D&D General What D&D Would You Use For A Dungeon Focused Campaign?

[Reynard]

As a companion to the threead about non-D&D dungeon campaigns, I figured I would ask which D&D or D&D adjacent game (general) you would use for a dungeon centric campaign. That might be megadungeon exploration, a campaign full of 5 room dungeons, or anything in between. For this discussion, all official D&D editions and their simulacra and retroclones count, along with d20 OSR and similar games like Shadowdark. "Inspired by" games with very different systems, such as Dungeon World or Torchbearer, are out of bounds.

So which D&D game would you use, for which sort of dungeon focused campaign?

 

[Shiroiken]

All of them work for a dungeon focused campaign, but it really depends on what kind of feel you're going for. Despite the complaints, 5E works well for dungeon crawls with only a small bit of modification, but it has a completely different feel than dungeon crawling in AD&D. Without modification, I would probably say 2E was the best for megadungeons, while 4E was really good for the 5 room dungeons.

 

[GuyBoy]

I’d opt for Shadowdark because the lantern rules and the no darkvision seem perfect for creating the dungeon atmosphere. An atmosphere of rough-hewn stone, dusty webs, cracked doors and distant sounds.

 

[overgeeked]

I’d opt for Shadowdark because the lantern rules and the no darkvision seem perfect for creating the dungeon atmosphere. An atmosphere of rough-hewn stone, dusty webs, cracked doors and distant sounds.

If not B/X or OSE, then definitely Shadowdark. So much lighter and easier to hack than any of the rest and they're custom made for the task.

 

[haakon1]

AD&D (1e), 3e, or 3.5e. All were built for dungeons.

 

[Arilyn]

Shadowdark, OSE and Nimble are my picks for any kind of dungeon crawling.

 

[Zardnaar]

Probably B/X Clones and things like Castles and Crusades that emulated 1E but aren't 1E.

 

[Reynard]

I am circling back to an old idea I had called "Power lunch" where the PCs are wage slaves at a corporation like Wolfram & Hart from Buffy that sits atop a hell mouth, which essentially leads to a megadungeon. They realize they can spend their lunch hour delving for things that will help them get raises and promotions in their departments. So I am trying to figure out what the right system is.

I am currently leaning toward Shadowdark.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

That's a really fun idea, since going back to "base" is going to mean something other than just the usual miserable village that just happens to have all of the stuff adventurers need.

 

[Reynard]

That's a really fun idea, since going back to "base" is going to mean something other than just the usual miserable village that just happens to have all of the stuff adventurers need.

My idea is that the "torch timer" will be replaced by "lunch hour" and there will be consequences to being late back to your desk!