Generators Guide to Dungeons [Updated]

By Duncan Thomson on 04.06.2020

Categories Generator Collections

Posted in Generators Guide, Evergreen Article, Dungeon Generators, Fantasy Gens Guide

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

Find out what tools and random charts there are for visualising, detailing and expanding your Dungeon. Description above from a dungeon description generator

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

[Originally published Feb 2019] Disclaimer: I'm an affiliate for DriveThru RPG and DM's Guild

Dungeons

They started as a way to explore fantasy worlds, pitting player against Dungeon Master in "Dungeons and Dragons".

But games have evolved now and so have dungeons. There is a story behind many of them, and certain sense in them. Mega-dungeons like Undermountain or Rappan Athuk stand beside the 5-room Dungeon and other developments

A dungeon might start with an overview or a map. It has rooms and distinct areas. It has doors and traps & obstacles for the unwary adventurer. It has flavour and description as well as the treasure often hard fought to get. And a multitude of other possibilities.

Dungeon Overview

Maze of the Destroyed Witch.

Point of the Secret Serpent.

The Voiceless Cells.

The Bellowing Tombs.

...from Dungeon Name Generator at Fantasy Name Generators

A good name can help or hinder a dungeon in the same way as it can a character. If it's a cave complex then "The Colorless Caves" or "Stratdover Overhang" are suggestions from the related cave name generator.

If you want more details then start with a brief dungeon description or maybe simply a chart of Dungeon Entrances. I've written some random tables for 5-room dungeons.

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

"Entering, you find yourself in a Dining hall, built for use by the priesthood. The walls are decorated with bookshelves with texts of Enchantment. The floor is made of seated tiles of metal. A fearsome squad of Harpies and Peryton defends the room. The room is on fire, and it's spreading. There are no other exits to the room."

...from Room Generator at Ancient Quests

Rooms are hard to create generators for as there are many elements to put together. The Thieves Guild has Dungeon Room Generator with a detailed description.

Another option is a pdf of 50 Random Dungeon Rooms.

Traps and Obstacles

"There is a magical ward in front of the character. Before they trigger it, they might notice the faintest of odors left by the painting of the glyph. Once activated, the magical ward will conjure 5 poisoned arrows to fire at the character."

...from Locked? Trapped? generator at 5thDnD.com

To challenge characters without monsters or npcs a dungeon creator can turn to traps, puzzles and other obstacles. Whether they maim, kill, frustrate or provide clues they are important in a well-rounded dungeon

Try one trap or ten at once. Another site had options for traps at Harmless, Moderate or Deadly.

For puzzles there is a puzzles generator for a change to traps or maybe a pdf of puzzles.... 100 Riddles and their answers gives a different type of challenge.

Doors

"a locked bone door. It has a built-in mirror"

...from a simple Dungeon Door generator I made at Chartopia

A well-presented door can bring a group of adventurers to a halt, no matter how powerful they are. The thought of "what might be beyond?" can play on their minds.

We have detailed doors they might be paranoid about. You can create a few well-described doors at once or maybe it is a secret door. Or a magical portal

You might like a special key for the door too

If pdfs are your thing try The Incredible World of Doors and Locks or a trapped deadly dungeon door (pdf)

Dungeon Dressing

Seen: Pile of ash.

Heard: Low rumbling.

Smelt: Smoky lamp oil

... from sights, smells & sounds at Ennead Games

Rooms and caverns need furniture to search, altars to ransack and bodies to loot. So try a furniture generator, a random altar and a bodies chart.

Then there is home to many a treasure or trap, a chest generator

And something to put on any surface try some graffiti, more detailed graffiti and a few mystic runes.

Treasure

The Hellish Scrolls of Phosoli, a set of scrolls bound by leather cords. When first opened, it unleashes an ominous howl

...from ancient tomes at donjon.

Many adventurers are most interested in the treasures that can be found in dungeons, especially coins, art or crystals and gems

For other items try ordinary items, artifacts, charms, weapons or more books

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

Roll for Fantasy has a sophisticated tool for random loot generation is a (example below).

Bits & Pieces

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

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 my Discord server