Crawling Dungeons: a Thread by Ariadne

Crawling Dungeons is a resource designed to help Game Masters to design ‘living’, shifting and non-Euclidean dungeons for their players.

This resource lays out three distinct sets of guidelines for three ‘dungeon scenarios’ that produce different types or ‘feels’ of shifting dungeon.

1. The Walls are Alive: A dungeon which occupies ordinary space, but whose walls and floor plan constantly change. Your players/party will need lateral thinking and a good head for directions to navigate this dungeon.
2. Space is Twisted: A dungeon where ordinary spatial logic breaks down. The same room can appear in seemingly different locations, and passages can lead nowhere or spit you back out on the surface. Your players/party will need cool heads, open eyes and good teamwork to make it out of this dungeon intact.
3. Puzzle Dungeon: A dungeon where rooms change within certain parameters. While seemingly nonsensical, the layout follows strict rules which can be deduced through exploration and experimentation. Your players/party will need to be observant and apply logic to discover this dungeon’s secrets and meet their objective.

The benefits of these systems are:

• A table map requires less space, since only a small area remains stable at one time
• Preparation time is minimal – all you need to begin is a set of tiles and markers
• The systems allow you to tailor your dungeon to your players – you’re in charge and can shape the dungeon in real time
• By following pre-set ‘rules’, you may present a meaningful challenge for your players to overcome.