dungeon stocking a la the Caves of Chaos of module B2

[geoffrey]

I regard dungeon module B2: The Keep on the Borderlands as Gary's masterpiece. I like to use the Caves of Chaos as a general guideline (though not a firm rule) for stocking my own dungeons. Here are the rounded percentages of the Caves of Chaos:

01-81: Monster (50% have treasure.)
82-83: Trap (50% have treasure.)
84-85: Special (10% have treasure.)
86-00: "Empty" (10% have treasure.)

46% of treasures include at least one beneficial (i. e., non-cursed) magic item.

There you have it. I tend to alter the above by giving 2 in 3 monsters a treasure hoard, and consequently lowering the magic percentage. In any given dungeon level, I place about 3 to 4 gp worth of monetary treasure per xp value of the monsters. (For example, a dungeon level with 1,000 xp worth of monsters would also have 3,000 to 4,000 gp worth of monetary treasure, plus magic items.)

Also in line with the Caves of Chaos, I typically do not include wandering monsters save in special circumstances. If you've just slain some basilisks in room B, and only a 60' corridor separates room B from the blue dragons in room D, then it's a bit much to put wandering monsters in that 60' stretch of passage! (Plus: How did the wandering monsters get past the basilisks or past the blue dragons?)

[retrorob]

Thanks for this summary! It's extremely valuable as it shows a big change from Solo Dungeon Adventures, where 12 in 20 rooms were empty.

For me Caves of Chaos are too crowdy. I like the idea of abandoned, desolated places, with packs of wandering monsters.

That's way I go basically with this for every room and chamber:
1-3 empty
4-5 monster (50% have treasure)
6 treasure & trap (springs at 1-2/d6)

How did the wandering monsters get past the basilisks or past the blue dragons?)

Popped out of the wall? Got teleported by a wicked wizard?

[bobjester0e]

Apr 15, 2021 12:24:40 GMT -6 retrorob said:

How did the wandering monsters get past the basilisks or past the blue dragons?)

Popped out of the wall? Got teleported by a wicked wizard?

Dungeon Hall Passes? 

Monsters would likely have a pecking order and an instinctive way of "bargaining" with other, more powerful monsters to get by, or go through an apex predator's territory.

Perhaps it bribes said monster, or is allowed to pass just because of the nature of the passing monster (gelatinous cubes may be allowed to pass in order to continue their "dungeon cleaning") 

[Deleted]

Apr 15, 2021 12:24:40 GMT -6 retrorob said:

Popped out of the wall? Got teleported by a wicked wizard?

Took a wrong turn out of Tucson. 

[delta]

I did a fairly deep-dive analysis of the B2 design as part of a series on my blog at the start of last year.

Subterrane Surveys: Caves of Chaos

I'd say one of my takeaways is that the room contents aren't homogeneously randomly organized. There's a fairly strict pattern of a complex of 6 rooms together: Usually 2 guard rooms, 1 common room, 1 chief's room, and 2 miscellaneous (like a storeroom, banquet area, slave pen, etc.).

I think this broadly the gesture that Gygax tends to use (see also the conjoined-room complexes in his sample Greyhawk level), but of course it's most obvious in B2 where the cave complexes are literally disjoint and separately identified.