Designing Dungeons: Overview

This post is the beginning of a new series specifically for D&D 3.5 DMs.  During this series, I will discuss the basics of dungeons, designing around a theme, making your dungeons realistic and interesting, and designing dungeon encounters.


First, why design dungeons at all?

The first, and most obvious answer is that the first part of the game's name is "Dungeons."  It's traditional.  From a mechanical standpoint, a dungeon serves as a clearly defined path of progression from one encounter to the next.  Each room of a dungeon acts as an encounter, usually with doors separating one encounter from the next.  In this way, players have the security of knowing that whatever is in the room is the challenge that must be overcome, plus the uncertainty of what lies beyond the next door.


So, what is a dungeon?

Pretty much anything can serve as a dungeon.  The classic dungeon is a cave system or series of rooms carved out of stone that form an underground complex.  A sewer system can also serve as a dungeon, and makes for a great low-level adventure.  However, the king's castle can also be a dungeon.  A city in the midst of a rebellious uprising can also be a dungeon.  While these last two don't fit the aesthetics of a classic dungeon, they can serve the mechanical role of a dungeon and can be designed the same way.


I'm going to keep this post short, as this is just the basic overview.  In later posts we'll delve into the details and discuss the theme and goals of the dungeon.

Part 1: Goals
Part 2: Themes and Realism