The following sections detail sample encounters for a raid dungeon I've created for World of Warcraft. The main point in reading over this is that it really helps if you're someone who understands WoW. I throw basic terms around like 'Split Cleave' that are familiar to people who play WoW, rather than typing out 'a 120 degree arcing frontal cone attack that splits damage between anyone caught in range'. That said, I think that this dungeon can be taken as a concrete sample of taking an existing rule set and creating something from within that game engine's limitations.
It began as a challenge issued forth on my blog: 'Many people will complain that a new encounter is not fun, but how many will sit down and try to design one that is?'
From that first challenge I sat down and came up the final boss of the dungeon, The Baron. Creating the back story for the Baron led to other encounters, until I finally just challenged myself to come up with an entire zone. Character quotes and back story are provided where relevant, but again... many references are made to in relation to WoW. Referencing the Razorgore encounter in Blackwing Lair, or comparing a certain pull to that of the High King Mulguar pull in Gruul's Lair. I think this is a pretty natural thing to do, once you immerse yourself in a game's mechanics. In a Star Wars or Star Trek game, you'll use terminology related to the IP, and everyone will be on the same page.
Please take a look around! The Baron encounter is one of my favorites, as is the Alchemist. All of my encounters are fun, though, I think, and have basic underlying concepts that could be applied to any genre, without being limited to orcs and elves and swords.
