D&D General How do you like your dungeons?

[Oofta]

I don't remember the last time I had a true dungeon, or where the adventure was explicitly dungeon based. I may have a haunted house now and then, obviously encounters have to happen somewhere. But the dungeon being the focal point? Not really.

First, I'm kind of lazy. Making a dungeon? Eh. But just as important I run a very player-directed game and I'm not going to spend a ton of time on location based adventures if it's not something they're interested in. It's not like I don't use things like traps and whatnot, if they're taking on a thieve's guild, the guild will likely have traps. Last, but not least, most dungeons (especially mega dungeons) just don't make a lot of sense to me.

So if you like dungeons, cool! They just aren't for me.

 

[R_J_K75]

Last, but not least, most dungeons (especially mega dungeons) just don't make a lot of sense to me.

Thats how I've often thought too. There a time and place for dungeons but underground dungeons and especially megadungeons are pretty unrealistic. Both should be very few and far between on any particular world in my opinion.

 

[John R Davis]

12 rooms
Each with 'something'.
Can complete in a session.

 

[overgeeked]

Your standard "realistic" and "mundane" and "ecologically sound" dungeons are utterly boring to me. If the entrance isn't a portal to a mythical underworld or the dungeon itself isn't alive and actively trying to kill you or if the dungeon isn't a coalescing of magic it's just not interesting. And anything more than a session or two is just too much. Weird, gonzo, surreal, funhouse, nightmare, dreamscape, etc.

 

[thullgrim]

Typically I want a dungeon limited in scope, strongly themed with dynamic locations interactions. I want to be able to complete it in two or three sessions and I don’t want it to be the focus of the campaign.

 

[Stormonu]

12 rooms
Each with 'something'.
Can complete in a session.

That was one thing that bothered me about late 3.5/4E dungeon design - "gotta be something behind EVERY door!"

No chance for the players to let down their guard or find a quiet spot. I'm not advocating for umpteen strings of empty rooms, but adventures lose their charm when the characters approach every door or scene with weapons drawn poised and ready for something to spring out of them because they KNOW it will. A blank room or two with trouble in the third room can do wonders when the players blunder into it and not expect it. Or even an empty room/forgotten area where the PCs can take a breather to heal/patch up/catch their breath can be helpful to the game.

 

[payn]

I'll take them anyway but Mega. I just dont want perpetual crawling anymore.

 

[delericho]

Any of the above. I tend not to like linear dungeons, but sometimes (for a final showdown at the end of an adventure) they're just the thing. But otherwise, I'll be happy with a well-designed dungeon of any sort.

 

[Charlaquin]

Thats how I've often thought too. There a time and place for dungeons but underground dungeons and especially megadungeons are pretty unrealistic. Both should be very few and far between on any particular world in my opinion.

I just watched a thing about an archeological site that’s a huge network of underground human habitation structures dug through tuff (a type of rock made from volcanic ash that’s soft enough to carve with stone tools - it’s about the hardness of human fingernails), and my immediate thought was “ooh! It’s like a realistic version of a D&D dungeon!”

 

[Burnside]

Great poll.

I went with limited scope, ecologically sound, non-linear, Jacquaysed, strong theme, carefully crafted. I'd add that "ecologically sound" also kinda means "has internal logic" for me - meaning, it can be fantastic/whimsical but there should be an internally consistent logic/theme/ecology, even if it's a fantastical one.

I'd add Three Pillars, ideally not neglecting some roleplaying opportunities.

One thing I look for as the mark of a good dungeon is the existence of more than one entrance. It doesn't guarantee that the dungeon will be good, but it is a good early sign that the designer has put thought into making it a fun/interesting location.