Monte Cook explains how his Jewel in the Sky megadungeon revolutionizes dungeon design
Monte Cook has launched Jewel in the Sky, a new megadungeon that promises to revolutionize tabletop dungeon design. The ambitious project launched on Backerkit in early April and has already exceeded expectations, raising over $176,000 in backing.
The megadungeon takes place in Vocurro, a massive eight-mile-long structure that floats a thousand feet above a mountain range. This unique setting serves as the backdrop for exploring unconventional themes in tabletop RPG design. The adventure explores pressing questions at the intersection of magic, technology, and cosmic forces: How can a sorcerer weaponize a communication device to threaten the world? What happens when restless ghosts and fusion radiation coexist in the same realm? How does an AI adapt when abandoned on a world where magic and spellcraft reign supreme? And what triggers the awakening of a slumbering deity as these events unfold?
Cook’s approach to dungeon design appears to challenge traditional fantasy conventions by blending technological and magical elements with existential narrative elements. The setting’s floating structure and the interplay between different cosmic forces suggest a complex, multi-layered adventure environment designed to offer novel experiences for players and game masters.
The strong Backerkit funding demonstrates considerable interest from the tabletop RPG community in Cook’s vision. As a legendary figure in tabletop game design, Cook’s new project represents a significant entry in the megadungeon genre, a popular format for extended, intricate dungeon crawling experiences.