D&D General (+) What Should Go in a D&D Book About Dungeons?

[Yora]

The most important thing to make dungeons work as a central adventure aspect is to set it up as a problem of resource management. The thrill of taking on and beating a dungeon comes from having to make decisions which things and creature to engage with and which ones to stay clear of.
Which is a problem for 5th edition because the system is set up to not have depleting resources. Unlimited access to light and widespread access to darkvision, creating water as a 1st level spell and creating food as a 3rd level spell, and no need to carry large amounts of heavy gold and silver to advance in levels all work against that. I don't think that's something that can be addressed by a splatbook, but needs to be baked into the core mechanics of the game.

 

[Morrus]

I wouldn't care if it's official WotC or 3rd Party. I'd probably buy it in a heartbeat without even reading the table of contents, but it's also fun to think about what might be in that table of contents?

Dang, you missed it!

Dungeon Delver's Guide: A Sourcebook for D&D 5E and A5E

An essential tome for creating, exploring, and running dungeons in your 5E or A5E game, including over 100 traps!

www.kickstarter.com

 

[Horwath]

The most important thing to make dungeons work as a central adventure aspect is to set it up as a problem of resource management. The thrill of taking on and beating a dungeon comes from having to make decisions which things and creature to engage with and which ones to stay clear of.
Which is a problem for 5th edition because the system is set up to not have depleting resources.

There is always possibility for your long/short rest to be interrupted.
Also denizens of dungeons can have time to get reinforcements and/or fortify their positions, prepare (more)traps if you rest a lot.

Unlimited access to light and widespread access to darkvision,

Light is a liability in dungeon also, it prevents stealth, telegraphs your arrival.
Relying only on darkvision you become liable to set off more traps and fall into ambushes.

so it's a tradeoff.

Unless you have a party of devil's sight warlocks.

creating water as a 1st level spell and creating food as a 3rd level spell,

unless you are assaulting a dungeon filled with undead/constructs/elemental, there should be food and water to pillage as you progress.

and no need to carry large amounts of heavy gold and silver to advance in levels all work against that.

and good riddance to that.

I don't think that's something that can be addressed by a splatbook, but needs to be baked into the core mechanics of the game.

Core books needs clear and exact rules, DCs, modifiers for stealth, ambush, traps.
how to make them and how to avoid them.

also short rest should be removed or used as an Action or 1min max duration.

 

[Bill Zebub]

The most important thing to make dungeons work as a central adventure aspect is to set it up as a problem of resource management. The thrill of taking on and beating a dungeon comes from having to make decisions which things and creature to engage with and which ones to stay clear of.
Which is a problem for 5th edition because the system is set up to not have depleting resources. Unlimited access to light and widespread access to darkvision, creating water as a 1st level spell and creating food as a 3rd level spell, and no need to carry large amounts of heavy gold and silver to advance in levels all work against that. I don't think that's something that can be addressed by a splatbook, but needs to be baked into the core mechanics of the game.

HP and Time are resources.

 

[aco175]

DMs who want to emphasize good old fashioned dungeons

You do not really want to bring these back. I just finished the Forge of Fury and are running the Against the Giants from Yawning Portal book and after 40 years, they are a bit weak- in most everything. FoF is a 3e and much better than the 1e Giants, but Wizards did not do much to update them to 5e and the old 1e problems show. The random traps and secret doors that need to be bypassed and the almost, but not quite 10x10ft room with an orc and treasure chest sitting in the middle, next to a 20x20 ft room with berserkers and no chest. It is a hackfest though.

Going back to 1e would not be good, but your ideas are gladly not that and I can see a 5e supplement to make dungeons better is welcome.

 

[WarDriveWorley]

I would like a discussion on making a working ecology in a dungeon (even if it's based on magic).

 

[Dioltach]

Useful things might be different types of environment, and the various hazards that they bring: natural caves, ice dungeons, abandoned mines, underground complexes, overgrown jungles. That kind of thing.

I'd also like pointers on how to put together a balanced ecosystem. If you have Monster Type A as the apex predator or dominant group, what other creatures would you expect to see? What types of monsters and encounters go together to present a balanced and varied challenge?

 

[jmartkdr2]

I think the biggest seller would be a long list of pre-defined traps and hazards. Like a monster manual for dangerous non-creatures. Don't just tell me how to make one; give me a few dozen I can just use.

Also, if you want to sell the book: player options. More equipment, maybe some feats/new races species/subclasses

 

[John R Davis]

I’d like a simple, elegant generator to procedurally create basic dungeons on the fly.

Need a bandit cave? Place down 4 playing cards to represent a 4 room dungeon in a ground plan of your choosing, flip them over when the party enters each room and reference the book to find out what is in them as you go.

Spades are a trap, hearts are a social encounter, diamonds are loot, clubs are hostile monsters? Something like that.

I used to run a game exactly like that

 

[delericho]

The Dungeon Delver's Guide basically has me covered.