What is a dungeon?

[Quasqueton]

Please define the D&D concept of a “dungeon”. What is a dungeon? Can it be defined in one sentence that everyone will immediately recognize and agree with?

What are some classic and modern adventure examples of a D&D dungeon adventure? What are some classic and modern adventure examples of not-a-dungeon adventure?

Quasqueton

 

[el-remmen]

Example of a non-dungeon adventure: L2 - The Assassin's Knot

Example of dungeon adventure: L1 - The Secret of Bone Hill

 

[Turanil]

A dungeon is an underground network of rooms and caves inhabited by mosters to be killed and treasures to be taken.

 

[DragonLancer]

My definition in regards to D&D would be something like:

A constructed subterranean environment.

 

[Gilladian]

Now, I have a slightly different answer. A "dungeon" is any adventuring environment where the movements of the PCs are constrained by the structure of the locale. In other words, an impassable forest with paths and clearings is as much a dungeon as a cavern system. But a town, where the PCs can wander just about anywhere and talk to many people is not quite a dungeon (it can be run like a dungeon, though, if the only available interactions are focused on the adventure at hand).

 

[diaglo]

see also Oubliette

 

[Whisper72]

Please define the D&D concept of a “dungeon”. What is a dungeon? Can it be defined in one sentence that everyone will immediately recognize and agree with?

what a silly question... asking a definition to this forum that _everyone_ can agree with.... It is almost touching to see such innocence displayed on these boards...

Anyhoo... I agree with Gilladian on the issue of the definition.

As a generalization, one could say that a location based adventure is usually more like a dungeon and a storyline based adventure usually isn't. Naturally, the dungeon of all dungeons (according to some) would be the Tomb of Horrors. The Isle of Dread is not...

 

[Henry]

For gaming purposes, a dungeon is a location, usually underground, which offers a set adventuring layout forcing restricting paths of procession from start to finish.

This covers everything from Magical hedge-mazes, to Moria, to the Underdark, to a building high above the ground constructed of clouds and force-walls.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Dungeon: Inter-connected locations/rooms and passageways that adventures explore and adventure in, many times populated by challanges in the form of monsters and traps.

 

[Quasqueton]

Hmmm. I was expecting less scientific definitions. There was a thread a long time ago that asked if you had dungeons in your campaign world. Many of the replies were along the lines of, “What do you mean by ‘dungeon’?”

Thanks el-remmen for the examples.

Would you (general use “you”, not just el-remmen) consider these as “dungeon” adventures:

Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh

Dwellers of the Forbidden City

Speaker in Dreams

Freeport trilogy

Steading of the Hill Giant Chief

Slavepits of the Undercity

The Standing Stones

Beyond the Crystal Cave

Isle of Dread

Dungeonland

Queen of the Demonweb Pits

Quasqueton ;-)