6 Things Your Dungeon Must Have
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Good evening, Dungeon Masters! Thank you for your patience with regard to this long delay between my last Substack post. I’ve been exceptionally busy since the OGL fiasco, but I’m now getting back on top of everything.
I’ve been ridiculously busy, especially a few weeks ago when I went to the Pittsburg Gaming Expo. They have started including TTRPG sessions and hosting various RPG Influencers so I was invited to give some talks on dungeon & adventure design, which I’ll also be giving at Mythicon soon and record it if possible.
As a result, I haven’t had the mental bandwidth to keep up with this newsletter, but that changes now. I’m going to start sending regular newsletters (fortnightly is the current plan) packed with dungeon mastering advice, politely antagonistic reflections on the latest TTRPG news, various opportunities & deals, as well as some insider info you won't find in my long form content.
At any rate, here are 6 things your dungeon must have.
6 Things Your Dungeon Must Have
I love getting into the nitty gritty of dungeon design, but keeping your dungeons engaging is a very important part of it. In order to rescue your dungeon from feeling like a slog fest, try these tips:
1. Forecast danger, reward caution
Foreshadowing is a powerful narrative tool. Similar to how we are shown clues in murder mysteries so the audience can deduce the mystery for themselves, these clues allow your players feel smart. For example, describing an already set off trap around a chest indicates the need for caution around chests.
They get to put all the pieces together to avoid danger, or get appropriately frustrated when they didn’t see it in hindsight. Without foreshadowing, you rob the players of that dopamine hit and potentially build resentment for danger that ‘came out of nowhere’ (this is different to surprise attacks though!)
2. The dungeon master provides the problem, not the solution
Like foreshadowing, if you provide your players with solutions before they encounter the problem, it can help to reinforce the danger and tension. I provide a solution to a problem (eg. a disease and a cure) in the same dungeon, unless that problem is part of a larger quest hook.
3. Sounds and smells are important
Don’t forget to describe the other senses! Sounds and smells can provide important clues or red herrings, as well as break up boring descriptions. It will also help immerse your players and exercise your DM skills to deliver information to your players who would otherwise only be relying on their vision, or even just the metagame of a battle mat, miniatures, and terrain.
If flopping onto that soiled couch in a ruined manor house causes constitution saves as spores kick up into the air, and you describe the sudden waft of earthy fungus the characters smell, players will learn to be much more aware of any other fungus smells in the dungeon.
4. Information as treasure
In the words of Jack Sparrow, “not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.” Information can be critical, whether it’s a small as a clue to avoiding a simple trap or as big as your main antagonist’s weakness.
It also encourages your players away from treating the game as ‘loot-centric’ and gets them to interact with things like your lore, worldbuilding and other colorful aspects.
5. Empty rooms are breathing rooms
In your dungeon, rooms should be, well, empty. These occasionally empty rooms provide dead space for the players to make use of ritual spell casting, resting, or some other shenanigans.
Just like we see Frodo Baggins resting and talking with his friends, we also need to provide rest spots or ‘breathing rooms’, otherwise it will be exhaustingly monotonous. You need a contrast to tension in order for it to be effective.
6. Valves for movement control
There’s nothing scarier than a point of no return. Designing ‘one way’ valves, such as a trapdoor that drops them into a deep level, is a great way to heighten tension. You can also provide a ‘Skyrim backdoor’ that allows your players to circle back to the entrance quickly… as well as give them the option to discover the dungeon in reverse.
Feeling Adventurous? Go On These Side Quests
All the latest news, deals, jobs, tips and more in the TTRPG world.
Love Assassins Creed? Are you going to try it’s TTRPG: I’m always extremly skeptical of IP-backed RPGs. So rarely does the game truly have ludonarrative resonance with the fiction of the IP itself. To boot, this one has weird dice, which is always a weird barrier for entry these companies self impose. But I really would love to see a game where stealth by all players is truly encouraged by the mechanics.
2023 Recap Of D&D (And What’s Next): This year has been extremely rocky for WOTC, primarily in regards to the OGL scandal (which I’ve had many thoughts on, published in The Guardian for example). It’s shocking to me that WOTC is the only division that seems to be keeping Hasbro in the black. If Pinkertons and the OGL is still profitable, what did the Monopoly guy do to board games?!
Starfield Owes Its Existence To Traveller, One Of The First TTRPGs: I haven’t had the chance to play Baldur’s Gate 3, let alone Starfield, but Starfield fans might find this interesting: especially because I see so many OSR hipsters call Traveler “OSR adjacent,” especially after Mothership exploded onto the scene.
Pay-What-You-Want: Roll20 Software Bundle: HumbleBundle has a great deal going on right now (ends soon) where you can get a great selection of Roll20 software to help with your games!
Job Opportunity: Paid DM For Individuals With Disabilities: Not vetted, but looks like a cool opportunity to get paid for your skills/hobby and help people at the same time.
Roleplay Tips Your D&D Group Will Love: My friend Bob World Builder recently released a great video on roleplaying and I think no matter your level of experience, these straightforward tips will help you not overthink things.
Creator Spotlight
Running an adventure for Halloween? This fun guy constantly makes the rounds on Reddit every year, in case you missed him!
The 3 M’s Of Adventure Context Using The Pumpkin King!
What Might Have Happened A Millenia Ago:
Born from a forbidden druidic ritual at the base of the "World Tree."
Was once a guardian spirit of the forest, corrupted by dark magic.
Emerged from a nexus of power on Halloween night, fueled by the fears of ancient civilizations.
What Might Have Happened A Month Ago:
Adventurers disturbed his resting place, awakening his dormant spirit.
A cult dedicated to ancient spirits began a ritual to summon him to the world.
Harvests in nearby lands were strangely bountiful, especially pumpkins, hinting at his impending return.
What Might Have Happened Minutes Ago:
Rose over a town during its harvest festival, turning joy into terror.
A local mage's experiment backfired, creating a portal that the Pumpkin King emerged from.
The town's ceremonial "Giant Pumpkin" contest winner began to twist and grow, revealing itself as the Pumpkin King.
Want a chance to be featured? Submit your 5e/OSE/Shadowdark monsters, items, dungeons or adventures here. Include plot hooks for player inspiration with your submission!
Ask Baron
Got a question on geopolitics, worldbuilding, DM prep and more? Submit your questions here.
I’d love to open up this space for fellow dungeon masters and players to get advice on your all your tabletop troubles. This time, I’ll open with a popular question:
“What’s the biggest problem you see in dungeon design?”
When monster groups are treated as completely separate from each other. If you stumble on a group of goblins, you’d better believe the other goblins are going to find a way to investigate the commotion, raise the alarm, etc.
They’re not going to be sitting patiently behind a door waiting for your players to enter. So, get inside your monsters heads and think like them. Ask yourself how it would realistically play out. This tends to lead to much more compelling, fun and tense scenarios.
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Ok, so tip 2 is titled "The DM provides the problem, not the solution," and then you say how you provide the solution, often before the problem is encountered. I'm so confused!!! @.@
Looking forward to attending your seminar at Mythic Con!