Dice Goblin

On the one hand, the beauty of TTRPGs is that it’s only limited by our imagination. On the other hand, I find I sometimes struggle with conveying the sheer scope and scale of certain places, especially dungeons. I’ve written about this before, and I think I have enough thoughts to write a new post on the topic.

Image: Dungeon Descent MtG Art by Kasia 'Kafis' Zielinska

Note that this post is just me thinking out loud; constructing a framework that I will probably use in campaigns myself. I’m not claiming that no one ever thought of dungeons like this before, or that this structure encompasses all possible variants.

In working on an example region for Block, Dodge, Parry version 2, I came to the conclusion that I have 4 main ways of representing dungeons in my toolbox. A ‘dungeon’ here is of course any locale where adventure takes place, consisting of somewhat defined areas (rooms) and pathways between them (hallways).

Traditional Dungeons

A ‘traditional’ dungeon is one that is entirely mapped; rooms and hallways and doors, drawn like a floorplan.

Whether it be from a classic adventure module, a Dyson Logos map or one from another source, we’re all pretty familiar with this structure.

What defines it, I think, is that a traditional dungeon is inherently knowable; its scope is entirely captured by the map.

The pros are that it allows for detailed exploration, a richly detailed environment, and tactical gameplay.

The cons are that they can be time-consuming to design; they require the floorplan, room descriptions and a random encounter table, at the least. It also does not convey large (and I mean large) spaces very well; to convey the Mines of Moria in this manner is folly.

This method works well for ruined castles and ancient temples; basically, buildings.

Pointcrawl Dungeons

Another approach is to map the dungeon like a flowchart or pointcrawl.

This design still allows for detailed rooms, but abstracts the interconnecting hallways somewhat.

One can reflect the length of the hallway by defining the number of random encounters/event rolls that must be made to traverse it. If we take the somewhat universal format of “one random encounter roll per 10 minutes of exploration”, it’s easy for the Dungeon Master to portray a very long hallway; simply roll 6 times, and there, the party traveled for an hour. You could do this in a traditional dungeon, but that’d take very large maps.

This depiction removes focus from the hallways, and thus works best for locations where the hallways are less remarkable; abandoned mines, smuggler’s tunnels, haunted cave systems.

Flux Dungeons

Based on the amazing Flux Space concept by Nick LS Whelan, these dungeons reflect labyrinthian and confusing spaces very well. Simply put, the Dungeon Master makes, besides a random encounter table, a table of shallow rooms and deep rooms.

For each turn that the party delves deeper into the space, the Dungeon Master rolls a random event/encounter. After this event is resolved, the DM rolls for a shallow room, and that space is entered/explored. When the party is done at that location, it is crossed off the list, and the process continues.

If the explorers reroll a previously visited shallow room, a deep room is picked instead. This process isn’t random; the players encounter the top room, then the second on the list and so forth.

At any time, players can also navigate back to the exit, or revisit any previously discovered room.

This system allows for random and emergent discovery, highlighting the confusing nature of a space. It works well for spaces that are far less knowable than traditional dungeons, but in the end, the entire space is mapped.

This method works well for spaces that are confusing, but still somewhat limited (or mundane): a dark forest, deserted streets of a ruined city.

Stygian Delves

Finally, on our axis from ‘knowable’ to ‘unknowable’, there are Stygian Delves – as in, delves that follow the format and template of the excellent Stygian Library by Emmy ‘Cavegirl’ Allen.

I call it a Stygian Delve here - mostly because I had a brainfart and forgot the term "depthcrawl". Also, The Gardens of Ynn was published before the Stygian Library, and features the same concept.

This method is basically procedurally generated:

The Dungeon Master makes a (big!) Location Table, Detail Table and Encounter Table. The Location Table features (short, evocative) descriptions of rooms, the Detail Table of traps and treasure, and the Encounter Table has the NPCs and monsters.

All of these tables should be quite long, and the dice rolled will make a lot of entries impossible to pull on the outset (say, roll 2d6 but the table has 30 entries). This is because the party als tracks their Depth. Each turn the party delves deeper, roll the dice + their current Depth. As the party delves deeper, the risk and reward increase as well.

The party can go deeper, explore their current location, or return to the surface. When they emerge, the Delve resets, and the next visit can be entirely different.

This method has little design effort, beyond the initial tables, and high unpredictability, and long replay value. On the downside, the spaces can feel too abstract, barebones and lacking a fixed structure.

Spaces that work well with this format tend to require some degree of magic to explain the ever-changing structure: haunted magical academies, endless libraries, pocket dimensions, shifting wizard lairs, dreamscapes or enchanted foggy swamps.

Reading The Stygian Library again inspired me to make a version that focuses on a Mines-of-Moria interpretation - now on Itch!

Nesting Designs

Now for the cool part: I think all of these forms can be combined.

A sprawling dungeon can be represented as a pointcrawl/flowchart, but to move forward, one must ‘clear’ the Traditional Dungeon contained in each ‘node’.

A place like the Abyssal Woods in Elden Ring can be rendered as a Flux Dungeon or a Stygian Delve, with Midra’s Manse being a Traditional Dungeon.

Dracula’s Castle is the final entry on the Deep Room list of the Haunted Forest (a Flux Space), with the castle being a pointcrawl/flowchart, and Dracula’s Tower being a Traditional Dungeon.

The Mines of Moria are a Flux Space, but each of the Deep Rooms can be of a different type; the Royal Palace is a pointcrawl/flowchart, the Throne Room within that palace is a Traditional Dungeon, and the Ancient Mines of Moria are a Stygian Delve.

The Mountain Path is a pointcrawl/flowchart, the Mountain Keep at the top is a Traditional Dungeon, but certain endpoints on the Mountain Path might lead to the Deep Dark, a Stygian Delve that leads deep, deep underground.

The Desert of Shifting Sands is a Stygian Delve, but rolling 20 or higher with 2d6 on the Location Table leads to the Golden Pyramid, which is a Flux Space with winding corridors and valuable treasure.

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So yeah, 4 types of dungeons (and delving), and how they can be combined! Did I miss any? Should there be a fifth?