How to Design a Dungeon | 5e Dungeons & Dragons | TTRPG | Web DM

[@WebDM]

Get your Hellscape Terrain! We absolutely love Dwarven Forge, y'all: bit.ly/2Rfp4U3 Never get lost in a dungeon without your Web DM! We've got a weekly podcast, show audio, a discord and more on www.patreon.com/webdm!

[@abdelarch8038]

Sort of kind of not really related: Is there a D&D setting where psionics are the new kid on the block (sort of like what Dark Sun would be if the campaigns took place earlier in the timeline) and kind of a (potential) big deal rather than psionics and magic being like two awkward neighbors who try to avoid contact and never acknowledge the other's existence?

[@jayteepodcast]

Hope to see you guys at Gen Con

[@WebDM]

Not gonna make it to Gen Con, sorry to say! But we've got other cons coming up in the fall. And maybe PAX West!

[@dkbibi]

@@jesseakins2102 you could build your own terrain. It's way waaay cheaper and it's fun! Check these YT channels : Dungeon Craft, Black Magic Craft, Runehammer, dmscotty, etc

[@LurkerDaBerzerker]

I find that the folks of Bare Mettle have done a great job on the construction of the areas you play through in Exanima. It's not quite a "dungeon" per se, but nonetheless the location is designed to serve as a "functional" location. (A few additional notes, the game itself is of the low fantasy, but it still has it's own magic. The controls are quite different from most games, and the combat/gameplay will take time to get used to. However once you start to get past your first few hurdles, it starts to gets super addictive. Getting things done just makes you feel like your progressing, and the combat may not be the main focus but it's *incredibly* satisfying.) Edit: For example, if you think a room is simply a "empty room", you may find on a later play through that there was a useful item or two hidden. Or, the mundane objects and other things in the environment may actually hint at or tell a story.

[@fakjbf3129]

I'm currently playing a game where in the first session we cleared out a small dungeon of bandits, and our thief rolled an investigation check and got a natural one in one of the rooms. We didn't think much of it, we finished the session and went on with the game not thinking anything of it. Fast forward to last month, we are now level 10 looking for an ancient artifact and our research takes us back to the same dungeon. As we went through a second time we could still see some bandit corpses, burns marks on the wall from spells, and our ranger even found a couple of their arrows. We got to the same room and this time the thief got a high roll, and the DM described how they noticed a seam in the brickwork that was revealed to be a hidden door. It was really cool to revisit the same dungeon a second time, see the remains of our previous fight there, and then discover new secrets inside of it.

[@WebDM]

Very cool!

[@Thornspyre81]

Now that sounds like a good DM and group!

[@fakjbf3129]

@@Thornspyre81 So the DM eventually let us know that in the first session he had meant for the secret door to lead to a plot hook which he instead put in the village the following session. He had put the fact that we didn’t find the door in his notes, and then later on while browsing old notes he saw that and that’s when he got the inspiration to take us back to the same spot. So then he made up the plot line for the artifact, put it behind the door we missed previously, and boom a really cool moment was created. He didn’t tell us any of this until after the campaign was over because he hadn’t wanted to spoil the magic of us thinking he had been planning it all from the start. And yeah he’s a really cool DM who always finds a way to keep us on our toes.

[@ffffffffffffffff5840]

​@@fakjbf3129 seizing that opportunity is good

[@milesmatheson1142]

Goblin Punch Forum Dungeon Checklist: - Something to valuable steal. - Something to Fight, and Kill. - Something to kill (the players, put the fear of DM in them). - Different paths/corridors to explore. - Someone to talk to (diplomacy, intimidate, sense motive, etc). - Something to experiment or interact with. - Secrets that players may never find, chance incomplete success or failure. Thanks.

[@evankurasu3190]

No, thank YOU. Was trying to recall where this list was in the vid, only to find it posted here in the comments. My utmost thanks, friend

[@krispalermo8133]

My gaming shop groups DM, such as myself love to run " survivor horror " with reverse dungeons plays. With starting characters at 4th-level multi class characters. Game title " Goblin clearing." ... cough, cough, bug infestation ! Intro : Young adventures are hire to deal with the goblins in the hills being lead by a small group of bugbears. The locals could deal with the problem themselves, but they would rather pay others to work as " cannon fodder " for them. When the human adventures are in the goblin caves, they are attacked and chase by giant insects. " it is a run or die moment." As the players' characters ran pass an open side door with a giant bug on their tails, switch over to how the goblins view the seen before them. New player one, " So how are we now playing goblins ?" Old player one, " My goblin character walks over to the door, slowly closes it and bolts the bar." Old player two, " Well, my goblin says he is going to check on the women and children through the rooms second door." New player two, " That is meta-gaming, also none us players seen that section of the map to know if that room has two doors in it." Old player one, " We are goblins and this is our home so we know what is in the cave system where we live at. So it is not meta-gaming. New player one, " You are making up information about the place which the DM has not wrote out himself." .. looking sour about how the other older players are high jacking the game. Old player two, " This is about having fun and Story Telling, relax." Out come, adventure save a few goblins, the goblins save a couple of adventures. One of the three bugbears gets killed by a giant bug. Second bugbear cripple by bug and killed by adventure and local goblins. The third bugbear got knocked out when he shoulder shove a door open and three adventures and five goblins tackle the door back into his face. Clean up stage, a few local villagers, adventures along with the goblin clan clean out the baby bugs from the caves. The goblins offer payment to the villagers for saving them from the bugbears and cleaning out their homes. And the villagers and goblins team up to raise giant bugs for food trade. With a defense pact.

[@YoGramGram1]

Weekly WebDM watch routine: 1) Watch Intro 2) Pause and Read Comment Section 3) Chuckle 4) Watch Rest of Video

[@andrewknorpp9415]

*Correction, Wednesday routine.

[@Mick100ish]

I did just this

[@peytonallen9180]

that... is exactly what im doing right now

[@Vespuchian]

I've seen a "dungeon" that was open to the sky: a settlement/mine built up the walls of a canyon so getting around was restricted to single paths or bridges (which is why it played like a dungeon), but you could see opponents moving around and exchange ranged fire with them across multiple levels. That combination of verticality, restricted movement but less restricted sight/combat really set it apart from your normal collection of rooms and tunnels.

[@WebDM]

That sounds awesome!!

[@xSaraxMxNeffx]

dude can i steal this? thank

[@williamozier918]

Here's a simple trick: 1) draw a tic tac toe board on your graph paper, dividing the paper into nine sections. 2) Draw a Tetris piece in the middle of each section. Place an additional piece in one section, so you have one section with two pieces in it. 3) number them 1-10 with 1 being the Entrance, and 10 being the final Big Bad Fight room. 4) Draw a path that connects the Entrance to the Big Bad room. 5) Put in aidditional connections to make sure that each room is accessible off the main path. Then make one of the rooms behind a secret door. 6) Finally populate each room with monsters, and traps, and junk and stuff to taste.

[@IceCreamMotelMan]

I would totally watch a series of y'all making different dungeons. And explain your thought process as you go through it.

[@sagesheahan6732]

LIKEWISE!!!

[@kota86]

Seconded!

[@molittr]

@@kota86 Motion carries!

[@F2t0ny]

OMFG YES!

[@readyeti178]

This needs to be a thing

[@MrNoob_11]

A dungeon for nothing more than all my money and resources? I guess my broke ass is getting a free dungeon!

[@chrisdrew1768]

you still got Organs don't you ;p

[@myownmusic8182]

@@chrisdrew1768 I don't, I sold mine for crack.

[@d0natr0n47]

LOOPHOLE

[@JacksonOwex]

Damn!!! I thought I might have been the first for this, oh well!!!

[@Monkeyshaman]

Well played.

[@knightghaleon]

All of my resources and gold?! *looks at 5 gold pieces left in pouch and basic armor* That’s a steal!

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Where’s the video of Jim and Pruitt giddily assembling this dungeon??

[@kota86]

I'd pay for that.

[@N8Dawgg314]

I love how often I'm stuck on some kind of problem and then you guys come out with the perfect video

[@jordanwilliams8994]

I always think ecology, ecology, ecology. Like how does this place REALLY work, and why is it here. That informs enemy types, geometry, exploration challenges, loot, everything really. My favorite thing to hear as players are exploring a dungeon is, "Oh, well that makes sense." Plus, I always do dungeons theater of the mind to help with the fog. I keep my sketches and plot out where they are going and where they've been, but I always leave it up to them to build the mental map of the dungeon. That also allows me to keep some modular aspects to skip over or include as things progress. Also, love the concept of treating urban environments and non-traditional spaces as dungeons. I'm reminded of the sunken city in dragon's dogma, and some of the levels in Mass Effect (1). The whole Noveria segment of ME1 was basically a nicely constructed, well paced and layered dungeon.

[@MangaMarjan]

Also really like not giving my players a dungeon map. It let's me skip rooms when the pacing is staling or change up enemy location to make it more dynamic. Still, it helps to have a little sketch of where each room is connected for yourself, not to get mixed up while backtracking.

[@MrSarwat]

Necromancers and all wanna be liches: It's free real estate

[@TroyEvan94]

the sound was a little weird in this video but the content was great. Thanks guys!

[@cavareenvius7886]

What sound?

[@TroyEvan94]

Cavare Envius the quality of the sound mixing, since Jim and Pruitt are both wearing mics there are a few places where the audio is very echoey.

[@cavareenvius7886]

@@TroyEvan94 I hear no sound at all.. Sometimes their video doesn't have any sound. And i have no idea why that is.

[@turnt_barbarian]

@@cavareenvius7886 I had a similar issue, i noticed it happened when i had surround sound enabled in my audio settings. If you mess around with it you might get a fix

[@cavareenvius7886]

@@turnt_barbarian it is in the video. Like I hadn't a freaking clue about my own pc. But nice try anyway.

[@plaidmanticore841]

Me: I have no idea how to make a dungeon. Web DM: He NEEDS us!

[@banditjonesy3509]

Yet another WebMD video I'll watch about 50 times 👍

[@sagesheahan6732]

Same

[@granttrain3553]

If you are building dungeons let me know, I'm building a Mega dungeon, maybe we can share ideas.

[@luketfer]

I do like the idea of basically a Dungeon world. The players grew up in this dungeon city. All the unwanted from the above world get tossed in there or hide down there and as generation after generation of people carved out their own living space it eventually grew into a massive, sprawling city with a single huge tower in the middle that leads to the above world but nobody is allowed out through that entrance unless they're carrying a special magical seal (explains why the Guards could come in, dump new people down there and then leave but no others could get out. This would also lead to a black market where these seals are considered the highest commodity since they're also rather rare). Now the city itself has grown so large it actually links to all sorts of other older ruins and cave systems. There would be forest of fungi, ancient ruins inhabited by who knows what, other, smaller, dungeon settlements. About half way through the campaign you could even let the players find access to the mythical above world or have it so that is the main goal of the campaign, to try to find a way up that doesn't involve the tower or years worth of digging.

[@jonvalberg3694]

That is fucking brilliant im using that ill cresit you to my party

[@Darknight4434]

This was so well-timed I opened youtube to search on some guides to builds dungeons and cities

[@DINOROAR2912]

Perfect timing! Im just about to design a massive dungeon for my friends, couldn't have timed it better

[@dustins6260]

Something is going on with your mic's. Still great video!

[@steveno7219]

It's a phasing issue that's been going on for a bit now, maybe the last few week's/month-and-a-half's or more worth of videos. It's a mixing issue when they use audio from the overhead mics and mix it with the audio from the shirt mics. Hope they have someone correct it soon!

[@DaveButtons]

16:49 My favourite moment!

[@hunterbrouzes1142]

The pictures of Jim and pruit playing with the Dwarven forge kit are so wholesome 😭😭😭 I'm gonna cry😭😭😭

[@zenith110]

What a bout a logistics video? How we might go about organizing and planning our stuff? I'm no fool, I wouldn't make something so detailed that I get mad people don't explore the whole thing xD but I am curious how people go about doing the actual creative process. This video is great, don't get me wrong, but it's more theory. Of course I value it, and I wouldn't be offended if someone just linked a video detailing *another* Ytuber making a dungeon from scratch, but I wanted to support the channel with views :D Anyhow guys, I reference your stuff tons, and I wish you improved critical success on the channel!

[@watchface6836]

I’m so happy that I’m off work today. I can watch this on time for once!

[@WebDM]

Woot! Have a good day off.

[@ChemoshKamos]

The intro alone deserves a thumbs up. Pruitt is hilarious!

[@calebjackson3895]

For the beginner DM's, I recommend just 4 areas: 1. Entrance. ≈6 hits worth of enemies to make the players feel all badass and cool. 2. Central Hub. ≈12 hits worth of enemies to get them thinking more strategically. 3. Boss Room: ≈8-hit brute or ≈4-hit mage with ≈4 hits worth of minions, clearly indicated from the central hub. 4. Side Room: Contains something that will help fight the boss if a challenge is passed.

[@ismirdochegal4804]

[18:40] Graffiti - in one of Dungeons the Players came across to lines of text on the wall. The upper was orcish, the lower was goblin. They read: Orcish: "Beware of the Lindworm" Goblin: "the same in Goblin"

[@hunterdaggerthorn1513]

Wholesome Jim and John sitting on the carpet playing with dungeons

[@WebDM]

It was like Christmas!

[@fhuber7507]

20k sq ft is too small. If you can't find me the lair I asked for, I'l find a different realtor.

[@luketfer]

what are you an Ancient Wyrm?! Jesus man 20k sq ft is plenty, don't be greedy. Us Liches make do with a 5th of that...it's all about how you style it out.

[@Sajanis1]

Lairator?

[@bigfatopinions1338]

Fabulous opener as always and what a great topic!! A great follow up to the dungeon ecology and Mega Dungeon episodes!!

[@WebDM]

Thank you! It's a request we've wanted to respond to for a while!

[@TheHammertime51]

Wednesday's usually my day off work, so I always look forward to these here KZbins. Good video guys.

[@WebDM]

Have a good day off!! Thanks for sharing it with us!

[@bar0nger]

Ravnica and urban blight has been my latest thoughts on mega dungeons. Large expansive abandoned parts of the Ravinica city, with crumbling buildings and dark sewers and rivers that have been channeled underground. Even the above ground streets would be dungeon like. My first adventure thought was a quest from a guild to locate an old forgotten laboratory and recover an an artifact or even the research notes on one.

[@Bluecho4]

Best part is, Ravnica, as a city, is canonically 10,000 years old. (Albeit for an indeterminate portion of that time, it was probably many cities that eventually just bled into one another as the lands between received urban development). It's got millennia's worth of layers, stacked atop one another. Whole cities (as WE understand the term) worth of space that lay buried and forgotten. Space and materials left behind, ripe for the taking by anyone or anything that would claim them. Setting aside Guilds that verifiably make their home below (Dimir, Golgari, Rakdos, etc), there's probably many populations - of various sizes - that inhabit these forgotten zones. People who might have been left behind in the city's rush to build upwards, and who for whatever reason couldn't or wouldn't move out. They might eke out respectable livings, or have degenerated due to isolation and deprivation. Crazed cannibals, horrific mutants, or depraved cultists of old gods that were long ago pushed underground (both figuratively and literally) by Orzhov's supremacy. Some areas, not even the Golgari or Dimir dare to tread, whether for fear or just not thinking it worth the risk and effort.

[@IndorilNerevar-MoonandStar]

Best intro so far guys, you're doing the work of the Gods.

[@joesephmama5710]

great job guys FANTASTIC video as always

[@WebDM]

Thank you!

[@joshkaid]

I'm running an Urban campaign set almost entirely in a single city. Dungeon Design and city design are very similar. This video is very helpful. Thank you.

[@WebDM]

It's absolutely similar! Glad you got some inspiration out of it. thanks for watching!

[@dysfuctionalrobot8107]

I'm first! But unlike a video, being first into a dungeon room is never a good idea. I'd suggest convincing your barbarian, that goblin you captured. Or that farmer you hired for 3 copper to go first.

[@WebDM]

You get it. You really get it.

[@ramadansteve1715]

My lawful stupid paladin would beg to differ

[@alexanderchippel]

My setting has a Dungeoneer's Guild. They're the one's who built 80% of the dungeons in the setting.

[@Elphaba4Change]

I’m going to use this vid as a great example of content marketing. It’s promoting stuff, but it’s objectively useful and we as viewers don’t miss out!

[@TheDcraft]

I'm trying to create a dungeon that has a huge chance of failure, the reward is a very powerful weapon. Known as relics, they were created by the Gods and Goddesses. Though each relic's power is different and varies in strength, when completely mastered a relic user could defeat an entire army by him/herself. Additionally, a relic user can appointed comrades as retainers, a lifelong appointment that grants the retainer substantial power (though only a fraction of the relic user's power).

[@optimus2200]

oh dungeon burn out is a real thing ... me and some of my group really got burned out at the end of tome of annihilation. it got too crazy too mean. we defeated Accererack and he ran off and took 2 season to get out. we took like 6 to 9 months of consistent weakly game to clear that dungeon.

[@izzystephens1402]

Thumbs up from the Intro alone! Good stuff as per usual!

[@rambotarzann]

Sick death saves shirt!

[@quintmarcelis2691]

Could you do an episode on bandits, bandit groups and how to make them interesting?

[@WebDM]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@quintmarcelis2691]

@@WebDM Thanks for the reply! If you could, could you insert ideas for a bandit campaign too? I'm currently running a Tier 1-2 campaign centred around various bandit gangs and was wondering if you had thoughts on that.

[@edenromanov]

Lmao that beginning skit was great and by some massive coincidence there’s an anime just like that skit called “Dragon goes House Hunting” it’s a comedy show about a Pathetically weak Red Dragon looking for a home and an Elf Overlord playing a real estate agent for monsters surprisingly funny, worth giving a watch I think.

[@alderbrand]

Ah! This is the video I’ve been waiting for! You guys are the best!

[@WebDM]

Enjoy!

[@MrDeman40]

Great video guys !! My question is , "What Dwarven Forge sets did you use to build that dungeon you have set up ?"

[@iammarklynch]

I would absolutely relish an opportunity to play at the same table as you guys. Thanks for your content. I always learn a lot and am always entertained.

[@WebDM]

Thanks mark!

[@TheYodason]

I think a cool episode for you guys to cover would be re-flavoring, and all the interesting concepts you can accomplish with it both from a player and dm perspective. Keep up the quality content!

[@WebDM]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@mikeelston9933]

Great video! Love the insights and especially the checklist.

[@chadledgerwood8818]

Add an illusion on a statue to appear to turn its head to follow the charters. It slows them down and alerts someone elsewhere in the dungeon.

[@mattnerdy7236]

Hey Jim & Jonathan, great video. You guys have really good information. Golbin punch going to go and check that out. Thanks Guys & have a great day.

[@tinfoiltyrant]

Accidentally left another tab open, as soon as Pruitt started his real estate pitch background music kicked on that made it all the more convincing xD.

[@MangaMarjan]

I've recently bought Xanathar's Guide and was very interested in the Trap chapter. Sadly, it mostly makes traps behave like enemies and i feel that is just punishing and kind of railroady. Traps are so hard to make fun. You don't want the players to constantly check everything and you don't want to punish them for not doing it "that one time". I feel a great way to design traps in dungeons is using those "empty rooms" to foreshadow them. So maybe the first room of a dungeon has a burned corpse in front of a big stone door. This makes the players already aware of traps and also where they might be. It's way more satisfying for the players to see another similar door and go "Oh wait a minute..." then to make them take a corner in some passageway and trigger a tripwire, instantly dealing damage. Or you can design traps as puzzles: A hallway with pits and whirling blades that lies before the party (not activate when they are already in it). Giving them a lot of decisions; Do they want to learn the rhythm of the blades and identify where the pits are to try cross unharmed, or search for a way to dismantle the trap from afar, or maybe go around it completely.

[@thune4944]

All your videos are a huge help. I’m pretty new to 5e, mostly played pathfinder, but I’ve yet to find video that wasn’t relevant the to both. Keep it up!

[@WebDM]

Thank you!

[@Afrancis1968]

I was watching other videos on how to build my own dungeon. I didnt think you guys had a video and then it was recommended. I was like "huh, must of missed this during my WebDM binge." Then I saw the upload date and I about died laughing. XD It was like you guys knew I was in need of some advice and was like "I got you bud..."

[@WebDM]

We got your back, fam!

[@Afrancis1968]

@@WebDM Thanks fam 😎

[@plastickhero]

I'll be honest, I came into this one rolling my eyes, but I should have known these guys would still be bringing their expertise and thoughtful discussion.

[@And-c7n]

Now that Jim has Dwarven Forge that's probably the end of his research time for future Web DM episodes :-)!

[@CtrlAltDlt68]

Probably one of the best videos by far from your series!

[@WebDM]

Glad you liked it!

[@MarshallSimmonsTV]

I see that P. Terry's cup Jim Davis! Austinites assemble.

[@WebDM]

PTerry's breakfast FTW

[@Sean-ne3gx]

Damn, every time I see dwarven forge stuff I wish that I both had more money and an in person game group. Glad that WebDM is getting the sponsorships though, both for the money and how you guys do a really good job of incorporating it into the show.

[@paulh3892]

Great video as always, gents! Those guys from Dwarven Forge have incredible attention to detail. That looked like a very fun dungeon for a beer and pretzels D&D night

[@Eldagusto]

Neighbors are a little noisy but hey you can't beat the price for the space!

[@Canadian_Ry]

"all your resources and money" ?! That's a great deal! Heck, I'd be getting that dungeon for a hair short of free!!

[@rileymitchell3510]

mood

[@harjutapa]

If the next video isn't called "& Dragons" I'm gonna be disappointed in you both.

[@sagesheahan6732]

😂😂

[@arynnenicholson8867]

What is this? A DUNGEON FOR ANTS?!?!? How are my monsters supposed to fight if they cant even fit inside the building?

[@nicocortes5145]

intro sold me

[@Neverfate]

Ah, the fabled Wolf Crab Demon. Nasty bit of business that one.

[@Hallowed_Halls]

I really thought this video would at least cover how to run actually laying out the dungeon! Like, do I hide the map, or do I just assume the party won't metagame? Do I put the map out piece by piece, or lay out the whole map at once?

[@sjiht0019]

TeamMediocre Matthew Mercer does this by covering the entire Dungeon with sheets of black paper and revealing the parts that the characters have explored.

[@robpaul7544]

This will vary depending on your group. Some can see the whole map and still not metagame, others will want to take the direct route. Know your players. It will also depend on the design of the dungeon ; if it's a maze, really puzzling out the way through can be half the fun. If it's basically open, or has alot of rooms - with many locked doors and keys hidden in other parts of the dungeon, say.. showing the basic map off the bat can enhance the fun. Could also be that the characters already have a map of the dungeon in game - might be accurate, might be false, might be out of date. Sooo.. do what feels best, case by casd. 😅

[@WebDM]

Rob Paul pretty much got it. It'll vary depending on group and on medium. If you're using terrain like this, you can cover it with cloth or paper if you like, or you can just have it out. Your descriptions will give so much more meaning in many cases, so that's ok. What we do most often at home games is use a drawn map and the DM--or the designated party cartographer for a fun and challenging change up--will draw out what you see as you go.

[@Hallowed_Halls]

@@WebDM Thank you all for the replies! Extremely helpful!

[@ivellos]

OMG. I am at work and I can't watch this now, but I bet this is gonna be a very useful video for me! I will definetely watch it later tonight :)

[@WebDM]

Tell us what you think!

[@ivellos]

Web DM You guys are the best source of inspiration for D&D, thanks again for another awesome video!

[@myownmusic8182]

Okay, now lets get back to MEGADÜNGËÖNS

[@gustavemilpilgaard2398]

So happy that you guys are getting sponsored :D!

[@omarhaggag1422]

This is the video I’ve been waiting for since you guys started, thank you so much

[@MIB000DG]

1. Maybe paint the tops of the walls with a darker wash so it's easier to see on video. Possibly a lighter drybrush as floors are in shadow. 2. Angle the table toward the camera so you can see into the dungeon from head on. Cinder blocks/2x4's are cheap. Wil Wheaton's tabletop does this.

[@jaredlocke4300]

SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT!

[@WebDM]

Glad to help inspire!

[@nathanpang7791]

Jim, You are looking great. You must have made some lifestyle changes. (Im dieting right now)

[@kevtran26]

I've never cared enough to comment on any video ever, but I totally want to say yeah Jim is looking great. Keep it up Jim!

[@doctorhandshake1880]

I was just starting to draw out my new dungeon and this video shows up!

[@Ciberbuster]

Awesome topic, considered sharing the dungeon in the table as a map? With some cool encounters.

[@mathewsmith2281]

Fuck yeah! Always wanted one of these vids from you guys.

[@Coswagrigus]

I needed this right now, thank you

[@thatcanadian6698]

Here's a cheap little trick to keep the party on their toes. They enter a somewhat well kept room with a table in it. On the table is a half eaten meal. Upon investigation they realize that the food is still slightly warm. Where is the room's occupant? Did they hear the party coming and ran off to hide somewhere perhaps with the intention of making a surprise attack? Were they called away to do something elsewhere? The fact is that someone was eating there quite recently but now they are gone. It's a mystery that most party members would like to solve. If they decide to wait for the room's occupant to return you could screw with their heads and just never have them come back. By doing so you could get them to start questioning their own judgement. As a DM I love to fool around with the party once in a while. Not malevolently but playfully. Sometimes the simplest tricks are the most effective.

[@HowtoRPG]

Cool terrain.

[@FirstWorldProbs-jm6up]

always great content. thanks

[@arthanor9631]

Given the topic, shout out to the Dungeon series from Dakota Krout. It's an entertaining read and has a lot of dungeon oriented ideas to be inspired by (or just plain take on!)

[@ericm.whited9264]

awesome stuff my dudes, thank you.

[@blakeetter280]

31:43 bro i put a well in one of my dungeons cuz it was supposed to be lived in and they went scuba diving convinced i hid something in the well. I had to google how wells work mid session. there was no indication that there was anything under the well, it was just a way to have a water elemental pop up and heal itself cuz it had infinite water. the sheer amound of 'uhhhh's i said during that should have tipped them off i didnt have a plan for the well XD although to be fair it was the loot room just, not that part of it lol

[@matthieuscott9323]

That table though!

[@jasonhater3926]

I love that lava texture or whatever it is the dungeon is sitting on. It looks 3D but it's just printed. What company made it?

[@controllerfreak78]

How did y’all know this was exactly what I needed?

[@johnnikyecole9114]

Such a grate tool... I love this video....

[@thedude7319]

Regarding what do people see, I always take notes and photos when I go on holiday or go urban exploring how things looks. Which really helped my players get the vibe of the place since they aren't all theatre of the mind based

[@WebDM]

Good tip!

[@xSaraxMxNeffx]

one of the things i like about playing digitally is that multi-floor dungeons are much easier to run; but DAMN id love to have a lego playset to run my toys through. lemme be six again @_@

[@scrubJabroni]

Great video as always, guys! And Jim's looking like he lost some weight. I'm not the only one who noticed. Keep it up! Forever love

[@RedwoodTheElf]

Way back when I first started playing AD&D (Which was when it first came out (1979-ish) our DM had actually designed a megadungeon based on the Mines of Moria, but with a Pierson's Puppeteer operating a teleportation system to send adventurers to different sections of the dungeon. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierson%27s_Puppeteers

[@queenannsrevenge100]

At 16:33 ... Is that... a Dwarven Forge miniature of a Dwarven Forge dungeon?!?!?! Now THAT is wonderfully meta... Maybe if the adventurers encounter that, and look very closely, they see minis that look like themselves, staring at a tiny table, on which is a mini-mini-dungeon, with sand-grained size mins on it, staring at a teeeeny-tiny table...

[@RamblingSkull]

Dope shirt, Pru.

[@SlayerOfWorlds]

Dwarves Forge is pure awesome and the greatest thing ever..... when it's given to you. Buying it, not so much.

[@bazzfromthebackground3696]

"...rivers that don't go anywhere..." So Pruitt is making his own Water Temple, does this move him to evil overlord status?

[@wrennthewizard144]

What if the room w/ the bull is a dead Magic zone for anyone inside of it?

[@robpaul7544]

If there is no other way in or out, that would essentially mean one of your players is now trapped. And has to be left behind or everyone has to spend alot of time figuring out how to get him out, if at all possible.

[@wrennthewizard144]

Rob Paul that is why I specified “inside” And yes I did know that

[@atomicnectar]

25:36 Gorganzolla turns PCs into cheese and then 1D4 swarm of rats start to eat PCS

[@sonichalo1527]

perfect, I have been having a mental block on designing the final dungeon for my campaign, the lair of a dracolich designed to challenge super-epic level characters.

[@robpaul7544]

A gigantic circle, say one mile radius. Built like a compass, only with six 'points' - some reality bending or non Euclidean math going on. Players exit from a thick pillar / tower in the center and can see pathways to all directions. Each path has riddle that points to which element is represented behind which path. Say the normal four plus light and dark, or whatever fits. Preferably multiple options lead towards your dracolich - it was a silver dragon with lightning breath who used to fight for a god of light and fire before turning to darkness and becoming an avatar of cold.. Every path has challenges but nothing they can't handle. But they are being watched all the time. The lich has made his lair above the maze, one humongous open area with it's throne atop the very tower through which they entered. Popped in my mind, maybe it sparks something 🤓

[@sonichalo1527]

@@robpaul7544 That is a cool idea, I'll put it away for the future since it doesn't fully fit the theme of this dracolich. This dracolich was an ancient red with a knack for planer travel and necromancy as a whole.