The Forgotten Element of DnD Dungeon Design

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Artist credit: JS Park
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Resources mentioned in the video:
Tome of Adventure Design: tinyurl.com/2p2vbpr7
Artifices, Deceptions & Dilemmas (Sole Book): tinyurl.com/2s4cyyp2
Artifices, Deceptions & Dilemmas Bundle: tinyurl.com/bdfp7nhr
Resources I like and use:
Old School Essentials Player's Tome: tinyurl.com/yc6d9756
Old School Essentials Referee's Tome : tinyurl.com/2mzhybku
The Monster Overhaul: tinyurl.com/yknhbf2m
Worlds Without Number FREE PDF: tinyurl.com/43nxtwna
Worlds Without Number Deluxe PDF/Print: tinyurl.com/4rye49jw
Mythic GM Emulator 2nd Edition: tinyurl.com/4b7smeur
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#dnd #osr #ttrpg #dungeonsanddragons
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Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statue that might otherwise be infringing.

[@bonkposting]

Your videos feel like a clean distillation of all the blog posts I’ve read (but never absorbed). Thank you!

[@Earthmote]

Thank you for watching!

[@johnmagowan6393]

OMG yes!

[@Dithrandir]

ICRPG has a similar concept named, as it happens, TREATS. Little things, details or devices that provide answers beyond brute force and teach players to examine their environment. Examples: elite weapons stashed out of view, a little shrub growing healing berries, unstable rafters overhead.

[@lexington476]

8:22 you pull the lever and hear a clang 🙂... But you don't see anything.

[@Earthmote]

That's going to come back to bite us in the future...

[@jamesrizza2640]

This is definitely a rewatch video. I have been DM'ing for over 40yrs, it's amazing how much has changed, I use Pathfinder 1e now. Tricks, Traps and Illusions have never been a problem on a real table top with players next to you. That being said, I have been dabbling in VTT's for the last 3 yrs and find it much harder to describe these things than I have in the past. It takes a lot more work it seems than it used to. While using Chatgpt I have found it is better to make the trap and then have chatgpt describe it. It's still a bit tricky because there is a fine balance between to much and to little information given to the players. This was definitely a very good video thanks for sharing.

[@Earthmote]

Thanks, glad it was helpful!

[@Dithrandir]

I'm curious - why do you think that is?

[@jamesrizza2640]

@@Dithrandir I am not sure which part of the comments I made which you are referring to. Assuming it is the difference between tabletop and VTT's it is this. with tabletops, I could show through action and miming a thing. VTT's you are limited to a description or a picture. So conveying is a bit trickier, at least to me. If you mean why is this video rewatchable, it's because there is a lot of good information that can still be garnered whether you use a VTT or not. Watching it more than once helps remember a thing, doing is even better. I hope I answered your query sufficiently. Cheers.

[@Dithrandir]

@@jamesrizza2640 I meant the former. Sorry for being unclear and thanks for the answer :)

[@DMHightower]

I enjoy all the Earthmote videos! Another great video!

[@Earthmote]

Awesome, thank you!

[@ori7647]

I kinda like this video, because I do constantly use them on my dungeons, but I haven't ever heard of the concept.

[@xanderwilliams6767]

This is awesome. Been running the game for 20 years and have seen hundreds of hours of dungeon tip videos and read countless books… this was such a useful overview of something that designers like myself so often neglect.

[@johnmagowan6393]

I love The Tome of Adventure Design!

[@aidendon4127]

Once again, thank you for the education 🙏

[@DaisZX]

I listened to the whole thing and I still don't get it. It still hasn't clicked what a trick even IS, much less how to use them.

[@daveshif2514]

Look up escape rooms or puzzle video games . Put them in the dungeon.

[@linktristen5]

Think of tricks as dungeon features that are not hidden from the players, but have unknown results when interacted with. Traps are hidden, and usually have only harmful effects, so they aren't tricks. Monsters could be part of a trick, but a monster that is only harmful is not a trick, since there is no uncertainty in the outcome. Puzzles are tricks, since they are easy to find, but interacting with them has unknown consequences.

[@Subject_Keter]

Like imagjne having to bounce light of mirrors open sub doors.

[@chadwick196]

I personally feel like traps are a type of trick, as a common axiom these days is to sign post danger including traps. (Chris McDowell and Ben Milton say it a lot, the more dangerous the trap, the more obvious it should be.) But I feel like a trick can be defined very basically as a presented scenario with an unknown outcome. Traps are tricks that generally do damage. Puzzles are tricks that have an involved mechanism. Negotiations are social tricks. Etc etc.

[@chadwick196]

Ha, of course just as I push reply, Randall talks about sign posting. Lol

[@denisnadeau865]

Silly rabbit... Trix are for kids !😅

[@Subject_Keter]

I like your videos as they actually say stuff to think about over thing or that. Feels weird that the BG gamers were a hardy bunch that would pull, prod and tweak it so much they get places. Now it like weak smol people who care if the Warcraft 3 Death Knight.. gets his Undead Steed.

[@Earthmote]

Thank you!

[@caseyking5441]

First!

[@VisableVetetable]

The forgotten element is not house ruling the game into a new one.

[@Subject_Keter]

All rules were made in a House soooo? /jk But seriously there are many routes to Success.. why not take the ones your group likes. You act like the god of Dice wrote down these.

[@anon-yw4wd]

Why? House ruling was common practice from 2nd Edition and previous.

[@wolfmanhcc]

House ruling is the only way to play. The written rules are guidelines.

[@kay5874]

Gee you must be fun at parties..

[@jobobminer8843]

Could you elaborate? I'm not sure I understand what you mean

[@Tysto]

Why do you say almost every sentence as if you’ve already it & you’re annoyed that I’ve asked you to repeat yourself?

[@the-cosmic-turtle]

He is not coming off as annoyed to me. I much prefer his tone to the exhaustingly overexcited “hey, what’s up guys!!!!” You see all over youtube.

[@justicebrewing9449]

Yeah, it’s just not over hyped, or completely dull. Very conversational neutral. Also look at his numbers. Dudes just getting started, he will polish overtime. I think in this case you might be over analyzing, a case of beauty is in the ear of the beholder.

[@Subject_Keter]

I think it the way he talk? Like i got a kinda drunk talk where I just ramble loudly about things, always been like thay for me.