How to Make your DnD Dungeons Mythic

[@johndoe-bu5uz]

I think one of the best ways to make your dungeons feel like a truly Mythic Underworld is to make your over world more mundane. Still fantastic but a more "realistic" bent to the world, fully utilizing things like encumbrance, need to eat and sleep, with the adventures focusing more on mercenary work amongst societal power structures. You have to have a consistent, logical set of rules set in place in order to break them when they delve into the Underworld.

[@defnlife1683]

The Archmage’s consciousness takes several days to recompile? That guy is built on C++.

[@aidendon4127]

One of the main reasons I enjoy your videos is that you usually give many practical and usable ideas for designing the game that are accompanied by useful resources. I feel like this video doesn't have the same level of usable resources as you've provided before. This is more of a general sketch of an idea.

[@Earthmote]

That's fair! It is a bit more nebulous of a concept and in turn I took that approach here. Maybe in a future video, I can do an example of implementing some of those ideas into the dungeon design.

[@IanBoyte]

I would definitely describe to the players that their characters feel a strange shift as they walk into the "mythic dungeon", that they feel as if reality itself has shifted slightly around them, and quickly make it apparent, within the next 15 minutes what the "rules" of this new dungeon are.

[@originaluddite]

I did this with a particular dungeon of mine, but in that case, it was because it was an interconnected set of pocket dimensions, and they were literally plane hoping. This was rare however. Other places may have felt different but merely in an atmospheric or poetic sense.

[@jacksonmiller6409]

Sounds boring

[@Dyundu]

Just started working on a megadungeon today-cannot express how appreciated and timely this is right now-diolch!

[@Earthmote]

Best of luck on your game!

[@sumdude4281]

I had to look up diolch but when I first read it it looked like DIOlich. Which, making Ronnie James Dio a Lich in a campaign is a great idea lol. He'd give out wisdom like "Don't talk to strangers." and "nobody bleeds for the dancer." or all of Stargazer with Rainbow or.. "They say that life's a carousel Spinning fast, you gotta ride it well The world is full of Kings and Queens Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams It's Heaven and Hell, oh well And they'll tell you black is really white The moon is just the sun at night And when you walk in golden halls You get to keep the gold that falls"

[@DMHightower]

I'm definitely inspired to create a Mythic Underworld for my current campaign. I remember reading and playing in some "funhouse dungeons" in the 80's. It's been a long time! They're due for a comeback!

[@MrKongatthegates]

I agree. I feel like I have scary dreams inside of “funhouse dungeons” and never realized it

[@mscfplayervictor99]

Wow im on trip through England and saw a stack of old books at a market for only a pound a piece and grabbed one to see what's up, and the same day you use it for a thumbnail. What a coincidence! I'll be reading it on my trip for some good inspiration on older style of DnD.

[@RaigPrime]

Nice exploration of the topic! What I learned through solo-play (including randomized dungeon generation), is that a dungeon's layout and its denizens are rationalized after the PC's experience and subsequent visits. It justifies itself over time.

[@tylerdruskoff9689]

A mythical dungeon with a logical explanation could just be a dungeon run by a wizard. He conjures all of his beasts right where they need to be and puts enchantments on the doors and rooms to change reality to make it specifically hard for the players to navigate freely.

[@waapfu]

i've never played a dungeon i've actually had fun in but every youtube video on the topic makes them sound so fun and it makes me want to run one

[@Subject_Keter]

I havent played one but i love the concepts. I think you should just look at Dungeons and "Areas" from games to see what you and yout group can use.

[@Earthmote]

Try it out sometime! Only way you'll know if you'll like it or not. Cheers

[@grandarchon6969]

For published dungeons, one of the best is the Sunless Citadel (originally 3e and it was adapted to 5e). It's also just a great first dungeon to learn about dungeons. Multiple factions for the players to engage in, lots of traps and secret rewards. Multiple warring factions the players can choose how to interact with, etc. It's important for both the DM and players to engage in the social encounters, and the combat. The goblins kiting back, getting help. Circling up to protect their kids. The Kobolds could ally or betray the players, it's just a great 1-3 dungeon. The key is to make the dungeon feel alive. The factions want stuff. They're doing stuff. Things are happening. This is a good trainer for how to DM them.

[@Cesoide_]

Dude, I just finished The Broken Sword, by Poul Anderson, which blew my mind away, and started reading Elric like 2 days ago. I've been going thru appendix N since last year, was having a lot of fun with Jack Vance!

[@Earthmote]

Good stuff! I have been slowly working through the Appendix N stuff. I haven't read those ones yet. But its neat to see how the different works influenced early D&D design (and in turn some of the legacy stuff that has been carried on to modern editions).

[@kypdrayson]

How is it that I think I got DMing pretty well figured out, and then just seeing a video title from you makes me realize that the fact that I've never considered the topic at hand just proves I'm still a noob?

[@Dyundu]

Welcome to the hobby-always having new things to learn is one of the most fun things in RPGs 👍

[@SlyBlueDemon]

You are always learning as a GM, the fact you found something that you never thought of and will listen to and potentially incorporate into your style or use it to explore parts of your GMing that you haven't considered means you are getting better. You get better by going out and talking to other GMs and exploring the hobby.

[@Earthmote]

I learn things all the time! As I make a lot of these videos I'm learning new stuff.

[@kontrarien5721]

I reckon we'll always feel like that. There's always something new to consider or a fresh perspective to explore. Life is short, but art is long.

[@CaseyWilkesmusic]

Learning is fun 🙂

[@Tysto]

I like to say that casting a high-level spell has a chance of making you lose a point of wisdom, which results in powerful wizards getting more & more eccentric & eventually creating a funhouse dungeon. I also have a mythic history that says eldritch horrors populated the world with their experimental offspring (rather than evolution), which is why creatures exist that seem to be a combination of creatures. As you delve deeper into the bowels of the earth, you encounter more of their weirdness, because those eldritch horrors are still down there in the Underworld.

[@Sirwilliamf]

Though neither are mythic dungeons exactly, I highly recommend Hole in the Sky or Mercy on the Day of the Eel from DCC for Mythic feeling adventures. Both by Brendan Lasalle.

[@Werelord22]

I think this topic doesn't get talked about nearly enough - thanks for bringing light to it, I'm sure that a lot more conversations can be had around this in future. Great video.

[@Earthmote]

Thank you!

[@link090909]

Another excellent topic, thank you Randall! This is very inspiring, definitely going to have some odd mythic dungeons going forward; all of my current players have only played 5e and 4e, so I know this will be a unique experience for them, I’m so excited! And I have to mention, getting a history lesson in your vids is always awesome. I’ve only been in the TTRPG space for 5ish years, my current main system is PF2e, so learning about the game’s heritage helps me see where some design elements in today’s game originated. Thank you again for the video!

[@Subject_Keter]

I want to say: when i read the description of the Mythic Dungeon, i thought of Castlevania Portait of Ruins paintings, Diablo 2 arcane sact in act 2, like the lost woods and... i think the best would be the warp in 40k. One of these days I will get my friend and doing a campaign on Portait of Ruins, 8 painting and Dracula Castle!

[@Earthmote]

Sounds fun!

[@Subject_Keter]

​@@EarthmoteAlso there was one i thought of that would be cool. Minecraft Deep Dark realm. Hostile Darkness Crap ton of monsters and... probably connected in interesting ways.

[@freddaniel5099]

Interesting examination of the hobby and its history. Cheers!

[@bananaquark1164]

Good stuff as always

[@anathema1828]

Very interesting topic- thanks for posting!

[@Frederic_S]

I have dyslexia but somehow I made it through all the Elric books as a young adult in the early 2000. I noticed that the books were not exactly what would be at the time called a good book but .. somehow I made it trough 1002 pages .. so they could not be that bad after all.

[@BanjoSick]

Nice Thumbnail! Gotta ride the Black Machine.

[@lexington476]

You know it's a game. you know the dungeon ecology that doesn't make sense, It's just fun. sometimes you don't want to put too much thought into things 🙂. If there's a full-size dragon on the 5th sublevel of the dungeon with only a man size doorway for how he got in there, who cares 🙂... Well you know what Scotty beam him in 😎.

[@Earthmote]

Yeah, nothing wrong with that justification imo.. sometimes the players won't even question it.

[@FlintFireforge]

Great vid. Subbed.

[@EriktheRed2023]

Currently running a dungeon of an old temple to the lizardfolk god Semuanya, which has been partially occupied by cultists of Baphomet. Between the inherent, ancient magic and the corruption from the Endless Maze, I can get away with some pretty bizarre stuff, and still lean towards logic. And, of course, my players are well aware why things are as they are.

[@Earthmote]

Sounds like a good time!

[@FablesD20]

6 days after release i get notified....

[@antieverything1]

I gotta push back on the idea that Gygax and Arneson were into fantastical vs logical dungeons. Arguably, Keep on the Borderlands is the prototypical logical dungeon.

[@PikachuGamer918]

Awesomeness!

[@Subject_Keter]

Cool video.

[@Earthmote]

Thanks!

[@Sirwilliamf]

Anyone know the movie clips at 2:03 and 2:08?

[@TwinSteel]

🥳❤️👍🏿

[@coldstream11]

Fun house dungeon is a little different than mythic underworld.

[@Earthmote]

I agree! I think the point I was trying to make was that people who aren't a fan of (either) style sometimes conflate the two and dismiss them together.

[@Subject_Keter]

My head must be funny but imagine Murderworld from Marvel Ultimate Alliance and you use that format in a campaign.

[@coldstream11]

@@Earthmoteyeah for sure!

[@elgatochurro]

Thumbnail from Elric no?

[@Earthmote]

Yes!

[@MarkMcMillen2112]

A word of caution with these types of adventures, a little goes a long way. I've such adventures and the first time players experience this it can quickly become overwhelming. The weirder it is, the more confused they become. That all seems obvious but you do want to give them some sort of warning that strange things are ahead.

[@macoppy6571]

3 minute intro for a 12 minute video? What's your favorite procedure to generate a dungeon?

[@Earthmote]

If I don't have a strong vision for what I want to be in the dungeon or a portion of the dungeon. I have lately enjoyed using B/X or WWN's room stocking tables (just a couple of simple d6 rolls) and then I use the Tome of Adventure Design to help generate specifics for the rooms.

[@99zxk]

Realistic dungeons are kind of boring.

[@FatalDevotee1]

Trying to make dungeons realistic has killed the dungeon.

[@rynowatcher]

Both are bull. The "mythic underworld" is justification for the dm that is antagonistic and the "natural ecology" is justification for the dm that wants to punish you for not listening to them talk about types of fungus for 20 minutes. It is a game with a challenge system meant to put "fair" challenges in the player's path. Let us not try to over think this.