Page 290 - Dungeon Master's Guide

APPENDIX A: RANDOM DUNGEONS

HIS APPENDIX HELPS YOU QUICKLY GENERATE PASSAGES
a dungeon. The tables work in an iterative
manner. First, roll a starting area, then roll to When generating passages and corridors, roll on the
determine the passages and doors found in Passage table multiple times, extending the length and
that area. One you have initial passages and branches of any open passage on the map until you
doors, determine the location and nature of arrive at a door or chamber.
subsequent passages, doors, chambers, stairs, and so Whenever you create a new passage, roll to determine
on- each of them generated by rolls on different tables. its width. If the passage branches from another passage
Following these instructions can lead to sprawling roll a d12 on the Passage Width table. If it comes from
complexes that more than fill a single sheet of graph a chamber, roll a d20 on that table, but the width of the
paper. If you want to constrain the dungeon, establish passage must be at least 5 feet smaller than the longest
limits ahead of time on how far it can grow. dimension of the chamber.
The most obvious limit to a dungeon's size is the
graph paper it's drawn on. If a feature would exceed PASSAGE
the boundaries of the page, curtail it. A corridor might d20 Detail
turn or come to a dead end at the map's edge, or you can 1-2 Continue straight 30ft., no doors or side passages
make a chamber smaller to fit the available space.
3 Continue straight 20ft., door to the right, then an
Alternatively, you can decide that passages leading off
additional 10 ft. ahead
the edge of the map are additional dungeon entrances.
4 Continue straight 20ft., door to the left, then an
Stairs, shafts, and other features that would normally
additional 10 ft. ahead
lead to levels you don't plan to map can serve a
similar purpose. 5 Continue straight 20ft.; passage ends in a door
6-7 Continue straight 20ft., side passage to the right.
STARTING AREA then an additional 10ft. ahead
8-9 Continue straight 20ft., side passage to the left,
The Starting Area table produces a chamber or a set of
then an additionallO ft. ahead
corridors at the entrance to your dungeon. When rolling
10 Continue straight 20ft., comes to a dead end; 10
for a random starting area, pick one of the doors or
percent chance of a secret door
passages leading into the starting area as the entrance
to the dungeon as a whole. 11-12 Continue straight 20ft., then the passage turns
Once you've selected the entrance, roll on the left and continues 10 ft.
appropriate table for each passage or door leading away 13-14 Continue straight 20ft., then the passage turns
from the starting area. Passages each extend 10 feet right and continues 10ft.
beyond the starting area. After that point, check on the 15-19 Chamber (roll on the Chamber table)
Passage table for each passage to determine what lies 20 Stairs* (roll on the Stairs table)
beyond. Use the Beyond a Door table to determine what
,., The existence of stairs presumes a dungeon with more than
lies behind doors and secret doors.
one level. If you don't want a multilevel dungeon, reroll this
result, use the stairs as an alternative entrance, or replace t he~
STARTING AREA
with another feature of your choice.
dlO Configuration
Square, 20 x 20ft.; passage on each wall
PASSAGE WIDTH
2 Square, 20 x 20ft.; door on two walls, passage in
dl2fd20 Width
third wall
1-2 5 ft.
3 Square, 40 x 40 ft.; doors on three walls
3-12 lOft.
4 Rectangle, 80 x 20ft., with row of pil lars down the
13-14 20ft.
middle; two passages leading from each long wall,
15-16 30ft.
doors on each short wall
17 40ft., with row of pillars down the middle
5 Rectangle, 20 x 40ft.; passage on each wall
18 40ft., with double row of pillars
6 Circle, 40ft. diameter; one passage at each
19 40ft. wide, 20ft. high
cardinal direction
20 40ft. wide, 20ft. high, gallery 10ft. above floor
7 Circle, 40ft. diameter; one passage in each
allows access to level above
cardinal direction; well in middle of room (might
lead down to lower level)
8 Square, 20 x 20ft.; door on two wal ls, passage on
third wall, secret door on fourth wall
9 Passage, 10 ft. wide; T intersection
10 Passage, 10ft. wide; four-way intersection
APPENDIX A I RANDOM DUNGEONS
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