Flash 20-Room Dungeon Creation

Inspiration taken from Goblin Punch, Whose Measure, and Various Others

Well of Bolonchen, by Frederick Catherwood

At times my brain enters a lucid state of creative day-dreaming, and glorious ideas pour forth like rain in the spring, and at times I sit and pray desperately for a drop of inspiration to quench my thirst.

This is a post for those dry times, when inspiration teases but never delivers, and deadlines loom ever nearer. How can that tiny drop of inspiration be stretched into something playable?

This is also somewhat a distillation of the "Dungeons" section of my massive module creation document..

A. Gather Dungeon Inspiration

What compels your imagination?

Choose 2-3 one-sentence themes, and a scenario tying them together. Themes may be environmental conditions or factions. Write more than necessary and choose the best. Don't worry about making them all unique or fascinating, we'll get there.

Some Examples:

1. A sentient and hostile mushroom forest.
2. The abode of a depressed god of death.
3. A crumbling elven city, only a few remain to care for it.
4. A temple of cursed dwarves, desperate to atone, but unable.
5. Massive waterfalls flowing over and around the ruins.
6. Lava bubbling up from the heart of the earth, pathways swinging overhead.
7. A trio of powerful beings, all evil, all bent on each other's destruction.
8. A tribe of peaceful and eloquent goblins mind-controlled by something dangerous.
9. A dragon (or similar massively powerful creature). Hey, this is Dungeons and Dragons, right?
10. A cult dedicated to preventing an ancient (probably good but definitely pissed off) god from awakening.

The dungeon's Scenario is its central conflict. What conflict exists between the denizens of the dungeon? What conflict does the dungeon have with the outside world? What denizen of the dungeon wants something very badly, but is having trouble getting it?

If you wish, you may write down your assumptions about the dungeon. (From Whose Measure)

• The lighting is:
• The smells are:
• The walls are:
• The floors are:
• The doors are:
• The stairs are:
• The ceilings are:
• The inhabitants are:
• Appropriate passwords are:
• The Coinage is:

B. Stock Areas

The list from Whose Measure gives us a solid starting point. We'll make some adjustments and clarifications to get our brains thinking.

As you create each area, it may help to keep The Art of the Key in mind:

AREA TITLE

Read-Aloud: I.E. What do the players immediately see, smell, hear?

First Entry: Does anything demand an immediate roll? E.G. Traps, reaction rolls, machine states, etc.

Significant Element: Further description of items included in the read-aloud, for players that look closer. Bold the title of each element. If something's secret, place it in [brackets]. For complex elements, include a bulleted list of sub-facts.

[Secret Element]: Things not immediately noticeable. If the party investigates carefully, it could be found.

20 Room Dungeon

• 4x Guarded Rewards. 
• Both reward and danger are immediately visible.
• Gold or valuable artifacts, often hoarded by greedy creatures living or dead.
• Knowledge. Especially of arcana, foes weaknesses, treasure locations, etc. Who currently cares for that information?
• Allies. Intelligent creatures often recognize when they are in the party's debt. How could the party help?
• Trade Goods. What exists in the dungeon that the outside world would buy? What's using it here?
• Safety. Creatures often have secured their dens. Players may benefit from claiming them.
• Tools. Magic Swords. Arcana. Etc. Usually in active use.
• 4x Denizens. 
• Who is here, and what are they doing? Typically capable of self-defense.
• Denizens should reveal the history of the dungeon, not just "fit" the environment. Never use standard goblins where you should use undead elven centurions.
• Denizens don't just stand around and wait to be killed. (Almost) everything needs to eat, drink, and sleep, and sentient creatures always have duties and desires. 
• 1x Trapped Rewards. 
• Reward is obvious, danger is not. Examples.
• 2x Hidden Dangers. 
• Environmental hazard, hunting trap, defensive wards, alarms, etc.
• 3x Mysteries. 
• Things with strange purposes that demand experimentation.
• Definitely oozing with theme.
• 1x Hidden Treasure. 
• Surely no one would find this here, right?
• 6x Thematic Areas. 
• Not a ton to do here specifically, but clues may be found around.
• Be sure to include 2-3 significant elements in thematic areas.

C. Create Layout

Arrange the rooms you created in B, especially grouping areas by theme, though themes should intermingle. Remember to Jaquay everything. Here's the short version:

• Create 2-3 inter-connected loops and plot the areas along them.
• Include multiple entrances, 1 should be hidden.
• Elevate some areas.
• Add secret paths with hidden doors.
• Mark some doors as "stuck" and some as locked. For every locked door, include a key somewhere.

D. Stock Encounter Table

Once again, this feels like my own take on Phlox's post here. Not writing this to steal credit, but just to trim it down, include what I find helpful, and pass it off for the next person to adjust as they wish. We're GLoGers, you know?

Create a d6 encounter table of creatures dripping with theme, that may have a variety of reactions to the party. Remember there should be reaction rolls, and encounter distance, and that sort of thing. At least 1/2 the encounters should be able to communicate with the party. In my personal preference, most encounters should have some interesting tactics, abilities, or consequences. If your zombie bites don't also give the plague, they're not scary enough.

1. Group of sentient combatants with good tactics. May be accompanied by a local lieutenant.
2. Nasty undead that tell the history of death in this place.
3. Something you can't easily stab to death. Ghosts, oozes, swarms, etc. 
4. Something you should definitely run from. 
5. Something eager to run from the party, that the party may wish to chase.
6. Something that stalks the party and waits for an opportune moment.

E. Polish

Congratulations! You've finished a dungeon! Give yourself a pat on the back, refill your coffee (or tea, if it's getting late), and get ready to read through it one more time with one goal in mind:

How can I make this better?

What characters exist within the dungeon? How could their personalities be fleshed out?

What conflicts could be joined or smoothed? How could the party make allies or enemies here?

What mechanisms are unclear? How could the party use the environment to their benefit?

What rewards lack luster? How could I showcase their awesomeness through environmental storytelling?

Of course, all of this is just gravy, and only if you've got more than 20 minutes before the session starts.

Which I definitely don't.