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<blockquote data-quote="Mannahnin" data-source="post: 8640779" data-attributes="member: 7026594">You might think that, but they're not inherently contradictory.&nbsp; &quot;Mostly&quot; is a bit vague here. Megadungeons are supposed to have significant space between monster lairs, which serves a few different functions.&nbsp; It adds verisimilitude, giving the monsters space they'd need to not be in constant conflict.&nbsp; It gives maneuvering room for the party to run from monsters, or to try to move AROUND and avoid a tough monster lair.&nbsp; It builds suspense and gives spaces to poke around in between monster encounters (rooms lacking monsters can still have tricks, traps, and hidden treasure).&nbsp; But searching empty spaces always has a bit of time tension, as your light burns down and you get random encounter rolls.&nbsp; Any given empty room could wind up being the site of an encounter due to wandering monsters. Once a DM designs/rolls up a dungeon, it DOES make sense to organize the intelligent inhabitants into factions.&nbsp; Brainstorm a bit about interrelationships.&nbsp; But this doesn't mean the dungeon has to be FULL.&nbsp; The bugbears and the neanderthals could live on neighboring levels with a set of stairs, a hallway and a dozen rooms separating their territories, but the PCs could still cut a deal with one group to help them take on the other.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Mannahnin, post: 8640779, member: 7026594"] You might think that, but they're not inherently contradictory. "Mostly" is a bit vague here. Megadungeons are supposed to have significant space between monster lairs, which serves a few different functions. It adds verisimilitude, giving the monsters space they'd need to not be in constant conflict. It gives maneuvering room for the party to run from monsters, or to try to move AROUND and avoid a tough monster lair. It builds suspense and gives spaces to poke around in between monster encounters (rooms lacking monsters can still have tricks, traps, and hidden treasure). But searching empty spaces always has a bit of time tension, as your light burns down and you get random encounter rolls. Any given empty room could wind up being the site of an encounter due to wandering monsters. Once a DM designs/rolls up a dungeon, it DOES make sense to organize the intelligent inhabitants into factions. Brainstorm a bit about interrelationships. But this doesn't mean the dungeon has to be FULL. The bugbears and the neanderthals could live on neighboring levels with a set of stairs, a hallway and a dozen rooms separating their territories, but the PCs could still cut a deal with one group to help them take on the other. [/QUOTE]

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