D&D General Justifying dungeons for the modern age

[Aging Bard]

I think having all dungeons there for the same reason seems a bit... strained.

Yes, of course I agree. But I also think we've all heard about megadungeons seeming an odd concept in many settings. From a gamist persepective, no problem. From a simulationist view, which is mine, a megadungeon as an elaborate underground staging area has appeal. But of course, all sorts of temples, ruins, citadels and the like with 1 or 2 underground levels do not need my framing at all.

 

[Aging Bard]

My issues have been, not that there are dungeons, but more how they are laid out, and what is (or was) their intended use. That leads into questions of what would be in them.

I prefer a location that has an explanation: A history and a purpose. For example, I had location which was a tower built on the ruins of a dam. A sluice of the dam had been dug out and used as a pit trap in front of the tower. The dam was in a swamp which had formed when the lake behind the dam silted over, and was overgrown and forgotten. Stones from the dam were used to build the tower. The tower was built by a wizard who wanted a remote and secure location for his studies. The denizens of the swamp -- alligators and giant spiders and occasional lizardfolk -- were of no threat to the wizard, who mostly stayed secure in the tower. Magic kept the tower fresh and clean, as the swamp was known for its noxious fumes and clouds of biting insects.

That's not much of a "dungeon", but serves as an example of history and intent.

TomB

Yup, this was exactly my motivation.