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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wicht" data-source="post: 6188378" data-attributes="member: 221">Now notice I said that I was giving advice for dungeon design - not for adventure writing: ideally, when you do adventures you want a theme, a story, and a plot. The dungeon is partially independent of this and you want it slightly more interesting or it gets very old fast (one reason some people don't like dungeons - too much of the sameness). If your dungeon is going into a broader adventure, then ideally the encounters, probably about half or so, should mesh with your theme and plot and help move the story along. But you still want some variety. Ten rooms, each with 1d4 goblins is not as interesting as some rooms with goblins, some with slime, some with bats, a haunted crypt hidden away, etc. When choosing the encounters, keep your theme and locale in mind, but feel free to be flexible to have the variety you need to make it entertaining. After choosing the encounter, then you have to figure out why it is there. Undead are easy to throw in anywhere, likewise with slimes, animals and vermin. Intelligent creatures need more of a motivation, but it should not be overly difficult to create a compelling reason for their presence and it will give you further fuel to feed your story. Download the PDF I linked to if you have not already. Its free and will give you an example of a single room writeup. If I might be allowed a bit more self promotion, let me point you to <a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=85872&it=1" target="_blank">30 Unique Magical Blades</a>. It is not necessary to make a weapon super overpriced to make it interesting. Going a little outside the box of the suggested Core powers is sufficient. Lets just take your average +1 longsword. To make it interesting, give it a name first. I'll just pull one out of the air and say Chapel Guard. Chapel Guard suggests something religious. Obviously it was used by a Paladin to guard a temple. The Paladin is obviously dead, or else the sword would not be in a dungeon as treasure, but while living, the Paladin loved his sword. In fact, he used it to great cause, defending the temple of his home town against a hoarde of marauding goblins, hence the name. With that brainstorming having been determined, I can do a write up. I want to keep it suitable for a 1st level dungeon, so I aim small.Chapel GuardAura moderate divination; CL 5thSlot none; Price 3500 gp; Weight 6 lbsHistoryChapel Guard was the sword Sir Tomis Lightbringer used to defend the village of Kirmal when the Red Tooth goblins attacked. The sword was a family heirloom, but Tomis was the last of his line. When Sir Tomis disappeared in the wilderness of Dosvay, searching for the tomb of Saint Ilmaos, his sword disappeared with him. DescriptionChapel Guard is forty two inches long, with a thirty one inch double edged blade and a full tang. The steel hilt has a golden hue, and the pommel is decorated with a single white, flawless pearl. Chapel Guard functions as a +1 longsword that glows as a torch upon command. When the hilt or pommel is gripped, any detect evil spells or effects utilized by the owner have their caster level increased by +2 and their effective range doubled. Moreover, if the wielder possesses a lawful good alignment, the sword adds +1 to damage against evil creatures.ConstructionRequirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, detect evil, bless; Cost 1750 gpI was just guestimating the cost (I would be a bit more precise if I wasn't in a hurry this morning). But the goal is to make a weapon better than a +1, but not so good as a +2, but still is interesting enough to make a player want to keep it even when they find a +2.</blockquote>

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