System Agnostic Dungeon Crawling

 Are you playing one of those mainstream roleplaying adventure games that seem to have forgotten that dungeons are more than just guided tour from one encounter to the next? Are you too in love with your system's character creation to give it up? If so, how about a system agnostic dungeon crawling system that can work with almost anything... those narrative heavy games that have whole scenes of conflict turn on a single dice pool might not work here but basically anything else can.

Dungeon Crawling

The term dungeon itself typically refers to monster-filled cave networks and subterranean constructs. However, it can really be used to refer to any hostile location. The ruins of a demon’s fortress-castle is just as much of a dungeon as a dragon’s lair. Overland movement is a less stressful affair, however. Britannia is a populated, well known, and well mapped continent, and as such, overland travel isn’t much of a risk so long as you have the rations to survive.

These rules can be used for basically any game, and require the uses of d6s only. References to skill checks refer to whatever task resolution your system of choice uses, keeps your wits about you and try to intuit the type of checks best fit the individual actions.

Player Roles

When exploring the dungeon, one player should be designated as the Caller and another the Mapper. These roles can be set in stone, changing only when players miss a session or be rotated through as per the comfort and agreement of everyone at the table.

Caller

Dungeon exploration is a group event. During dungeon turns that are not encounters of some king, the party discusses their actions and then one player relays that information to the game master. This player is the caller, as they call out what the group is doing. It is not be the caller’s job to wrangle cats, as everyone at the table should be involved and helping the group decide the party actions.

Mapper

The mapper is the person who draws a map of the dungeon being explored. The mapper copies down what the game master describes, and takes notes as appropriate.

Mapping can be handled by the game master or one of the players, but special care must be taken to only map when the party is capable of mapping. If playing on a virtual tabletop, if the party is exploring at a safe rate, re-enable fog of war over the areas passed through where the party was unable to map.

Prohibited Mapping: When fleeing from enemies or taking special caution to not be seen, the party cannot map the area they are moving through (as there are other pressing matters). However, they are otherwise assumed to be drawing a map of the area they are exploring if they have the supplies.

Dungeon Procedure

Time Scale: Dungeon exploration happens on a time scale called dungeon turns. Some dungeon turns are barely a minute long, others nearly half an hour. However, in the end, it all washes out to being about 10 minutes per turn. For the sake of easier tracking, turns are treated as such (10 minutes).

Special Events: Each turn begins with the game master checking for a special event. This can be wandering monsters, something specific to a dungeon. The chance of success is usually ~17% (1-in-6). Special events are in addition to whatever else should be happening on that turn, often modifying or delaying the groups intended action that turn.

Actions: The party determines what they are going to do that exploration turn. They may not have much of a choice, such as being bared down upon by a band of orcs. However, the group still decides their response, which is relayed to the referee by the caller.

• Movement: When exploring a new area, the party moves up to 20 yards per turn. This movement covers keeping an eye out for danger, mapping the area, and trying not to alert the enemies. In areas already mapped and cleared, the party can move up to 50 yards per turn.

• Resting: Dungeon exploration is stressful and taxes the body more than just hiking overland. One turn must be spent resting during dungeon exploration every other hour (one turn in every 12 must be spent resting to stave off fatigue).

• Searching: The party may spend a turn searching. Doing so checks a whole room, or an area of corridor up to 20 square yards (10×2 yard hallway, 9×9 yard square area, etc). If there is something to be found a thorough search finds it, or if well hidden find enough clues to call for a skill check. Only one search attempt is allowed, multiple characters acting in unison should use your system’s aid another rules.

Description: The game master describes what the party sees and hears, and adjudicates the results of a special event.

• Doors: Interacting with a door does not start a new dungeon turn, but doing anything more than opening it takes a new turn.

• Traps: Interacting with a trap starts a new turn in dungeons.

• Wandering Monsters: Interacting with wandering monsters starts a new turn in dungeons. Wandering monsters appear at the edge of the party's vision, moving towards them in the dungeon.

End of Turn: The turn ends, and the game master takes time notes. The party notes the duration of magic and light sources, and those with meditation or vigor regain points.

Overland Procedure

Time Scale: Dungeon exploration happens on a time scale called exploration turns. Exploration turns are roughly 4 hours long, allowing for 2 per normal day of travel, or 4 if riding in a vehicle or mounted on a horse.

Special Events: Each turn begins with the game master checking for a special event. This can be wandering monsters, the weather changing, or just some random happenstance. What happens is up to the game master.

Actions: The party determines what they are going to do that exploration turn. They may not have much of a choice, such as a dragon flying over the ridge-line. However, the group still decides their response.

• Movement: The party moves up to 6 miles per turn. This includes keeping an eye out for easy game or forage, hazards, and wandering monsters.

• Resting: To consecutive turns per 24 hour period must be spent camping.

• Searching: The party may spend a turn searching. Doing so checks a 6 mile area (a single hex on a standard exploration map). If there is something to be found a thorough search finds it, or at least find enough clues to call for an awareness check. Only one search attempt is allowed, multiple characters acting in unison should use your system’s aid another rules.

Description: The game master describes what the party sees and hears, and adjudicates the results of a special event.

• Wandering Monsters: Wandering monsters appear at the edge of the party's vision, moving towards them. If you need to determine exact distance, roll 10d6 yards.

• Weather Change: A shift in the weather towards the rainy or storming may call for the party guide to make a roll to keep the party on path. A party chooses the direction they wish to move, then the game master determines the direction they actually moved randomly.

End of Turn: The turn ends, and the game master takes time notes. The party notes the duration of magic and light sources, and those with meditation or vigor regain points.

Doors

Most dungeon doors are remnants from ages past, old and rotted, and easily busted down. However, it is also likely they’re resilient hardwood and stuck. Locked doors are relatively new constructs, likely made by trolls or evil men who’ve chosen to dwell in such dark places.

Stuck Doors: Most doors in a dungeon are stuck, requiring a skill check to open the door. The target difficulty varies by the nature often door and materials (a wooden door in a stone frame is easier to pop open than one in a wooden frame because stone doesn't expand with moisture and temperature). A failed check can still open the door, but it ruins any chance of the party surprising whatever is on the other side.

Locked Doors: Doors that are locked may have an internal lock that can be picked by a character with a lockpicks, may have a padlock on one of the sides, or may have a bar on the other side. Depending on the nature of the door and lock, opening a locked door takes at least one dungeon turn and may call for a skill check.

Traps

Traps can come in wide variety of form factors from swinging blades and pit traps, poisoned darts, and even just a huge rolling boulder. However, all traps come in two major broad categories; room and door/treasure traps.

• Room Traps: Room traps have a 34% chance (2-in-6) of triggering from having the room entered or exited.

• Door and Treasure Traps: These traps always trigger when the trapped door or treasure chest is opened.

Finding Traps: When the heroes spend a turn to search a room or corridor, if there is a trap they will find it. However, there is a 17% chance (1-in-6) per character that the act of searching triggers the trap.

Disarming Traps: Anyone may attempt to disarm a trap with a successful skill check, but reliable success may be limited to certain character types or characters with relevant trap-finding skills. However, there is a 50% chance (3-in-6) that failure will trigger the trap.

Wandering Monsters

Attitude: Monsters are never friendly. However, some may be curious or afraid instead of hostile. When the party encounters a group of monsters, roll a 2d6 and check the attitude table (below).

Chases

When one group turns tail and runs from combat, the other side may wish to pursue.

• Time Scale: Chases happen using 1 minute long game turns.

• The Chase: Each group nominates a leader to handle the rolls, using a single initiative roll for the group as a whole. In initiative order, one group moves then the other, with any headway being earned on initiative rolls. After three rounds of chasing, skill checks will be made required to avoid fatigue.

• Ending The Chase: The chase ends when the chasing party catches up with the fleeing one, one side becomes fatigued from the chase, or the aggressors lose sight of the their prey for more than one turn. Monsters will also cut off pursuit if the party enters into an area controlled by a different group of monsters.

Monster Attitude Table

2d6	Attitude	Description
2	Afraid	The monster is afraid for some reason, and will flee if threatened.
3 – 5	Friendly	The monster is unconcerned, but open to parlay or taming.
6 – 8	Curious	The monster is interested in the party, and will defend itself or flee depending on the nature of the interaction with the player heroes.
9 – 11	Unfriendly	The monster isn't looking for a fight, but will fight if provoked.
12	Hostile	The monster attacks at first opportunity.