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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TheAngryDM" data-source="post: 5285337" data-attributes="member: 93931">@<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/member.php?u=49613" target="_blank">Korgoth</a>: Basically, the way I have been using it (and you might find a better way for yourself) is this. First I setup the zone map. I use the zone map as a guide to map the dungeon. When I map the dungeon, I basically leave it unpopulated. The key just says things like: Room 1 - Red Room, Room 2 - Prison, Room 3 - Big Statue Room, etc. Meanwhile, I am building the zone stat blocks, factions, and rosters. So, in the end, I have an unpopulated map on one hand and the guidelines to populating it on the other. Using the roster and the stat block, I then place encounters around the zone in places that make sense. For instance, the main entrance will be guarded so orc guards will be there. The living quarters will have lots of minions. Etc. Then, the party shows up and causes trouble. Now, I repopulate the map. Whatever experience pool I have left is used to populate the area as if it was brand new. Except that, of course, when I place encounters, I do so in a reasonable, logical way. For instance, the depleted orcs will consolidate their forces a bit (expecting another attack) so the guard room will now have a heavy encounter in it, possibly with a unique leader type creature. The rest of the orcs are also tightly packed in the living quarters to maintain their defenses. I don't concern myself too much with which specific orcs were left alive on the last attack (except unique, named creatures). I just behave as if I am building an entirely new dungeon with the caveat that the dungeon is now "on alert" or whatever. Hope that helps. But ultimately, you're better off looking at the tools and finding an organization system that works well for you, just like everything else in D&D. Currently, my 60-zone super dungeon is a big empty dungeon map (built on a big zone map). I'm only now generating zone stat blocks and rosters. Of course, I also had lots of specific ideas when I mapped the place, so I know roughly what is going on where. But that's the classic chicken-and-the-egg problem of DMing. You can't use a step-by-step process because all of the ideas influence each other. Some places were mapped knowing they would be an orc lair or an infernal fane and so the map shows that influence. Other places are more generic and look like something just recently moved in and took over. That, too, adds flavor.</blockquote>

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