Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="MrMyth" data-source="post: 5482933" data-attributes="member: 61155">There can be a time and place for a truly empty room, but I try to have every room have something of interest. That doesn't always mean an obstacle or encounter, though. They key is to try and think of how even basic elements can connect things for the PCs.  Say we're exploring an orc dungeon. Some rooms might be empty or unoccupied. You can certainly provide various description about the squallor and filth left about the place - but player's aren't likely to pay much attention unless there is something to catch their interest.  Maybe, in one room, there are deep gouges in the walls - signs of a battle between some of the orcs. And keen-eyed players can even notice that some of them were caused by an axe far larger than most orcs carry. That might give them some insight into an upcoming enemy - the weapon he wields, possibly even one a PC might covet as treasure.  Or another room might have a crude altar to Gruumsh. No actual magic about it, but perhaps signs of a recent sacrifice, and a blood-stained ring left upon it. When they get back to town, they might track down the family that matches the crest upon the ring - who, it turns out, have had their son missing for weeks. The PCs can deliver the ring and provide some closure, if nothing else.  Stuff like that - it doesn't take up too much actual time in game, and may require nothing more than the occasional roll to notice something or see what knowledge the PCs have available. But it helps provide a sense of a more complete game world - the dungeon feels lived in, it feels connected to its inhabitants, to the neighboring area, etc.  Now, obviously, you don't want a mini-quest in every single room. But having a handful of such 'minor quests' throughout the dungeon, plus rooms that give hints and insight into the inhabitants and maybe even the plot the PCs are dealing with? Those elements can break up the monotony of back-to-back encounters, and help the dungeon feel like a bigger place as a whole.</blockquote>

Verification