EXODUS

EXODUS is a computer-assisted dungeon crawling game framework. It generates random dungeon layouts and challenges players to explore them, battling monsters and finding items on their way.

Quickstart

• Get some soft plastic sticks that can work as swords (or better yet, get some LARP weapons)
• Get at least someone else to play with (ideally 4 or more people), and meet in an open place.
• Download the app (Android only for now) or open the web version.
  
• Create a new game in EXODUS, then use the program to move from room to room; have someone in the adventurers' party map the dungeon (in real paper) so you don’t get lost.
• When moving around, lots of things can happen:
  • You will find monsters to fight with, each one with different skills.
  • You will fall into traps, some of which you can try to evade.
  • You will find healing items, dangerous treasure chests, and mysterious fountains.
• Some of the players act as dungeon dwellers, they represent the monsters in combat.
• At your disposal, there are also a lot of magic spells you can use to either attack enemies or support your party.

How to play?

An EXODUS game is meant to be played on an open field at least 10x10 meters long, by a group of at least two players. Each player takes a side either as the adventuring party or the dungeon dwellers, which have the task of preventing the success of the adventurers.

A full game is played by at least 8 people, having 4 of them be the adventuring party and the rest being the dungeon dwellers. More people can play, joining the dungeon dwellers' side.

A person, either from the dungeon dwellers group or a game master not participating in any of the groups, handles the EXODUS core on a smartphone or tablet and uses the program to control the events happening in the game.

A player from the adventurers' group is designated as the leader and is in charge of interacting with the game master to execute the actions on behalf of the party. It is also encouraged that another player from the same group takes the role as the "mapper", who physically makes a map of the dungeon to prevent the party from becoming lost.

Combat happens when the party finds a room with monsters or is ambushed while camping; EXODUS will designate a monster race for each one of the dungeon dwellers, based on the loaded scenario and the location of the party within the dungeon. Combat rules are simple: each player has a set of hit points, which are reduced when they get a hit on combat or by a magic spell. When a limp is hit, it cannot be used in combat and must be healed. It's on the players' side to keep track of their hitpoints and fall dead when they reach zero.

The game is set up by the game master, picking the scenario to be played, registering all the players on both the adventuring and the dungeon dwellers group in the EXODUS app, and setting the dungeon generation parameters based on the available area and other external factors.

The adventuring party then proceeds to the middle of the field, and the game master lets the party leader know the description and contents of the room, as well as what exits the party can move to and any obstacles they can find on the way.

The party leader consults with the party and then lets the game master know what direction to move, the game master registers the movement, and in turn lets the party know of all the events that unfolded from their move, which may be falling into traps, meeting with monsters and more.

For more information, please check the full game manual.