You might be familiar with the Dungeon 23 project (D23 for short) presented by Sean McCoy late in 2022. If not, go take a look!

D23 is a challenge for the community, whether game master or game designer, to create your own megadungeon throughout the year by designing a 12-level, 365-room dungeon in a notebook.

Some Kobold Press freelancers are working on this. Richard Green is chronicling his dungeon at his blog, while Sebastian Rombach is posting his progress on the Kobold Press Official Discord. The Kobold Press blog also wanted in on the fun. [Ed note: The blog editor is also posting his D23 efforts on the Discord.]

From anyone who’s ever tried to run a megadungeon, they can be a slog—designing a good one is exponentially more complicated. The full scope of the D23 project may be beyond the means of this warren, especially while its inhabitants are busy hoisting the black flag in support of open gaming.

But fret not, fearless reader! A team of kobolds will be hard at work on Dungeon 23: Small but Fierce. Throughout the year, the blog will be graced with an article every two weeks where these wily Kobolds will collaboratively design a dungeon composed of:

• Four levels, one for each quarter in 2023.
• Twenty three combat encounters, populating our dungeon with danger, treasure and intrigue. (Mind you, not every room will have combat.)
• Location prompts, so you can design your own dungeons along with us
• Design insights, where the designers will explain their thoughts behind why they put the happy little treant into this corner of the dungeon.

Along the way, Dungeon 23: Small but Fierce will incorporate content from existing Kobold Press products like magic items from the Vault of Magic, spells and traps from Deep Magic 1, and monsters from Tome of Beasts 3. Dungeon 23: Small but Fierce will also preview material from upcoming Kobold Press releases, like Campaign Builder: Cities and Towns (now available for preorder), Wastes of Chaos (open for late pledges) and Deep Magic 2 (click for notifications about the Kickstarter launch!).

Dungeon 23: Small but Fierce will also make use of Dyson Logos’s dungeon maps. This allows you, dear community member, to design along with the blog.

Dyson’s maps have featured in the 78 lairs generated through the Warlock Patreon, as well as hundreds of other adventures and supplements for a multitude of roleplaying games. Dyson makes these maps available through Patreon support—if you’re feeling generous for someone who helps support open gaming, kick him a few dollars in thanks.

Regardless, starting in two weeks, look at this spot for the first of 23 encounters—and if you’re stoked, let us know in the comments! And visit the D23 community in the Kobold Press Official D23 channel!

(And hey—if you want to follow along with either Dungeon 23 project, you can grab a cool Kobold Press notebook from the official Tee Public site!)