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<blockquote data-quote="Koloth" data-source="post: 9664125" data-attributes="member: 6706231">Don't overlook the impacts that dungeon ecology can have on topside ecology.&nbsp; Real world example would be cave complexes that are home to thousands of bats.&nbsp; The bats eats things topside and then provide food for things inside.&nbsp; Plus sometimes a usable pile of waste for humans needing fertilizer or ingredients for gunpowder.&nbsp; In a RPG setting, maybe the bats eat things other then small bugs.&nbsp; Perhaps things like stirges.&nbsp; When some band of adventurers come through the dungeon and kill all the swarms of pesky bats(who likes bats?), the top side village humans notice an increase in stirge attacks.&nbsp; If later, the adventurers go to the village to proclaim their successes in clearing the dungeon, they may get a different type of welcome, like winding up in jail and handed a bill for 200 dead cows and sheep that were drained of blood by the now unchecked swarms of stirges.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Also, if the party mangages to bypass most of the smaller inhabitants and kill the top level predator, possible unchecked hordes of lower level pedators will soon be swarming over the countryside looking for food.&nbsp; If the party kills the &lt;big monster&gt;, what keeps the rapidly breeding goblins in check?&nbsp; A party clearing or partially clearing a dungeon could be a plot hook for involving the party fixing the problems caused by the dungeon clearing.&nbsp; I liked the &quot;Ecology of&quot; articles in the Dragon magazine.&nbsp; Our games rarely lasted longed enough per campaign that dungeon ecology was a concern, but still fun to keep in mind.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Koloth, post: 9664125, member: 6706231"] Don't overlook the impacts that dungeon ecology can have on topside ecology. Real world example would be cave complexes that are home to thousands of bats. The bats eats things topside and then provide food for things inside. Plus sometimes a usable pile of waste for humans needing fertilizer or ingredients for gunpowder. In a RPG setting, maybe the bats eat things other then small bugs. Perhaps things like stirges. When some band of adventurers come through the dungeon and kill all the swarms of pesky bats(who likes bats?), the top side village humans notice an increase in stirge attacks. If later, the adventurers go to the village to proclaim their successes in clearing the dungeon, they may get a different type of welcome, like winding up in jail and handed a bill for 200 dead cows and sheep that were drained of blood by the now unchecked swarms of stirges. Also, if the party mangages to bypass most of the smaller inhabitants and kill the top level predator, possible unchecked hordes of lower level pedators will soon be swarming over the countryside looking for food. If the party kills the <big monster>, what keeps the rapidly breeding goblins in check? A party clearing or partially clearing a dungeon could be a plot hook for involving the party fixing the problems caused by the dungeon clearing. I liked the "Ecology of" articles in the Dragon magazine. Our games rarely lasted longed enough per campaign that dungeon ecology was a concern, but still fun to keep in mind. [/QUOTE]

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