Have we lost the dungeon?

[Quasqueton]

Monte Cook said:

In 1979, if two DMs got together, one might say, "well, in my dungeon, I have a room where..."
In 1989, if two DMs got together, one might say, "well, in my world, I have a kingdom where..."

I have noticed that there are a lot of discussions about campaign world design, and very little (any?) discusssions on dungeon designs.

D&D3 trumpeted a "return to the dungeon". But have we left the dungeon forever?

As a DM and a Player, I miss the dungeons.

Quasqueton

 

[Desdichado]

I don't miss the dungeons and I haven't used them in years. I still think the "return to the dungeon" philosophy was ill-considered and quixotic. The market has largely grown up since those days.

EDIT: Sigh. Before you make some wise-ass irate reply, please read my other clarifying and detailing posts in this thread. We've already wasted enough bandwidth with posters that jumped in without bothering to find out what I was trying to say, but who couldn't wait to rip me a new one.

 

[northrundicandus]

My dungeons entertain players in my First Edition campaign every week.

As I get older, the less time I have for gaming B.S. The dungeon gets to the essence of D&D - thus that is where most of our limited game time is spent.

 

[francisca]

Monte Cook said:I have noticed that there are a lot of discussions about campaign world design, and very little (any?) discusssions on dungeon designs.

D&D3 trumpeted a "return to the dungeon". But have we left the dungeon forever?

As a DM and a Player, I miss the dungeons.

Quasqueton

We haven't at my table.

 

[Viashimo]

I design worlds for my game - and in them I have kingdoms. But when it comes down to the basics of playing the game, I throw in dungeons because they work very well. I spend most of my time drawing dungeons, the world that surrounds it is important but I seem to find time to put it off. Some of my dungeons are small, others are merely cavern complexes or mazes, but a dungeon is a dungeon. I think no matter what world I make, there'll be a dungeon somewhere. So it's not gone yet. The dungeon is being downplayed as players look more into the world, away from total dungeon crawls, and perhaps to get more out of RP, to create a life for their characters.

 

[Crothian]

even in first edition I never talked to other DMs about my dungeons. Still use them today though, still don't really talk about them.

 

[Mystery Man]

I love dungeons! I make them all the time. They're FUN!!

 

[der_kluge]

Dungeons can be enjoyable, and yes - I consider them a part of the game. However, I've never described my CS in terms of dungeons. They are definitely an after-thought to the game.

And the fact that people discuss their games in terms of worlds, history, and politics, I consider a step in the right direction.

But then, I suppose that has a lot to do with what kind of gamer you are. If you consider D&D to be nothing more than mindless hack-n-slash, then you'll care less about the politics, and more about finding loot, and killing monsters. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just a personal preference kind of thing.

 

[Zappo]

I didn't lose the dungeon. Well, I did. But not in the "I lost my left sock" meaning. More like the "dude, your girlfriend is making your life hell, you'd better lose her" sense.

The dungeons I have today are places with a plot, an ecology, someone who built them, a reason for which they were built, a reason behind their architecture, an economical sense, and a reason for the PCs to be there. I don't know if they qualify as a 1979 dungeon. They certainly have very little to share with the dungeons I made back when I played OD&D.

Luckily, I don't miss them. They were only fun because I simply didn't know that roleplaying could be so much more. They still would be with the right amount of alcohol - the right amount being a lot more than what is usually considered the right amount. Hey, maybe I could organize a Tomb of Horrors game where you have to take a swig every time your character fails a save or takes a hit, and drain the glass every time you die. Hmm, now that sounds fun!

 

[gizmo33]

D&D3 trumpeted a "return to the dungeon". But have we left the dungeon forever?

Does "dungeon" mean site-based adventures, or actual dungeons? At least 50% of my prep time is spent on the encounters and details of site-based adventures.