Has a horde of zombies marched through to guard the necromancer's abode within, and left a few rotten body parts here and there? Has a malevolent force been summoned and spoiled all the meat and milk in the dungeon? Is there a golem maintenance station, with oil to grease them, rags to polish them, and a mad goblin mechanic? These may be vital clues PCs need to prepare for a tough fight, or they can simply let them form theories and feel smart about being right once they do come upon a golem or three. Once the dungeon makes sense, you can use that to place clues for things that dwell deeper within. Should there be a pet otyugh that eats the trash? Are the orcs demanding cows from the local farmers for "protection"? Do they keep a famed halfling cook enslaved, to make them rare steaks? Foreshadowing "Empty" rooms will increase immersion for the players, and force you to consider things you may not have otherwise. Once you do, the dungeon will start making sense. While all the orcs may sit around in a guard room waiting for PCs to show up, where do they sleep, what do they eat, what happens to their trash? Think of a dungeon not just as a place to have fights in, but as an actual place that serves a purpose. So what's their purpose? Bringing the dungeon to life There are no hidden doors to find, no puzzles to solve, no enemies to fight. By definition, nothing's going to happen in an empty room (though see below).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |