Play
I was hooked on Dungeon Master from its initial release. It was the type of RPG game I'd always enjoyed in the past only it could be set-up as a door on my BBS and it was Modular. I was anxious for the release of more modules. Already familiar with this type of game, I jumped right into it and moved quickly through the "Adventures of Bob the Magician" module until being unregistered slowed me down. I tried the other 2 modules that came with the game but they were difficult and frustrating... I couldn't ever get very far in them. I picked up Dan Shore's "The Underground Hunt" as soon as it was released and played it alot too though I never completed it either.
I briefly looked at the Construction Set and thought I'd like to make a module of my own, but at this time I was buzy making FX Add-Ons for RIP games and it took second place to my current projects. I wanted to register it eventually but there were other things that had to come first.
I kept an eye out for New modules and visited John's site regularly. When I saw his offer for FREE REGISTRATIONS for Original DM modules that was all the motivation I needed to try my hand at building one and I dived into it head first! Within 2 weeks I was sending First Blood! to John for consideration....which has since evolved into a whole Series of Modules.
To see how I approached building that first module read the section The "Birth" of BoB. I hope to write a whole "How to Build a DM Module" page soon. In the meantime, I hope this short text will help some of the would-be module makers get over the initial "hump" of getting started on their own mods. I'm still anxiously waiting to see and play new mods and I hope this will help.
Currently, as the Labyrnth of Blood is being built, there are 18 maps that introduce 4 new wall definitions and include the Arena, 3 different forest, a Mountain Range, and a Wasteland. Also, in the planning stages of Books of Blood ][, are a number of new maps (and wall definitions) which will define an elaborate Castle of Blood and a Wizard's Tower (as well as the "Future" Training Ground and Sanctuary).
Not only is the World of BoB expanding, but a "History" is beginning to evolve. The next release "The Labyrnth of Blood" is set about 100 years before "First Blood!" and explores what the world was like before the Training Grounds and Arena were built. "Books of Blood ][" takes place about 100 years after the First Epic and is a world where the "Evil" of the Ancient Domain has been released from the depths of the Labyrnth is gaining control of the Realm.
As you can see, even though I've gotten my free registration, I am by no means finished making DM modules... I've been bitten by the module making bug BIG TIME and BoB has almost started writing itself! I'm just along for the ride and I hope you will be too...
Having watched some of the BBS users play the existing modules (don't all SysOps watch their users from time to time) my first consideration was to try and make it interesting and have things happening right from the beginning and I wanted to give them away to regain hit points easily. I'd seen most players wander around with nothing happening, seeming a bit confused and then quit never to try it again... or get hurt or killed right away without enough gold to heal or buy ressurections. I'd also noticed that new users seemed to struggle at first with the basic commands and often didn't know how to call up the extensive online help. Thus was born idea of the first "Book" in the Training Grounds and 3 cool specials in the first 3 squares of the game that would throw them right into the "mystery" with some basic idea of what the game was about with "help" at their finger tips. It also "forced" players to start thinking in terms of looking for hidden things and using thier "wits".
I worked with these 3 specials alot... building, testing, and editing until I had them working pretty much how I wanted them to work, but it was time well spent. In trying to perfect these 3 specials I learned alot about how to make a good special that I used with literally hundreds of specials to follow. I also developed a habit and "technique" of testing each new special or groups of specials throughouly before moving onto the next. I made a simple batch file I could call from the configurable utilities that I could use after runing the Build Mod command that copied the new *.mod into the DM game directory, started the DMCFG.EXE (so I could insert the new version), then start the DM.EXE when I exited the config so I could quickly test the game, then return me to the Construction Set when I exited the game. I've probably done this hundreds if not thousands of times during the course of all the modules I've made so far... (IMHO) testing is probably one of the most critical parts of making a module, not only testing what you Want a player to do but trying to test ALL the different things a player MIGHT do.
I plan to write a more extensive guide explaining how to do some more specific things, but for now my general suggestions for starting and creating a DM module are: 1) Don't worry about the docs, Jump right into it.
BoB Basics: Part 1 of the "Confessions of BoB" Series. (Secrets of the Books of Blood) Introduces players to just some of the items, spells, "events", and general game play that can be found in almost all of the Books of Blood modules.
First Blood!: An almost complete walk-through of the first chapter of the Books of Blood & First Blood (original) stand alone module. Major differences between the Orignal and "Epic" versions are outlined at the end.
Arena of Blood!: Detailed discriptions of what you'll find in the Tournament Version of BoB chapter 2. With a strategy guide for gaining experience, levels, and fighting in the Arena. Major differences between the Tournament and "Epic" versions are outlined at the end.
Into the Abyss!: An outline of the final chapter of the "Epic" Books of Blood outlining what you'll face in the Labyrnth and the Ancient Domain. Including a list of the Ancient Spells, the "Secrets" to opening the Ancient Gate, fighting the Dark Armies and Defeating the Ultimate Evil!
*NEW*
LEGENDS of THE BOOKS OF BLOOD!
THE BOOKS OF BLOOD!
FIRST BLOOD!
ARENA OF BLOOD!
Labyrnth of Blood!
The MISS Adventures of BoB the Slob!
DM Mod-Makers Helper!
DM Art Pack #1
The World of BoB:
Like most classic RPGs, Books of Blood takes place in a Mid-evil Fantasy Realm (thou there are a few things in the Labyrnth that suggest it maybe a post-holocost world *grin*). There are a number of different landscapes and locations to explore including a city, a sanctuary and of course a number of Dungeons. With each successive module (and chapter) the Realm has continued to expand.The "Birth" of BoB:
When I dived into making my first DM module I wasn't sure where to begin and I didn't really want to read the extensive documentation that came with the Construction set..
2) Use the "Bobdmage" module as a basic guide
3) Use F1 for Help.
4) Make a simple batch file so you can easily Test, test, test.
BoB Cluebooks:
I've tried to make all the BoB modules so they'd be alot of fun and full of surprises even for myself, so knowing all the tricks and secrets doesn't really give it all away but should enhance your enjoyment of them.
So here are some pages that will reveal alot of what you can expect to find in them with some "walk-throughs" and strategies.BoB Module Downloads:
All the Books of Blood Series modules currently available for downloaded:
Download DMLEGEND.ZIP (111,728)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Legends is the Biggest DM Mod yet with 18 Maps forming a vast
Landscape as well as the Best Effects of the BoB Series so far.
* New Map Definitions, Graphics, and Sound, Including an "Slide Show"
Intro for New Warriors with just a touch of "Ansimation".
* An Interactive Village with Many Shops and Villagers
* The Intro and Village Alone are Enough to Capture The Imagination!
* A Vast Interactive World of Mountains, Six Mystical Training Areas,
Two Forest, a Wasteland, a Badland, 4 Dungeons, the Sanctum,
the Labyrinth and the Ancient Domain.
* Numerous Random Events Scattered Across the World.
* With over 20 different quest a player may choose to complete for
beginners to advanced players!
* With 10 Possible Winning Conditions and Different Endings!
* PLUS a Tournament Mode for Cooperative Competition that picks
a one of Five Final Tournament Quest at Random Each Reset or
Tournament Play Ends with the Winner Recorded as a Hero.
Then players can then choose to complete the standard Quest.
To complete the game individually.
(Sysops Note: YOU can configure Reset Options using DMCS)
* And of Course the 3D Ansi Environment and set-up of DUNGEON MASTER!
Download DMBLOOD1.ZIP (108,242)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Complete Epic Saga in Three Chapters!
An Exciting Dungeon Master Module Packed with Action and Adventure!
From the Very First Steps You Will Be Drawn into a World of Mysteries and Adventure that Will keep DM Fans Begging for More!
by Mike Collard -- email: collard@aps.edu -- from Midnight's Realm (505)254-9415
Designed with and for: John Dailey's Dungeon Master Environment
(Required to Play)
Download DM-FIRST.ZIP (49,254)
The ORIGINAL First Chapter of BoB! For New & Unregistered players.
An Exciting Dungeon Master Module Packed with Action and Adventure!
From the Very First Steps You Will Be Drawn into a World of Mysteries and Adventure that Will keep DM Fans Begging for More!
by Mike Collard -- email: collard@aps.edu -- from Midnight's Realm (505)254-9415
Designed with and for: John Dailey's Dungeon Master Environment
(Required to Play)
Download DM-ARENA.ZIP (57,881)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TOURNAMENT Version of BoB Chapter 2!
An Exciting Dungeon Master Module Packed with Action and Adventure!
From the Very First Steps You Will Be Drawn into a World of Mysteries and Adventure that Will keep DM Fans Begging for More!
by Mike Collard -- email: collard@aps.edu -- from Midnight's Realm (505)254-9415
Designed with and for: John Dailey's Dungeon Master Environment
(Required to Play)
Download DM-LAB.ZIP (74,012)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sequel to the Books of Blood Epic Adventure!
With All NEW Animated Sequences and Locations
(Wall Grapics) Unseen before in ANY DM module!
6 Unique and Compact Training Grounds to
Prepare you for your Quest in the Labyrnth.
by Mike Collard -- email: collard@aps.edu
Designed with and for:
John Dailey's Dungeon Master Environment
(Required to Play)
Download DM-SPOOF.ZIP (64,470)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Disgustingly FUNNY Dungeon Master Mod!
Spoofing the Original DM Sample Module.
Bob's House is a Royal Mess and Only YOU
can Save it from Condemnation while BoB
Stalls the Board of Health Inspection...
A Fast Paced Game Packed with Surprises!
by Mike Collard -- email: collard@aps.edu
Designed with and for:
John Dailey's Dungeon Master Environment
(Required to Play)
Download DMODHELP.ZIP (8O,269)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Make Your Own DM Adventure Module and get a
FREE Dungeon Master and DMCS Registration!
I'm passing on some of my experience and data
that I've compiled making the Books of Blood
to Help Out All potential DM Module Makers!
Includes Images, Monsters, Items, Spells,
Extra Sounds, Custom Walls, and 2 Maps packed
with Specials that can be used for reference
to learn how to create your own DM module!
by Mike Collard -- email: collard@aps.edu
designed with and for:
John Dailey's Dungeon Construction Set
Download DMART01.ZIP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Raw ANSI Graphics from the BoB DM Series
in template form for All DM Module Makers.
With Walls, Items, Monsters, and Alternate
Images for the Main Heroes and More...
designed for use with:
John Dailey's Dungeon Master Construction Set
Please use the Problems Form to easily report any trouble you may encounter.
Using Notepad and Formated for Optimal Performance using ANY Browser!
Get your own Free Home Page