Hi everyone!
After a while toying with the idea, I generated a random dungeon using the tables on the DMG. I know there are online generators with a lot of options... but just tried to do it old style, for once.
Map resulting was pretty nice, I have to admit! It's an old school one, and you can feel it.
The really odd thing is the number of corridors, 70% of the checks between corridors or rooms results in corridors, a lot of long corridors. This tells how much the game should depend of light and vision: modern dungeons tend to be with not so long corridors, but in a dungeon like this I can feel the need for light and different speeds (stealth, mapping, run). I personally think that there should be way to make tables were you can select the odds of corridords and chambers based on the style of dungeon you want to make.
Then I didn't go for the monster/trap/hazards, I've an idea of what the dungeon is (the party can start the dungeon in two ways: falling for a trap (starting north, fighting their way to the exit), or entering from the exit (south) to catch the BBEG). But still, using the "deathtrap" template, I had much unluck, the chambers weren't compatible with the map: from the look of other table, they seems a lot more plausible. Always keeping in mind that one is not locked to the dice results, they can be seen more like "here is what a dungeon of this type should have". I've mixed from other tables (the dungeon really is under an abandoned castle, half is a natural cave system dressed as deathtrap, half is composed by old rooms like a study and a game room).
I was really surprised by the trap generator: I always tough very little of the DMG traps, but with those three rolls I've generated 4 "traps" that seems pretty good, waiting for the party to avoid/spring them
Also a couple of trick wene't bad at all, rolling on them gave me a nice idea for the entire dungeon.
TL;DR Those tables are fun! The most timeconsuming is the map drawing part, and that can be done by countless of sites, but the stocking is fun, and using it helps making what seems pretty nice dungeons and helps you imagine new ways to make something new for your party. Every DM should try at least once!
After a while toying with the idea, I generated a random dungeon using the tables on the DMG. I know there are online generators with a lot of options... but just tried to do it old style, for once.
Map resulting was pretty nice, I have to admit! It's an old school one, and you can feel it.
The really odd thing is the number of corridors, 70% of the checks between corridors or rooms results in corridors, a lot of long corridors. This tells how much the game should depend of light and vision: modern dungeons tend to be with not so long corridors, but in a dungeon like this I can feel the need for light and different speeds (stealth, mapping, run). I personally think that there should be way to make tables were you can select the odds of corridords and chambers based on the style of dungeon you want to make.
Then I didn't go for the monster/trap/hazards, I've an idea of what the dungeon is (the party can start the dungeon in two ways: falling for a trap (starting north, fighting their way to the exit), or entering from the exit (south) to catch the BBEG). But still, using the "deathtrap" template, I had much unluck, the chambers weren't compatible with the map: from the look of other table, they seems a lot more plausible. Always keeping in mind that one is not locked to the dice results, they can be seen more like "here is what a dungeon of this type should have". I've mixed from other tables (the dungeon really is under an abandoned castle, half is a natural cave system dressed as deathtrap, half is composed by old rooms like a study and a game room).
I was really surprised by the trap generator: I always tough very little of the DMG traps, but with those three rolls I've generated 4 "traps" that seems pretty good, waiting for the party to avoid/spring them
Also a couple of trick wene't bad at all, rolling on them gave me a nice idea for the entire dungeon.
TL;DR Those tables are fun! The most timeconsuming is the map drawing part, and that can be done by countless of sites, but the stocking is fun, and using it helps making what seems pretty nice dungeons and helps you imagine new ways to make something new for your party. Every DM should try at least once!
