D&D (2024) What could One D&D do to bring the game back to the dungeon?

[Micah Sweet]

Well, as for ammo, the fact that they suggest players find way more gold than they can use, thus making it a simple matter to carry around as much ammo as physically possible sort of trivializes it, in my eyes.

Plus, I stopped caring about it back in 4e as a DM. If a Wizard can throw fire from his hands all day long, then tracking ammo for a Ranger is a nerf to the Ranger, IMO. I just tell players that if they cough up a few gold pieces anytime they hit town to replenish ammo and "spell components", I'm fine with assuming they can scavenge this stuff in the field sufficient to not need to track it.

Maybe a wizard shouldn't be able to throw fire all day long. Again, the problem is cantrips.

 

[Micah Sweet]

But if most people are ignoring those rules . . . why does the game need to cater to the minority of people that do want the "back to the dungeon" playstyle?

So you're in favor of the game supporting fewer playstyles, weighted by what, a popular vote?

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

So you're in favor of the game supporting fewer playstyles, weighted by what, a popular vote?

No. I'm saying that the game already supports the dungeon-delving playstyle and that to make it a more central focus could alienate a major part of the fanbase.

 

[pemerton]

Dungeon crawling is often boring because there is little point beyond kill things and take their stuff. What is the history of the place? What secrets does it hold? Make it interesting to explore and not just a pit to sink resources into again again.

I think flavour text is not enough to make dungeon crawling interesting. The actual process of play has to be fun.

 

[pemerton]

i think a problem in the premise of dungeons is that unlike alot of the rest of the world in a ttrpg it's not something you can really just make up on the spot, it's something that needs planning

I think @Manbearcat is able to make up dungeons as he goes along. I've made up (small) dungeons as I go along when GMing Burning Wheel. It depends very much on what the procedures are.

 

[Reynard]

How do you answer a question on how to get people back to the dungeon if you don't care about people who don't want to do dungeons? It's a question that's attempting to NOT be answered, and is itself irrelevant.

Ah, there's the misunderstanding. I'm not trying to get people back to the dungeon. I'm trying to tweak the rules to make it more dungeon friendly.

 

[Krachek]

I think people still like dungeon very much,
it’s the crawl concept that is no more appealing.
The question is do we need to crawl when entering a dungeon?

 

[payn]

I think flavour text is not enough to make dungeon crawling interesting. The actual process of play has to be fun.

Of course it isnt. The flavor text and the mechanics compliment each other. It shows not only is there a place for the game to happen, but a place that not only makes sense, but is interesting to explore as well. Otherwise you are just playing an advanced version of Heroquest the board game.

 

[Bill Zebub]

But if most people are ignoring those rules . . . why does the game need to cater to the minority of people that do want the "back to the dungeon" playstyle?

It's funny how "cater to" and "support" are used interchangeably, the former by people who don't care for a playstyle, and the latter by those who do.

It's like "terrorist" vs. "freedom fighter".

 

[Bill Zebub]

I think people still like dungeon very much,
it’s the crawl concept that is no more appealing.
The question is do we need to crawl when entering a dungeon?

You've hit the nail on the head.

If you want to support more dungeon crawling, use lower ceilings.