Generator Structure

There are six types of generator, Adventure, AdventureName, Dressing, Encounter, Map, and Output.

The interface for Adventure generators is currently undocumented. The only type of Adventure generator currently implemented is a standard location-based adventure. In the distant future, we hope to be able to generate timeline-based adventures and other sorts of things, too, but that is just vapor at this time.

An Adventure generator is what ties the other generators together. It contains an AdventureName generator, a Map generator, and an Output generator.

AdventureName generators are simple. They just implement iTextGenerator, and generate pseudo-random adventure names.

The only implemented AdventureName generator at the moment is DungeonName, which generates names for dungeon areas. In the future, we hope to be able to generate wilderness areas, cities, towns, castles, aboveground ruins, etc, and as such may need generators for these types of location names.

The interface for Map generators is currently undocumented. This is probably the most complicated part.

The only implemented Map generator at the moment is a GeomorphicDungeonMap. At some point, we hope to be able to generate wilderness areas, cities, towns, castles, aboveground ruins, etc, and link them all together via the overland wilderness map. Once we get some more encounter generators implemented, we'll probably do hexagonal wilderness maps next.

Map generators contain a Dressing generator and an Encounter generator. They generate a map with numbered location keypoints, and then use the dressing and encounter generators to generate a textual description of each location keypoint.

Dressing generators generate nonessential flavor text. We draw the line between Dressing and Encounters as… Dressing is stuff that just adds flavor but doesn't directly affect the party. Room descriptions, temperature, weather, etc.

Dressing generators are currently just an implementation of iTextGenerator. We're planning on writing a more flexible interface for them, however, so that the map generator can pass different types of location types to them (ie Passage, Room, Water, etc, or a combination of several) and generate a more cohesive dungeon layout.

The only implementation of dressing generators at the moment are DMG1eDressing.

Since the dressing generator interfaces are currently under redevelopment, we recommend against implementing dressing generators at this time.

These generators generate encounters, be that monsters, traps, loot, etc. Encounters differ from dressing in that they are things that directly affect the party.

Encounter generators are the area in which we need the most help at the moment. Right now, we have Moldvay Basic encounters implemented. We also plan to implement Cook Expert, Rules Cyclopedia, 1st Edition DMG, and 3.x/Pathfinder encounters, in that order. If you'd like to help out, please contact us and let us know what you're working on, so that we can coordinate our work efficiently with yours.

These generators are currently undocumented. Their purpose is to format the output of the adventure in a certain way for display in the web browser, for printing, or for PDF download. At the moment, the only implemented output generator at the moment is OldSchoolOutput, which tries to format the adventure like an 80s TSR module for display in a web browser.