For the Love of Dungeons

[TheNovaLord]

I like dungeons, but the game system would have to be one where you could do a 12-14 room dungeon in one session:

As long as it was something like

3-4 probably unavoidable fights
1-2 trick/trap/wierd/puzzle rooms
2-3 probably avoidable fights/social encounters
1-3 empty rooms (ransacked previously, under construction, etc)
An overall theme to the dunegon
Some hints to the 'next dungeon' which is some distance away so we can have a journey interlude

If that can be run/played in 5 hours, sign me up

 

[Jhaelen]

Because it's shorter than the halfling thread?

And rightly so

But yeah, sometimes you just want the simple fun of delving into a dungeon to beat up monsters, solve puzzles, circumvent traps, and take home treasure.

Not me, anymore. If I wanted just that, I'd either play a board game or a video game. Really, imho, these are better at that kind of thing. You don't really need all the 'roleplaying' baggage if that is all you're looking for.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Time to head over to the Art Gallery, Cartography & Miniatures Painting - EN World D&D / RPG News forum, look at some of the maps and build a game!

 

[Reynard]

Not me, anymore. If I wanted just that, I'd either play a board game or a video game. Really, imho, these are better at that kind of thing. You don't really need all the 'roleplaying' baggage if that is all you're looking for.

I take issue with the idea that board or video games do dungeons "better" than RPGs do. I mean, after all, RPGS were invented for the purpose of doing the dungeon.

Part of the disconnect is that for some reason when people think dungeon they for some reason think lots of combat (like it's Diablo or something). A dungeon with lots of combat is a dungeon littered with the corpses of PCs. That isn't to say there isn't combat in dungeons, but there's a lot more to dungeons than strings of fights.

How in the world can board or video games "better" do exploration, puzzles, traps and all those other things. Board games and video games are inherently limited. RPGs are not.

 

[Reynard]

Time to head over to the Art Gallery, Cartography & Miniatures Painting - EN World D&D / RPG News forum, look at some of the maps and build a game!

I'll see your EN World map gallery and raise you a Dragonsfoot Gallery.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I'll see your EN World map gallery and raise you a Dragonsfoot Gallery.

Call with a: Cartographers' Guild

 

[Reynard]

Because it's shorter than the halfling thread?

While this is not strictly true, I *do* hate the punter races.

 

[Camelot]

While this is not strictly true, I *do* hate the punter races.

You just insulted a lot of kobolds and goblins with that word. You'd better watch yourself. T)

 

[Doug McCrae]

Dungeons work. They're a great way to make sure the players only have meaningful encounters and don't wander aimlessly, as they might out under the wide open sky.

Most of the rooms contain treasure, which the players want, or monsters or traps, which are a threat. The slaying of monsters is dramatic and interesting.

The GM can mix things up with puzzles and talking encounters - monsters the PCs can negotiate with and prisoners. And information about the rest of the dungeon. Opposed factions, such as two rival evil cults, can lead to a political element.

If it's an old school mega-dungeon then the players have a lot of power to control how tough the encounters are, by choosing to descend stairs or not. This ability to 'set the difficulty level' is quite reminiscent of a videogame, which is not a bad thing, and is absent from smaller, more limited adventures.

Dungeons, or parts of dungeons can have themes, like an ice level, or a giant garden, or a garden of giants.

 

[Reynard]

Dungeons work. They're a great way to make sure the players only have meaningful encounters and don't wander aimlessly, as they might out under the wide open sky.

One of the most challenging aspect of dungeon design is, I think, finding the balance between channelling the PCs to where the fun's at and giving them the freedom (even need) to explore.

Most of the rooms contain treasure, which the players want, or monsters or traps, which are a threat. The slaying of monsters is dramatic and interesting.

"Most" might be overstating it. Empty rooms can go a long way toward establishing the immensity of a mega-dungeon, as well as give the PCs a place to rest.

The GM can mix things up with puzzles and talking encounters - monsters the PCs can negotiate with and prisoners. And information about the rest of the dungeon. Opposed factions, such as two rival evil cults, can lead to a political element.

Indeed. This is particularly important in the dungeon campaign. If the wider world is given short shrift, the dungeon must serve not only as a place for traps, puzzles and battles, but also role-playing and interactions.

If it's an old school mega-dungeon then the players have a lot of power to control how tough the encounters are, by choosing to descend stairs or not. This ability to 'set the difficulty level' is quite reminiscent of a videogame, which is not a bad thing, and is absent from smaller, more limited adventures.

An important note and sometimes forgotten. Give the players plenty of opportunities to move between levels. It helps eliminate the "railroad" feeling of the linear dungeon.

Dungeons, or parts of dungeons can have themes, like an ice level, or a giant garden, or a garden of giants.

This is where the DM gets to really go nuts. A strong central theme for a dungeon is all well and good, but no one wants to explore miles of catacombs encountering nothing but undead.