[poll] Do your dungeons make logical sense?

[MerakSpielman]

This was mentioned on-the-side in another thread, but I started wondering...

"Dungeon" in this discussion is defined as follows: A distinct, well defined area mapped out in advance and intended to be an adventure location. It could be anything from a cave network, a crypt, a temple, an inn, or a wizard's tower. The characters know they need to go there to fulfill their mission, so they arrive, work their way through the place, and do what needs to be done. Then they leave and rarely (if ever) visit or think about the place again.

most of us use this kind of "dungeon" all the time.

So, do yours make logical sense?

Do your caves have a functional ecosystem?

Do inhabitants make logical use of their resources (magical items can be sold if they can't be used, etc...)

Do your evil temples have a viable way of staying in business (income vs expenses?)

Do you place privies on your maps? If not, do you put chamber pots in the rooms?

Do you worry about lighting (torch brackets, braziers...)? Food supply, storage, and preparation? Repair and maintenance? Laundry?

Do you have a supply of fresh water? Fresh air?

How is the place heated in the winter?

Is there a key to every lock (even if it's in the room that's locked)?

Are there pillars to keep the ceilings in the bigger rooms from collapsing (that's the limit of my archetechural knowledge)?

If you have undead, do you know who created them, why, and what their orders are? Do they follow the rules for number of undead controllable at once?

Traps. Who resets, reloads and repairs them? Are they in places where inhabitants might accidentally set them off (That's a no-no)?

Do your creatures have mates, eggs, young, non-combatants, etc?

Et Cetera

 

[Forrester]

Yes. Always. I'm quite anal retentive about it. My players can testify that I am a stickler for logic and realism in my campaign, the existence of fireballs and dragons notwithstanding.

No underdark tribe of mine will ever live in a cave without a stream in it .

 

[Arnwyn]

I voted 50/50, but upon reviewing your particular definition of "dungeon", my actual percentage would be about 90/10 in favor of dungeons making sense.

However, I do have a few "senseless" dungeons, and my players seem to enjoy those equally (these are usually the "mad wizard's deathtrap" type of dungeon).

When it comes to buildings, though, they *always* make sense - there are always privies, kitchens, pantries, fireplaces, a source of water, storage rooms, etc.

 

[Number47]

Yeah, stupidly anal about it. Actually, my wife has played in a few campaigns of mine and is complaining that I overuse vermin and undead. Vermin and undead are among the very few things that I can place in a long-forgotten, sealed dungeon with no ecosystem!

 

[MerakSpielman]

I've used fungi too, for them "long forgotten" scenarios.

Remember, if there were ever fireplaces, the chimney is a great way for things to get in (that's how darkwings got into a totally abandoned, otherwise sealed-off section of one of my dungeons).

 

[Psion]

I put 50/50, but it is really more like 90/10. I have a few (well, 1, my imported altered undermountain) dungeon that is way to expansive to realistically justify and is supported by magic.

But it's cool.

But the rest are usually sites that have a reason for being there, at the very least.

 

[aliensex]

I voted "Other". I definately try to have things make sense, but sometimes I just can't be bothered to get it 100% correct. I go for the fun/mystery factor first, then try to make it all fit logically after, so sometimes I just can't do it.

Oh well, the lament of the lazy DM

 

[Celebrim]

I can answer 'yes' to all your questions.

Furthermore, I can generally answer who built it and why. Why its monsters have not been slain previously, and why its treasures have not been looted before hand (if indeed they haven't). Above ground buildings have walls which logically support the internal walls of the floors above them (at least as close as I can manage without being a real architect). Living monsters have means of access and egress, and the local environment has sufficient resources to satisfy that monsters ecological niche (at least as close as I can manage without modeling an ecology on a computer). Intelligent humanoids will engage in some sort of productive industry (not just 'raiding') and usually trade with neighboring humanoids. They will not possess large ammounts of steel weapons without some explanation of how they acquired them that makes sense in the larger campaign context.

Most DM's I know go to the same lengths or similar ones.

For those of you that find that you are over relying on vermin, oozes, and molds to provide challenges in 'forgotten dungeons', some suggestions:

1) Undead: Provided you have a way of physically issolating the undead from the rest of the environment, you can always tuck undead in some corner of a dungeon.

2) Constructs: Essentially mobile semi-self aware mechanical traps, and can be placed anywhere a trap can.

3) Outsiders/Elementals: Many of these are essentially immortal and can be entrapped by magical means, or gated in as the effect of certain spell traps.

4) Tunneled up from below/Flew in from above/swam in through tunnel: MerakSpeilman makes a good point when he suggests that many areas which might be inaccessible to humanoids might not be to creatures with other means of traveling. It would be perfectly acceptable for instance, to have a tomb in which a colony of giant ants has tunnelled in from the side and set up shop in the prefabbed spacious chambers. In fact, it would make for an erie and memorable environment if properly done.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

Yes. Even my mad wizards hall of death scenarios will be logical. Hey even mad wizards need to eat and pee. Now in these cases the sources of things like food, water, air are amgical instead of natural, and the privy is magical as well.

About the only non-logical ones are the bought adventures I run when I'm lazy.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

I always try to have my dungeons be logically thought out. I try to make sure that air and water is available for critters that need it, or that flying critters have ways in and out - otherwise, I'm sure I'd be busted on it by some player or other. This does include having critters in stasis or somesuch. As long as I have a reason for it being the way it is, magical or mundane, I'm happy.