Dungeon Master's Guide

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