How much do you want dungeon crawls?

[Hjorimir]

For me, I love really immersive dungeons with vibrant descriptions that really make you feel like you're there coupled with intelligently designed encounters. I could spend a LOT of time there. Unfortunately, most dungeons are tripe and that's when I start getting bored fast. So, I didn't vote because it totally depends on the quality of the dungeon.

 

[bento]

What would "attack the enemy base" or "go to the village and defeat the orcs" be? I tend to run those more than pure dungeons. Taking a guess I voted 30%.

 

[Desdichado]

Very few. 1 or 2 tops.

 

[Agamon]

If we're talking D&D, about 40-50%. Other games, closer to 20% (describing 'dungeon' loosely in that case, as an enclosed area that needs to be explored).

 

[Quasqueton]

What would "attack the enemy base" or "go to the village and defeat the orcs" be?

Attack the enemy base? Like invading the hill giant steading, or the fort on Bone Hill -- dungeon. If you mean like a siege scenario -- not a dungeon.

Go to the village and defeat the orcs -- not a dungeon.

Quasqueton

 

[bento]

Encampment. Done to rescue others. Your response makes me think I'm right in my estimate.

I have two main problems with GMing dungeons.

The first is the internal logic of the place. I don't create my own dungeons since modules are so readily available. I find that while there may be a theme or story throughout the dungeon to give it some flavor, often those elements are above and beyond what the players will ever be able to uncover. Maybe it's just the set up of DCCs, but I find for the most part there's a lot of wasted "back story" that will never see the light of day. Getting this story to be more apparant is often a often a waste of my attention and it focuses the players on non-essential areas.

The second is after a while there's a loss of player motivation. After a couple of sessions, the "why are we here again?" comments start up. Even I get this way after a while.

If (and when) I use dungeons in the future, they will be smaller and fit in with the larger story that the players have already bought into.

 

[Mallus]

I voted "3"... though that's probably being over-generous to the 'ole dungeon meme.

Dungeons don't have enough things to talk to in them, and if they do --say like the Temple of Elemental Evil-- then they're really more like (ridiculous) cities.

Mining loot out of a hole in the ground infested with improbable local fauna just doesn't do it for me.

 

[T. Foster]

I went for the approximately 80% response. Why?

1) Dungeons are straightforward. You can go through a door or not, explore a chamber or not, try to loot the scary idol or not. Very little of a dungeon session is wasted with the players trying to figure out what they should be doing.
2) I like the exploration aspect of the game. I do enjoy a good political/intrigue adventure, but one of the things that keeps me coming back to the table is the sense of mystery and exploration. What lies within the Forgotten Mountain? Why do they call it the Forst of No Return? What happened to the Magic Sword? I'm weird like that, but I do actually enjoy being the mapper and seeing what lies beyond the next door.
3) Despite what some players may assert, dungeons can tell a story in and of themselves. There's a reason why the haunted temple was abandoned or the ancestral castle was sealed off. A dungeon doesn't have to be just a random selection of monsters and traps- a well-designed adventure can involve a dungeon or not. In my opinion, the inclusion of dungeons has no bearing on the quality of the story in an adventure. I think alot of players get turned off to dungeons because they see a series of the same old dwarven mines overrun by orcs or goblins, red dragon lairs in volcanos, and crypts packed with undead under the command of a lich.
4) Perhaps most importantly: dungeons are just fun. This is the thing that keeps me coming back to the table, almost every dungeon I've ever explored has been a blast. They combine mystery, fear of the unknown, and several interesting encounters in a relatively small area.

QFT

 

[Ruined]

I voted 4, but I consider that I've come a long way. In the '90s suring the "D&D backlash", I wanted to move far away from the same ol' dungeon crawl. We played lots of Vampire, DC Heroes, and the like to break the mold. Even in the Warhammer FRP campaigns I played in, the dungeons got boring quickly.

Nowadays, I've slide back to the point where I really enjoy some tense combats and dungeon-style encounters. Like many of the posters above, it has to make sense and the more dynamic/evocative, the better. I think a big part of the turnaround is the changes in system to 3.0/3.5. Something about it really clicks with me, and I find myself truly enjoying combat.

 

[Quasqueton]

I went for the approximately 80% response. Why?

1) Dungeons are straightforward. You can go through a door or not, explore a chamber or not, try to loot the scary idol or not. Very little of a dungeon session is wasted with the players trying to figure out what they should be doing.
2) I like the exploration aspect of the game. I do enjoy a good political/intrigue adventure, but one of the things that keeps me coming back to the table is the sense of mystery and exploration. What lies within the Forgotten Mountain? Why do they call it the Forst of No Return? What happened to the Magic Sword? I'm weird like that, but I do actually enjoy being the mapper and seeing what lies beyond the next door.
3) Despite what some players may assert, dungeons can tell a story in and of themselves. There's a reason why the haunted temple was abandoned or the ancestral castle was sealed off. A dungeon doesn't have to be just a random selection of monsters and traps- a well-designed adventure can involve a dungeon or not. In my opinion, the inclusion of dungeons has no bearing on the quality of the story in an adventure. I think alot of players get turned off to dungeons because they see a series of the same old dwarven mines overrun by orcs or goblins, red dragon lairs in volcanos, and crypts packed with undead under the command of a lich.
4) Perhaps most importantly: dungeons are just fun. This is the thing that keeps me coming back to the table, almost every dungeon I've ever explored has been a blast. They combine mystery, fear of the unknown, and several interesting encounters in a relatively small area.

I whole-heartedly agree.

Quasqueton