TEXT: ragingswan.com	
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  T H E  R A G I N G  S WA N  P R E S S  
  DUNGEON DESIGN CHECKLIST 
  	
  Use	this	handy	system	neutral	checklist to	aid	your	dungeon	design	or	to help enhance	or	modify	an	existing	
  dungeon.	This	isn't	a	comprehensive	guide	to	creating	a	dungeon	from	scratch.	Rather,	it	assumes	you	have	a	
  basic	dungeon	concept	and	is	designed	to	help	you	develop	and	flesh	out	your	idea.		
  T H I N G S  T O  K N O W  A B O U T  T H E  D U N G E O N
  Players	 (at	 least	 skilled	 ones)	 can	 be	 annoyingly	 inquisitive.	 The	 GM	 should	 know	 the	 answer	 to	 these
  questions:	
  o Who	built	the	dungeon?	
  o Why	was	the	dungeon	built?	
  o What	is	the	dungeon's	current	use?	
  o What	major	events	(if	any)	have	occurred	in	the	dungeon?	
  o What	is	the	dungeon	called?	Why?	Does	it	have	more	than	one	name?	
  o Why	would	the	party	want	to	explore	the	dungeon?	
  o What	legends	and	rumours	are	associated	with	the	dungeon?	
  o Does	the	dungeon	have	more	than	one	entrance?	
  o Does	the	dungeon	have	any	particularly	well	known	features,	locations	or	denizens?	
  o What	secret(s)	does	the	dungeon	conceal?	
  o What	general	perils	lurk	in	the	dungeon?	
  T H I N G S  T O  K N O W  A B O U T  T H E  D U N G E O N ’ S  E C O L O G Y  
  Don’t	obsess	about	the	dungeon’s	ecology,	but	unless	the	complex	is	occupied	exclusively	by	undead	or	other	
  animate	guardian	constructs	its	denizens	probably	require	access	to:	
  o Drinking	water	(the	source[s]	could	be	inside	or	outside	the	dungeon)	
  o Food	(often	food	will	be	secured	outside	the	dungeon,	although	some	creatures	may	harvest	mushrooms,	
  fish	in	subterranean	streams,	eat	their	enemies etc.)
  o The	entrance	(a	dungeon's	entrance	is	a	natural	choke	point;	most	denizens	need	to	go	outside	at	least	
  occasionally)	
  o Security	(given	the	choice,	most	denizens	want	to	live	in	a	secure	home)	
  o Light	(many	denizens	can	see	in	the	dark,	but	those	that	cannot	require	access	to	torches,	oil	and	so	on)	
  o Somewhere	to	dump	their	waste	
  
  ragingswan.com	
  2	
   
  T H E  R A G I N G  S WA N  P R E S S  
  DUNGEON DESIGN CHECKLIST 
  T H I N G S  T O  I N C L U D E  I N  Y O U R  D U N G E O N  
  Some	things	are	cool	to	include	in	a	dungeon.	These	include:	
  o Multiple	entrances	(for	all	but	the	smallest	complexes)	
  o Secret	or	concealed	entrances	(finding	a	secret	entrance	is	a	great	reward	for	skilled	play)		
  o Notable	areas	with	interesting	or	atypical	terrain	features	(dungeon	rooms	should	have	more	of	note	than
  the	creatures	dwelling	therein)
  o Wandering	monsters/random	encounters	(denizens	must	move	around—normally—to	secure	water,	food	
  and	so	on)	
  o Unoccupied	areas	(these	areas	act	as	buffers	between	the	various	groups	of	dungeon's	denizens	and	serve	
  as	places	for	the	PCs	to	hide	or	rest)	
  o Dungeon	dressing	(minor items	and	features	of	interest	add	depth	and	verisimilitude	to	the	complex and	
  can	provide	canny	players	with	hints	and	clues	about	the	dungeon)	
  o Somewhere	nearby	for	the	PCs	to	rest	and	recuperate	(such	as	a	hidden	cave,	village	and	so	on)	
  T H I N G S  N O T  T O  I N C L U D E  I N  Y O U R  D U N G E O N  
  Unless	you	have	a	spectacularly	good	reason,	don't	include	the	following	things	in	your	dungeon:	
  o Unavoidable,	unkillable	monsters	
  o Strange	effects	or	areas	whose	rational	is	"it's	just	magic"	
  o A	linear	map	that	limits	the	players’	meaningful	choices	in	large	parts	of	the	complex	(some	linear	design	is	
  virtually	impossible	to	avoid—prison	cells,	for	example,	often	lie	beyond	a	guard	room)	
  T H I N G S  T O  C O N S I D E R  A B O U T  T I M E  
  Most	 dungeons	 do	 not	 exist	 in	 a	 vacuum.	 Consider	 what	 happens	 before,	 during	 and	 after	 the	 PCs’	
  explorations.	
  o Has	anything	of	note	just	occurred	in	or	near	the	dungeon?	
  o Is	anything	going	to	occur	during	the	PCs’	delves	not	directly	linked	to	their	actions?	
  o How	do	the	dungeon’s	denizens	react	to	the	PCs’	incursion(s)?	
  o What	happens	to	the	dungeon	when	the	PCs	finish	their	adventure?	
  o How	do	the	PCs’	actions	affect	the	surrounding	area?	
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Raging Swan - Gloamhold/Raging Swan GM's Miscellany Dungeon Dressing/Raging Swan Dungeon Design Checklist.pdf