Dungeons

Not all OSRIC adventures involve dungeons—but many will. Dungeon design is an art rather than a science, and can be surprisingly satisfying. The purpose of the following sections is partly to help a harassed GM, or one short of time, to create areas of a dungeon randomly, and partly to give some indication of what kinds of challenge are suitable for which parts of the dungeon.

A dungeon or other adventure setting is more than merely monsters and treasures. The clever GM will draw the players into the world by serving as their eyes and ears. Compare and contrast the following statements:

Example #1: "Your party travels down the 60-ft corridor without incident and arrives at a locked door."

Example #2: "With the thief scouting for traps in front of the party, you proceed slowly down the corridor. The guttering torchlight throws eerie, flickering shadows upon the walls, revealing darker stone and cruder workmanship than that of the previous level. Unfortunately the torchlight doesn't shed enough light to see to the end, all you can see by the yellow flame is the corridor continuing on into the darkness 40-ft away. A faint current of icy cold air blows into your faces, carrying with it a dank and mouldy smell as the thief pauses for a moment, looking at something on the damp stone floor before continuing. As you pass by you note the badly dented helmet he was examining. It appears damaged beyond all use. From somewhere behind comes the faint sound of slithering—perhaps the sound of one of the many pests inhabiting the lower levels of the dungeon, or is it something more? After travelling about 60-ft, you arrive at a solid looking door, its heavy wood beams solidly bound with rusting iron. The slithering noise has ceased, for now."

Both passages describe the same 60-ft trek down an empty corridor to a door. Compare the dry and somewhat terse language of the first with the complete involvement of the player's senses contained in the second: the GM describes what the characters see, smell, and hear. They have arrived at the door and are very likely wondering what may be prowling the corridor behind them, just outside of the range of their puny torches. It's a harmless pest, but the players don't know that; the GM is simply telling them what the characters hear. Now contrast the two door descriptions. The players go from a rather bland statement about the door being locked, information to which they should not yet have access, to almost seeing the patches of rust on the sturdy iron bindings and wondering if they will easily get through the door.

It is about this method of filling out the dungeon with sensory input for the players that this section of the OSRIC rules speaks. It is called dungeon dressing and, as we saw above, dungeon dressing can elevate a mundane trip down 60-ft of corridor from an interlude into an experience. Tables are provided for random generation or, as always, the GM may pick and choose specific items for maximum effect. Note the tables are best served in areas otherwise lacking features of note. That is to say, the nuances of your carefully crafted sights, sounds, and smells may be lost upon the party battling for their lives against a horde of skeleton warriors. Although random tables are included, results should still be edited for a degree of consistency.

Air Currents Table

Odours Table

General Table

Noises

Furnishings

Religious

Torture Chamber

Alchemy Lab

Container Contents

Personal and Miscellaneous

Clothing and Footwear

Food and Drink

Seasonings

List of Formal Room Names