Name: Anonymous 2012-09-04 5:48
1) A Dungeon should be Challenging
In any dungeon there should be the possibility of failure - this is, of
course, an entirely different thing from the certainty of failure.
2) A Dungeon should Make Players Think
Don't lead players down the garden path of adventure; if there is only
one way to get through the adventure, or if it can be solved by brute
force or dumb luck, why bother playing? I could write a program to play
for me.
3) A Dungeon should not be Tedious
If I'm attacked by a group of one hit monsters every 6 steps, I'm gonna
get bored. If I get bored, I may not finish the adventure.
4) A Dungeon should have A Plot
Good dungeons share some elements with good writing: plot, character
development, pacing, drama. The players should be given an introduction
to the story, provided with a clear motive, and given clues on what they
should be doing.
5) A Dungeon should be Logically Consistant
If a party cleans out an area, they should not continue to encounter
wandering monsters there.
If a monster has been set up as the major villain of the piece, there
should not be more powerful monsters around unless A) the less powerful
monster is serving the more powerful (not neccesarily discovered by the
party until the less powerful monster is defeated), or B) the two are in
direct competition (in which case, one monster may recruit the party to
fight the other).
If an area has been described as unpleasant, there must be a reason for
people being there. Remember, most AD&D monsters are thinking
beings who want the same things as you or I - food, safety, comfort.
The worse the environment, the more powerful the motive for being there
must be.
6) A Dungeon should not be Restrictive
One of the advantages of role-playing over reading is the opportunity to
influence, if not outright decide, the outcome. The more choices a
player has, the involved they get in the game; the more involved a
player is in a game, the more they will enjoy it.
7) A Dungeon should be Balanced
If you design your dungeon for first level characters, don't expect them
to defeat a dragon. The other side of this is that if you design your
adventure for 20th level characters, dont waste their time fighting
something like kobolds - a kobold CAN'T hit the average 20th level
character, and at that level, even Magi can kill one in a single blow.
8) A Dungeon should be Rewarding
The PC's need a motive for risking their lives. Think about your
characters - to them, this is LIFE AND DEATH - what lies at the end of
this adventure that makes it worthwhile?
9) A Dungeon should not be Monty Haul
This is actually a complement to 8, but I felt it important enough to
get its own point. Magic is a very powerful thing, and should be rare.
The more powerful it is, the rarer it must be. While +1 items are
(relatively) plentiful, +5 items should be nearly unheard of - the stuff
of legend.
Think of it this way: The most powerful magic items available in FRUA
are +5. Characters can advance to 40th level. If they already have +5
equipment at 10th level, WHAT MOTIVE DO THEY HAVE FOR CONTINUING THEIR
CAREERS?
10) A Dungeon should be Enjoyable.
Following these rules should help achieve that goal. If the other rules
need to be bent to achieve this end, do it - but be SURE you know what
you are doing.
In any dungeon there should be the possibility of failure - this is, of
course, an entirely different thing from the certainty of failure.
2) A Dungeon should Make Players Think
Don't lead players down the garden path of adventure; if there is only
one way to get through the adventure, or if it can be solved by brute
force or dumb luck, why bother playing? I could write a program to play
for me.
3) A Dungeon should not be Tedious
If I'm attacked by a group of one hit monsters every 6 steps, I'm gonna
get bored. If I get bored, I may not finish the adventure.
4) A Dungeon should have A Plot
Good dungeons share some elements with good writing: plot, character
development, pacing, drama. The players should be given an introduction
to the story, provided with a clear motive, and given clues on what they
should be doing.
5) A Dungeon should be Logically Consistant
If a party cleans out an area, they should not continue to encounter
wandering monsters there.
If a monster has been set up as the major villain of the piece, there
should not be more powerful monsters around unless A) the less powerful
monster is serving the more powerful (not neccesarily discovered by the
party until the less powerful monster is defeated), or B) the two are in
direct competition (in which case, one monster may recruit the party to
fight the other).
If an area has been described as unpleasant, there must be a reason for
people being there. Remember, most AD&D monsters are thinking
beings who want the same things as you or I - food, safety, comfort.
The worse the environment, the more powerful the motive for being there
must be.
6) A Dungeon should not be Restrictive
One of the advantages of role-playing over reading is the opportunity to
influence, if not outright decide, the outcome. The more choices a
player has, the involved they get in the game; the more involved a
player is in a game, the more they will enjoy it.
7) A Dungeon should be Balanced
If you design your dungeon for first level characters, don't expect them
to defeat a dragon. The other side of this is that if you design your
adventure for 20th level characters, dont waste their time fighting
something like kobolds - a kobold CAN'T hit the average 20th level
character, and at that level, even Magi can kill one in a single blow.
8) A Dungeon should be Rewarding
The PC's need a motive for risking their lives. Think about your
characters - to them, this is LIFE AND DEATH - what lies at the end of
this adventure that makes it worthwhile?
9) A Dungeon should not be Monty Haul
This is actually a complement to 8, but I felt it important enough to
get its own point. Magic is a very powerful thing, and should be rare.
The more powerful it is, the rarer it must be. While +1 items are
(relatively) plentiful, +5 items should be nearly unheard of - the stuff
of legend.
Think of it this way: The most powerful magic items available in FRUA
are +5. Characters can advance to 40th level. If they already have +5
equipment at 10th level, WHAT MOTIVE DO THEY HAVE FOR CONTINUING THEIR
CAREERS?
10) A Dungeon should be Enjoyable.
Following these rules should help achieve that goal. If the other rules
need to be bent to achieve this end, do it - but be SURE you know what
you are doing.