Restocking the Dungeon

So PCs have been running amock in your dungeons and killing every single monster and ending the ecosystem through random encounters ? Time to restock the dungeon.

Before proceeding with how I do it, I highly suggest reading this magnificient article by The Alexandrian and Philotomy's Musing on the dungeon.

Like everything else I do, I created tables to help me. The goal is to establish not only passive elements (monsters, treasures, etc.) but dynamic (goals, reasons, etc.) that can challenge the PCs expectations.

What’s cool about this method is that it uses one of each type of dice (d4, d6, d8, d10 and d20). This means you can do one major roll and then interpret it. The d12 is free to add your own table!

Types (d6 + d4)

Types d6

• 1: Reconfiguration

• 2: External invasion

• 3: Internal invasion

• 4: New alliances

• 5: New Defenses

• 6: Roll twice d5 to take two results

Then determine what instance of each type you have to deal with. This is just, again as always, a way of giving ideas to restock. Sometimes, just having a new group of 5-6 guys at the entrance in an ambush will change the whole dynamic of the dungeon without more thinking. The following are mostly for big picture changes that you can interpret as you see fit. It can even become a wholly new dungeon: you could have hidden an extra dungeon piece somewhere, and not it’s not hidden anymore!

Reconfiguration d4

• 1: Cave-in that blocks some paths

• 2: New tunnel with a new level or immense shortcut (in either case, providing new content)

• 3: Magical earthquake that moves the dungeon around: new entrance, new tunnels, whole section dissapear, etc. 

• 4: Flood or magical fire that prohibit (without magical means) the access to a portion of the dungeon

External Invasion d4

• 1: Group of monster from the hex, just outside the dungeon

• 2: Group of monster from a faraway hex

• 3: New category of monster

• 4: Planar invasion

Internal Invasion d4

• 1: One of the monster type that's still in bigger number takes over the dungeon and change things around

• 2: A group of monster from the lower levels conquer the higher level

• 3: A group of monster from the higher level conquer the lower level

• 4: One of the group kill another group (or other groups), take the loot and go form another lair on another hex with important piece of the treasure

New Alliances d4

• 1: Extraplanar alliance (elemental slaves, demons, etc.)

• 2: Alliance with a powerful Magic-User from outside, bringing new leadership and new magical artifices (including traps)

• 3: Alliance with a powerful Warlord from outside, bringing new leadership and new troops

• 4: Factions that were previously enemies made an alliance against outside threats (i.e. PCs)

New Defences d4

• 1: New traps main corridors blocked

• 2: New guards, many doors blocked or with barricade

• 3: New magical defences and/or dark rituals

• 4: Polarization of internal faction, creating internal defenses (one area against another) with many small traps and infighting

Degree (d8)

Degree determines "to what degree does this change affect the dungeon". 

Degree d8

• 1: Dungeon becomes less "difficult" because of that (some monsters are killed, some threats are cut off, some things become more obvious in their placement, etc.)

• 2-4: Dungeon stays about the same, minor changes (doors are broken, walls are broken, monster encampment move or split, etc.)

• 5-6: Dungeon becomes more difficult, major changes (new threats, new traps, reconsolidation of monsters in the level, etc.)

• 7: Dungeon changes a lot both in layout and in threat level (almost like redoing the level content with a higher level than previously)

• 8: Dungeon is almost unrecognizable in theme and layout (redo your dungeon with the previous one being a “suggestion”)

Treasure (d10)

This is to determine if you have to change anything to the treasure pool of the dungeon. This can help determine also where exactly in the dungeon it's taking place, and centered on what kind of need for the monsters. For example if you roll a 1, with treasure drastically reduced, and the type was a reconfiguration, you could have that a sinkhole dispersed or "ate" the treasure. 

• 1: Treasure is drastically reduced

• 2-4: Treasure is diminished

• 5-7: Treausre is unchanged

• 8-9: Treasure is refurbished at some spot (minor, generally where players had already looted or around important center)

• 10: Treasure is augmented, something new is in the dungeon

Oddities (d20)

Then you roll for oddities to create a new dimension to those changes, or just to create a small hook/quest on the side. 

• 1: Assassins/hit-mans/vile creatures are sent from one of the dungeon faction/allies to kill the PCs on their adventure

• 2: A new enigmatic leader joins the dungeon leadership

• 3: A new BBEG from another dungeon/hex takes interest in the dungeon (sends a party, conquer it himself, try to ambush the player if they get close to it, steal a treasure for himself and take it back, etc.)

• 4: PCs find a prisoner (near the entrance or just outside) with information on what happened in the dungeon recently

• 5: Another group of adventurer wants to clear the dungeon (roll reaction to determine what type of NPCs)

• 6: A rumour (true or false, as you wish) that a new artefact has been found in whatever event created the change in the dungeon

• 7: A monster until then unknown from all adventurer has now appeared in the vicinity of the dungeon

• 8: Change of leadership, color and faction goals

• 9: The dungeon inhabitants have started abducting animals/mutants/peasants/adventurers

• 10: A strange dark cloud has appeared unexpectedly on top of the dungeon, magical in nature

• 11: The rumour run that a legendary monster/adventurer lost in time was last seen near the dungeon

• 12: The corpse of a powerful monster (HD 8 or more) is seen near the entrance of the dungeon

• 13: Animals do not want to approach the dungeon entrance anymore, and there is multiple corpses around

• 14: People have seen a star/meteor crash near the dungeon, or directly on top of it 

• 15: There is rumour of new and strange noises and sounds from the dungeon

• 16: A map of the dungeon is found (either at the entrance in the dying hand of an adventurer, or in an ancient and forgotten library of the Haven)

• 17: A new entrance is created for the first level

• 18: A new entrance is created for the lower levels

• 19: A new key (physical, magical or "puzzle" key) needs to be found to open the entrance. It might be in another hex or another lair/dungeon. 

• 20: Roll a random set of MTG Card (like “creature + enchantment”) or one card to determine something new. I love old MTG cards for ideas and flavor.