Resting in a Dungeon Crawl

[Charwoman Gene]

How are they logically reconciled in the average game?

Either the DM doesn't run dungeon crawls cause they don't make sense, or everyone sorta just doesn't bother caring.

The first part likes the game world to make sense and acts accordingly. The second just wants the game to work, and acts accordingly.

 

[Nate Jones]

Wow, all these responses have been very helpful. I will try and seek out a copy of the 1e DM's guide from my local used-book seller. However, I vaguely recall hearing that there were multiple 1e games, how can I tell I'm picking up the right DMG?

I'm not familiar with the adventure you're playing so I can't speak to it specifically, but traditionally the issues you're dealing with are dealt with two ways:

1) low level (especially 1st level) characters should only be adventuring in chaotic and disorganized environments, where the bad guys don't have effective reaction strategies (or are so badly organized or mutually antagonistic that they won't implement them effectively even if they do have them) and the dungeon should have lots of empty space and not be regularly patrolled; between these two factors a party that plays intelligently (employing stealth and effective scouting, not getting caught without an escape route or leaving obvious trails for the bad guys to follow, etc.) should be able to retreat, rest, and come back later. In other words, for low level parties the DM needs to "stack the deck" in creating a forgiving environment, one which is uniquely situated to allow parties to make multiple forays without the place turning into a fortress. That said, however, even a group of completely disorganized bad guys are likely to have reacted in at least some way to the party's initial foray, so the second and subsequent forays will (or at least should) be tougher than the first -- less chance of achieving surprise, reinforcements will come sooner, more guards in key areas, etc. -- which leads us to point

It seems I overlooked this facet when I first read through the adventure. Sure, there are 60 or so rooms, but only a third of them are occupied. And what is more, there are a number of rooms that can effectively be "locked to the outside world," should the PCs find the right keys or be creative with resources. Also, the dungeon is home to two forces that, while not antagonistic of one another, are distrustful. So, a fight against one enemy is not likely to be reported to the other, unless it is a very significant assault. Since most of my players are new, I might try to drop hints at using this to their advantage.

2) the party should use their resources effectively so as to minimize risk and exposure -- if you've only got sufficient resources to last through four encounters, you want to get as much accomplished with those resources as possible, meaning if you're exploring a 60-room dungeon you don't want to just fight the first four monsters you meet, retreat to rest, and come back 15 times, but rather you want be strategic about it, to avoid or circumvent as many non-essential encounters as possible to maintain your resources for those encounters that are essential, allowing you to complete the dungeon in as few expeditions as possible -- a 60-room dungeon is likely well beyond the means of even a very careful and clever party to beat in a single expedition, but might be possible in 2 or 3, whereas a more careless party might take a half dozen or more (remembering, as above, that the dungeon is likely to get a little tougher with each new foray as the inhabitants react to and learn from the party's actions -- take too long, allow the bad guys too much time to react, and eventually the dungeon will become impossible (I've had this situation occur a couple times in my games)). So, a clever party will always be looking to run away from, sneak past, trick, negotiate with, or bribe minor/non-essential encounters so they can get past them without having to use up their crucial combat and magic resources; wandering monsters become the ultimate bane who should always be run away from and never fought, because they use up resources without accomplishing anything (you're no closer to your goal and have now used up 1/4 of your resources needlessly).

If you have a 1st edition DMG (and if you don't you probably should, for reasons just like this) there's a great essay (pp. 104-105) about Monster Organization and how monsters of various intelligence, alignment, and organization levels are likely to react to repeated forays by adventurers which should give a good idea of how to handle these sorts of situations (and emphasize the fact that, given sufficient time and foreknowledge, even a group of statistically weak opponents can challenge a much tougher party if they're of sufficient intelligence and organization).

This is sound advice. My party is pretty green, and hasn't yet either seen the need for intelligent tactics nor made use of them. I don't want to beat the crap out of them, citing tough love, since it will only end up with nobody happy, but I will try to increase the pressure *while* offering possible ways to overcome the developing resistance. I want them to learn, not to get frustrated and quit. If you don't mind, I may be borrowing your ideas to help them develop their own strategies. Right now, their idea of getting through a dungeon crawl is "check for traps on door, send noisy paladin in first, fight until one side dies."


@Gilladian: Thank you for the link. I was not aware of that sight, maybe they can give me some more specific advice.

Have your PC's obtained any of the strange keys for the gear-doors in Jzadirune? It's been a couple years since I ran the SCAP, but IIRC, you need specificly "lettered" keys to open the corresponding "lettered" gear-doors in the dungeon and only specific denizen's of Jzadirune have keys to certain doors. It shouldn't be outside of the scope of believability for your PC's to find a room in which they can setup camp where there is only one way in/out, set a watch, and not have them attacked by too many roving monsters, since most of the monsters don't have keys, let alone multiple keys to different gear-doors.

However, since the PC's may not realize the siginifigance of the keys and will not know which denizens have which keys, it gives you a chance to really play up the creepiness of Jzadirune, since they will be unsure of their safety and probably pretty paranoid by the time they've survived 4 or so encounters.

No, they haven't found the keys yet, and I have a nagging suspicion that when they do find the keys, they won't think to use them in that way. How could I subtly prod them in that direction?

 

[Blair Goatsblood]

Don't be subtle. Have the party find the body of an adventurer who had been exploring the dungeon. On his body is a journal, mentioning using the keys for safe resting. Maybe even a key on the body as well?

 

[Rauol_Duke]

The keys have gnomish letters on them that correspond with the gnomish letters on the doors - I don't think they could miss the connection, but, there's also nothing wrong with throwing them a hint.

 

[T. Foster]

Wow, all these responses have been very helpful. I will try and seek out a copy of the 1e DM's guide from my local used-book seller. However, I vaguely recall hearing that there were multiple 1e games, how can I tell I'm picking up the right DMG?

There were many printings (including two different covers) of the 1E DMG, but for your purposes (reading the advice essays) they're effectively identical. Any book with a cover that looks like this, or this, or this will serve equally well. What you want to avoid (for this purpose -- because the essay I referred to isn't in there) is the 2E DMG, which also came in multiple printings and two different covers, looking like this or this.

 

[Whimsical]

Figuring out the keys and doors is minor puzzle to be solved with real benefit if it is solved. I would leave it to the players. Even nongamers can make that connection.

 

[CarlZog]

When we played through that a few years ago, we were constantly retreating to the gnomish shop where the entrance was.

Retreat, regroup, rest, re-enter. It's the mantra of the low-level dungeon crawler.

Carl