Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Dungeon layout, map flow and old school game design
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Evreaux" data-source="post: 2957816" data-attributes="member: 30728"><p>I think your totally reasonable question highlights something that should be made explicit--namely that two things are being discussed in this thread, <em>dungeons</em> and <em>Dungeons</em>.</p><p></p><p>To me, a dungeon is an episodic set piece that probably occurs in the midst of a larger campaign filled with other dungeons, as well as wilderness and urban adventures. It probably has no more than a few dozen rooms (and sometimes far fewer), a clear goal, and a relatively static environment. <em>The Keep on the Borderlands</em> is a good example; some orcs in a raiding party may return, but by and large you can clear out the baddies and there isn't any reason to return. It is, in simplified terms, a discrete underground area with monsters.</p><p></p><p>A Dungeon, on the other hand, has hundreds of rooms (mine has over 1200), is teeming with creatures, and changes both in reaction to and independent of the party's actions; such a place most likely forms the centerpiece of the campaign itself. It is quite literally impossible to clear out the baddies and, thus, multiple parties can go back in again and again, encountering new monsters and discovering new areas every time. The original Dungeon under Castle Greyhawk is the ur-example. It is, in simplified terms, a vast and unfathomable region of the mythical underworld.</p><p></p><p>In my experience, there are different design values implicit in each concept. They serve different purposes and play different roles in the campaign. I agree with Melan that this is getting slightly off-topic, but I do think the distinction is important when analyzing what style of map design is most effective for your adventure goals.</p><p></p><p>Just my thoughts on the issue. YMMV.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Evreaux, post: 2957816, member: 30728"] I think your totally reasonable question highlights something that should be made explicit--namely that two things are being discussed in this thread, [i]dungeons[/i] and [i]Dungeons[/i]. To me, a dungeon is an episodic set piece that probably occurs in the midst of a larger campaign filled with other dungeons, as well as wilderness and urban adventures. It probably has no more than a few dozen rooms (and sometimes far fewer), a clear goal, and a relatively static environment. [i]The Keep on the Borderlands[/i] is a good example; some orcs in a raiding party may return, but by and large you can clear out the baddies and there isn't any reason to return. It is, in simplified terms, a discrete underground area with monsters. A Dungeon, on the other hand, has hundreds of rooms (mine has over 1200), is teeming with creatures, and changes both in reaction to and independent of the party's actions; such a place most likely forms the centerpiece of the campaign itself. It is quite literally impossible to clear out the baddies and, thus, multiple parties can go back in again and again, encountering new monsters and discovering new areas every time. The original Dungeon under Castle Greyhawk is the ur-example. It is, in simplified terms, a vast and unfathomable region of the mythical underworld. In my experience, there are different design values implicit in each concept. They serve different purposes and play different roles in the campaign. I agree with Melan that this is getting slightly off-topic, but I do think the distinction is important when analyzing what style of map design is most effective for your adventure goals. Just my thoughts on the issue. YMMV. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Dungeon layout, map flow and old school game design
Top