Customer Reviews

Dungeon Builder's Guidebook (AD&D Accessory)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting when I bought this book. Whatever it was I was a little disappointed. Many of the ideas in the book seem obvious, and not very useful to roleplay veterans. However I did find some use in the random roll chart for traps, gave me a few ideas to use in my campaign, though I'd recomend not leaving traps up to pure chance, take what you like and makes sense and incorporate it. Also as I find myself to be a horrible cartographer I found some map pieces (little bits of a dungeon layout that can be fit together like a puzzle) to be of use when designing dungeons.

When I bought this thing, I couldn't wait to open it and learn all the cool secrets I thought I'd find.

I didn't find much.

This guide has a few cool benefits, especially for novice DM's and DM's who need to throw together a semi-believable dungeon hack in a hurry. However, it serves no other rewarding purpose. The concept of tracing and piecing together the different geomorphs is a great starter if you suffer occasional imagination block, but don't use it as a crutch. It's not comprehensive enough for that.

The suggested traps are absolutely ludicrous. If you're the kind of DM who likes to torment your players with lots of "instant death" situations and completely absurd concepts, then this is your kind of book.

Also, the common-sense explanations and insights into the logic of a dungeon are worthless to all but the most inexperienced DM's. Experience and forethought will teach you more effectively than the guide could hope to do.

So, if you're a rookie DM or even a veteran who can't get the thoughts flowing once in a while, this thing might be worth your while. Other than that, though, save your cash.

I got this book at the same time as I got the World Builder's Guide Book, and I was expecting lots of good things from this book, but (and not to put it down) it didn't hold my attention as the WBGB did. I've had little use for it as I haven't done much dungeon building, but it does provide some useful info and items such as traps, as well as discussion about why a monster would be down in the dungeon rather than just something for the PCs to kill. My rating is only because it's not been as useful as it could have been for myself. For others, this could be the best darn book, and it probably is.

This book provides several ludicrous versions of completely random and altogether faceless dungeons (Normal dungeon, aerial dungeon(! ), extranaplanar dungeon, etc.) that can be created through determining how to put together randomly selected geomorphs. Also included a random ludicrously lethal trap generation table (walls that stick to characters and result in death, spoons that spout flames, tables that switch personalities with the PC, etc.). The discussion of dungeon ecosystems is limited to a few lines that give just a few broad tips ("creatures need food"), and reasons for dungeons to be inhabited in the first place are very unoriginal and uninspiring. Perhaps the only good part of this book is the listing of special features found in different dungeons, but those are merely trappings placed there to cover the lack of things to write.

If I were a beginning DM, I would have two options besides buying this book - a)randomly letting my pencil run over paper to create a random dungeon; and b)buying a boxed adventure, which is ready with planned encounters and some sort of story.

Tried-and-true dungeon building ideas, guidelines, and tactics are incorporated into Dungeon Builder's Guidebook, a 64-page accessory that will be appreciated by experienced and novice DMs alike.

One of the nicest features of this accessory are a collection of 78 geomorphs, sections of dungeon that can be joined to each other directly or via connecting passageways (a ruin/tomb geomorph appears below). Six sorts of dungeon environments--mine/natural cavern, interdimensional, aerial, castle, ruin/tomb, and underwater--are provided, along with guidelines on how to use them. Each type has a "founding" geomorph that provides an outside or overall view of the dungeon, and a "focus" geomorph, or the initial dungeon section from which the others of its type can be reached. Each focus geomorph is fully keyed with monsters, traps, and treasure.

Other features of Dungeon Builder's Guidebook include an "Autodungeon Engine" random dungeon generator; general characteristics and (brief) encounter tables for each dungeon type; a section on traps along with a trap generator; a section on dungeon permutations; and sections on dungeon lore and approaches to design.

All-in-all, Dungeon Builder's Guidebook can be useful in many ways to many gamemasters, from a source of maps for experienced DMs who need a quick home for their monsters to a comprehensive how-to guide for DMs are just getting started.

I found this book helpful, admittedly, I don't use dungeons very often and I didn't use anything the way it was supposed to be used. I would reccomend those wanting to build dungeon crawls using just the table go elsewhere. However, if you take the time to modify the tables to your own needs, it can be valuable. For example, the trap table produces traps that are far too deadly for any gaming group, but it creates very interesting magical items in a pinch. Also, the random dungeon creation table has got to go.

I bought this guidebook at the same time as I bought the World Builder's Guidebook. While not a terrible book, it left me rather luke warm.

Although I'm sure it would be helpful for brand-new DMs, it doesn't really offer all that much an experienced DM would find inspirational. If you need a quick, random (i.e. meaningless) dungeon, this would probably be helpful. I don't create random or meaningless dungeons, so it has no use for me there. If you've never created a dungeon before, this guide might help gently steer you along a safe course, priming your abilities to create your own dungeons later. Ultimately, though, I tend to believe this will end up on a bookshelf somewhere taking up valuable space.

In short, a possibly good purchase if you've never designed a dungeon before, want to DM, and have absolutely no idea where to start. I think you would be better off buying a "canned" module or two to start your campaign, though, and using your own creativity to drive it from that point.

I ORDERED SEVERAL BOOKS IN THIS CATAGORY AS A PLAYER OF 30 YEARS STARTED A COLLECTION FOR MY GRANDSONS, ITS A GREAT GAMES AND A WONDERFUL SET OF LEARNING TOOLS FOR CHILDREN LIKE MATH, READING, COMPREHENSION, DEALING WITH WINS AND LOSSES, STRATAGY, AND A GREAT WAY TO SPEND TIME WITH KIDS DOING A ROLE PLAYING GAME.

Dentro de esta obra se formaliza todos esos conceptos que un Dm maneja (o deberia al menos) sobre la naturaleza y ecologia de un dungeon, su historia y la forma en cómo llego a ser lo que es ahora. Es un herramienta especialmente útil para aquellos arbitros que no tienen tiempo para crear su propia "Obra Maestra" o simplemente para aquellos que buscan inspiración divina en sus páginas de trampas, monstruos o formaciones geológicas. Utilizable por todos los Dm, neófitos o experimentados, creativos o no tanto; en definitiva un libro recomendable.