Generators Guide to Dungeons [Updated]

"A wide broken statue in a dark cliff side marks the entrane to this dungeon. Beond the broken statue lies..."

Find out what tools and random charts there are for visualising, detailing and expanding your Dungeon...

Related are guides for Dungeon Maps and D&D 5E Dungeon & Traps

Gen Guides by Genre - Science Fiction | Horror | Pirates and Seas | Dark Fantasy | Dungeons

[Originally published Feb 2019]

Dungeon Overview

A good name can help a dungeon. "Haunt of the Obsidian Knight" or "The Diamond Labyrinth" come from a name. For a cave complex then "The Colorless Caves" or "Stratdover Overhang" are suggestions from this cave name generator.

To find out more a Dungeon Description might help

Or for somewhere to simply start off the dungeon adventure there is a chart of Dungeon Entrances.

Dungeon Maps

Maps for dungeons is a large topic that has a guide to itself.

First of my favourites is One Page Dungeon from watabou which creates a dungeon and annotated descriptions.

Dave's Mapper is a tile-based map generator that can handle dungeon, caverns or both at the same time. Double click on an artist to create a map with just tiles of their art.

Rooms

A crack in the ceiling above the middle of the north wall allows a trickle of water to flow down to the floor. The water pools near the base of the wall, and a rivulet runs along the wall an out into the hall. The water smells fresh.

The above description is from this Dungeon Room Generator.

Or if you want something to read try a pdf of 50 Random Dungeon Rooms.

Traps and Doors

Every dungeon needs a trap or ten.... Another site had options for traps at Harmless, Moderate or Deadly.

And adventurers love doors. Especially detailed doors that they might be paranoid about. Maybe it is a secret door, a magical portal or a trapped deadly dungeon door (pdf)

For the truly evil GM, you can get a pdf of puzzles...

Dungeon Dressing

To give life to your dungeon use a furniture generator, chest generator or random altar. A bodies chart adds a different dimension.

And for atmosphere include sights, smells & sounds, some graffiti, more detailed graffiti and a few mystic runes.

Treasure

Dungeons need treasure and the random loot generator is a sophisticated tool (example below).

For more detail try art, artifacts, charms, gems or weapons or books

For D&D Treasure check out the 5E Guide to Treasures and Items

Bits & Pieces

The Auto Roll Tables (under the Dungeon tab) has all sorts of dungeons and ideas. There are several tables with dungeon dressing from reddit.

100 Riddles and their answers might help with puzzles.

Last are pdfs with 50 encounters or the 1st Edition D&D Dungeon Master's Guide with it's 40 year-old dungeon tables

More Recommendations?

I'll keep this guide updated so please suggest Dungeon generators in the comments or on twitter to @DuncanThom

Gen Guides by Genre - Science Fiction | Horror | Pirates and Seas | Dark Fantasy | Dungeons