Blueprint of the Incident

This is a short post about the overall map of my space station megadungeon. If you want to learn more about the backstory of this location, check out my previous post.

I really like space stations in sci-fi media. Space station designs can be… out there. For some reason it’s usually a giant shape (giant sphere: star wars, giant pyramid: stargate, giant ring: halo, giant cube: star trek). As you will see below, I’m more of a fan of modular designs. They especially work well for location exploration since they add variety to the station. Some day I will write that definitive post about space stations. For now, welcome to KELVIN Deep Space Research Facility.

Here’s an overview of the map I’ve settled on (for now):

Key: 1. Spaceflight terminal. 2. Medical & Science. 3. Hydroponics. 4. Engineering. 5. Synthetics & Genetics. 6. Communications. 7. Habitation. 8. Mainframe Core. 9. Lobby & Offices. 10. Reactor Core. 11. Freight Shipping.

Keep in mind that this map is only a skeleton of the future megadungeon. Each section of the station also has layers of ruin and inhabitants which can drastically change the environment. The office module for instance is totally not an office anymore, but more of a maze of barricades and exposed wiring, haunted by digital spectres.

Space stations also differ from dungeons in that they can really be entered from anywhere (assuming the crew has a ship). So I tried to design with that in mind. Each sections is equally dangerous, but offering distinct challenges. The crew can try other entrances if they are having trouble with one of the modules.

KELVIN borrows elements from derelict space stations I’ve enjoyed over the years:

• Solaris (1974) - Solaris Station. Weird paranormal events.
• Alien Isolation (2014) - Sevastopol. The module specialisations and blocky designs.
• Gradient Descent (2020) - Cloudbank. Cylindrical designs and overall flow.

I imagine the station to be roughly divided into three themes. The cybernetic minds in the mainframe and reactor, the psionic plants in the hydroponics and habitation modules, and the biological horrors of synthetics+genetics. The other sections can have unique environments or serve as safe spots for the crew to rest.

Posts I’ve Been Reading Lately

• A Most Majestic Fly Whisk - Lakelands PARIAH. Rich and inspiring setting and a great example of a world in the process of change.
• I Cast Light! - Empty but not Nothing. A very practical post about spicing up seemingly empty rooms.
• Goblin Punch - The Mushroom Garden. Seven rooms of the dungeon, written in a conversational style.

Published on January 7, 2023.

Tagged: dungeon   osr   space   setting   mothership   incident   map  

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Before the Incident

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