Turning a D&D Dungeon Map into a Tool for Improvisation

Running D&D with a great dungeon map

Dungeons are a big part of Dungeons & Dragons. Some might say half of it going by the name of the game. Whatever the specifics of our dungeon, most of the time, we will have a map of the location. And that map probably has a key. Whether from a published adventure, or entirely homebrewed, how we design and use the dungeon map key can have a huge impact on how the players experience our D&D game.

In any game, a dungeon provides a fun mode of gameplay that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. What a dungeon looks like depends on the campaign we are running. It might be a forgotten crypt, a castle of the cloud giants, or an enormous hollowed-out tree in the Feywild. But multiplanar towers, alien spacecrafts, or gargantuan sentient machines are also opportunities for dungeons.

The structure of consecutive rooms and corridors provides us with a solid framework, already. But a well-made map key can help us create and run dungeons that feel alive, fantastical, and engaging for the players.

Write on the dungeon map

To improve the flow of the game, we can write notes on the map of the dungeon itself. In published D&D adventures, a dungeon usually features a drawn map with areas, rooms, and corridors. Many of these locations come labeled with a letter and/or a number. The accompanying text then includes headings with that letter/number and the name of the location. Underneath each such entry, we will find a description of the location, including general properties, traps, inhabitants, and treasure.

While preparing the adventure, that setup will be useful. It can detail a lot of information, and by flipping back and forth between the dungeon map, and the descriptions, we can figure out how the dungeon will work in our D&D game. But when we are running the game, flipping back and forth becomes very inconvenient. Additionally, the descriptions might contain too much text for us to read at the table if we want to keep the game moving. That’s why we should take notes on the map itself. It creates an easy reference for us at the table. If we combine this technique with evocative names, a monster roster, and a list of monuments, the dungeon map turns into a powerful tool for improvisation.

Using evocative names

Instead of numbers and letters that point to a description in our notes, we can write down an evocative name of the room, right there on the map. That way we can scan the map, and quickly see where the characters are headed. We can also quickly see which rooms are adjacent to their current location. If we see “overflowing primordial pool” written on the next room, we can describe the sound of flowing water to the players. Similarly, we can describe the rotten smell coming from a wall knowing that a “mass grave of Orcus” lies behind it.

The names should immediately give us an image of what the room contains, its atmosphere, and its sensory information. Most of the time, we don’t need more information to improvise. We can rely on the mental image in our heads that an evocative name creates. When the players ask for specifics we can let that image be our guide, along with the physical dimensions visible on the map.

The monster roster

Often we are compelled to design a dungeon by determining which monsters the characters might face in which room. This approach, which we find in published adventures, is convenient. We can focus on one room at a time, and follow the characters along as they maneuver through the dungeon. If we want a more dynamic and adaptable dungeon, we can disconnect the roster of monsters from specific locations.

We can create a list of inhabitants of the dungeon while not worrying about where specifically they might show up. We make that decision when the characters are in the dungeon. When the characters enter a new area in the dungeon, we can glance at our monster roster. We can then roll a die to determine the inhabitants of this area randomly. Or we decide based on what makes sense in the fiction and what works for the pace of the game.

Did the characters alert some goblin scouts earlier in the dungeon? Well, maybe it is time for an alarmed hobgoblin patrol to stumble upon the characters. Did the characters just survive a drawn-out slog of a battle? Maybe the next room is empty except for an outsider goblin that is willing to cover for the party while they rest. Keeping a list of monsters separate from the map of the dungeon means we are ready to improvise. A monster roster helps us to adapt to the situation as it unfolds at the table.

A list of monuments

Similarly to the monster roster, we can create a list of monuments that can be found inside the dungeon. We don’t assign these monuments to any location on the map before we run the game. Instead, we drop these monuments in whenever the characters enter a new room or area in the dungeon. We make sure that all of the monuments tell our players something about the lore of the dungeon or the larger setting.

The goblin hideout used to be a military outpost of the drow so we sprinkle in statues of drow warriors. Maybe the goblins have started to worship Lolth. There are going to be lots of pits filled with spiders, shrines to Lolth and slave pens that serve as food for the giant spiders inhabit the dungeon together with the goblins. We put these monuments in front of the players to let them discover the story of the dungeon as they navigate through its rooms and corridors. By keeping the list of monuments separate from the map, we can drop in monuments randomly, or we mention specific sights that reinforce a relevant aspect of the fiction of the dungeon.

Find what works for your D&D dungeon map

Dungeons are a fun way to play the game. If done well, they can become a staple of our tool box, and help us create exciting and engaging situations in our Dungeons & Dragons game. We can make sure that the dungeons we design and run are dynamic environments that evolve and change in response to the characters’ actions. Writing evocative names of rooms and locations on the dungeon map itself helps us to quickly see relevant information while we are running D&D. We can use these names as improvisational prompts to keep the dungeon crawl running smoothly. A roster of monsters, separate from the map, allows us to adapt our encounters to the fiction of the dungeon. It also keeps us flexible to react to needs of the pace of the game. With a similar list of monuments we are able to follow the characters’ path, while bathing each room in secrets, clues, and lore.

These techniques will make for a dynamic experience of the dungeon crawl. They also demand a lot of improvisation from us dungeon masters. Maybe that is not the way you prefer to run your game. I encourage you to give these techniques a try. But in the end it is your game, your world, and your dungeon. Try these techniques, find what works for you, and unlock the amazing potential of dungeons in your game.