Reasons for going into the dungeon?

[CruelSummerLord]

Because, let's face it, going into every single dungeon for the exact same reason can get kind of redundant. What other reasons have you as DM, or your DM if you're a player, come up with to motivate players to go on a dungeon crawl?

This is one of the cool things about the original Dragonlance modules-the players were given reasons to go on the dungeon crawls aside from getting all sorts of fancy goodies and mountains of coins. They had to penetrate Skullcap to find the way to Thorbardin; had to penetrate the Tomb of Kharas to find the Hammer; penetrate Icewall Castle to retrieve the Dragon Orb; and possibly go through the Glitterpalace to obtain the favor of the gods before the final journey to Neraka.

Some of my Newly Discovered Dungeons of the Flanaess articles at Canonfire have similar motivations behind them-the players enter to seek information or aid, to destroy Iuz's divinity, to resurrect a fellow party member who was otherwise destroyed and cannot be brought back through normal means, to revive barbarian gods or lost Flan kingdoms, etc.

What are your best reasons?

 

[jdrakeh]

Because, let's face it, going into every single dungeon for the exact same reason can get kind of redundant.

In D&D settings that kind of thing is an asssumed staple of the economy. Asking why adventurers in a D&D world go into dungeons is a bit like asking why factory workers in America punch their timecard every day. As for trying to reconcile that concept with a realistic economy, well. . . that is a road to madness.

 

[S'mon]

"Some of my Newly Discovered Dungeons of the Flanaess articles at Canonfire"

Link?

 

[green slime]

Asking why adventurers in a D&D world go into dungeons is a bit like asking why factory workers in America punch their timecard every day.

It's in order to slay the dragon, rescue the virgin-princess, and become a TV-docusoap hero.

At least, that's why I do it. Doesn't everyone?!?

 

[rossik]

for me, most of the times is like you've said: the dungeon is just the place where the objective are, so you have to get in there!

but i go sometimes with: get rich, get famous, get power, get revenge, get in trouble, get married (yeah, it happende once!).

sometimes, the last two are the same

 

[GammaPaladin]

Heh, there's a reason I avoided having dungeons in my adventures when GMing. It's just... unrealistic.

Stop laughing!

But seriously, most of my stuff plays out in cities and inns, the occasional backwater village, camping on the road, etc.

Once in a great, great while I might throw in a "infiltrate the evil guy's fortress" module, but that's about it.

No sealed dungeon labyrinths with random creatures.

 

[kensanata]

In my current City of Brass game, I'm offering my players the option of investigating the cult of Orcus in the Underbasin. Should they take the bait, I'll reuse some dungeon levels from Rappan Athuk for the temple and some of the passages leading into the Plane of Fire. The mission will be: "Figure out what happened to the former Sultan. Orcus being the god of death and undeath, maybe his priests know something." The priests won't tell and be evil, and maybe the party will start fighting them, looking for the corpse of the old Sultan, or searching for clues, or looking for the lich that is running it all, who knows. It'll be fun.

 

[Contrarian]

The usual motivation for PCs in my campaign is just a mixture of fortune-seeking and guilt. (NPC to PCs: "But you're adventurers! You have to help us!")

A few months back I made a dungeon where the motivation was "Rescue the kidnapped baby that the goblins want to cook for dinner." (When Crazy Wizard Logic isn't working, I use Crazy Fairy Tale Logic.). Let me tell you: You give players a motivation like that, they show no hesitation about kicking in doors and slitting throats. Jeez, that was bloodthirsty bunch that night.

I have to give props to my Annoy-The-DM player though. That night, his crazy plan was to collapse the kitchen chimney to delay the baby-cooking while the other PCs stormed the place. Good thing goblins don't like Baby Tartare.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I've been playing DnD for 15 years and have never been a fan of dungeon crawls.

Unless there's a plot, there's no point.

 

[Fenes]

For the reasons you posted - information, a relic needed for a task, to hunt down a foe hiding there, etc.

I haven't had a Dungeon trip "to get loot" in years. That's more what evil wizard towers, rich merchants' houses, tempels with virgins and statues with jeweled eyes, palaces and cities are for (just ask our party's barbarian).

Most of our adventures are outside dungeons anyway.