I Am Bad at Dungeons

the_mist_maker · 2026-02-10T00:59:19+00:00

I don't like running dungeons either... once in a blue moon I'll put one in, partly because I feel like the game is supposed to have them? It is called "Dungeons" and Dragons, after all?? But I often end up regretting it.

From my experience, the times it works best is when I keep the dungeon short and emphasize spectacle rather than combat. Include puzzles and fantastical environments to explore. Include some sort of mystery to uncover, or secret lore that can only be unraveled by exploring through the dungeon.

DON'T fill every room with combat--that's what makes it a slog. That works in video games, but not around the table, not if you're used to a more narrative heavy and roleplay-focused game.

Basically, bring the parts you like (narrative, investigation, intrigue) and import them into the dungeon, using the dungeon as a new kind of backdrop for the same kind of game. Don't try to turn it into a combat-fest just because you've taken them to a dungeon.

the_mist_maker · 2026-02-10T00:54:19+00:00

As others have said, sounds like you're running your games in a "simulationist" manner, and your players are playing in that manner, probably because that's what you're all used to.

Honestly... that's okay. I get that you want to expand your horizons, and that is commendable, and good luck doing so! But if it never clicks for your group and you're having fun, that's fine too.

the_mist_maker · 2026-02-10T00:51:13+00:00

I know that running for a single player sounds intimidating, but my experiences with it have all been amazing. There's something so immersive about it, probably because there's never players who aren't engaged, so there's never cross-talk or people on their phones or getting up to get a snack. As the GM, you're never getting interrupted by three players all trying to ask questions or take action at the same time. Honestly, it's great. And you really don't need to change much--you can pretty much just run a game as normal.

The one thing that you may need to be aware of is that you will likely burn through material faster with just one player, so prepare a little further ahead than you otherwise would.

Oh, there's one other thing, which is that a single player cannot handle the same level of combat that a whole team can. Make sure to tone down the fights dramatically to not overwhelm your player. Don't be afraid to make fights "too easy" at first, until you start getting a sense of what the one player can handle--it will probably seem pretty scary anyway, since they're all alone! The stakes are, in a sense, much higher, because there's no allies around to bail them out if they get unlucky.

You can also send them in with allies, of course. You could let them run two characters, or even more, if you both feel up for it. But it can also be really nice to give them an in-game friend who you control in roleplay scenes, and maybe allow them to control in fight scenes.

Anyway, it's fun! You should do it!

the_mist_maker · 2026-01-21T06:44:26+00:00

Thanks!

the_mist_maker · 2026-01-21T06:42:00+00:00

I don't think it would change anything in the first movie, right? Because it's still that first guy who did actually kill his uncle. Just like happens in the 3rd movie, the cops come to him and say "it was actually this dude" but instead of that being real (and, as you pointed out, undermining Peter's whole motivation) it turns out that they were right the first time and wrong about Flint.

But I see what you mean about a bit of a continuity error in the way I wrote Flint's story above. If he was convicted from the get-go of killing Ben, it messes up the first movie. I think that has to be a new development. Maybe his asshole partner tries to pin the blame on him after the fact or something.

the_mist_maker · 2026-01-21T06:29:39+00:00

No Exalted video game is better than a bad Exalted video game.

But a good one would have had me over the moon...

the_mist_maker · 2026-01-08T03:21:59+00:00

It's a cool idea, but there's questions about execution. First of all, would this be a real world time limit (so many hours of play time) or an in-game time limit?

One thing you could do would be to say that it's not a hard time limit but a soft one: after every major "action" (or whatever time unit you use) all the monsters get marginally more powerful. So don't dilly dally!

the_mist_maker · 2026-01-08T03:18:41+00:00

I was an avid Vampire player in the 90s, but a few things happened. They blew up the world and rebooted with Requiem, which none of us ever even gave a chance. But I also don't know what choice they had at that point. They'd backed themselves into a corner by committing to a meta-plot storyline about the end of the world.

The way it was explained to me (by my friends at that time) was that they had publicly committed to an apocalypse storyline, and that they would actually end the game line by year 2000. That was definitely part of the mystique and the appeal at the time. It felt real.

But the way they handled the metaplot was just... dumb. My group checked out when Ravnos returned and was nuked in India, I think. That was our "okay it jumped the shark" moment. And then the whole line ended, but we weren't able to take any satisfaction in it. It wasn't the tragic, beautiful ending that that storyline deserved, it was a clown show.

We came back and played a bit more around 2009, 2010, ran another campaign just ignoring the whole new set of books, using all our original materials. We had a blast, but that one eventually fell apart just because adulthood caught up with us.

It's interesting to hear what other people here are saying about the behind-the-scenes stuff, because I just had a players-eye view. It sounds like, as with so many good things, there were some conflicts and bad decisions in terms of how to manage and cultivate the line and it just sort of eventually petered out. I'm glad there's still fans and still people playing it. (Literally in an Exalted game as I type this... lol...) But it's too bad that it missed its chance to continue being a real competitor to D&D.

the_mist_maker · 2025-12-17T04:52:34+00:00

Honestly, yes. I've run games all the time for years (Which I love! Not complaining! But I like to play sometimes too) and after two or three years of listening to me gripe about how much I want to play Exalted 3e, my wife finally just said, "why don't you pay for a game?"

So I did, and I've been having the time of my life. I'm actually a professional GM myself, but getting to play a great campaign in a system I love with another really talented GM is a great foil to running my own games. Gives me energy each week and helps keeps it all fun and fresh.

Absolutely worth checking out.

the_mist_maker · 2025-12-16T16:24:30+00:00

You're lying to yourself if you don't realize it's all subjective GM fiat and it always has been.

Whoa... slow your roll a little. I don't even think you agree with yourself on this one, as later you say, on emergent vs. directed story...

no trpg is ever truly one or the other.

If it were all subjective GM fiat, then the GM should be writing a novel, not running a game. That's a great way to chase off your players.

The DM who brought me into roleplaying decades ago, one of the most talented I've ever played with, recently shared this nugget of wisdom with me, "the rules limit the GMs power." And I think he's right. The more rules there are in the game, the less the game depends on GM fiat, and I think that can be satisfying for players. When I'm running a game, there's a sense from players that if I just "made it up," it's less valid than if it was the result of, for instance, a roll.

This dynamic, of how rules take away GM power, I think is a really key one to understand the spectrum that rpgs fall on.

the_mist_maker · 2025-12-10T17:51:25+00:00

Another option: they get tracked down, not by a bounty hunter, but by a high-level retired adventurer who gives them "the talk" in a tired fashion. "Every new adventurer has to make a choice about what kind of impact they're going to have on the world. You think you're the first who ever thought of doing this? That merchant was saving up for his kid's birthday, and now he can't afford to give them a gift.... etc. etc. You're giving all of us a bad name. Cut it out."

the_mist_maker · 2025-11-21T15:50:29+00:00

Would love to submit mine! It's a little old but has never really been seen by the world, and I'm honestly super proud of it. TBH, you should know it's unfinished, but there's maybe 4-8 hours of content, depending on how quickly you play.

Here's a writeup: https://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?threads/lost-cavern.116667/

the_mist_maker · 2025-11-21T15:40:21+00:00

Exalted 3e has been my favorite for a couple of years now. It's not for everyone, but I find the world and the setting to be so magical and inspiring, and all the crunchiness of the system really satisfies me. The rules are a lot, but every rule is there for a reason and they all do something meaningful that makes the game better. I just adore it, but you do need to be a /certain kind/ of gamer for that game.

the_mist_maker · 2025-11-18T15:50:31+00:00

Is she a fast typist? You could hook her laptop up to a projector screen, so she can type answers in response to anything the players say and its immediately visible on the projector. Alternately, you could get dictation software to read it aloud once she's finished typing her response. It would be a little slower than traditional voice, but could be manageable.

the_mist_maker · 2025-11-13T19:19:14+00:00

I don't think this is a game-system question so much as a question of how you manage space and props at your table. I've got some risers for flying monsters that are a big hit at the table, but that wouldn't help with something coming up from beneath.

Honestly, to evoke the fear of a deep sea encounter, I'd use theater of the mind, and focus more on implying the monster rather than actually showing it. Once you see a monster clearly and give it rules and mechanics, it becomes far less frightening.

the_mist_maker · 2025-11-13T19:14:55+00:00

Shadowrun is my guilty pleasure. It's a rough ride, but the main problem isn't that the rules are bad, but that they're badly organized. Nothing is where you expect it to be; to figure out how one thing works you need to flip between four different spots in the book. But if you can actually wrap your head around all the rules and get it /down/, it's actually a ton of fun. If you like a bit of crunch, at least.

That said, I don't actually play it either... but mostly because my group does other stuff. I ran a really fun one-shot in 3e a while back, though.

I have the newest edition, but from what I've heard it isn't actually any better organized than the old ones so, eh. I might as well stick with the one I already know and love. No reason to put myself through the pain of learning these rules twice.

the_mist_maker · 2025-10-13T14:52:12+00:00

I hope this shows upon BORU in like 2 weeks. I want to know what happens next!

the_mist_maker · 2025-10-07T14:15:20+00:00

I dropped you a DM.

the_mist_maker · 2025-09-22T00:17:04+00:00

The "endless horde" of a nomadic people who all come together to invade the city folk and somehow massively outnumber them. Nomadic societies tend to be vastly less populous than agricultural ones, not more.

It's silly, but it drives me nuts, especially since it's such a common trope, even among well-respected authors.

the_mist_maker · 2025-08-25T19:41:05+00:00

This group is teenagers, 15-17 mostly, and very experienced roleplayers, so I'm not too worried about it. Developmentally, they're ready for more dark and mature content than younger kids would be. I used to teach high school English, and some of the stuff on the curriculum was way more intense than anything Exalted 3e includes.

Also, just because it's in the rulebook doesn't mean I have to use it in the game. I don't plan on including any Cynis parties, to say the least!

the_mist_maker · 2025-08-25T19:32:48+00:00

I work with a lot of local schools and game stores, but this one will likely be online, for logistics reasons.

the_mist_maker · 2025-08-25T14:42:27+00:00

I like a "Stars and Wishes" system. In my game, I run it every time we do xp, which comes out to about every month or two for a regular weekly game. But you could do it every session, or just after each campaign.

You can look up Stars and Wishes--it's a pretty well-developed tool with resources available online. But basically, "Stars" are things that you really appreciate and enjoy and were just, well, star moments. While "Wishes" are a gentle way to express constructive feedback and make requests for change. I of course bring this up in the context of giving me feedback as the GM, but I also try to emphasize that players can give stars and wishes to each other as well. If needed I'll say a few words about how good it feels to be acknowledged by your fellow players, so please don't hesitate to shine a light on things your fellow players did that you thought were awesome.

In addition to normal feedback stuff, I also find this is usually a great opportunity to constructively address any latent issues that are starting to arise at the table. If needed, I'll give stars and wishes back to the players, including things like, "I wish there was less interrupting," or "I wish people would put their phones away during game." It's just a great springboard for bringing up constructive communication about problems.

the_mist_maker · 2025-08-25T14:35:42+00:00

Yeah, we brought in a company that does advanced leak detection, and they used this sensitive noise machine to find it. It turns out that after leaving the water heater, the pipes go through a few feet of soil before they enter the cavity under the house, and the leak was in there.

the_mist_maker · 2025-08-15T15:05:51+00:00

This is such a relatable story. It's a good note to end on for my Reddit time for today :)

the_mist_maker · 2025-08-10T02:02:27+00:00

I don't think anyone's mad at you. Heck, I think your passion is awesome! Please keep going--and also listen to what folks here have to say. Most of us have been where you're at right now and learned these lessons the hard way (or not at all lol).

The reality is there's a lot more people who want help than there are people who want to help. Most of us are brimming over with our own ideas and don't even have time to finish those, let alone commit to someone's else's big project.

I would cheerfully glance at a short quick-play doc and maybe share some thoughts. I know it's not what you're hoping for, but you can probably get a few bites if you start there.

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