost Pins for people whose characters didn’t survive the Dungeon. Many people commented after GENCON that they missed the Ghost Pins and would like to see them return.

Quip survived Hardcore Solo runs on both Dungeons.

The tokens in the treasure boxes seemed to have a lower percentage of monster ingredient tokens than in past years, and seemed to have a lower percentage of “special” tokens as well. The total number of monster ingredient tokens and special tokens may have stayed constant though, since there was likely a lot more treasure for the boxes to account for the additional treasure pulls from Charms of Avarice and from the Dungeon runs at Who’s Yer Con.

MEMORIUM:

Jeff Martin's Father sadly passed away in 2015, and Jeff posted this on 19 June 2015:

In Memoriam - Ray "Al" Martin (1936 - 2015)

My father passed away recently, and tomorrow we are holding a memorial service in his memory. I could not let that pass without begging your indulgence to let me tell you how important my dad was to the True Dungeon's creation.

First, I must thank my dad for instilling in me a great love of fantasy -- whether it was Robin Hood, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sean, Sinbad or any Universal horror film. We watched many fantasy movies together, and I had the best seat in the house -- propped up on my dad's knee where I felt very safe. When D&D came along I jumped at the chance to imagine all those amazing worlds I found with my father.

His encouragement to start True Dungeon was a big factor in the event's creation, and he gave us a lot of his time to make it happen. He spent many hours crafting the best prop/puzzle during our first year in 2003. His beautiful stain-glass "Ring Puzzle" table was the big hit of that first year, and it was a huge part of our first year's buzz. I don't have a great photo of it with the proper goblets, but below is the best we have to share.
So...thank you Dad for being an important part of something we all enjoy. Your legacy will live on in the hurried hearts and smiling faces of thousands of gamers for many years to come.

WHO'S YER CON:
True Dungeon was at Who's Yer Con on 17-19 April 2015. True Dungeon ran a free small TD demo, hosted a seminar at 7pm on Friday, and ran a complete two-hour adventure on Saturday. Tickets to the two-hour adventure were available online. It was made up of a collection of favorite rooms from the early days of True Dungeon, and came complete with a free pack of tokens, a free limited-edition Participation token, as well as treasure draws at the end of the adventure. A number of people ran through the TD Demo, introducing many new people to True Dungeon, and by all accounts many of those people went ahead and bought tickets to the full two hour adventure.

The True Dungeon Seminar held on 7pm on Friday had a panel discussion in the Brickyard Room that included the following:

. A never-before-seen short video piece about True Dungeon
. Discussion on how to make TD more fun at Who's Yer Con in 2016
. Discussion of the new layout of the greatly altered storyscape area at Gen Con 2015
. Answers to open questions

GAMEHOLE:

Creator and Executive Director of True Dungeon, Jeff Martin, was a special guest at Gamehole Con in Madison, WI on Nov. 6th - 8th, 2015. It is a great small Con, at a very nice venue, that features many gaming luminaries and fun events. Jeff presented a seminar about the future of live-action gaming, and he hosted a few game sessions as well. This was the precursor to True Dungeon being offered at the Gamehole Con in 2016.

2016:

GENCON:
EVENT DETAILS:
The 2016 event is the exciting first year of a four-year story arc that will take players on an amazing chase through some immersive environments as they seek to stop a vile mind flayer from collecting a set of holy relics known as the Teeth of Cavadar.
"Into the Deeperdark": This is the 1st part of this year's two-part adventure. Players must venture through the Deeperdark while facing sinister monsters and team-oriented challenges. There are two versions of the Dungeon, the puzzle version has two unique puzzle rooms, and the combat version has two unique puzzle rooms. A 2nd adventure "Behold Her Majesty" is also offered as a sequel to this adventure. For maximum fun, play both! This year marks the start of an epic four-year story arc in which the party must stop a Mind Flayer from hatching a devious scheme to collect all the Teeth of Cavadar. All participants receive a free bag of 10 Treasure Tokens ($8 value) at the start of the event.
"Behold Her Majesty": This is the 2nd part of this year's two-part adventure. Players must sneak their way into a Mind Flayer city while facing team-oriented challenges and fearsome monsters. There are two versions of the Dungeon, the puzzle version has two unique puzzle rooms, and the combat version has two unique puzzle rooms. A 2nd adventure "Into the Deeperdark" is also offered as a prequel to this adventure. For maximum fun, play both! This year marks the start of an epic four-year story arc in which the party must stop a Mind Flayer from hatching a devious scheme to collect all the Teeth of Cavadar. All participants receive a free bag of 10 Treasure Tokens ($8 value) at the start of the event. Tickets were $56 each.
“True Grind: Seige at Deeperdark”: A combat hackfest for those who enjoy TD's combat slider system. Players must survive an onslaught of the minions of the Deeperdark who seek revenge for the defeat of their Queen. Familiarity with TD's combat system required! (New players should first go through a normal dungeon or attend the TD101 seminar). Harder difficulties are available. No XP. Expect a high casualty rate! Teamwork is essential & tokens also help! Tickets were $30 each.
EVENT NOTES:
True Dungeon tickets sold out in record time in 2016. All 8,000 tickets, priced at $56 each for the Dungeons, were sold out within a few days.
The Golden Ticket run bonus for 2016 was a baby beholder: very cute, but zero trade value (specifically not allowed to trade, as the babies imprinted on you) and an in-game damage boost of +4, only for 1 year.
WORKSHOP NOTES:
One set component for 2016 was 45 "lava pools" that adorned one of the TD adventures. These lava pools helped to make your adventure come alive as you descended into the deepest parts of the Underdark. These frame had legs attached so they were about two feet off the floor, and then they were skirted with our cave walls to create the illusion of pools of lava. There were also other lava features like lava falls and a lava stream, to create an immersive lava-cavern adventure!
Several large "hour glasses" were constructed for a particular puzzle room. They were quite large and they were comprised of large clear poly-carbonate light globes with fine sand inside. They were a fun prop for players to utilize with the puzzle.
We worked on improving the performance of our 100+ DMX-controlled RGB LED spotlights. These lights are amazing because our special effects controllers have full control of their color and brightness, and that allows us to make some immersive lighting effects. However, to improve their performance, added on three-inch neck extensions to every spotlight so we can better tilt and aim the spotlights. These extensions will help with light placement while reducing overall light pollution issues.
A huge 12 ft. by 12 ft. floor puzzle was developed. This particular puzzle features a fun mechanic that task party members to move in unison to meet the challenge. It includes two pieces of 4' x 8' plywood with 136 3-inch clear acrylic spacers glued to each board's surface. This puzzle should be an event favorite.
2016 IMPROVEMENTS:
After gathering a great deal of feedback from players and volunteers, we have made a list of improvements we will implement for the 2016 event. Thank you very much for your insightful input, as well as your patience when our event fails to meet your expectations. Jeff is very happy with the outlook for the 2016 event. We now have a great team in place at TD HQ, and we are already deep into the construction of large animatronic monsters and interactive puzzles. Sets are currently being designed, and we should have some excellent costumes as well.
Below is a list of improvements implemented in 2016 to make TD even better:
True Dungeon Moves to Improved Space at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2016: True Dungeon moved to a state-of-the-art exhibit hall inside Lucas Oil Stadium where we can take advantage of a massive dividing wall to completely isolate the darker adventure area from the brighter lit (and more noisy) coaching area. The better control of light and sound "pollution" will greatly aid us in providing a better lit Coaching Room experience while keeping the adventure areas more dramatically lit. Easy access to the TD event is gained through a well-lit underground corridor that connects the convention center to LOS. Players don't have to go outside to get to the event. The distance from the exhibit hall to the TD event is about the same as last year -- when TD was in Hall A. More info HERE.
Everyone Gets 3 Treasure Coins: We received some complaints of players spoiling rooms for other players where treasure stamps were available. It seems the spoiling players had either the answer to the puzzle or vastly better tokens -- and both were used in an inconsiderate manner to insure a treasure stamp was gained. Players are also sometimes upset if they didn't get a Treasure Stamp, but felt they should have. To combat this, we have decided to do away entirely with the treasure stamp system. Instead, all players will receive three Treasure Coins (plus any extra gained through magic) at the end of the adventure. We will also post signs to remind players to be thoughtful of other players if they have "secret" info about a challenge.
Improved Training: With our stepped-up production schedule, we have gained the ability to improve our training in 2016. For instance, we will be able to produce a video for each room that shows DMs and NPCs a great example of how the room should be run. They will be able to view this video prior to the event -- as well as at Gen Con.
Improved Oversight & Immediate Feedback: We are currently developing tools that will enable the Adventure Coordinators to better manage the task of adventure oversight. Issues will be identified much sooner, and players will have a method to contact Adventure Coordinators immediately should they feel it necessary. Our goal is to make sure that players have the best possible experience by giving the adventure volunteers outstanding support and guidance.
New Token Back for 2016 Ultra Rares (and others): To address some counterfeiting concerns we have changed the back of the tokens for 2016 Ultra Rare (and higher level transmutation) tokens. The 2016 UR tokens (and other high value tokens) will feature a more embossed graphic that features the year it was printed. We plan on making a new mold each year so that the current year will be seen at the top of the design.
New Lights for Coaching Rooms: We are experimenting with different ways to use warm-white LED strips to better light the table surfaces in the Coaching Rooms. For the past several years we have used 3 LED spotlights in each room. The light effect was good in spots, but it left some darker areas in places. We are going to be using a six-foot long LED strip in an aluminum housing that can be hung in the middle of the room. It provides a great warm-white light with no shadowy areas across all the table surfaces. Although expensive, the new lights will be a good investment in improving the quality of the Coaching Room experience for all players.
Because the True Dungeon tickets sold out in record time (every single ticket sold within a few days), True Dungeon had the funding to charge into the final development of our props and puzzles. We have ordered some nice costumes, props and decorative set pieces -- and we are throwing extra "dressing" into many of the sets and puzzles.
True Dungeon was also able to upgrade the firmware of our proprietary special effects controllers today. These units govern all the sound, lighting and video effects -- and soon it will be much easier to program them here in the workshop (and on-the-fly at Gen Con).
SPECIAL CHARITY TOKEN:
Special Fundraiser with Patrick Rothfuss & Worldbuilders: True Dungeon was very happy to be involved with Worldbuilders -- a great charity founded by best-selling author Patrick Rothfuss to make the world a better place. True Dungeon donated $50 to Worldbuilders every time someone selects Kvothe's Bloodless as one of their Ultra Rare "Pick Your Purple" choices when placing an order of $250 or more. Patrick has been gratious enough to donate a special hand-signed carrying case for each Kvothe's Bloodless token. Now is your chance to obtain a great Ultra Rare token while doing some good for the globe.
GENCON Post-Convention:


A BIG Thanks to All!
From the feedback we have received from players and volunteers, it appears that True Dungeon at Gen Con 2016 was a great success. We were hoping our stepped-up efforts with the quality of the sets and props would be noticed. We were trusting that the inclusion of an NPC throughout nearly all of "Into the Deeperdark" would work well. And we anticipating the way we laid out the event in the new space would be a good way to go.

I guess it all worked fairly well.

I owe a big thanks to our 260+ volunteers who put in an amazing effort to present a bunch of fun for our 8,000+ players. Our volunteers are an incredible group of selfless gamers who toil away while everyone else is having fun.

I owe a sincere thank you to our devoted player base who continue support us with their helpful feedback, ticket purchases, patience when our volunteer-run event falls short and their love of token collecting.

True Dungeon has been going strong for 14 years because of the generous support of our amazing volunteers and players. Thank you all for allowing me to live out my dream!




(Photos by Allen Ali)

WHO'S YER CON:
True Dungeon presented an exciting two-hour adventure and True Grind at Who's Yer Con in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 1st-3rd. There was a TD seminar on Friday night at 6pm as well as a token transmuting desk. The non-TD events and the Convention badge are FREE.
Deeperdark Redux: This exciting two-hour dungeon adventure was a mixture of favorite puzzles and combats from TD's olden days. Set in the Deeperdark, the party must find their way through an ancient maze to escape the drow city. A players receive a free pack of tokens and 3 Treasure Coins -- as well as a Participation token. The cost is $40 per ticket.
True Grind: This 90 minute event is a hack and slasher's dream of total carnage as the party is forced into a deadly gauntlet of Deeperdark melee. This event is for veteran players only! The cost is $20 per ticket.
True Dungeon: Friday (runs every 12 minutes from 2:36pm to 8:48pm)
True Dungeon: Saturday (runs every 12 minutes from 12:36pm to 6:48pm)
True Grind: Friday: the 90 minute events start (for the players) at 4:30 PM, 5:30 PM, 6:30 PM, 7:30 PM, and 8:30 PM.
True Grind: Saturday: the 90 minute events start (for the players) at 9:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 6:30 PM, 7:30 PM, and 8:30 PM
There was a seminar Friday night at 6pm where you could meet the team that presents True Dungeon. Also, throughout the Con there was a Token Transmuting Suite in the hotel where you can drop off tokens for free transmuting.
GAMEHOLE CON:
Gamers had another chance to play True Dungeon in 2016 by attending Gamehole Con in Madison, Wisconsin from Nov. 4th-6th, 2016. The kind folks at GHC provided a large exhibit hall for us to present two Dungeon adventures. One was a single "best of" standard two-hour adventure called "Deeperdark Redux" (the same Dungeon offered at Who's Yer Con in 2016). This perfect space gave you a very immersive and thrilling adventure similar to those experienced at Gen Con. The module tied into the four-year story-arc that will begin in 2016. The other was The Underdark Awaits, which was also a “best of” Dungeon.
We will offer other events and activities as well, and members of the 2016 Adventurers' Guild will enjoy free bag check and other perks to be announced.

2017 Info:

2017:
Highlights:
• First True Dungeon Celebration
• First Patron Events (At True Dungeon Celebration): TD Workshop Tour & Build and Outdoor TD Lite Adventure
• First True Dungeon Offered at Origins
• First True Dungeon at Pax South (30 Minute Free Demo)
• True Dungeon stopped being offered at Who’s Yer Con
• Full True Dungeon XP started being offered at other Conventions, in a rolling cycle starting each year with GENCON.
• First year tickets are sold for full Dungeons at Pax South
• Both of the 2017 adventures will be set in areas encountered in The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear written by Patrick Rothfuss.
• Averon’s +5 Healing Cherry is offered as a presale bonus based on suggestion from Jeff’s daughter Avery (Averon)
•



GAMEHOLE CON:
Earn XP and Get a FREE Exclusive Token at Gamehole Con
We are happy to announce that each player of a two-hour adventure at Gamehole Con will be able to claim experience points -- just like can be done at Gen Con. Players will be provided with a card with a unique code which can be entered at the TD website to record XP for your player account.

NOTE: This only applies to players under 5th level. If you are 5th level or higher at the time the XP code is entered, your run will appear in your history. However, 5th level+ players will NOT receive any XP for entering the code. This is being done as a good compromise to encourage new players to give TD a try at Gamehole Con.

Each player (regardless of level) will also receive a special exclusive Rare token at the end of their adventure. This useful "Pants of Retrieval" token will come in handy for years to come. It will only be available to players at Gamehole Con, members of the 2016 Adventurers' Guild (included with modules sent next month) and in very limited quantities inside the Treasure Generators at Gen Con 2017.

With the XP fun, the free great token and an expanded number of exclusive TD events, Gamehole Con is going to be a Con you don't want to miss.

Gamehole Con Details

True Dungeon has expanded to a great smaller game convention in November, and it is a perfect chance for TD fans to enjoy more TD fun. It will be an amazing time since we are offering two full-size adventures (presented in a spacious exhibit hall) and True Grind -- both at a big discount from the price at Gen Con. And the second adventure called "The Underdark Awaits" is a Gamehole Con EXCLUSIVE. This is your ONLY CHANCE to experience this adventure.

Gamehole Con is well-run smaller Con that takes place on November 4th-6th in Madison, Wisconsin in a modern convention center. They have given us a huge exhibit hall to present the two adventures, so the rooms will be full-size and complete with the special effects you have come to expect at Gen Con.
It is going to be a beautiful warm weekend in Madison, WI -- so it is a great time for you to come play some True Dungeon!

We have plenty of tickets available to TWO adventures at Gamehole Con. This is a great chance for TD fans to immerse themselves in more TD fun at a relaxing smaller Con in a nice convention center. These adventures will be presented inside a large Exhibit Hall (much like Gen Con) so the experience will be top-notch. Tickets are only $40.

Our Gamehole Con events:

Deeperdark Redux - This is a full two-hour adventure made up of fan-favorite rooms from TD's long past. This adventure was also presented at Who's Yer Con in April of 2016.
NEW! The Underdark Awaits - This is a full two-hour adventure made up of fan-favorite rooms from TD's long past. This adventure has not been presented anywhere, and it will only be shown at Gamehole Con in 2016.
True Grind - We will once again present a new hack and slash one-hour adventure designed to appeal to those players who love the heat of battle.

Token Transmuting Room - To save time and hassle with transmuting your tokens, we are offering a location where you can drop off tokens to be transmuted. You can pick them up later at your convenience. This is a great way to do multiple transmutations at no cost to you – in a short amount of time. This service is open to any token collector.
2017 PROOF Token Set On Display at Gamehole Con! The 2017 Treasure Token samples have arrived -- and they look great! We were able to upgrade to a higher resolution printer this year. Come to Gamehole Con this weekend and see the entore 2017 collection on display.
Pax South:
PAX South Update - Great Time!

With a last-minute arrangement with the fine folks at Penny Arcade, we presented a free 30-minute demo of the True Dungeon experience at PAX South this past weekend. We gave them a quick intro into what the Coaching and Training Rooms are like, then presented them a puzzle and a combat room. By all accounts, the event was very well received, and we are working to bring a full adventure to PAX South next year. Because it was a non-ticketed demo, gamers had to wait as long as 2 hours or more to get in. It pained us to see folks having to stand in line for such a long time, but it was amazing to see such passion for our demo.
True Dungeon Celebration:
Finally, we are hosting a special weekend in Carbondale, Illinois where we will celebrate 15 year of True Dungeon -- with a "greatest hits" dungeon adventure built really underground!

True Dungeon Celebration (April 21st - 22nd, 2017)

This year we will be presenting our 15th True Dungeon event at Gen Con, and to celebrate this occasion we are having a special weekend of fun in southern Illinois, near TD HQ. The event will feature a full two-hour TD adventure, a massive "30 players verses one monster" event, a special event for big token buyers, and much more. The highlights planned thus far are:

"Beneath Castle Altus" : (Cost - only $25/ticket) We are presenting a "best rooms from the past" two-hour adventure from some of our favorite rooms from TD's 15-year past. Players must venture into the sewers beneath Castle Altus to secure a relic deep within a guarded vault.

True Horde: (Cost - $15) This brand new event features 30 players going up against a mega-monster in hopes of destroying it before it can unleash its fury upon the city.

Event Tickets: These will go on sale at 6:00pm CST on Sunday, January 22nd.
CLICK HERE to get your tickets and more info!




600 tickets for a "greatest-hits" adventure called "Beneath Castle Altus"
60 tickets for a "30 players against one mega-monster" event called True Horde
Token Transmuting Room -- True Dungeon History Exhibit (inside Token Transmuting room) -- more!
Geek/TD Team Trivia Contest: Teams of 6 players will face a multi-media trivia contest. Test your wits and knowledge on all things geek and TD related!
True Dungeon Celebration will be held at Walker's Bluff Winery (mostly in the Tasting Room) near Carbondale, Illinois. This is a great venue with a cool atmosphere with plenty of food and spirits.

All Badges On Sale: January 5th at Noon (Central)
Patron Event Ticket Access: All Patrons can purchase event tickets (including the two-hour adventure) starting at 6pm (Central) on Wednesday, Jan. 18th. A Patron badge is required.
Event Ticket On Sale (General Public): The general public can buy event tickets starting at 6pm (Central) on Sunday, Jan. 22nd.
CLICK HERE to go to the Badge and Event Ticket Registration page.


In order to thank some of the big supporters of True Dungeon, we have created an extra benefit for all $8K Onyx set backers.
Anyone who places an $8K order will gain certain benefits:
Patron Lapel Pin: This special pin will identify a collector as a big supporter of True Dungeon, and it will be shipped with your token order.
Patron Badge Code: Anyone who becomes a Patron will immediately be emailed a special code and URL that will allow them to purchase a Patron badge for TDC. This special badge will allow them to purchase the Patron-only special event at TDC.
Early Event Ticket Access: Patrons can purchase event tickets (before the general public) at 6pm (Central) on Wednesday, Jan. 18th - so long as they have purchased a Patron badge. The general public can buy event tickets starting at 6pm (Central) on Sunday, Jan. 22nd.
Special Patron Event on Friday from 11am-5pm: We have crafted a fun afternoon for those great supporters of True Dungeon. Any Patron can buy ONE ticket to this event.
11am – Noon: Lunch at Legends Restaurant (onsite)

The Patron event will be divided up into two time slots, with half of the Patrons going to Event A at Noon and the other Patrons going to Event B. At 2:45pm the Patrons switch locations. Time slot times are Noon – 2:15pm and 2:45 – 5:00pm.

Event A - TD Workshop Tour & Build (where you'll brainstorm and create an actual puzzle for a future TD adventure). It should be a blast to work with y'all at the TD Workshop to brainstorm ideas and pick through our library of items, props and sets to craft a future puzzle for TD.

Event B - Outdoor TD Lite Adventure (less rules and more fun) where the party adventures outside to overcome puzzles and monsters. Indoor location available if needed due to weather.

Hotels
We currently have a block of rooms reserved at two hotels which are closest to the event:
Holiday Inn -- This hotel is located about 5 miles from the event location. We have secured a room rate of $119/night for the weekend of April 20-23, 2017. CLICK HERE to make an online reservation (Group Code "TDC" should automatically appear). Also, you may call the hotel directly at 618-549-2600 and ask for the True Dungeon Celebration rate.
Hampton Inn and Suites -- This hotel is located very near the Holiday Inn, and it is $124/night for the weekend. For the extra $5 you get a free breakfast. CLICK HERE to make an online reservation and use group code "TDC" to get the discounted rate of $124. You can also call the hotel at 618-549-6900.
A free shuttle will run between both hotels and the event location some 5 miles away. It will run at the top of the every hour from 10:00am to 10:00pm.

Token Transmuting
We will have a token transmuting room open from 10am until 8pm on Friday and Saturday inside the Legends restaurant at Walker's Bluff. All the forms you will need will be available onsite.

Open Gaming
The Tasting Room at Walker's Bluff is a great place to hang out between events and play some pick-up games. It has a great vibe to it, and it also offers a full service bar with food service.
True Dungeon Celebration Riddle Reveal (Thanks to Brian Symington):
ROOM 1 - THE OPENING TABLE

The party entered the room and saw that there were gears or sprockets spread throughout the room. Many were cleverly hidden, such as under a carpet. It was clear that they had to assemble them on a table with posts spread out. On one corner was a box labelled "door lock."

The party finds that there aren't enough gears to reach the door lock, but there is a locked treasure chest. The chest was locked with a trick lock, requiring a button to be pushed with the key in order to reveal a secret keyhole. At first the secret keyhole could be revealed by sliding a piece of the lock, but that was because the lock was broken. When it was replaced with the proper trick lock, it was harder to figure out. Occasionally the NPC would have to give the party clues to help them approach the lock differently.

When the lock was opened, the party discovered two more gears in the chest, making it possible for them to solve the puzzle.
ROOM 2 - THE DOMED ROOM

The party enters to find a variety of weapons and objects displayed on a large circle table. There is a door at one end of the room, which the DM explains is locked. A pedestal by the door slowly blinks red every few seconds. Above the door is a sign that reads

YOU MUST EMIT RESPECT TO ENTER.

The first letter of each word was larger than the others, except for "emit" and "respect," wherein the "T" and "S" were larger respectively.

The solution to the room was to touch the Scepter (anagram of "respect") at the same Time (anagram of "emit") the light on the pedestal.was glowing. When that happened, the DM told the party the door opened and they could proceed.

Many groups decided that they had to touch the scepter to the pedestal when they both glowed red at the same time - enough people did it that we made it a requirement for HC and NM groups.

A rogue box contained the clue, "Look at the first letter of each word - why are some different?"

ROOM 3 - A STICKY SITUATION

The party will leave the domed chamber and they immediately take a left turn down a short corridor. It will end in a curtain and the party will wait there until the Room 3 DM arrives. The DM will tell the players that they are in a muck filled room that smells bad like a sewer is nearby. Also, the sound of dripping water can be heard in the distance.

The DM will tell the party that a player has fallen into a sloped pit passage, and has disappeared into the next room. The DM will then take that player away and tell the others to wait until she returns. The DM will explain to the first player that they have been knocked unconscious by the fall and captured inside a giant Gelatinous Cube and that they should stand inside the monster prop and pretend they are unconscious inside while the party fights the monster

Once the first player is in place, the DM will retrieve the rest of the party and bring them into the room. When they are all in, the DM will tell the party they all carefully went down the ramp and now they have found the first player encased in some kind of giant cube that is now attacking them. Combat then begins.

A character that has some method to avoid the fall (ex. Featherfall), will not be unconscious upon first entering the room, but will still be engulfed by the awaiting cube.

If the entrapped character has Freedom of Movement, they may leave the cube if they are conscious.
Unconscious characters will be awakened if they are struck or awakened by some other means (horn of alertness)

Special Defense: Ooze immunities, Immune to critical hits, sneak attacks, Shock, Fire, Poison, mind-effecting magic, Stun, and Daze.

SPECIAL ATTACK: Each time the Cube successfully hits a character, that character must succeed on a DC 15 (Hardcore = 18, Nightmare = 20) Fortitude saving throw or be paralyzed by anesthetizing slime for one round (till the end of the room on nightmare) and enveloped by the cube (only 1 character allowed in cube at a time, 2 on nightmare). Characters stuck in the cube cannot be killed on normal or hardcore (only reduced to 1 hp)

RETRIBUTION DAMAGE
If the engulfed character is struck by a party member, RD is absorbed by the cube. If the Cube attacks a party member and that person has an RD effect, the RD will damage the Cube but not the engulfed character.

Victory: If the party defeats the Gelatinous Cube, the DM will congratulate them and tell them that they were able to rescue their companion. The DM will tell them they can proceed further into the sewer once the time is ready.

Defeat: If the party does not manage to defeat the Gelatinous Cube before the 12 minutes are up, the DM will announce that the party was eventually able to defeat the monster, but in doing so all party members took 6 (HC = 9, NM = 15) points of irresistible combat damage during the remains of the battle.

Stats:
Eight people died in room 3, all were killed by a fellow party member while inside the cube. All were also raised from the dead. Only one party suffered push damage by not defeating the cube in time. Three parties scored over 300 damage in a single round on the cube. The highest amount of damage done to a trapped player in one round was 168. At least one group (ours – M. Steele) killed the cube without dealing a single hit on the trapped party member. Several groups used creative techniques to free characters from the cube: Rope and grappling hook, iron rod, paladin leaping into the cube (huzzah!), universal solvent, and a rogue unintentionally stumbling into the cube.
ROOM 4 - THE ENERGY GRID

The party enters room 4 but cannot proceed because of a buildup of energy. They see a 6 X 6 grid with icons for the different energy sources on it. A sign on the wall reads

Eight types of mystic energy
Shown here as runes for you to see
That each has foe for which is opposed
And most unlike you would suppose
So take the bars and lace them plain
So foes are linked, thus power drained

A sign also lists the eight types of energy featured: fire, cold, shock, sonic, psychic, darkrift, sacred, and force.

There were bars on a table of different lengths. The party had to place all four bars on the table so that each one linked a pair of "opposing" energy sources. The bars could not overlap.

There were several solutions to the puzzle. Some groups had trouble b/c the sign listing the energy sources seemed to show them in pairs, but the pairs were not the correct opposing energy types.

Cold vs fire
Sonic vs shock
Sacred vs darkrift
Psychic vs force

The rogue box clue said, "Force is opposed to psychic energy."
ROOM 5 - THE SHAMBLER

As the party enters the room, they notice it is filled with fog and greenery. The DM tells the party that the floor is covered with water and the room must be drained before the party can proceed (there were plans for a laser to represent the water, but it didn't work out). There are switches on the opposite side of the room, and the DM tells the party someone must cross the room and flip the switch, but the floor is so slippery only the highest DEX character should make the attempt. When s/he does, a shambling mound attacks!

It's a fairly straightforward combat, with some special exceptions. Characters other than the first who crossed the room must spend a round to carefully cross the room if they want to make a melee attack - they can attack right away with ranged attacks or spells.

The shambling mound has plant subtype immunities - immune to mind-affecting magic (Charm, hold, sleep, etc.), immune to blunt weapon damage, immune to shock, critical hits, and sneak attacks. It is not immune to fire, but unlike most plants, it does not take extra damage from fire due to the wet environment.

A bard who does a rune check would be told the shambling mounds are immune to blunt damage. NORMAL level parties were also told it was immune to shock damage.

For HC and NM parties, if a shock spell was cast, the water in the room conducted the damage to all party members. This led to one party being TPKed when the druid cast a spell-surged Call Lightning spell.
ROOM 6 - THE SEWER EXIT

This room is actually a two-puzzle room. There is no discernible exit. The party sees a platform with the outline of an obelisk on it, and a steam pipe with ten disks on it. These disks spin, and there is also one that is fixed. There are also several large blocks spread throughout the room.

There is a sign on the wall saying the following:

To open now the way within,
A challenge now you must begin.
The pylon first you must restore,
And then align the dials once more,
So that the steam will flow anew -
There total sum will be this CLUE.

The first challenge is to use the blocks to build the obelisk on the platform. The rogue's box in this room contains the clue, "The small cubes must be built diagonally." Few parties had much trouble with this part of the puzzle.

When the obelisk is built, the DM says that steam is now flowing, and they must release it to open the pathway.

At this point the party starts to spin the disks. Each disk is divided into six parts with a symbol in each section. The fixed disk has the top section outlined in red, indicating to the party that the relevant symboks must be oriented at the top of the disks.

The disks must be aligned to spell OPEN, so the steam is released and the pathway revealed. The disks would look like

( ) Top of "P" Bottom of "P" I - - - Left half of "N" Right half of "N"

This room had a 0% success rate on Friday, even with multiple people doing multiple runs. Many parties tried to form the word CLUE, since it was capitalized on the sign. Other parties focused on the word "sum," and used the dashes as minus signs to try to cancel symbols.

We felt that we had to do something to alleviate that, but anything that was a change would stand out with a giant "NOTICE THIS" sign on it. The word "open" was underlined on the sign, giving parties a clearer clue about what to do. Nearly all groups solved the puzzle correctly after this.

It was felt that underlining “Open” was too big a clue. Perhaps we should have just left things as they were, or maybe have the DM be more open with clues, such as, "Now you must open the steam pipe to release the pressure." Or perhaps a second rogue box for another clue in the room.
 
GENCON:
Background:
This year's token collection should be a huge hit with collectors as many of the tokens are inspired by the beloved Kingkiller Chronicles fantasy world by Patrick Rothfuss. This year's Gen Con adventures will take place inside the faerie world of the Fae as well as the village of Newarre. Both TD adventures at Gen Con 2017 will take place in the setting of the Kingkiller Chronicles novels and short stories authored by Patrick Rothfuss. (Pat's stuff is most excellent, and you should read them!)

I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant when Pat approached me with an idea to work together. I have done little collaboration in the past, and it is scary to take on the responsibility of bringing the settings and characters of a much beloved world to life. But my fears were quickly set aside as soon as I saw how geeked out Pat was about this project. We have shared a handful of long Skype calls, and Pat's enthusiasm and collaborative spirit made the whole process a blast.

The result is that we have a very good event outline in place -- complete with settings, monsters and characters that novel readers may recognize (as well as a few yet to appear in print). We have also sent the 2017 Treasure Token collection to the printers that contains many tokens flavored with Pat's work.

The best dividend of the work so far is that aforementioned completed event outline. We have never been this far in the development process at this early of a date, and I think it will be a great boon to the quality of the 2017 event at Gen Con. It should be an amazingly fun 15th True Dungeon and 50th Gen Con.
We are very happy to be working with Worldbuilders -- a great charity founded by best-selling author Patrick Rothfuss to make the world a better place. We are donating $2 per ticket sold at Gen Con 2017 to Worldbuilders. Patrick has been gracious enough to allow us to base many of our 2017 tokens on his fantasy world. For instance, the Common Selas Flower, the Uncommon Potion Denner Essence, the Rare Modegan Longbow, and the Ultra Rare Shaed are all inspired by Pat's work. If you are a fan of medieval fantasy, we encourage you to give his work a read. Both of the 2017 adventures will be set in areas encountered in The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear.
Charity:
Worldbuilders is a great charity run by Patrick Rothfuss (author friend of TD), and True Dungeon has donated a complete 2017 Common through Ultra Rare set of 2017 tokens to help raise some funding for this worthwhile cause. For every $10 you donate, you get a chance win an uber-cool "Onyx" set of proof tokens.
$2 from every True Dungeon run at GENCON in 2017 was donated to the Worldbuilders charity.
Workshop Updates:
Update from the Workshop, 8 Dec 2016

First of all, I must say that the TD Team is very excited to be working with Patrick Rothfuss -- the author of the highly regarded Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear. If you have not had the chance to read these first two novels of the Kingkiller Chronicle, I'd highly recommend you giving them a try. Not only should you greatly enjoy his prose, but it will also serve as a bit of a primer for the two adventures that will be presented at Gen Con 2017.

It is absolutely not necessary to have read the books to enjoy the fun at Gen Con 2017, but having read the books will allow you to geek out even more. Not only will monsters and NPCs from Pat's books appear in the Gen Con events, but Pat has been good enough to share with us additional monsters from his literary world that have not yet made it into print. I wish I could say more, but fans of the novels should enjoy a tasty treat of additional goodness from Pat's world.

Stuff We are Working On Now: Last year we spent a great deal of resources on trying to make the room sets look as immersive as possible. My favorite thing from last year were those dozens of orange-glowing lava pools that filled one adventure. The feedback from players was very positive for the increased emphasis on the room sets, so we will make that a priority.

This year we really want to provide an immersive experience as possile to do justice to the world created by the author Patrick Rothfuss. This week we have been experimenting with the difficult task of representing an adventure environment inside the Fae. It is a magical faerie world, so we must create the feeling of an otherworldly sylvan setting.

I am happy to report that I think we have finally figured out how to do that very thing. It will be an expensive endeavor that will involve lots of unorthodox techniques, but it should do the trick. The fact that we have to transport all our sets -- and then set everything up in 2.5 days makes anything we do a bit of a challenge. However, this final set design for the Fae should transport and install well.

We are also experimenting with building sturdy wooden walls for the sets inside the second Gen Con adventure. This event will take place in and around Newarre -- a sleepy medieval village. The wooden walls will be detailed and crafted one at a time in the TD workshop, and then the 4' x 8' panels are assembled onsite at Gen Con. We should be able to create some nice-looking exterior and interior adventure spaces representing Newarre. Today we are "antiquing" lots of 2x4s and 2x6s wooden lumber with chisels and sanders so that they will have a more roughhewn look. These boards will next be stained and cut to be used to create posts, timbers and smaller items like shutters.

Update from the Workshop, 19 Dec 2016
Our continual goal to out-do ourselves every year has really ramped up this week with a total re-design of the entry area (or storyscape). This has been made possible because of the generous funding TD players have given us by placing token pre-orders. Thank you!

We are having a boat-load of fun in the workshop this week. We have constructed 35x 4 ft x 8 ft wall panels (framed with 2" x 4"s) to use as walls in our new storyscape setting. We will spray these panels with flame retardant and then apply a thick coat of our "tavern wall paint". This special concoction is a mixture of flat latex paint, sawdust and wood shavings, and when it is rolled on with a thick 1-inch roller it gives the walls a cool textured look. After the panels are painted we will "dust" their edges with brown spray paint to give them a more realistic and organic look. (Hint: Rustoleum's quasi-powder composition seems to give the best results.) Below are the panels which are primed and ready to be rolled.


Below is one of the eight-feet tall "corner timbers" that will be found at every outside corner in the storyscape. They will hide the seam between the two wall panels - as well as suggest Tudor style architecture. We made this 90-degree corner out of two 2" x 6" pieces of lumber that have been mitered, glued and screwed together. Next, we used TD workshop magic to distress the new wood to make them look more like old timbers. Look for some carved D&D-inspired graffiti, too!


Here you can see some of those finished 2" x 6" corners in the background, while in the foreground you can see a smaller timber that will be used to hide the seam between two flat and flushed wall panels. This top timber started out as a plain 2" x 4", and it was transformed into a timber with a lot of hands-on work. It is not easy to see the deep texture of the beam in the photo, but it looks and feels great in person.

The final thing we are working on this week are some add-on closed shutters which should complete the look of these buildings in the storyscape. They will be made out of various size distressed lumber, and they are designed to be quickly added/removed as needed.

Update from the Workshop, 2 Jan 2017
We are super-happy with the work we have completed on the new event start area (storyscape) for 2017. These are real wood walls and timbers shown above, and the light of the tavern within can be seen through the shutters (with iron hinges to be added later). You will enter one of these buildings to find your Coach room at the start of the event.
We hope to use the lessons learned here to make some amazing sets for the adventure based in Newarre -- a small medieval village. Thank you again for your token orders which support the quality of the adventure props and sets.
"The Moongate Maze" Event Update: 20 Jan 2017
The first adventure (out of two) at Gen Con will tell the story of how the party must find the way out of the twilight faerie world of the Fae. After a great deal of experimenting in the workshop, we think we have found a very interesting room-set design for the dungeon. The maze of faerie thorns and thickets should be a fun place to explore. It will look like nothing we have ever presented, and I am psyched to see how much we can immerse players into our alien landscape.

We have also nearly finished a large stagehand-controlled monster apparatus which should bring to life a fun monster to fight. We are seeking to be mostly finished with the first adventure by the time the tokens arrive. After the token pre-orders are away, we will jump into the second adventure "Dancing Among Stones" which involves the party doing a favor for a certain resident of a sleepy village of Newarre -- in exchange for a method to return to their own world.
Quick Footage of True Dungeon Set for Gen Con, 3 Mar 2017

Due to your amazing support with the purchasing of Treasure Tokens, we have been able to do quite a bit of construction on the new sets for BOTH True Dungeon adventures for Gen Con in August. One of the adventures entitled "Dancing Among Stones" will be set in the small village of Newarre, and to bring this community to life we are crafting solid wood walls (with solid wood beams!). Click on the image above (or HERE) to see a quick bit of footage of the sets you will be adventuring in come August
Token Spotlight: Amulet of Guarding:
Paladins, has this ever happened to you? Your party has two Wizened Intellectuals Zealously Advocating Ranged Damage. It's your sworn duty to protect both of them, but interposing yourself between a monster and more than one Wizened Intellectual Zealously Advocating Ranged Damage just isn't realistically possible. This dilemma can put you between a rock and a hard place (or if you're in an outdoor environment with ginormous avians, a roc and a hard place.)

Fortunately, after years of hard work in the lab, the masterminded Minorly Alchemically Dependent Wizened Intellectuals Zealously Advocating Ranged Damage have come up with a solution: the Amulet of Guarding! Through a process none of them have been able to adequately explain, donning this alluring amulet allows paragons of protection to position themselves between perilous predators and up to two Wizened Intellectuals Zealously Advocating Ranged Damage. Oh joy! Oh rapture! Oh bliss!
Token Spotlight: Charming Ring


This fine finger feature can fix physical shortcomings you may feature. For every charm your character equips, this rotund ring will increase your Fortitude saving throws by +1, up to a maximum bonus of +6. If you’ve ever been told you have the boldness of a dandelion, wearing this ring will help you screw your courage to the sticking-place.

In addition to its stouthearted powers, the Charming Ring is part of the Charming set. If you equip at least three Charming items, you will gain a level!



Token Spotlight: Charming Earcuff

This bejeweled ear adornment packs a lot of power for such a small item. For every charm your character equips, this ear-bound bauble will increase your Reflex saving throws by +1, up to a maximum bonus of +6. If you’ve been told you have two left feet, wearing this is sure to make you the hippest hepcat on the floor.

In addition to its reflexive powers, the Charming Earcuff is part of the Charming set. If you don at least three Charming items, you will gain a level!




Token Spotlight: Belt of Thorns

Some say revenge is a dish that's best served cold. With this belt, revenge is served-up sharp! While wearing this wonderful waist wrap, any time a foe strikes you with a melee attack, the assailant will immediately suffer 10 points of damage. Not even the Supreme Ring of Elemental Command can deal that much Retribution damage!

Though anyone can wear this belt, it works particularly well with classes that can Taunt or a paladin using Guard. If you're able to stack other Retribution damage items (see link below), your Taunter/Guarder can deal some serious damage before even making a slide.
We have made some big visual improvements this year's collection.
• We added "2017" to all token backs to make it easier to find their collection year.
• The logo and graphics on the backs of the tokens are deeper and more easily seen now.
• The Ultra Rare tokens (and a few other special tokens) have a ring of round stars instead of dimples on their face.
• The print resolution has been increased from 300 to 800 dpi -- which looks great even on some Common tokens.
• The die cutting is vastly better -- so that most stickers were cut almost exactly on center.
• Trade Item Tokens have “Trade Item 1” or “Trade Item 2” on the back.
BIG Upgrade with Wooden Walls!

To celebrate our 15th year at Gen Con we are pulling out all the stops to maximize the immersive fun. We are crafting sturdy wooden walls with enhanced features -- as well as structural improvements that will allow us to do things like hang faux wooden beams from the ceiling. We hope to make your adventure in the village of Newarre as enchanting as possible.



True Dungeon Newsletter: 24 August 2017:
Post Gen Con Thoughts & Photos

Now that we have unloaded five 53 ft trailers of our sets and props, I can take some time to reflect on True Dungeon's amazing 15th year at Gen Con. And when I do think back on our incredible Gen Con 50 week, the one word that keeps popping into my head is “awesome". I know it dates me as a kid of the 80's, but I really am in "awe" of what TD has become. We are this amazingly crazy event where hundreds of cool people put on an immersive live-action event for thousands of appreciative players.

To start, we had over 50 amazing folks come together as the Build Team on the Monday before Gen Con. Together, we spent three hectic days installing our most detailed adventures to date. Next, we had another 250+ volunteers band together in common purpose. They worked passionately to present the event for over 8,000 fans over the course of three long days.

Then, somehow, we dismantled the whole thing on Sunday in record time.

Simply awesome.

Here are some great photos that show the fantastic work the TD Crew present at Gen Con 50.
















(photos courtesy of Logical Focus)
I am extending a huge thank you to all the volunteers and players who came together this Gen Con to make something very special happen. It's a privilege to be a member of this incredible group.

Now we look forward to taking these adventures on the road to Gamehole Con in November -- and other Cons later in the "convention" year. Watch our newsletters, website, and social media accounts for details as they are released.

Finally, a monstrous thank you to Patrick Rothfuss who allowed me to play in his "The Name of the Wind" sandbox with his coolest toys. The aforementioned author made the collaboration fun and rewarding, while allow me the freedom to chase my crazy ideas. And the good news: Patrick was able to play both adventures at Gen Con, and he was thrilled with our presentation.

True Dungeon Newsletter: 30 November 2017
LAST DAY! BONUS LIMITED-EDITION TOKEN

It is a long story, but basically our 11-year old daughter Avery (Averon) designed a token and asked that it be made this year. So...being the whooped Dad that I am, I said "yes". Since it would not fit into our standard Token Collection I had to come up with a special idea of this token. So, for every $250 in orders you place in the month of November, you will get one Rare Averon's +5 Healing Cherry when your pre-order ships. BTW, she likes to play Barbarians.


CLICK HERE to pre-order your tokens!


OTHER Bonuses, Too! Get Free Treasure Coins

The 2018 Treasure Token Collection is now available for pre-order until Jan. 15th, 2018. We offer a FREE 2018 Treasure Chip to anyone who pre-orders a $250 pack, and SIX Treasure Chips for each $1K pre-order. Your tokens should ship around the end of January, 2018. Below are the 2018 Ultra Rare tokens. You get one FREE Ultra Rare of your choice for every $250 in pre-orders.
True Dungeon Newsletter: 2 December 2017
Pre-Orders for 2018 Treasure Tokens in November SMASH Record!


A big thanks goes out to all the token collectors who were kind enough to place a pre-order for Treasure Tokens in November. We obliterated the old record for November sales set just last year. This early funding helps us make buys for materials, props, costumes and animatronics now so that we can take delivery with plenty of time to fully prep them.
True Dungeon Newsletter: 26 January 2018:

Update from the Workshop
We are finishing up work on some vacu-form panels we had specially fabricated for this upcoming year's "Vault of the All-Father" adventure which premieres at Gen Con in August. We thought we would tease you with a glimpse of a part of a wall. Not shown in the photo are cool large crown molding elements that really tie the look of the room together. There will be a few other fun set elements that are not shown which should help to immerse you inside a "disturbed" temple of Odin. This should be a really cool setting, and it has been a lot of good fun working on this set for our players.

Alex Kammer Joins the Team
True Adventures, Ltd. is excited to announce that Alex Kammer has been added to our ownership team. Alex is a life-long D&D fan and collector, and he is the owner of Gamehole Con in Madison, Wisconsin. His knowledge and experience will be very valuable as True Dungeon continues to grow while we constantly strive to improve the quality of the event.





 
Gamehole Con:

True Dungeon will be presenting two adventures based in "The Name of the Wind" novel setting, and Patrick Rothfuss will be there, too! These are versions of the dungeons ran at Gen Con 50, but each adventure has a new room not seen at Gen Con! If you did not get tickets to play one of the adventures at Gen Con -- or you want to play again, Gamehole Con is a great way to get more True Dungeon!

In addition to the two adventures, we are pleased to offer tickets to True Grind! If you are interested in this fun hack-and-slash event, ticket information can be found HERE. 
PAX SOUTH:

Tickets for "The Moongate Maze" at PAX South on sale at Noon (CST) Sunday, 3 December 2017
True Dungeon makes its big return to PAX South with an offering of TWO adventures -- both the combat and puzzle versions of "The Moongate Maze". These are the events we ran at Gen Con 2017, but we have tweaked some rooms, and we have swapped in a few rooms not seen at Gen Con. It should be an epic good time, and all players will receive limited-edition Participation Tokens that are exclusive to PAX South! Tickets are only $38.
January 12 - 14th, 2018
Welcome!

Until Sunday, Dec. 3rd (Noon Central), you may only get your free True Dungeon badge, and you can only browse event start times. (Click on the Attend tab to do so.)

Tickets for both two-hour adventures goes on sale at Noon Central on Sunday, Dec. 3rd. The tickets are $38 each, and one person can buy all 10 tickets in a timeslot. However, in order to play all players must both have a free True Dungeon badge (obtained here) and a PAX South badge (obtained HERE).

True Dungeon is thrilled to add PAX South to the list of conventions where they present two 2-hour events. "The Moongate Maze" adventure will be offered in both a puzzle-oriented and combat-oriented versions. The puzzle-oriented version has about 25% more puzzles. The combat-oriented version has about 25% more combat. Both versions contain a mix of both puzzles and combat.

Each ticket comes complete with a free pack of 10 Treasure Tokens, one PAX South exclusive Participation Token (see below), and 3 draws from our random treasure generators. One person will be able to buy all 10 tickets in a time slot if desired. Thus, one person could buy all the needed tickets for herself and friends. However, once at PAX South, all players must have a free TD badge as well as a PAX South badge to play. Both adventure versions will include a new room (substituted for a room from Gen Con) that was not seen at Gen Con in 2017. Two dollars will be donated to Worldbuilders for every ticket sold at PAX South.

Event Start Times
Friday: 9:00am to 9:36pm

Saturday: 9:00am to 9:36pm

Sunday: 9:00am to 1:12pm

NOTE: To ensure our True Dungeon volunteers have an opportunity to go on an adventure, we have set aside a limited number of adventure events just for them. The times are shown below. On Dec. 29th this restriction will be lifted and these tickets can be bought by anyone.

Friday

9:01am thru 9:49am "The Moongate Maze - puzzle oriented"
9:00pm thru 9:36pm "The Moongate Maze - combat oriented"
Saturday

9:00am thru 9:48am "The Moongate Maze - combat oriented"
9:01pm thru 9:37pm "The Moongate Maze - puzzle oriented"


1/17/2018: 2018 PAX South Event Report

What an amazing weekend! Both our two-hour "The Moongate Maze" adventures SOLD OUT, as well as our fun 24-minute demo. Over 4,000 gamers got their first taste of True Dungeon fun this past weekend, and the volunteers and staff of True Dungeon could not be more happy with the way the weekend went. Watching thousands of new players experience True Dungeon for the first time was a big treat, and we were very impressed by the passion of the Texas players and volunteers. We hope to continue to make True Dungeon at PAX South even bigger and better next year!
 

2018 True Dungeon Season:
Highlights:
• Alex Kammer was added to the True Adventures, Ltd. ownership team as TD Executive Director / owner. Alex is a life-long D&D fan and collector, and he is the owner of Gamehole Con in Madison, Wisconsin.
• Long-time TD volunteer Mike Naglee was named Director of Event Operations for True Adventures, Ltd. Mike has done a wonderful job in many volunteer roles, and Mike's focus will now be to help coordinate many components of the True Dungeon event both during and between conventions.
• Premium Fully Immersive Dungeons started, one module premiering at Origins and two modules at GENCON. The spaces between rooms will now be adventure spaces themselves -- with clues and fun to be had while you wait.
• In order to make it easier for True Dungeon players to obtain tickets for conventions like Origins and PAX South, the website TD.EVENTS was created.
• 10 Different Treasure-Box Only Charms of Transmorph Tokens were introduced at Origins. Created in the chaos of the Abyssal Swamp, these charms sometimes make their way into the Astral Plane via a Weirdwind. These charms harness the power of Chaos magic to visit upon its user a startling effect of a boonful nature.
• GENCON introduced Electronic Tickets.
• Epic Difficulty Level was Introduced. This "Epic" level will have the same exact benefits and XP as the lower level "Nightmare" setting, so the only thing players can gain (besides what comes normally with Nightmare) is the thrill of this epic challenge.
GENCON:


12/20/2017 Update from the Workshop

Due to the amazing support of our token collectors through their early pre-orders of Treasure Tokens, we have been able to get a major head-start on many aspects of the 2018-2019 adventuring season.

Odin's Haven (Adventure #1): We are striving to make this event an immersive arctic adventure that's complete with snow & ice walls along your path. We have recently placed a $30,000 order for the raw materials needed to make the set walls for this adventure, and we think it should be a fun and engaging environment. We have also placed orders for some cool arctic monsters, and we can't wait to see the look on the faces of our players when these monsters are encountered.

Vault of the All-Father (Adventure #2): Once the party has made the trek through the frozen wilderness, they must face the challenges within a temple of Odin. To make the interior of this temple different and fun, we created over 300 vacuform design pieces that will be mixed with "stone" walls to create an interesting adventure space. Also, we have 500+ other TOP SECRET elements that will be sprinkled into the adventure to make your encounter areas even more fun. Oh, and the Boss Monster, it will be a fan-favorite. It is going to drop some jaws.





1/3/2018 Update From the Workshop
We are pretty stoked about the new monster costumes and animatronics we are developing for the 2018-2019 adventuring season that starts at Gen Con 2018 (Aug. 2nd-5th). These full-body costumes (like the one shown above) should look amazing when paired with one of our talented NPC volunteers. We received many shipment notices over the holidays from various vendors who have done some incredible work with the specifications we provided.

And after a bit of a respite around the holidays, we are now back in "Haste" mode as we scramble to get ready for PAX South (Jan. 12-14th). It will take 2-3 days to prep all the supplies, sets and props for the journey to San Antonio, TX. We are all very excited about our first big show at PAX South, and we have already sold about 1,500 tickets (of 2,000 possible). We should sell out by the time the Con starts, so get your tickets now if you are planning on attending PAX South. We just released more tickets during the 9am and 9pm hours.



Patron Pins: To show our thanks to those who support the event with a large token purchase, we will give these embossed metal pins to every one at the Patron level of funding.


Volunteering for True Dungeon!
Check out this video to get an idea of the fun you can have volunteering for True Dungeon.
True Dungeon NEEDS YOU! True Dungeon is one of the coolest and biggest events in gaming history, and we can only pull it off with the help of some amazing volunteers like you. Not only is being a volunteer for True Dungeon a bunch of fun, it also has some nice perks.
• Up to a $250 Stipend
• FREE 4-Day Badge ($110 value)
• FREE limited-edition token
• FREE Spot in a Nearby Hotel
CLICK HERE to learn more about volunteering at our new volunteer website.
1/26/2018: Update from the Workshop
We are finishing up work on some vacu-form panels we had specially fabricated for this upcoming year's "Vault of the All-Father" adventure which premieres at Gen Con in August. We thought we would tease you with a glimpse of a part of a wall. Not shown in the photo are cool large crown molding elements that really tie the look of the room together. There will be a few other fun set elements that are not shown which should help to immerse you inside a "disturbed" temple of Odin. This should be a really cool setting, and it has been a lot of good fun working on this set for our players.

Alex Kammer Joins the Team
True Adventures, Ltd. is excited to announce that Alex Kammer has been added to our ownership team. Alex is a life-long D&D fan and collector, and he is the owner of Gamehole Con in Madison, Wisconsin. His knowledge and experience will be very valuable as True Dungeon continues to grow while we constantly strive to improve the quality of the event.
2/9/2018: LED Lights Invade Workshop
This week we have been constructing the largest puzzle in TD history, and it should be a lot of fun for your party. Shown above is a part of the hundreds of feet of bright LED strips we have been installing to make this amazing puzzle. The device will be run by a Raspberry Pi controller, and it should be a great group-challenge for your team to complete.

Also, we have begun work on constructing hundreds of feet of snow/ice walls for the "Odin's Haven" adventure which launches at Gen Con. This is a very big job, and the material costs run into the tens of thousands of dollars, but the result should be an incredibly immersive arctic adventure that is complete with falling snow.

3/2/2018: Update from Workshop

It has been a busy week here at TD HQ with the visit of some out-of-town volunteers. These fine folks hung out for a few days, and they helped us get a jump start on Origins Game Fair and Gen Con volunteer staffing. We also did quite a bit of work on some tech-heavy puzzles while making some tweaks to our tdvols.comwebsite.

Additional fun was had with the detailed costumes for the new adventuring season. Check out the pic on the left to see one of the big villains that will be waiting for you this year. It is a full-body costume that looks amazing with some spooky up-lighting.

And we are happy to report that we should finally be done with the construction of dozens of snow/ice walls. They have been a real pain to sew, hem and tape, but these new wall pieces should really help immerse our players in the arctic scenario we will be premiering at Gen Con in August. We will be adding to the snowy feel of the adventure with a couple of cool special effects that will remain a bit of a surprise. Get ready to chill out at Gen Con!

3/9/2018: Five More Years of TD at Gen Con!
True Dungeon was born 15 years ago when TD creator Jeff Martin and Gen Con owner Peter Adkison met over pancakes at a Bob Evans restaurant. Peter gave Jeff a $5,000 check to get the event started, and the rest is history. Today we are happy to announce we have reached a five-year agreement with Gen Con, LLC to present TD at Gen Con through 2022. We look forward to making Gen Con the premier True Dungeon event experience for the next five years.



New Team Member Joins TD Staff

Long-time TD volunteer Mike Naglee has been named Director of Event Operations for True Adventures, Ltd. Mike has done a wonderful job in many volunteer roles, and Mike's focus will now be to help coordinate many components of the True Dungeon event both during and between conventions.

A BIG Change Coming to Origins, Gen Con and Beyond
True Dungeon is pleased to announce exciting new plans for the 2018-2019 adventure season. The information presented below is different than released earlier this year, so please read this update carefully.

Origins 2018

The 2018-2019 adventure season will start at Origins Game Fair 2018 in June with the presentation of five different adventures. The first two modules (“The Moongate Maze” and “Dancing Among Stones” each with a combat and puzzle-oriented version for a total of four modules) are based on the literary world of Patrick Rothfuss, and they give players a chance to visit the Fae and the Waystone Inn where they meet characters from the acclaimed novels. These adventures were previously presented at Gen Con 2017, Gamehole Con 2017 and PAX South 2018. The price of admission for either of these four adventures will be $48.

And Now the BIG News

The fifth module (“N1 - Astral Journey to the Bliss”) will be premiering at Origins Game Fair 2018, and it will represent the first of three completely new N-series modules debuting in 2018 at Origins and Gen Con. The N-series is a group of three consecutive modules based around a Norse theme. The other two N-series modules (“N2 – Odin’s Haven” and “N3 – Vault of the All-Father”) will premier at Gen Con 2018.

“N1 – Astral Journey to the Bliss” (and the entire N-series) will mark a new era in True Dungeon history. Starting with the N1 module, all future True Dungeon adventures will be presented with a larger event footprint than ever before. The quality of the sets, props, costumes and animatronics will be at the level that was achieved with the “Dancing Among Stones” adventure presented at Gen Con 2017. The non-themed “holding areas” between rooms have been replaced with well-themed spaces designed to immerse players in the adventure while they await entry into the next room. The cost to play this two-hour adventure at Origins will be $58.


Newsletter, 6/29/2018: Origins Re-Cap

Whew! What a crazy week at Origins! It was a big task to offer five adventures at Origins Game Fair, but the TD Volunteer Crew did an amazing job of installing, running and then dismantling the event. A big kudos to our amazing team of volunteers who put on a great show.

The big news at Origins was the presentation of our first "enhanced" module -- N1 - Astral Journey to the Bliss. We were pretty nervous about the reception of our new augmented event structure -- as this was a big gamble on our part. I am happy to report the reviews have been very good, and that it seems our players agree with the move to higher-quality events.

Gen Con 2018

Gen Con will see the presentation of the entire three-part N-series of modules. They include:

• N1 – Astral Journey to the Bliss (1st shown at Origins) [3 puzzle rooms, 3 combat rooms & 1 "both" room]
• N2 – Odin’s Haven (premieres at Gen Con) [3 puzzle rooms, 3 combat rooms & 1 "both" room]
• N3 – Vault of the All-Father (premieres at Gen Con) [4 puzzle rooms & 3 combat rooms]

Because of Gen Con's larger Install Crew and the fact that installation begins Monday at Gen Con (and Tuesday at other shows), all three adventures presented at Gen Con will have an improved look and feel not seen at any other convention. The extra time will be used to add additional set and prop pieces – as well as to fine-tune light, sound and special effect levels.



True Dungeon has been offering four adventures at Gen Con in recent years, so this new presentation paradigm of larger and better-quality events will see a reduction in the number of adventures due to space constraints. Thus, a total of 6,000 tickets will be available at Gen Con for enhanced adventures (instead of the 8,000 tickets that were available in 2017). The price to play these two-hour enhanced adventures at Gen Con will be $78.

New Gen Con Event! True Dungeon: First Quest

An exciting four-room, 1.5 hour interactive experience serves as a great introduction to the True Dungeon game. This adventure features the best monsters and puzzles from True Dungeon's past, and it includes a free pack of tokens to use in the game (and no other tokens can be used during this adventure). Victorious players will be awarded one Treasure Token from a random treasure generator and players 4th-level and lower will receive 500 experience points. The cost of admission for this 1.5 hour event is $38.

True Grind will return to Gen Con, too.

Gamehole Con 2018

We will present the same entire N-series modules at Gamehole Con 2018 that we are presenting at Gen Con 2018. Due to time constraints for installation, the event's level of immersion will be the same as presented with the N1 module at Origins 2018. The tickets will require a $58 level of support.

PAX South 2019

We are in the process of setting up the details of this show with the fine folks at PAX South. We will seek to present the same three-adventure presentation seen at Gamehole Con 2018 with the same level of immersiveness and ticket price ($58). However, until a final agreement is reached, these details are not finalized.

Experience Points gained during the 2018-2019 adventuring season can be earned only once from each of these three new Norse (N-series) adventures regardless of where they are played. For example, a player will only get XP credit for the furthest room they reach during multiple runs of the N1 module even if they play N1 at more than one convention.

Thank you for your amazing support of our event over the past 15 years. Your funding has allowed us to continually enhance the quality of True Dungeon, and we look forward to the big leap in player immersion you will see this coming adventuring season.
3/23/2018: Full Dungeon Event Added to Gen Con

True Dungeon is pleased to announce an expansion to our offerings at Gen Con 2018. We have worked with the fine folks at Gen Con in a team effort to locate more event space. The previously announced True Dungeon: First Quest is being expanded and replaced to a full seven-room dungeon with the presentation of a fan-favorite adventure from 2014 - only with a 'sealed" twist.

Into the Viper's Pit (Sealed Quest) is an immersive adventure where players must venture into a desert-themed snake temple to face some of the most beloved puzzles and monsters from TD's long history. A full 2,000 tickets will be offered at $48 -- which is $14 less expensive than last year's comparable Moongate Maze adventure.

In keeping with the "sealed" theme, and to keep the fun more light and new-player friendly, no outside Treasure Tokens can be used. Parties can only use the tokens found in their free starter 10-packs of Treasure Tokens. Additionally, the adventures can only be run on Non-lethal or Normal challenge settings, but normal XP is available for those who did not play the event in 2014. All players will get three draws from a special random treasure generator, and every player will receive a limited-edition Completion Token.
Our NEW Ticketing Website Launches -- Just in Time for Origins!

In order to make it easier for our players to obtain tickets for conventions like Origins and PAX South, we have created a handy website called TD.EVENTS.

The new site is designed specifically for TD's unique "an event starts every 12 minutes" timing structure so you can search with a variety of parameters which will help you quickly find events that best suit your needs. You can bring paper prints of receipts as your ticket(s) for an event, or you can have us scan the barcode off your phone. At the convention, you could buy a ticket via the website and then instantly redeem it with the barcode on your phone.


4/27/2018: Update from the Workshop
The past month has been an incredibly fun yet hectic time at the TD Workshop. We have been working on some amazing-looking "best ever" sets for the Astral adventure (premiering at Origins), and we have completed some pretty fun puzzles as well. We are taking the puzzles to the next level this year by having some of them controlled by raspberry pi systems. This allows us to use sensors and light switches which give us top-notch puzzles.

Most of the costumes we have purchased for the 2018 season have arrived, and these full-body, professionally-made costumes should look amazing in the new enhanced sets. We can't wait to see your faces at Origins and Gen Con this summer. Watch out for the monster below. You will face him soon!
This Year is Going to be Amazing!

I cannot understate how excited the TD Crew is for Gen Con. Due to our new event structure (explained HERE) we have been having a blast in the TD Workshop crafting the incredible sets and puzzles for Gen Con. This new structure has allowed us much more funding per adventure, and that has translated into some of the best sets and props we have ever made for TD. And our increased budget for costumes has allowed us to purchase professional-quality full costume suits that will excite the imagination.

I think we are going to enthrall a lot of Gen Con gamers. We cannot wait to transport them into a highly immersive adventure that will be the highlight of their gaming year!

Thank you for your support & trust. Both are greatly appreciated.

Best,

-- Jeff Martin, Creator
5/16/2018: Info To Know Before Tickets Go On Sale at Noon (EDT)

The modules can be played in any order.
While it would be nice to play the modules in the N1 - N2 - N3 order, we designed the modules so they can be played in any order without fear of spoilers. Play them how they best fit into your schedule.

The newbie-focused module "Into the Viper's Pit" is not an exact copy from 2014.
Many folks have asked about this since they want to re-play it with friends who are new to TD. While many of the puzzles will remain the same (<cough> Sand Table <cough>), we have changed up the monster encounters a bit for a few reasons. I can tell you we swapped out the Medusa for another monster because we wanted to try something else (and we have a cool costume!). Also, the ending boss fight has been changed a bit, also.

"N1 - Astral Journey to the Bliss" is the longest walking adventure.
Folks with some mobility issues wanted to know the general length of each adventure. Modules N2 and N3 should be about the same walking distance, but in order to accomplish all the crazy stuff we are doing to re-create the Astral Plane, we had to extend N1 the furthest.

CLICK HERE to see the complete list of TD tickets available at Gen Con. Tickets will be in high demand so it is recommended that you log in before Noon (EDT) on Sunday to get your tickets - especially if you want to play in more than one adventure. For an amazing gaming experience, play all three "Enhanced" modules (N1, N2 & N3) at Gen Con.

CLICK HERE for complete True Dungeon 2018 event details.

Final Thoughts

Thank you all for your support and passion for this wonderful group project called True Dungeon. After 16 years, it still kind of feels like I am 15 years old teenager, and I am putting on a haunted house in my neighbor's basement with the help of the neighborhood kids. It is all just crazy energy focused on making people happy while having more fun than anyone else!

Best,
-- Jeff Martin, Creator
5/8/2018: Only a Handful Remain!
Thank you all for the AMAZING show of support for True Dungeon. On Sunday, over 8,000 event tickets were snatched up within an hour of going on sale. We very much appreciate your continued enthusiasm for True Dungeon, and the TD Crew is now feverishly working to deliver incredible events for players at Gen Con.

Also, there are some $32 tickets available for our True Grind event entitled "Pandemonium and Back." This is a hack and slash type event where you battle a horde of monsters bent on your destruction. It is a great time for gamers who like combat.

Additionally, we still have some free tickets for our True Dungeon 101 seminar available, and it is a great primer for folks new to True Dungeon.
5/25/2018: Workshop Update
The TD Crew has been busy this week prepping many of the sets and props for shipping to Origins Game Fair in June. We have lots of new set pieces, and we can't wait to get them set up in Columbus, OH in June.

We also have tackled the big job of randomizing dozens of buckets of 2018 Treasure Tokens that will be drawn by players at the end of their events. We use an electric cement mixer to tumble and randomize the tokens, and then we dump the tokens back into individual buckets. See the video below for a glimpse of how we randomize our tokens for the Treasure Generators at the end of your adventure.



6/29/2018: Update from the Workshop

The TD Crew is now in full "Gen Con is almost here!" mode. This is when we try to pack as much fun into the event as possible while still doing all the prep work to pack and ship SIX 53' semi-trailers worth of sets, props, monsters and costumes. July is going to be a crazy month of work -- mostly inside an oven-hot warehouse, but we gladly do it every year because we just love putting on the best show possible. A HUGE thanks to the local TD Crew who is doing an amazing job to prep for Gen Con.
More specifically, this week we are putting the finishing touches on some improvements we are going to make in the N1 module. These are things we learned at Origins to make the Gen Con show even better.
7/13/2018: Gen Con Electronic Ticket Update
The TD HQ team had a great demo of the e-ticket process earlier this week, and we are feeling really positive about what we saw.
As in years past, we will have four host/hostess lines (one per adventure). So, if you have tickets for N1, you will go to the N1 line. The host/hostess will have the next hour or so of N1 runs pulled up. You will tell him/her your time slot and with a click the host/hostess can see the tickets.
If you have a single ticket, TD scans your badge, takes your waiver, gives you a wristband and a pack of tokens, and off you go to your coaching room.
If you bought tickets for you and three friends and did NOT transfer the tickets to them, we will first scan the ticket purchaser's badge and then scan your three friends badges, collect waivers, give you the tokens and wristbands, and off you go to coaching!
If you bought tickets for the entire group of 10 and transferred the tickets to the other players using the Friends/Family function through gencon.com. You arrive 30 minutes early, we scan your badge and you go into coaching. One of the people you transferred to has back to back runs, so he/she comes running from epilogue to check in, we scan his/her badge, do the whole waiver, wristband, token thingy and off that player goes into coaching.


Here's a couple UNIQUE situations. Let's say you want to TRANSFER a ticket to someone who already has something on their schedule at the same time as the TD ticket you're wanting to transfer. The system will see the conflict and you will get an error and be unable to transfer.
BUT, if you come to the host/hostess with your friend who has decided to skip the conflicting event for the TD run, we scan the purchaser's badge and then the guest's badge and the system realizes that since the person is there, they understand the conflict and have made the choice to attend this event vs. the other. No issue, conflict doesn't stop anything and in you go.
Here's what you've all been waiting for. We are going to tell you a GHOST story!
Eight friends have been playing TD together for years and they enjoy their group of 8 SO much that they do NOT want 2 unknown people joining their party, so they buy 10 tickets and GHOST the 2 unused tickets. Read through the forums...everyone has figured out that the new e-ticketing system is going to totally mess this story up.
'Tis not the case, adventurers! Gen Con has planned for this instance and your Ghost Story will be able to continue. The TD host/hostesses will have the ability to scan a badge that marks tickets as intentionally left open so we will know to NOT fill from the wait list, and to not count those tickets as no-shows. We will recognize them as Ghost Tickets and they will be counted toward tickets redeemed. WE will have the special badges to scan for the intentionally left open tickets so you need to do nothing but let us know that you have GHOST tickets in the slot and how many.
What we ask of players is patience. Thursday is always hectic and crazy as we all try to find our "groove" as things start up. We will also be implementing a new system, which will add its own set of challenges. We'll have all hands-on deck Thursday morning and Gen Con has offered help as well.
Newsletter, 7/18/2018: NEW! Epic Level of Difficulty!
In response to requests from some passionate TD players, we have added a new (and higher) difficulty setting for the N1, N2 and N3 modules at Gen Con. This "Epic" level will have the same exact benefits and XP as the lower level "Nightmare" setting, so the only thing players can gain (besides what comes normally with Nightmare) is the thrill of this epic challenge. There will be an Epic level you can select while entering your XP code. This will gain you the same exact XP as Nightmare.

Newsletter, 8/8/2018: Post GENCON Report, A Huge THANK YOU to Those That Joined Us in Indy!

Last week, hordes of gamers descended upon Indianapolis for Gen Con 2018. We took a big leap of faith with our new enhanced module format, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive! Thank you for taking that leap with us. We had a blast this year, and we're glad you did too! We also got a lot of great ideas for improvements from your feedback, and we're looking forward to putting those to use.

As always, we want to shout out a big thanks to the 272 awesome True Dungeon volunteers that make the event possible. These hardworking folks go above and beyond to ensure everything runs smoothly and our players leave smiling.

Thank you all for a great con!
Personal Note from Jeff Martin -- TD Creator (9/28/2018)

First, I want to thank the many True Dungeon friends and fans for their outreaching of support during the past few months. As some of you know, my brother passed away (very unexpectedly) just as we were packing up for Gen Con. I was able to make it to Gen Con for a few days, but I did not perform my duties very well -- even while I was there. I appreciate the TD Team picking up the slack. They did a great job with building, running and tearing down of the event while being shorthanded.

Second, I want to apologize if your adventure was not up to our usual standards. It appears we had some quality control issues that went unnoticed due to my absence. After all the hard work the TD Team put into the prep for the event, it pains me that I did a poor job of insuring problems would be identified and negated. The good news is that we now have a much better system in place, and every group will have a chance to give direct feedback to a senior volunteer overseeing their adventure.

Finally, I want to make everyone aware of how important my late brother, Greg Martin, was to True Dungeon's creation. Greg was my first DM who graciously allowed his snot-nose younger brother to play some D&D. His excellent DMing skills instantly captivated me into all things D&D, and now...we all enjoy the fruit of his generous gift to his little brother.

-- Jeff Martin



 

2019 Info

2020:
• Momo Con May 2020 cancelled due to COVID-19
• WYC (transmuting for TD only) April 2020 cancelled due to COVID-19
• Origins June 2020 postponed to October due to COVID-19
• Update from the Workshop 11/8/2019

We have been doing a great deal of really cool stuff in the workshop this week -- on all of the three new adventures for 2020.

S1 - The Underthing: We are almost 95% done with this module! This week we have been setting up each room in the workshop so that we can tweak all the lighting and set dressing. We are also carefully numbering all the set pieces, taking photographs, and shooting videos so the Install/Dismantle folks can have visual aids during set-up and tear down. Also, work is well underway on the crafting of the monsters you will encounter beneath a the strange mage university. Troy has been carving form, gluing stuff together with Great Stuff, and making some armatures to hold it all.

S2 - Darkhold Keep: I am happy to report that I have finished the writing of this adventure! I really enjoyed putting together our first "haunted' themed module. I think it will be a fan-favorite, and several fun easter eggs have been placed inside for fans of classic haunted houses and films. This adventure will have some have a few scares...so beware the moors when the moon rising high.

S3 - Tomb of Terrors: I have started the outline of this homage to the deadliest adventure in D&D history! I hope you are ready for some deadly corridors, fiendish traps, a bit of crawling if you wish, and a semi-lich that craves your soul. The Nightmare version of this module is going to be equal to the deadliness level of the original adventure.
• Photos from the Workshop 12/4/2019






We have been having a lot of fun in the workshop as we are putting the finishing touches on some elaborate room sets and props. I must say that we are really happy with the results we have seen. Also, we are filming a short teaser video today that will highlight all the fun you can have playing the first 2020 module entitled "S1 - Weird Magic". Watch out next week for a big announcement tied to this video and module.

CHANGE OF PLANS: Due to the very busy schedule of Patrick Rothfuss (and his desire to contribute much to the creation process), the proposed adventure based in his literary world will not be done in 2020. Instead, we will present "S1 - Weird Magic" which tasks the players with sneaking into the tower of an evil sage who long ago recovered the wreckage of an alien spacecraft. This is in addition to "S2 - Darkhold Keep" (haunted adventure) and "S3 - Tomb of Terror" (old school homage).
• World Premiere at Momo Con in May! 12/12/2019

True Adventures, Ltd. and Momo Con are excited to announce their new partnership with the world premiere of a new True Dungeon adventure at Momo Con in May 2020. The highly-immersive live-action D&D escape room game is entitled "S1 - Weird Magic." It challenges players to sneak into a foreboding tower owned by an evil sage who wields both magic and alien tech. Tickets ($58) go on sale Jan. 28, 2020. All players must purchase both a Momo Con convention badge and a True Dungeon event ticket to play the two-hour adventure.
• New! True Dungeon Documentary! 1/24/2020

CLICK HERE to enjoy a great documentary that explores deeper into the world of True Dungeon -- and the fun you can have volunteering for the event. A big thanks to our TD friends Rob and Lori Ramsey for putting this wonderful piece together.

PAX South Was A Great Time!

Over 3,000 gamers had some good True Dungeon fun this past weekend at PAX South. We presented the three E-series modules -- as well as a nice demo. PAX South is always a blast because we get to see lots of new players experience True Dungeon for the first time. The warm weather and the enthusiastic volunteers make the trip a nice stop for us, too.

• Treasure Token Transmuting Available at Who's Yer Con in Indy in April 2/3/2020
Token transmuting is being offered at Who's Yer Con in Indianapolis, IN on April 10th, 11th, and 12th, 2020 in Suite 219 at the Wyndham Indianapolis West hotel. No TD events will be presented. Treasure Tokens will also be for sale. TD HQ staff and senior volunteers will be onsite.
• Are you stuck at home this week?
• Play True Dungeon Online For Free! 3/17/2020



If you are practicing some social distancing this week, why not enjoy some virtual True Dungeon fun via a few iOS apps developed by TD fan Charles Jennings. One app even offers cool 3D immersive game play!

Cogwind 3D: An AR app letting players run through the 'N' series dungeons. (Free)
apps.apple.com/us/app/cogwind-3d/id1452924451

Cogwind's Revenge: A 2D app letting players run through puzzles and combat just like the real thing. (Free)
apps.apple.com/us/app/cogwinds-revenge/id1003952374



Also, Charles developed a very fun and helpful Character Creator app (for both iOS and Android) that allows you to virtually equip your True Dungeon character while seeing how different tokens change the combat stats. ($2.99)
iOS: tinyurl.com/ubtm4xu
Android: tinyurl.com/uk7lhkb

Update From the Workshop
It is a bit of a scary time here at the TD HQ. Some of us are working from home to help "flatten the curve" while a few are crafting the first big puzzle in "S3 - The Tomb of Terrors". This large puzzle presents the entrance to the Tomb, and it is quite an extensive build. However, it should be well worth the effort as parties should have a blast dealing with its mechanisms to enter the Tomb proper.

I know a lot of TD players are concerned about possible cancellations this summer due to the COVID-19 virus. At this time, we have no cancellations for Cons where True Adventures is running events. We were planning on doing token transmutes at Who's Yer Con, but they have postponed their show for now. As always, you can mail token transmutes in and we will process them and send them back via USPS. Someone will be around to process your token order or transmutation in short order.

Take care of yourselves -- as well as those who could use a little help.

• True Dungeon: COVID19 / Origins Update 4/11/2020 9:35:15 PM Eastern Standard Time
Dear True Dungeon Community,

We write to you today to give you updates regarding how the COVID19 crisis is impacting True Dungeon. We, like many of you, are trying to do what we can to get through this as best as possible, Unfortunately, any business that depends on thousands of people gathering in one location is likely to feel the impact far beyond what we can even imagine.

First of all, we want to say this. True Dungeon isn't going anywhere! We are committed to toughing this out and being ready to go to the first show that is able to happen. We don't know what that will be yet, but know that we have S1 and S2 completely ready to go, and S3 isn't far away from completion. We are proud of the work our team has done in creating the sets, props, puzzles, and effects for the new modules and we are incredibly eager to entertain you as soon as we are able.

Now, having said that, these are difficult times, and times that none of us could've even imagined. However, it is our reality, and so decisions must be made, especially when we know our business will be restricted for longer than some, due to the large group limitations we will likely see for many months. We are busy applying for State and Federal Grant/Loan programs that are designed to help small businesses. Unfortunately, as a "non-essential" business in Illinois, we were required to close our offices several weeks ago. With this came the difficult decision on what to do with staff at TD HQ. It was not an easy decision, but one we felt would be best for the company long-term, so we made the heartbreaking call to layoff our entire staff. This was a very difficult decision to make as we are like a family. We are able to pay 100% of the health insurance premiums at this time, which will hopefully take one burden off our wonderful staff.

Jeff is going into the office daily to pick up mail, process transmute orders, work on S3 elements, and clean up the workshop and office. Lori is working from home, completing the grant/loan paperwork, working with future shows on plans, and working on volunteer correspondence.

As you probably saw, MomoCon, our May show, was cancelled. Next up for us is Origins, which was originally scheduled for June. We were informed yesterday afternoon via email, like many of you, that Origins is being rescheduled for October. Jeff is contacting them today to discuss options for True Dungeon attending Origins. We have three main concerns with future shows.
• One, is it truly safe for our staff, volunteers, and players to attend?
• Two, will we have enough volunteer interest to staff 1, 2, or 3 adventures?
• And three, will the show overall have enough attendance for us to sell tickets for 1, 2, or 3 adventures?
Once we have more information from Origins, we will make a tentative plan for our attendance there in October.

Frankly, future shows are all up in the air, in our opinion. Many of these pandemics have seen "waves" of cases. If that is the case with COVID19, this is the first wave and we could see additional waves for months. We feel like it's best to be open, honest, and transparent about our opinion, and hope that you understand we will always take the safety of our staff, volunteers, and players first and foremost.

One thing we've heard many people ask is how can they help, especially in the gaming industry. While not all inclusive, here are some ideas for ways YOU can help keep the wonderful businesses in the gaming community alive during this unprecedented time.
• If you have purchased a badge and/or booth space for a future convention that is able to let you "roll over" the badge, consider doing so. That funding will be a huge help during a "no revenue" time for the show.
• Participate in the shows that offer "online" gaming. There are a lot of great ideas being tossed around to help keep people connected to the wonderful hobby, so please take some time and participate in online gaming experiences. You may even make some new friends!
• When your financial situation stabilizes and you have some discretionary income, consider purchasing a game from a publisher, vendor, or local game store! Every bit of income helps during this time, especially when things start getting back to normal, but large gatherings are still limited.
• Buy tokens - oh come on!!!! You know we had to say it!
• Be smart and stay safe. Seriously...we are worried about our friend, family, and the wonderful TD community. Please take precautions, wash hands like your life depends on it ('cause it does), don't touch your face, and be vigilant!
• Reach out to others. This whole quarantine thing is what many introverts have been training for since day one!! But, please reach out to your friends, whether that's a text, phone call, online virtual meet up, or a good old-fashioned snail mail note!!! Just reach out and remind someone that you're there, you care about them, and you're looking forward to hanging out again.
We will continue to keep you updated as we get final information from shows. We both hope that we'll be sending you an update soon with future show information. But, history and science both make us think that's cautious optimism. We're hopeful that the large gathering ban is safely lifted sooner than we expect, but unfortunately our crystal ball is broken, so only time will tell the true story. Until then, know that we are doing everything in our power to weather this storm the best we can. We are exploring ideas and options for ways for True Dungeon to be able to be a part of your gaming fun as soon as it's safely possible.

Be smart, stay healthy...

Jeff & Lori

Jeff and Lori Martin
True Adventures
1280 Reed Station Road
Carbondale, IL 62902
618-967-5115

2021 Info

2022 Info

2023 Info:

• True Dungeon changed the rewards so that all difficulty levels get the same rare completion token. Per Jeff Martin in March of 2022: “A big change I want to make for 2023 is altering the Participation token program. The current program is a bit complicated for newbies to understand with all the various options. Additionally, despite our best efforts, newbies are still being pressured into playing Nightmare when they should be playing much lower.
So...we are going to make it all much simpler. If you play a TD event, you will get a single Rare Participation -- no matter the Challenge Rating. The Uncommons are being eliminated.”

* True Dungeon changed the token marking to help identify rares and uncommons on this post: truedungeon.com/forum?view=topic&catid=710&id=256098#443142

Jeff Martin posted: I think we have the time to add some helpful marks to the tokens to help folks who might have issues with telling Commons from Uncommon tokens -- etc.
I think it can be accomplished simply by using our pre-existing "non standard token" dots -- only just show one of them. See example.
Thus, all Commons won't have a mark at all.
All Uncommons will have a single dot on the left side of the Trade token initials.
All Rares will have a single dot on the right side of the Trade token initials.
All Ultra Rares have the star-dimples instead of the round dimples.
Participation tokens and all but two of the Volunteer tokens are Rares so they double dots shown will just mean they are non-standard collection tokens. The other two Volunteer tokens are URs and they have the star dimples.
I understand that this marking system is not readily apparent, but for the folks who need it -- it should work great while not adding any more design elements to the tokens.

2024 Info

2025 Info

Mike Steele wrote: 300 Token Bags were sold at GENCON SOCAL.

Were they $10 per bag then?