"Mo' Dungeon = Mo' fun?"

[rose4100]

Hey guys, i've just starting creating my first D&D adventure and i've run into a roadblock while talking to one of my friends so i'm throwing this out to you guys.

I originally created the adventure to take place mostly underground (actually in the catacombs under a city) with some of it aboveground. yes, i realize this is starting to sound Diablo-esque but i just wanted to create a small 2-4 session adventure to give or current DM a chance to relax and play as well. There would be lots of opportunity for the party to go above ground and interact with the city dwellers for plot-line as well as some action. Currently about 75% of the adventure is in the Dungeons and Underground tunnels/caverns, plus lots of interesting temples and room designs.

But while talking to someone else in the party he said that Dungeon's are way too over rated and not fun at all.

So what do you think? Any tips would be appriciated.

 

[SpiderMonkey]

I like all sorts, and lately, I like me my dungeons, but you really have to tailor to the group's tastes.

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

I tend toward above more than below, so I went with 25%.

 

[FATDRAGONGAMES]

We usually are underground, but we're all old fogies who like dungeon crawls.

 

[Shadowslayer]

Only tip I'll add is to not create the dungeon as something the PC's had to "solve"

If there's something they need information/special key/command word/secret door/whatever to get to the next level, don't make it impossiible to find. That cheeses guys off more than anything.

In fact, my last new group put it to me just like that: "we don't mind dungeons, as long as they don't seem like a puzzle we have to beat."

 

[rose4100]

Only tip I'll add is to not create the dungeon as something the PC's had to "solve"

If there's something they need information/special key/command word/secret door/whatever to get to the next level, don't make it impossiible to find. That cheeses guys off more than anything.

In fact, my last new group put it to me just like that: "we don't mind dungeons, as long as they don't seem like a puzzle we have to beat."

I whole-heartedly agree with you. Its more of a job the party has to complete. A local high-class figure in the city is hireing them to search for an artifact that was stolen and hidden in the catacombs by an unknown group. Nothing too brain-teasing but not boring.

 

[Hussar]

I heart dungeons.

For a crawl, I'd do exactly what you propose. Keep it short and sweet. 5-10 encounters plus some other goodies. The Map of the Week's from the WOTC site has some great maps for this sort of thing. Unless your group really grooves on crawling, I'd make it something similar to say, that first dungeon in Temple of Doom. Very linear, fun, and light hearted. If your group likes the crawl, then start fleshing it out further with lots of side passages, hidden stuff and the like.

Most people can get into a dungeon crawl for a few sessions. But, the danger here is bogging the game down for the next several sessions doing something the players aren't really interested in.

 

[WhatGravitas]

Meh, as DM and as player, I'm a story-obsessed above-guy. Okay, not story-obsessed, but I like my city/wilderness/whatever adventures, but a dungeon in a while is good, so 25%.

 

[Xyanthon]

I voted for the 75% option. I'm an old school dugeon crawl fan .

 

[EyeontheMountain]

Dungeons have always made the msot sense for high-level magical items and enemies to be. Sure a bunch of goblins can camp in the woods, but why would a CR10+ monster? It woud change the whole area for better or worse. Dungeons help to confine that kind of influence.