Dungeon types in D&D

There are a few basics dungeon types in D&D. In this video we will explore 2 major design concepts.
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[@finger3181]

For me, you're the most helpful, informative old school resource on youtube.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thank You!

[@VMSelvaggio]

5 Conflicts. I remember Professor Dungeon Master's video where he called the DM a Conflict Designer.

[@BanditsKeep]

That’s a good way to put it for sure

[@TheEricthefruitbat]

The best campaigns contain 5 room adventures and exploration adventures. My personal taste as DM and player runs toward the megadungeon, but I would be so mentally worn out if that were the only thing we did. Every group needs to find its own balance.

[@BanditsKeep]

I totally agree, the one campaign I’ve run in the last few years that was essentially a Mega dungeon had every three or four sessions a “side quest“ that was outside the dungeon.

[@Xplora213]

YT keeps recommending your back catalogue, I keep watching. I think the best approach is the five room concept, but you aren’t bound by the actual limits of the “five rooms”. You can have empty rooms. You can halls and tunnels and doors and fill the time, and then bring the “rooms” as set pieces and possibly just feed the players the rooms that you want to appear when it suits you. Particularly if you have a time limit to Work within. You can move into the boss fight when it suits. I found it was a great way to write adventures, but I think it might have been a bust with my players because they just weren’t able to drive forward. The giant underworld allows you to amble along and you can make it boring enough that the players will start playing with flagstones just in case.

[@BanditsKeep]

For sure

[@ninjagumpi]

Could you please do an episode explaining how to run retainers and mercenaries for an old school style game? I feel like I’ve always run them poorly and they’ve either become GM PC’s, battle fodder with little consequence, or just too much book-keeping. Thanks again for the videos!

[@BanditsKeep]

That’s very interesting subject!

[@ninjagumpi]

@@BanditsKeep Let us know if you set up a Patreon, I’d gladly kick you some money for all the wonderful advice!

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks!

[@toraparatodos]

Yes please. I have started playing solo and Whitebox and BX is my jam and I really need to rely on my henchmen. Would love to hear your insight on the loyalty mechanic and the difference between henchmen, retainers, and hirelings.

[@Braincain007]

​@@ninjagumpigood news!

[@midnightguard7599]

Happened across this video in my recommendations. Nice video, looking forward to checking out the other videos on your channel. Have a good one!

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks! Let me know if there is a subject you are interested in me talking about

[@willmistretta]

It's important to note, I think, that proper dungeon exploration doesn't require a full-fledged 9+ floor underworld. Actual dungeon delving play isn't lightning fast, so a map with under a hundred keyed areas can still seem quite sprawling and keep a group busy for a long time. Megadungeons have gained a lot of cache in recent years due to the many published examples, but DMs (especially newer ones) can be setting themselves for frustration and failure if they feel they have to "go big or go home" right out the gate.

[@BanditsKeep]

That’s true - you really just need a few levels to get going - I believe Gygax suggests 6 and I’m very sure that it’s only the rough ideas of them that he meant (at least beyond the 1st couple)

[@jackdeth5009]

Hi Daniel, many interesting ideas and concepts in this video, love to see you make it a series.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks 😊

[@freddaniel5099]

Another thoughtful and inspiring video with lots of great practical advice and some eye-opening insights. Really enjoy these type of videos. (Not everyone can make these!) Thanks!

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks Fred!

[@TKFKU]

GIants with a bowling alley reminds me of that time in Castle Greyhawk when the strange gnome with a bullwhip runs past shortly followed by kobolds in black trenchcoats who ask the party, "Vere iz Indiana Gnome?"

[@BanditsKeep]

Is that a module?

[@TKFKU]

@@BanditsKeep It was part of the Castle Greyhawk "mega module", a short blurb in the part based on the silver screen. Also featured was, Bones the skeleton saying "I'm a skeleton Jim, not a cleric." GAry had a fun way of tossing you into the meatgrinder, Castle Greyhawk was best. When it finally saw light of day.

[@deathbare5306]

Great discussion, cool thing about the 5 room concept is it builds. The mega-dungeon can be just a series of interlinked 5 room dungeons. Each ending pointing to another faction or part of the dungeon or treasurers.

[@BanditsKeep]

You certainly could do that! I believe that a Mega Dungeon requires a lot of empty space. So you could have a lot of empty space and then a bunch of five room dungeons.

[@deathbare5306]

@@BanditsKeep Yeah empty space is just where the traps or setbacks are, and the climax of "room" 4 can be exactly what you described - a frail boss that sends his minions while he escapes out the back door. I like to think of it less as 5 actual rooms but just encounters in a session, banking on the session itself lasting 3 to 4 hours with some resolution at the end for that particular session. Loved how you described the mega-dungeon with factions, that reminded of me of how Robert Howard's Red Nails worked and totally made me want to try it out.

[@CONTINGENCY_sys]

One page dungeons are also super popular among the ttrpg spaces as well. There is such a wonderful range of possible created spaces. No real limitations when building out whatever you may need. I love creating locations that inspire creation and imagination. Opportunities for heroics. Great job on your vid.

[@CONTINGENCY_sys]

Unscripted is the only way I do mine as well. Much more enjoyable. I completely agree.

[@BanditsKeep]

For sure, thanks!

[@krystal2423]

Nice video Daniel, you covered some great point. Keep up the good work.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks 😊

[@GeorgeHofmann2]

Quality content, Daniel! BanditsKeep wisdom trove, here.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thank You!

[@davidb4020]

For me, the 5RD is good to organize general ideas. A monster lair in the forest that you need to prepare quick? 5RD can help you organize your ideas. A sublevel of your main dungeon? You can use that. And there's nothing to prevent nesting 5RD into 5RD, creating a 25 room dungeon that's "fractal". Also, it's possible to turn it into a random generator. For example, for each room, I roll a d6. For guardian it can be: an obvious trap, multiple entrances with hidden one and dead-ends, entrances with a key/puzzle, neutral guardian, aggressive guardian, entry without exit (one-way teleporter, hole, etc.). So I roll on this for each of the 5RD and it creates variance that can be reused. For me the "boss" is mostly about a "climax": it can be an environmental and though fight, magically buffed creatures, a monster threathening to destroy the item/door/stairs/etc., etc. etc.

[@BanditsKeep]

Some great ideas there! I do love random tables!

[@sicklesorcerer1242]

Most underrated thumbnail I have ever seen. 10/10 Video. What more could I ask for?

[@BanditsKeep]

😊 thanks!

[@CMDR.Gonzo.von.Richthofen]

Really enjoying this series. I watch a lot of D&D/RPG channels on KZbin, and I really like your style. Subbed! Keep up the great work!

[@BanditsKeep]

Thank You!

[@Fhuul]

Great video, subscribed! Reminded me of the 5e module Dungeon of the mad mage, which is actually really atypical 5e adventure as it combines mythic underworld, funhouse and faction based dungeon. I don't care for most 5e modules but that one really stood out.

[@BanditsKeep]

I believe I picked up one of the levels of that on the kick starter and it was all based on musical instruments if I’m not mistaken. Very cool

[@Hayderino42]

I would love anther video where you go through the process of making a dungeon. I really appreciate seeing another person's thought process when starting from scratch. It helps to go along with you and build one side-by-side while watching the video. There are plenty of channels out there making long in-depth video series on worldbuilding, but nobody has sat down to record a series on making a megadungeon.

[@BanditsKeep]

Sounds like this would be a good series!

[@robchristensen9678]

Hey Daniel, Really enjoying this series. One thing I often do in dungeon prep is early on, show the results of a sprung trap which occurred to an earlier expedition of adventurers - maybe a corpse in a pit, or a skeleton crushed under a fallen block of stone. This foreshadowing puts the players on their toes and lets them know what could happen. I’d like to hear more of your thoughts on large dungeon design, and maybe how small dungeons could be used to provide clues or methods (a map or key) to enter larger ones, which in turn could incentive a search for a separate small one. Mixing up the feel of things to keep it from becoming a long slog. Thanks also for posting a link to my podcast! 👍

[@BanditsKeep]

The sprung trap is a great idea, I think B4 has such a thing actually. Simple but effective way to telegraph danger. That’s a great idea the smaller dungeons as clues or paths to larger dungeons, that’s actually one of the things that I really like about barrow maze, all these tiny little barrows some of which lead to a much more dense megastructure.

[@wolfstettler3183]

Thank you for the video. While I was familiar with the 5-room-dungeon and the mega dungeon, the differentiation between underworld and factional dungeon is new to me and makes sense. And I will have to look up Jennell Jaquays.

[@BanditsKeep]

Well worth looking her up, some really great dungeon design.

[@bizzy5439]

I'd be interested in knowing how to construct an actually interesting megadungeon. I'm 25 and started exploring old-school play somewhat recently with Basic Fantasy, but I still don't really know how to make it an engaging experience. Thanks and great video!

[@BanditsKeep]

Cool! Seems like this might be a good topic to work on. Thanks!

[@sequoyahwright]

Good video, sir. Thank you for all the work you do for the community. I especially appreciate your advice to have compassion for other play styles, and to have a conversation before play begins to manage expectations. This is solid advice for GMs and players, and especially for Humans. In Real Life. Well done, sir. I have designed and run both 5-room and mega dungeons, including faction, funhouse, and mythic styles. I have enjoyed them all, at different times, and for different reasons. I have enjoyed both the bloated, granular tactical style of 3rd Edition D&D/Pathfinder, GURPS, Champions, and Car Wars as well as theater-of-the-mind style RPGs like World of Darkness, DCC RPG, and Call of Cthulhu. All have their time and place, according to the type of game experience people may desire. There is a plethora of RPGs available these days, and no matter what you enjoy, you can find something you like. Truly our hobby is in the midst of a Golden Age. What a time to be alive! I like your philosophy, and your approach, Daniel. I am starting to prepare material for posting myself, and I am encouraged by your material as a content creator as well as a GM (and photographer). For this channel, I think it may be helpful to produce a few videos, perhaps a series, wherein you show examples of your prep and creative process. Maybe document the preparation of a con game/one shot. In my experience this sort of preparation style benefits more from technique, routine, and processes than a long-form campaign, which tends to be far more organic, unpredictable, and co-created by the player group. Thank you again for your hard work and dedication.

[@BanditsKeep]

That’s very good point, preparing for a con is much different than preparing for a session or adventure in a long-term campaign.

[@sequoyahwright]

@@BanditsKeep Truly. I feel videos intended to present any procedure or technique-oriented approach would be more useful to a learning GM if from a one-shot/con perspective. Thank you for the response, sir.

[@jackoster7115]

Always amazing content! I was wondering if you have since made a video about faction-based dungeons? One showing how you might start building them or ways to run them. Thanks!

[@BanditsKeep]

Not specifically - check out the channel Dire Den - he has a pretty good one.

[@ishmiel21]

Another cool video! I just wanted to point out that in Pathfinder, the RPG I am currently the most familiar with, you get XP for "overcoming encounters", not necessarily for fighting the monsters. I feel that gets misinterpreted a lot into thinking one has to kill the monsters, but that's not what the rules say.

[@BanditsKeep]

I understand that, that is also the case in fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons however if you were to survey most games being played overcoming means killed LOL and that I think it’s because in a balanced system the players know that they can kill the monster most likely unless they have terribly bad luck.

[@jonwooldridge3766]

Based on your play style, I'd like to see you build dungeons / adventures with that "dangerous" theme of old school D&D.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks! This is on my list.

[@lauramumma2360]

I would love to see your take on dungeon building... I am currently updating a super old original rules module (was not even called that back then) to 5E and trying to apply different ideas to it.

[@BanditsKeep]

Awesome!

[@ichisichify]

as xp goes, i think treasure

[@BanditsKeep]

I could see that, in fact when I ran my long running 5E game I switched a mile stone when they got very high level and I agree they couldn’t really track their progress. That was probably a failing on my part, perhaps I should’ve said you’ll level up when you do -INSERT QUEST GOAL-, but then I feel like that would be railroading.

[@matthewkirkhart2401]

I like the idea of the 5 room dungeon, but after playing in a campaign where this was all that was done for every adventure, play got a little tedious. After about three of these adventures, it is much easier for the party to manage resources (especially spells and special abilities). Much of the unknown is removed because although the order of the 5 may be a mystery, the types of encounters (the “5”) is not. But I think your observation about them being great for one-shots is really spot on. I just don’t want a whole campaign full of them.

[@BanditsKeep]

I definitely agree with that

[@al2642]

I designed my region with a "megadungeon" in it, 10 damn levels, wach level is a kind of 12-roomer with a different type of monster (was trying to follow literally swords and wizardry guidlines XD ). Then i made a list of evil guys and "sparks of adventures" with an increasing reward. If the guys go to the megadungeon, it's already there, or I design a new 12 roomer for a single session starting from my list (which represents the region) and the choices of the players. Btw, we did not get to the bottom of "Ukroth's Tower"... a giant centipede (4HD, AC 0 from S&W manual) snapped 2 or 3 guys in half... in a series of different sessions. Worse than dragon ahah!

[@BanditsKeep]

I’ve found some creatures can be surprising deadly - giant ants for instance!

[@Slit518]

*rolls 3d6, gets a 14, attempts to leave a comment* Great video with some good advice and insight!

[@BanditsKeep]

Thank You!

[@midnightgreen8319]

I'm really interested in picking up The Forbidden Caverns of Archaia as a mega dungeon campaign.

[@sunsin1592]

It's pretty cool. Our group ran through some of it last year. In fact, that same group has gone through Barrowmaze, Archaia, Highfell and Tegel Manor, albeit all in part. The survivors are now in Rappan Athuk.

[@midnightgreen8319]

@@sunsin1592 awesome! I ran Ravenloft games for the past 20 years, so I'm actually shying away from Barrowmaze on purpose, but I may also pick up Highfell.

[@BanditsKeep]

Awesome, I’ve heard great things about it. I have Barrowmaze but I’ve never run it

[@BanditsKeep]

Nice! I traded some books for Rappan Arthuk and it stare at me from my shelf every day lol

[@midnightgreen8319]

@@BanditsKeep Barrowmaze looks awesome, it's just really undead heavy. That's why I'm running FCOA. Years of Ravenloft have burnt me out of heavily undead based adventures.

[@BlackJar72]

I'd never really heard of a "five-room dungeon" before.

[@BanditsKeep]

It’s a fairly common phrase - not sure exactly where it originated, I’m guessing a blog post like most things 😊

[@jacknerdlord3244]

I'm designing a wizards tower atm

[@BanditsKeep]

Oh? Very cool! Is it “abandoned” or are they going after the wizard?

[@jacknerdlord3244]

@@BanditsKeep it has been abandoned but tells a story of loss and the defeat of a hero of the realm and hides a macguffin.

[@BanditsKeep]

@@jacknerdlord3244 Sounds cool!

[@jedbex7070]

How do you explain a mega dungeon. It feels very video gamey that it exists and I have a hard time figuring out lore for it.

[@BanditsKeep]

Videos games certainly got inspiration from D&D. The term most commonly used would be mythic underworld- things don’t make sense on a human scale

[@Ifrit8054]

Wait so torches only last like 30 seconds or are out of combat turns different.

[@BanditsKeep]

In an old-school game a turn is 10 minutes. A (combat) round is 10 seconds or six seconds depending on the game. So torches last one hour. Typically you would not use the word turn the same way you would let’s say in fifth edition because it just doesn’t work that way. 😂 - This is understandably confusing if you’ve come from fifth edition for instance

[@Ifrit8054]

@@BanditsKeep that makes more sense. I’ve never used “turn” for anything out of combat. But I can see why it’s useful for a game more heavily into exploring and really investigating things. My first game was 2nd edition. But I was like 8 so I probably don’t remember a lot of the rules

[@davemills8193]

Cool video. "Goblin adjacent" is Goblinoid politically incorrect now, its so hard to keep up with the feelings and rights of imaginary man eaters

[@BanditsKeep]

While I understand (I hope) that this is a joke, I do prefer to keep any “political” things off this channel thank you. 😊