OSR How to make dungeon crawls interesting

[Lanefan]

I would love to run a DCC game but its a bit heavier than I like, but it may be worth it.

If you can decipher the maps (always a challenge with DCC modules) they're easy to convert to whatever system you're using.

As for dungeon crawling in general, I'll echo the sentiments of others in saying the exploration piece is key. They need to map it or they'll get lost. They need to watch their resources, and also pay attention to what they're leaving behind them. They need to be careful as the place really is out to kill them.

You-as DM need to realize - and expect - that they aren't necessarily going to find everything (but they might!) and could well skip large chunks of the dungeon either intentionally or otherwise.

As for how to spice things up: just adding a lever in a wall, even if it does nothing, can help. Mazes and teleporters that get them lost or turned around can help. Odd or gonzo elements can help e.g. a hallway filled with bright flashing or pulsing lights of all colours (i.e. disco lighting) that risks confusing anyone who goes through, but there's a hidden exit in there. Odd or new or out-of-place monsters where the PCs (and thus, players) are in fact left wondering how and why it is here; and though there's a good explanation they might never learn it.

Interesting loot can help too.

Another way to change it up is to have some crawls be very goal-oriented get-in-and-get-out missions while on others they have the luxury of time to explore the whole place.

 

[Basic Expert]

The best, and maybe the only good dungeon crawls I've ever been involved with, have had a party goal other than "explore the dungeon". I've never been a fan of old-style mega-dungeons wherein the dungeon crawling is the point. Put in a rescue the princess, find the magic sword, or seal the evil portal quest with the dungeon as a challenge to overcome and suddenly everything has more purpose. The Mines of Moria would have been a lot duller if the Fellowship was just going room to room killing goblins until they reached the balrog boss room.

I also like to use heavy theming or story elements in my dungeon. Are these the Haunted Halls or the Fire Caves? Each will come with their own set of peculiar features for the players to figure out and master.

For me, problem-solving and interactive elements are the bedrock of adventure gameplay. These are straightforward puzzles, usually with pretty easy solutions. Something like putting a 20 foot wide pit in their path. How do they get across? Does the mage levitate? Can the thief climb over with a rope? Do they need to hammer said rope into the wall with a spike to anchor it? Is that going to generate notice during the perilous operation? Or do they simply choose to take another path? Are they going to need to retreat over this pit at speed with monsters in pursuit?

It's not that the above is a difficult dilemma for most parties. It's that they need to make choices and those choices might lead to consequences. A levitate spell used here is one less spell to use later. Sending anyone across alone means they are alone until reinforcements can get across. Is it safe? The party doesn't know, so we have tension.

It doesn't matter if the party gets across safely and in short order. In fact, good on them! They have overcome something. That's the goal of these things, rather than to stymie or flummox the party with difficult conundrums, but to induce them into engaging with the fiction in their own way.

 

[AlexofBarbaria]

Jacob has some good practical tips above. On the theory side, the reason this loop feels flat is it's not really a gameplay loop:

Near as I can tell the play loop of a dungeon crawl is:

1. Kick in the door.
2. Kill all the monsters.
3. Loot the bodies.
4. Search the room.
5. Find a new door.

Missing here which is critical for a gameplay loop is feedback between cycles. I.e. consequences the players carry forward from this cycle into the next one, which should reflect their decisions.

E.g., in the encounter loop, their decisions should affect resource expenditure, which determines their strength for the next fight and whether they can risk pressing on or should retreat.

In the delve loop, their decisions should affect how many XP/GP they bring back to town, which determines progress towards the next level/gear purchase and their strength going into the next delve, which might allow them to push deeper, or take on an encounter they scouted but avoided earlier, etc.