Do you use dungeons?

[Gundark]

I have come to the conclusion that I hate dungeons, at least big ones. After DMing DnD for some time I had an oportunity to play. The DM stuck us in this huge dungeon and after the third session I was considering having my character commit suicide. After thinking I got wondering if I have done this to my group. I know that every DM has a bad night/adventure but I think that from now on I'll use small dungeons in my games. either that Or I'll use something like the streamlined inflitration rules in the fixer/pointman book for spycraft

 

[Agback]

I designed a dungeon back in early 1981. But since then I have realised that I prefer games to be a bit more like adventure stories, mystery stories, swashbucklering romances, and even bodice-rippers than dungeon-crawling allows. So I generally prefer games that are set in more of an open, social context, with more personal conflict, fewer clear-cut sides, and a wider range of options for PCs. Since 1981 I have played a lot of RPGs without using any dungeons.

So the option is viable.

 

[was]

We only spend about 35% of the time in dungeons. The rest is spent in forests or cities.

 

[Crothian]

When needed I do, but it pretty rare. There is always a plot reason for them and they placement needs to make sense in the game.

 

[Aeric]

As a DM, I find the occassional dungeon necessary to forward the plot, as well as to give me a bit of a break.

As a player, specifically a player who has spent the past year playing Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, I never ever EVER want to see the inside of a dungeon again!

 

[Shemeska]

Only in the loosest sense of the word. Fortresses, keeps, towers, etc but very rarely have I had a place that might be comparable to the archetypal dungeoncrawling dungeon of old. And I'll only have them if there's a reason for them to exist, they don't just pop up randomly in wilderness areas.

My game is a bit non-standard though perhaps. It's more intrigue than dungeoncrawl, though I had a series of extradimensional towers with similar things (4 labyrinths located within sealed portions of the towers at the borders of the positive energy plane and the 4 positive touched quasielemental planes).

Dungeon crawls get old and cliche and I've tried to avoid them as much as possible. They do have their moments and proper use though, just not at the moment for the style of my current campaign.

 

[the Jester]

I love dungeons, both uber-huge ones and mini-dungeons. Yeah, I use 'em, but I also go long stretches without one (pcs have only been inside a dungeon in two of the last eight sessions or thereabouts).

On the other hand, the pcs did descend into a stinking pit with a black cathedral in it (run by a pit fiend), but I don't consider that a dungeon- the only mapping we did was when I drew out the hallway in which they fought the pit fiend, and there was no room by room stuff; I let them roll a single search for the whole place, f'rinstance.

I guess the definition of a 'dungeon' isn't really clear anyway. Is a simple cave with a dire bear in it a dungeon? I'd say no. How about an above-ground castle or tower? Well, sure- some of the time. Mmm, what about a city? Well, maybe if it's abandoned... I1, anyone?

Anyhow, you get my point, I'm sure.

 

[Fenes]

I never use dungeons that require mapping, and hardly use the "classic" dungeons at all. My parties are much more likely to infiltrate a mansion or fortress than an underground complex, and if they go underground, like down the sewers, I rarely make them map.

 

[Breakstone]

I use dungeons, but I only use those of my own design. Usually, they're small (one-to-two session-small), and I try to design each room to have some sort of interesting obstacle to overcome, whether that be battling ogres in a plant-filled cavern where certain steps awaken hungry carniverous plants, or running across a rickety rope bridge while giant stone guardians take swings at you with their collosal weapons.

Most of all, I use dungeons because they are a controlled environment with an easy set-up. The goal is clear, and it takes just a little work to make it an interesting and etertaining session.

That said, I don't restrict myself to dungeons. But I am trying to adapt the dungeon formula to all sorts of adventures.

 

[Ry]

I tend to keep my dungeons very small - I prefer sites, really, like an abandoned lighthouse or a ten-room fortified watchtower. I have the same feeling you do - I can't stand large dungeons.

That said, I would like to use larger dungeons in my campaign - I want to "crack the code" of how they can be fun and engaging.