Resting in the dungeon

[Darkness]

it sounds like his players got their start in CRPGs.

So did I, but that was somewhere around 1990.

 

[Benben]

If the group needs a safe place to sleep in the dungeon, your party's wizard only needs to know two words:

Rope Trick

Gah! Most of the tables I play on now have turned into computer games because of that spell.

 

[drnuncheon]

Note for rope trick: the window is invisible, which means it can still be detected, although it is a DC 40 Spot check. detect magic or see invisible would make it show up, though, and if I had just suffered an attack from a set of opponents who then mysteriously vanished, you can bet I'd be using those spells if I had any kind of access to them.

The one time my players used rope trick to hide out in the middle of a dungeon, they knew they were being tracked - so they cast it directly above a permanent (but limited use per day) teleportation circle, making their tracks look like they had gone onto the platform and used it. Worked like a charm - most of their pursuers went charging through, except for one who did the math and realized that they couldn't possibly have gone through there given the number of pursuers that had just used the circle.

He died immediately thereafter in a patented 'death from above' attack.

J

 

[Janx]

Running a dungeon well is a lot like writing good software.

You gotta cover the conditions. Think "terrorism threat levels" or some such.

When the PC's enter the dungeon, you might assume the occupants are fairly docile. Not attacking unless encountered.

Once some time goes by, some of them are going to figure out that something is going on. In addition, some of them are just wandering around, and likely to encounter the party, especially if they're making noise or not moving.

So assuming a random dungeon with rooms randomly populated (perhaps with Jamis Buck's generator), you'll want a couple of pre-generated wandering encounters for each level of the dungeon.

One encounter would represent a casual encounter, basically it finds the party or the party finds it, but neither was specifically seeking each other out. This encounter will likely have the critter try to run away if it gets hurt too badly. Kinda like a dog checking out a noise in the back yard. If the noise is a bunny, dead bunny. if the noise is a cranky party trying to rest, dead or running away dog.

Another encounter represents the monsters actively seeking out the thing that has been killing other denizens or making lots of noise. This could be a patrol or pack of critters. They may try for active attack or clever entrapment/observation.

A basic rule of thumb: if the party stops moving for a lengthy time, then you MUST change something in the dungeon. A monster moves, a room is cleaned up, the party is tracked down. You can't leave everything static, just because the party isn't doing anything.

Janx

 

[Benben]

Note for rope trick: the window is invisible, which means it can still be detected, although it is a DC 40 Spot check. detect magic or see invisible would make it show up, though, and if I had just suffered an attack from a set of opponents who then mysteriously vanished, you can bet I'd be using those spells if I had any kind of access to them.

I've had intelligent opponents with scent wait just outside of the window. But it hasn't deterred my friends from using the spell. Heck, they even use the spell when they rest in inns.

Next time I DM, I'm going to remove the spell as it makes things a little too easy on the arcane casters.

 

[PieAndDragon]

If the PCs have caused alot of trouble for the inhabitants, have the monsters flee the dungeon with thier valuables. They can always come back later.

That always annoys my PCs

 

[Davelozzi]

Keep track of time. Clerics pray for spells at a particular time of day. If they choose dawn, they can't get spells back until dawn. Even if they rest from 10am-6pm and pray, they won't be able to get their spells back til dawn...12 hours later.

Odds are, if a Wizard has only been awake for 6 hours or so, they aren't going to be able to get a good 8 hours rest needed to relearn spells.

True, but by the same token, odds are that if you put it to your players like this, they will respond by saying "okay, we sit in the empty room until we're all nice and tired, and its only eight hours before dawn, and then we'll sleep".

 

[Numion]

Wands of Cure Light quickened our games quite a lot when they were discovered. No more Cleric spells 'wasted' on cures, no more resting to gain hps.

 

[Saeviomagy]

True, but by the same token, odds are that if you put it to your players like this, they will respond by saying "okay, we sit in the empty room until we're all nice and tired, and its only eight hours before dawn, and then we'll sleep".

Hell, even if they're roleplayers, that'll be the end effect - they'll play cards or chat instead, but they'll still wait out the day.

Other people's suggestions have been very good - the dungeon denizens (the intelligent ones) should be working to ensure their livelihood in some way. If your party was stupid about where they rested, then the monsters will probably find them, and may attack them. If your party was smart, the monsters will either leave the dungeon, or reorganise their defenses. Caltrops, makeshift barriers, blocked doors, chokepoints are all options for intelligent critters that are allied, and can make a parties day a lot worse.

 

[RodneyThompson]

Of course, a good DM will consider adding safe zones to a dungeon that will allow the PCs to rest when necessary.

I tend to agree, especially if they are having a lot of trouble in the dungeon or are in danger of dying. I wrote an article that was published in Dungeon 117 about this very thing, which I use a lot in my games. I add a safe room off to one side, but not too safe -- if they begin to use it as a crutch, I can get rid of it just as easily.