Let's Build A Dungeon! - Part 9 - The Basement Map Populated

We started building a dungeon. And today we're finally adding monsters to the third and final floor of that dungeon (though technically this is the 'middle' level!) In the interest of brevity, I'll keep this focused on the map itself. This is the 'basement' map for the dungeon we made, the transition point between the surface and subterranean entrances. As per the story of the dungeon the stronghold fell to invaders, but that was in the past. Now it is home for monsters.

Let's Build a Dungeon! - Part 8 - The Underground Entrance Populated

We started building a dungeon. And today we're finally adding monsters to that dungeon. In the interest of brevity, I'll keep this focused on the map itself. This is the underground entrance map for the dungeon we made, one of two entrances and transition points between the surface and below ground caves. As per the story of the dungeon the stronghold fell to invaders, but that was in the past. Now it is home for monsters.

Expected Level
In the interest of usability I figured making the dungeon with Level 2 PCs in mind would be a good idea. They can stumble across this early in their adventure - or be hired to check it out. It keeps the monsters manageable, but the PCs should already have their first adventure behind them.

For encounters I expected 4 PCs, but I've included the ratio of Monster:PCs for a Level 2 PC in the monster list. If you have more PCs, feel free to add another group of monsters here and there. Just remember, not every encounter needs to be deadly. 

The Monsters
For monsters I made a simple list. In the interest of Social Play there are some humanoids, but in the interest of the feel of a more classic dungeon with actual monsters I kept them restricted to the indoor areas of the dungeon. Outside we have monstrosities, because I wanted monsters.

For our monster list we have the following:

• Kruthik – CR 1/8 (3:1 for Level 2 PCs)
• Kobold – CR 1/8 (3:1 for Level 2 PCs)
• Kobold Inventor – CR ¼ (2:1 for Level 2 PCs)
• Reduced Threat Gray Ooze – CR ¼ (2:1 for Level 2 PCs)
• Gray Ooze - CR 1/2 (1:1 for Level 2 PCs)
• Dark Mantle – CR ½ (1;1 for Level 2 PCs)
• Kobold Dragonshield - CR 1 (1:3 for Level 2 PCs)
• Kobold Scale Sorcerer – CR 1 (1:3 for Level 2 PCs)
• Adult Kruthik – CR 2 (1:6 for Level 2 PCs)

For the ratios for other levels of PCs check the tables in Xanathar's Guide to Everything. I know I said I expected 4 level 2 PCs, and Bandit Captain says it is good for 6 Level 2 PCs, but a CR2 is also the recommended 'Solo Boss' encounter for 4 level 2 PCs. The Captain is our Boss for this level.

Pure Function

As a note, I did not do any description or story for this. You can add your own descriptions and story as fits your game. Story can be important, but this is a re-usable dungeon and having the story before the build here (aside from the dungeon origin) just feels like a way to lock in things that we want to be mutable.

The Map - Now With Markings

The Key

1. This section of the caves has four (4) Dark Mantles posed as stalagmites waiting for food to wanter by. When the PCs come within 5' of them, they will attack and try to get food. Dark Mantles are stupid (int 2) but know how to get food, so use your best call on whether they wait for more than 1 person to be close or not before attacking.
2. Ten (10) Kruthiks scurry about around here, digging in the rocks looking for warmth and food. PCs by definition are warm and food. Happy day!
3. A single (1) Adult Kruthik guards the pool of warm spring water used for spawning.
4. These open court yards have little in the way of obstruction. At any time you can find any combination of two (2) of the following: 1d8 Kruthiks, 1d8 Kobolds, 1 Gray Ooze, 1d4 Reduced Threat Gray Ooze, 1 Kobold Scale Sorcerer

A. One (1) Dragonshield Kobold and three (3) Kobolds sit in this room.

B. One (1) Kobold Scale Sorcerer and two (2) Kobold Inventors work in this room on strange concoctions and brews

C. Two (2) Kobold Dragonshields guard the stairs up into the rest of the dungeon

D. 1d6 Kobolds are asleep in this room at any one time.

E. Four (4) Kobolds, Two (2) Kobold Inventors, and a Kobold Scale Sorcerer sit in this hatchery

F. 1d6 Kobolds keep 1d4 Kruthiks locked in F as a source of food?

• Back to Part 1
• Back to Part 7
• On to Part 9

Let's Build A Dungeon! - Part 7 - The Surface Map Populated

 We started building a dungeon. And today we're finally adding monsters to that dungeon. In the interest of brevity, I'll keep this focused on the map itself. This is the surface map for the dungeon we made, one of two entrances and transition points between the surface and below ground caves. As per the story of the dungeon the stronghold fell to invaders, but that was in the past. Now it is home for monsters.

Let's Build A Dungeon - Part 6 - Reusable or Quest Specific?

We've been building a dungeon together, and over the last couple of days have made basic maps for the three levels of this dungeon. Today we get a little bit into scope creep as from the rolls we made, and the decisions made from those rolls, we ended up with something very different from a 'classic' dungeon. This isn't a bad thing, it can still work, but when it comes to populating this dungeon we have to answer a basic question: do we want to set this up for a specific quest, or do we want something infinitely re-usable?

Before we get into that, for anyone looking you can find the maps here:

• Surface
• Basement
• Underground

Let's Build A Dungeon - Part 5 - The Underground Entrance

We've been building a dungeon together to go through some basics on dungeon design. After doing some rolls and making some decisions we settled on a temple converted to a stronghold by a Chaotic Good Elven Monk that was then taken over by invaders. We have three goals with these maps we're making:

1. Keep It Simple
2. Keep It Functional
3. Keep to the Needs established in Part 2

The Trouble With Traps

When I started down the path of wanting to build a dungeon of my own - and do it on this blog - it was because I wanted to learn about making and running dungeons to see if along the way of doing that I would learn where the root cause was of my displeasure with my own experiences in playing through dungeons.

So far the experience has been eye opening, and one of the biggest ones came when I found some people dissecting why traps were flat out bad in current editions of D&D. Having gone from these exciting elements of creativity and problem solving, to simple stat checks with a "gotcha" on the other end that encouraged players to slow the game down, be as paranoid as possible, and focus completely on mechanics to the exception of everything else.

As soon enough we'll be coming up on traps in a dungeon setting - at least partially, it seemed a good idea to broach the subject.

Only, I think this topic is covered much better - and more in depth - by the Alexandrian and by Questing Beast. So please follow the links below, give the creators their internet points, and learn about what traps were, versus what they've become, and how as GMs we can fix that.

The Alexandrian - Rulings in Practice: Traps

Questing Beast - Building DND Traps That Players Love

Let's Build A Dungeon! - Part 4 - The 'Basement' Map!

On Monday we went over the surface map for our dungeon we're building. Today I have the basement map ready. I did something different with today's map that makes it less complete, but also more usable because of that and we'll go into it when we get into 'running the dungeon.' Remember, for the purpose of this we kept to three goals:

1. Keep it simple
2. Keep it functional
3. Meet the needs we laid out in Part 2

Let's Build A Dungeon! - Part 3 - The Basic Surface Map

Last week we started to build a dungeon. Today we have the first of several maps for said dungeon. The idea for today was to take what we established last week and make the basic map. This is not populated with encounters or traps, it is just the lay of the land. I kept to three goals when doing this.

1. Keep it simple
2. Keep it functional
3. Keep to the needs we outlined on Wednesday

Let's Build A Dungeon - Part 2 - Taking Stock Of What Is There

On Monday we began this journey of building a dungeon, and talked about the 'Story' of the dungeon and why that was important to getting us started on building a dungeon. Today we're going to do what for some may be an optional step but for me I feel is important, especially as we are just getting started. Namely, we're going to apply the beginning steps of Project Management to this project, and we're going to make some lists of things that we are going to need and/or want in our final product.

Let's Build A Dungeon - Part 1 - The Story Of The Dungeon

On Friday I talked about how there are certain parts of running games and being a GM that the new systems don't teach. One of the more commonly discussed areas of this lapse is that with 5e Dungeons & Dragons, the game no longer teaches you how to make dungeons.

That statement isn't completely true. The DMG has a section in their 'Adventure Environments' that talks about making dungeons. However, the DMG is focused on the story of the dungeon not the mechanics of building the dungeon. Which means that it is of very little help when it comes to a new GM - or someone who hasn't been in the game for a long time - trying to learn how to custom build their own dungeon for the PCs to delve.

I personally fall into that latter category. I DM'd back in AD&D 2nd Edition, and then was away from running D&D in any form until 5e. Over that time I've had a number of bad experiences with dungeons in play that makes me avoid them. However, when I ran across this conversation it made me think maybe the problem wasn't with dungeon crawling itself. Maybe the problem was I had played with people who never learned how to build or run a dungeon.

Which brings us to here. I've found several resources - the 5e DMG, Old School Essentials, and some helpful blog posts and online resources - and with those, let's build a dungeon.

Using A Random Dungeon Map

In the older running of the now two D&D games I find myself DMing, I ran my first successful dungeon recently. I say first successful, because for the first time I feel the dungeon ran smoothly. Yes, it had challenges and hiccups that the players had to deal with, but at the table it ran smooth. I don't owe this smoothness to extended prep time - though it did involve that. No, I owe it to using a random dungeon map and filling that in with what I needed - and fixing what I needed to what it offered. Today I want to talk about that.