Skip to main content

How to never describe a dungeon!

Artwork by Luigi Castellani
I've heard it a thousand times. You probably heard it too. Some people, I don't know why, say that dungeons, especially large ones, are boring. The endless repetitions of rooms and corridors and having to choose to go left, right, north or south depresses them. I don't know why. Actually, I do know why.

Because they don't really know how to run a dungeon in play. It seems easy, effortless. Just say what's in the room the PCs are in and where the passages going out of it go. But it's not. They get bored with the "you get to a intersection and there is a door to the north and two passages, one going east and one going west" because that's a terrible way of describing a dungeon environment and gives nothing really useful to the players to choose from.

You never describe a dungeon like that. There's a lot more going on that we can initially see. A good referee will take all the context of what the dungeon was, what it is now, who lived there, who lives in there now, who or what passed through this passage and use it to describe the dungeon, to make it alive and real. If the corridor in the east leads to a natural cavern covered with mushrooms and myconids, maybe when the PCs look down that passage they will see a dim fluorescent light that emanates from the weird moss that lives there, and feel a light cool breeze flowing from that direction. Some moss may be growing in that corridor also. If to the west there is a nest of giant spiders, that corridor will certainly have more cobwebs covering it than the other passages they have been through, and some of them are still vibrating, as if something alive is touching the web.

The thing the people who think dungeons are boring and repetitive don't get is that dungeons can be as surprising and exciting as anything else (if not more, since under the earth, away from the laws of nature and the blinding light of the sun, anything can exist). And it's the job of the referee to pass that information and feeling to the players. Exploring a dungeon is basically an exercise of choice. Every room, every corridor, every passage offers a choice. Do we go in? Do we go north, south, east, west?

And being a choice, it only makes sense if it's not a random choice. Players need some information to make that choice, otherwise they can simply roll a dice, or the referee can choose for them. Thus, the referee must provide some clues, some signs. They need to present each choice within a context that can be used by the players to extrapolate what that choice might lead to. He doesn't have to make it clear and say that this passage leads to mushroom men and that to giant spiders, but the elements he presents must have a connection to the result. Reaching the right result is totally up to the players. That's where player's skill comes in too.

So there you have it. Never describe a dungeon in a cold and simplistic way as "a room with a north, west and east passages". Think about what's through those passages. What went through those rooms. Think about what signs would be left behind. What clues are left behind so PCs can try to make a better choice for themselves. Give at least one element to inform their choice. If you can, give them 3 clues for each option. Think about their senses. What can they smell? What can they feel? Do they see anything? Do they hear any noise? Does a bad taste suddenly appear in their mouth because of the smell they just felt?

If you like what you've just read, check out my books over RPGNow and Lulu.

Popular posts from this blog

My RPG Zine Trilogy is on Kickstarter!

 I can't believe I didn't post about it here! The Dead are Coming, Screams Amongst the Stars and Running Out of Time are on Kickstarter right now! These are 3 complete games, made using the system of Electric Bastionland and Mausritter as the basis (and with some modifications to fit my vision for each of them). As with my games, they all come filled with many tools and tables to generate gaming content, adventures, locations, NPCs and much more. They are compact, easy to use, and equipped to provide you with years of entertainment! Here's a brief description of each of the games. The Dead Are Coming The first of them is called The Dead Are Coming, a minimalist, OSR style RPG about survival in a post-apocalyptic world where the dead have risen and other survivors can be much worse than the undead. Characters in this game are common people who have been struggling to survive, find their loved ones, keep them safe and just trying to keep living. They all carry resources like

Download the final text and sheets of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells

Hello space hobos! Layout is about to begin and I have a surprise for you guys: The (as of right now) final text PDF of the Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells , together with the Character Sheet and Vehicle’s Sheet! With those, you can begin your crazy adventures in the Known Universe and try your luck under the cruel gaze of the Galactic Overlords. Try to earn a good amount of credits transporting goods or refugees through the sectors. Or even try to awaken a sleeping Star God to repair some of the damage the wars have brought upon our reality. So grab your Solar Blade and ready your Cosmic Spells! We are about to go on an adventure! SB&CS - Complete Text SB&CS - Character Sheet SB&CS - Vehicle's Sheet If you like what you've just read, check out my books over  RPGNow  and  Lulu .