LEVEL DESIGN / BLOCK OUT :

Key to the Floating Spires - Level: Manhelm

Winner: Academy of Art University 2020 Spring Show: Level Design

Tools: Unreal Engine

Level Design and Block Out for a 3D Video Game
Level: Manhelm

An rpg game designed to play out like a table top rpg. This is the opening level which introduces the players as an apprentice thief traveling with their master to the town of Manhelm. Their master is suddenly taken, leaving the player to find their way to town and try to figure out what might have happened to him. They will speak to NPC's to gain information about the mysterious Floating Spires where it seems the master has been taken. The player will have to find the 'key' that will allow them to travel safely to the Floating Spire.

DETAILED INFORMATION:

Story
Location/Setting
Mission Objective

Non Playable Characters (NPC's)

Victory Conditions

Failure Conditions

Mission Walkthrough

Story

You are a thief’s apprentice, traveling with your master, Ketch to the small coastal village of Manhelm, located among the cliffs of Broken Claw. Ketch is seeking a necklace with a red fire opal from a man named Rowlf Lagenmire- a necklace said to be the key to the Floating Spires, which sits in the waters off the coast - visible from the village. The Floating Spires gained their name due to the mists on the waters that hides the small island they sit upon - giving it the appearance of floating in the mist on the ocean.

What Ketch has not told you is that the Floating Spires are said to hold the remaining treasures of Nagendra, the Great Red Wyrm, Bane of Sorrowbourne and Fire Lord of the Mountains and not who or where Rowlf is. He also hasn’t told you that the necklace.

Rowlf is the owner of the local bar. He is the only person to have ever gone to The Floating Spires and returned - no one has returned from their attempt to get to the island. The necklace allows safe passage through the mist. He keeps the necklace in a box in his rooms above the bar, but there are guards.

Right outside of the village, Ketch set up camp, preparing to go into Manhelm in the morning. While you were out gathering wood for the fire, you heard your master’s scream and ran back - but found the camp empty of Ketch and your supplies.

Now left with nothing except the clothes and items you’re wearing, you must try to find your
master or the necklace in the hopes it will lead you to Ketch and answers.

Location/Setting

The village of Manhelm is a small coastal village set among the cliffs of Broken Claw.

It is a fishing village set far enough from the water to avoid the harsh storms that come off the ocean. It is the type of place where everyone knows one another and is isolated from the more major cities, though there is trade in and out of town - mostly fish.

Half the people are eager to see a new face, but the other half are distrustful of a stranger. Guards in the village can be a danger if anyone acts suspiciously.

Outside of the village there are bears that pose a danger to people wandering around off the trails. The Red Wyrm Tavern is the place to get food and a room.

Mission Objective

To get the fire opal necklace from Rowlf Lagenmire’s private quarters at The Red Wyrm Tavern to be able to travel through the magically poisonous mist to the Floating Spire.

Gameplay Mechanics

Third person navigation, exploration, interaction with NPC’s

Special Mechanics

Stealth and throwing daggers

Playable Character

A thief's apprentice

Enemies

Wandering bears in the forest
Guards (possibly - depending on Player actions)

Non Playable Characters (NPC's)

Thief Master Ketch
Manhelm villagers (random)
Rowlf Lagenmire - owner of The Red Wyrm Tavern
Jursta - barmaid at The Red Wyrm Tavern
Oddmund - blacksmith
Tor - town guard
Wiley - town drunk
Jorgen - fisherman

Victory Conditions

Retrieving the necklace and reaching the boat that will take the Player to the Floating Spires

Failure Conditions

Death

Mission Walkthrough

1. IGC: Player is at a campsite with their master, Ketch.
Player Voice Over: I am a thief… I was traveling with my master and teacher, Ketch, to the village

of Manhelm. Everything was fine till we set camp right outside of the village…”
Ketch: “We’ll be leaving for Manhelm first thing in the morning.”
Player: “What are we here for, anyway?”
Ketch: “A guy named Rowlf Lagenmire has a necklace I want… It’s… special.”
Player: “Special how?”
Ketch: “The necklace will get us to the Floating Spire… You can see it from here.”
Player: looks to see the Floating Spire in the ocean in the distance.
Ketch: “That’s where dreams come true, kid…”
Player: “Dreams? What do you mean?”
Ketch: “You’ll see… Now how about you go collect some more wood for the fire.”
Player goes into the woods to look for wood. Not long after, a man’s scream can be heard. The player runs back to the campsite to see it empty of Ketch and all the supplies.
Player Voice Over as night shifts to day: Now I’m on my own with nothing I can do except head

to Manhelm and try to find my master.

2 . Start Gameplay: Tutorial area. Player can walk around the campsite, but will find the horses and supplies are gone. Not far from the campsite is signs of a trail that will lead to Manhelm. If they wander into the forest, they have a possibility of being attacked by a bear. The campsite has a view of the ocean and the Floating Spire.
a. A bear will be on the pathway
i. Text on screen: Click D to stealth
1. Player will fade and be able to pass by the bear undetected
ii. Text on screen: Click V to attack
1. Daggers will shoot at bear, killing it
b. Crate will be on pathway
i. Text on screen: Open box
1. Food will be in box that player can collect

3 . Gameplay: Player heads to Manhelm and can interact with different villagers. If the player tries to stealth or attack at this point, they will be attacked and killed by Guards. Player can wander around, but if they enter a home, they will be yelled at to get out before the guards come. If they go around the village, they can find boxes with money or food.
a. Children
i. “They say there are dragons!”
b. Villager
i. “If you’re hungry, Rowlf’s is the place to go.”
c. Guard
i. “Don’t cause any trouble here… We don’t like trouble.”

4. Gameplay: Player enters Rowlf’s tavern - The Red Wyrm. There are patrons here player can interact with more to get information, including Rowlf Lagenmire.
a. Rowlf Lagenmire. If the player has no money, Rowlf won’t talk to them - “I only deal with paying

customers.”
i. Rowlf does not know Ketch or what happened to him
ii. Rowlf says he doesn’t know anything about a necklace
iii. He’s the only one to go to the Floating Spire and live to tell the tale
iv. "Order something or get out."
b. Jursta - server. She is friendly to the Player
i. Jursta does not know Ketch or what happened to him
ii. Jursta will tell Player she saw a red opal necklace once up in Rowlf’s quarters when she

brought him up a dinner once. Rowlf shouted at her for entering without knocking
iii. "The Floating Spire is dangerous and no one goes there."
iv. "You really should order something if you’re going to hang around."
c. Oddmund - Blacksmith. He will be cautious unless player orders him ale.
i. Friendly/unfriendly Oddmund will tell Player that on his way home late last night, he saw a

dark figure carrying something big over their shoulder in the woods. Thought it was a hunter

or something. They were heading to the shore
ii. Friendly Oddmund will tell the Player about how Rowlf used to be poor but then suddenly

had enough coin to buy The Red Wyrm. Unfriendly Oddmund will ask why a stranger is

asking about Rowlf - looking for trouble?
iii. Friendly Oddmund will tell the Player there is a legend about the Floating Spire that it has

dragon treasure, but no anyone who goes there never returns. Unfriendly Oddmund will tell

Player it’s a deathtrap.
d. Tor - Townguard. Will not be friendly
i. Tor will tell Player there are reports of strangers in forest and anyone skulking out there gets

what they deserve
ii. Tor will tell Player to mind his own business when it comes to Rowlf
iii. Nothing to say about The Floating Spire
iv. Don’t go looking for trouble
e. Wiley - Drunk. Will be friendly
i. There are dark things out in the forest. They come from the Floating Spire
ii. When Rowlf gets drunk he talks about a key he stole, one that leads to a grand treasure.

"That’s probably where he got that necklace he thinks no one knows about."
iii. He and a friend tried to go to the Floating Spire once… They rowed out to the mist, but as

soon as they reached it, his friend started choking. Wiley jumped out of the boat and swam

back to shore. Everyone thinks Wiley killed his friend for treasure, but he didn’t.

5. Gameplay: Player investigates upstairs in Rowlf’s quarters.
a. Guards will be patrolling randomly and if they detect the player, they will attack
i. Player can stealth to avoid them
b. Player can find boxes with food and coins in different places
c. Player will find treasure box with necklace in the office
IGC event triggered when box is opened

6. IGC: The necklace rises from the box and gives a vision of a boat moving across the water with two dark figures and Ketch entering the mist as it heads towards the Floating Spire and the sound of a roaring dragon can be heard.

7. Gameplay: Town Guards will shift to alert. Player must use stealth mode to escape the tavern and exit the village. If player fails to do so, they will be killed by town guard for stealing.

8. Gameplay: Player takes the necklace and leaves the village to head to the shore. In the distance is the Floating Spire in the mist. A fisherman is sitting on a stump, repairing a net. The Player can talk to them or move on.
a. Jorgen - Fisherman. Somewhat friendly
i. Will tell the legend of The Floating Spire.
1. It is said to hold the treasure of Nagendra, the Great Red Wyrm, Bane of Sorrowbourne and Fire Lord of the Mountains.
2. The mist is magical, killing anyone who enters. Only those who have a key can pass through it unharmed.
3. None have done so since Rowlf did so years ago and he barely survived the trip - vowing never to go back.
4. He lives in a shack not far and he has reported dark figures coming from the island and going back, but the town guard does nothing.
b. There is a boat on the shore not far that the player can use.
IGC event triggered player approaches boat

9. IGC: First person view of sitting in the boat and moving towards the mist and island of The Floating Spire. Fade to black with the text: To be continued…

10. End of Gameplay: Mission completed.