Appendix A: Random Dungeons · The Handy Haversack

This appendix helps you quickly generate a dungeon. The tables work in an iterative manner. First, roll a starting area, then roll to determine the passages and doors found in that area. One you have initial passages and doors, determine the location and nature of subsequent passages, doors, chambers, stairs, and so on-each of them generated by rolls on different tables.

Following these instructions can lead to sprawling complexes that more than fill a single sheet of graph paper. If you want to constrain the dungeon, establish limits ahead of time on how far it can grow. The most obvious limit to a dungeon’s size is the graph paper it’s drawn on. If a feature would exceed the boundaries of the page, curtail it. A corridor might turn or come to a dead end at the map’s edge, or you can make a chamber smaller to fit the available space.

Alternatively, you can decide that passages leading off the edge of the map are additional dungeon entrances. Stairs, shafts, and other features that would normally lead to levels you don’t plan to map can serve a similar purpose.

Starting Area

The Starting Area table produces a chamber or a set of corridors at the entrance to your dungeon. When rolling for a random starting area, pick one of the doors or passages leading into the starting area as the entrance to the dungeon as a whole.

Once you’ve selected the entrance, roll on the appropriate table for each passage or door leading away from the starting area. Passages each extend 10 feet beyond the starting area. After that point, check on the Passage table for each passage to determine what lies beyond. Use the Beyond a Door table to determine what lies behind doors and secret doors.

Starting Area

d10	Configuration
1	Square, 20 × 20 ft.; passage on each wall
2	Square, 20 × 20 ft.; door on two walls, passage in third wall
3	Square, 40 × 40 ft.; doors on three walls
4	Rectangle, 80 × 20 ft., with row of pillars down the middle; two passages leading from each long wall, doors on each short wall
5	Rectangle, 20 × 40 ft.; passage on each wall
6	Circle, 40 ft. diameter; one passage at each cardinal direction
7	Circle, 40 ft. diameter; one passage in each cardinal direction; well in middle of room (might lead down to lower level)
8	Square, 20 × 20 ft.; door on two walls, passage on third wall, secret door on fourth wall
9	Passage, 10 ft. wide; T intersection
10	Passage, 10 ft. wide; four-way intersection

Passages

When generating passages and corridors, roll on the Passage table multiple times, extending the length and branches of any open passage on the map until you arrive at a door or chamber.

Whenever you create a new passage, roll to determine its width. If the passage branches from another passage, roll a d12 on the Passage Width table. If it comes from a chamber, roll a d20 on that table, but the width of the passage must be at least 5 feet smaller than the longest dimension of the chamber.

Passage

d20	Detail
1-2	Continue straight 30 ft., no doors or side passages
3	Continue straight 20 ft., door to the right, then an additional 10 ft. ahead
4	Continue straight 20 ft., door to the left, then an additional 10 ft. ahead
5	Continue straight 20 ft.; passage ends in a door
6-7	Continue straight 20 ft., side passage to the right, then an additional 10 ft. ahead
8-9	Continue straight 20 ft., side passage to the left, then an additional 10 ft. ahead
10	Continue straight 20 ft., comes to a dead end; 10 percent chance of a secret door
11-12	Continue straight 20 ft., then the passage turns left and continues 10 ft.
13-14	Continue straight 20 ft., then the passage turns right and continues 10 ft.
15-19	Chamber (roll on the Chamber table)
20	Stairs* (roll on the Stairs table)

Passage Width

d12/d20	Width
1-2	5 ft.
3-12	10 ft.
13-14	20 ft.
15-16	30 ft.
17	40 ft., with row of pillars down the middle
18	40 ft., with double row of pillars
19	40 ft. wide, 20 ft. high
20	40 ft. wide, 20 ft. high, gallery 10 ft. above floor allows access to level above

Doors

Whenever a table roll indicates a door, roll on the Door Type table to determine its nature, then roll on the Beyond a Door table to see what lies on the other side of it. If a door is barred, you decide which side of the door the bar is on. Unlocked doors can also be stuck, at your discretion. See chapter 5, “Adventure Environments,” for information on doors and portcullises.

Door Type

d20	Door Type
1-10	Wooden
11-12	Wooden, barred or locked
13	Stone
14	Stone, barred or locked
15	Iron
16	Iron, barred or locked
17	Portcullis
18	Portcullis, locked in place
19	Secret door
20	Secret door, barred or locked

Beyond a Door

d20	Feature
1-2	Passage extending 10 ft., then T intersection extending 10 ft. to the right and left
3-8	Passage 20 ft. straight ahead
9-18	Chamber (roll on the Chamber table)
19	Stairs (roll on the Stairs table)
20	False door with trap

Chambers

Whenever a roll on a table indicates a chamber, use the Chamber table to define its dimensions. Then roll on the Chamber Exits table to determine the number of exits. For each exit, roll on the Exit Location and Exit Type tables to determine the nature and placement of the exit.

Use the tables in the “Stocking a Dungeon” section to determine the contents of a chamber.

Chamber

d20	Chamber
1-2	Square, 20 × 20 ft.¹
3-4	Square, 30 × 30 ft.¹
5-6	Square, 40 × 40 ft.¹
7-9	Rectangle, 20 × 30 ft.¹
10-12	Rectangle, 30 × 40 ft.¹
13-14	Rectangle, 40 × 50 ft.²
15	Rectangle, 50 × 80 ft.²
16	Circle, 30 ft. diameter¹
17	Circle, 50 ft. diameter²
18	Octagon, 40 × 40 ft.²
19	Octagon, 60 × 60 ft.²
20	Trapezoid, roughly 40 × 60 ft.²

Chamber Exits

d20	Normal Chamber	Large Chamber
1-3	0	0
4-5	0	1
6-8	1	1
9-11	1	2
12-13	2	2
14-15	2	3
16-17	3	3
18	3	4
19	4	5
20	4	6

Exit Location

d20	Location
1-7	Wall opposite entrance
8-12	Wall left of entrance
13-17	Wall right of entrance
18-20	Same wall as entrance

Exit Type

d20	Type
1-10	Door (roll on the Door Type table)
11-20	Corridor, 10 ft. long

Stairs

Stairs can include any means of going up and down, including ramps, chimneys, open shafts, elevators, and ladders. If your dungeon has more than one level, the amount of space between levels is up to you. A distance of 30 feet works fine for most dungeons.

Stairs

d20	Stairs
1-4	Down one level to a chamber
5-8	Down one level to a passage 20 ft. long
9	Down two levels to a chamber
10	Down two levels to a passage 20 ft. long
11	Down three levels to a chamber
12	Down three levels to a passage 20 ft. long
13	Up one level to a chamber
14	Up one level to a passage 20 ft. long
15	Up to a dead end
16	Down to a dead end
17	Chimney up one level to a passage 20 ft. long
18	Chimney up two levels to a passage 20 ft. long
19	Shaft (with or without elevator) down one level to a chamber
20	Shaft (with or without elevator) up one level to a chamber and down one level to a chamber

Connecting Areas

When your map is done, consider adding doors between chambers and passages that are next to each other but otherwise not connected. Such doors create more paths through the dungeon and expand players' options.

If your dungeon consists of more than one level, be sure that any stairs, pits, and other vertical passages line up between levels. If you’re using graph paper, lay a new page on top of your existing map, mark the locations of stairs and other features shared by the two levels, and begin mapping the new level.

Stocking a Dungeon

Creating a map for your dungeon is only half the fun. Once you have the layout, you need to decide what challenges and rewards are to be found in the dungeon’s passages and chambers. Any reasonably large space should be stocked with interesting sights, sounds, objects, and creatures.

You don’t need to have every last detail of your dungeon plotted out. You can get by with nothing more than a list of monsters, a list of treasures, and a list of one or two key elements for each dungeon area.

Chamber Purpose

A room’s purpose can help determine its furnishings and other contents.

For each chamber on your dungeon map, establish its purpose or use the tables below to generate ideas. Each type of dungeon described in the “Dungeon Purpose” section of chapter 5, “Adventure Environments,” has its own table featuring chambers geared to the dungeon’s purpose. For example, if you’re building a tomb, use the Dungeon: Tomb table to help you determine the purpose of each chamber. These dungeon-specific tables are followed by the General Dungeon Chambers table, which you can use if your dungeon isn’t an exact fit for one of the standard types of dungeon or if you want to mix things up.

Relying on random rolls to stock an entire dungeon can lead to incongruous results. A tiny room might end up being identified as a temple, while the huge chamber next door serves as storage. It can be fun to try to make sense of such strange design ideas, but make changes as you see fit. You can set aside a few key rooms and create specific contents for them.

Dungeon: Death Trap

d20	Purpose
1	Antechamber or waiting room for spectators
2-8	Guardroom fortified against intruders
9-11	Vault for holding important treasures, accessible only by locked or secret door (75 percent chance of being trapped)
12-14	Room containing a puzzle that must be solved to bypass a trap or monster
15-19	Trap designed to kill or capture creatures
20	Observation room, allowing guards or spectators to observe creatures moving through the dungeon

Dungeon: Lair

d20	Purpose
1	Armory stocked with weapons and armor
2	Audience chamber, used to receive guests
3	Banquet room for important celebrations
4	Barracks where the lair’s defenders are quartered
5	Bedroom, for use by leaders
6	Chapel where the lair’s inhabitants worship
7	Cistern or well for drinking water
8-9	Guardroom for the defense of the lair
10	Kennel for pets or guard beasts
11	Kitchen for food storage and preparation
12	Pen or prison where captives are held
13-14	Storage, mostly nonperishable goods
15	Throne room where the lair’s leaders hold court
16	Torture chamber
17	Training and exercise room
18	Trophy room or museum
19	Latrine or bath
20	Workshop for the construction of weapons, armor, tools, and other goods

Dungeon: Maze

d20	Purpose
1	Conjuring room, used to summon creatures that guard the maze
2-5	Guard room for sentinels that patrol the maze
6-10	Lair for guard beasts that patrol the maze
11	Pen or prison accessible only by secret door, used to hold captives condemned to the maze
12	Shrine dedicated to a god or other entity
13-14	Storage for food, as well as tools used by the maze’s guardians to keep the complex in working order
15-18	Trap to confound or kill those sent into the maze
19	Well that provides drinking water
20	Workshop where doors, torch sconces, and other furnishings are repaired and maintained

Dungeon: Mine

d20	Purpose
1-2	Barracks for miners
3	Bedroom for a supervisor or manager
4	Chapel dedicated to a patron deity of miners, earth, or protection
5	Cistern providing drinking water for miners
6-7	Guardroom
8	Kitchen used to feed workers
9	Laboratory used to conduct tests on strange minerals extracted from the mine
10-15	Lode where metal ore is mined (75 percent chance of being depleted)
16	Office used by the mine supervisor
17	Smithy for repairing damaged tools
18-19	Storage for tools and other equipment
20	Strong room or vault used to store ore for transport to the surface

Dungeon: Planar Gate

d100	Purpose
01-03	Decorated foyer or antechamber
04-08	Armory used by the portal’s guardians
09-10	Audience chamber for receiving visitors
11-19	Barracks used by the portal’s guards
20-23	Bedroom for use by the high-ranking members of the order that guards the portal
24-30	Chapel dedicated to a deity or deities related to the portal and its defenders
31-35	Cistern providing fresh water
36-38	Classroom for use of initiates learning about the portal’s secrets
39	Conjuring room for summoning creatures used to investigate or defend the portal
40-41	Crypt where the remains of those that died guarding the portal are kept
42-47	Dining room
48-50	Divination room used to investigate the portal and events tied to it
51-55	Dormitory for visitors and guards
56-57	Entry room or vestibule
58-59	Gallery for displaying trophies and objects related to the portal and those that guard it
60-67	Guardroom to protect or watch over the portal
68-72	Kitchen
73-77	Laboratory for conducting experiments relating to the portal and creatures that emerge from it
78-80	Library holding books about the portal’s history
81-85	Pen or prison for holding captives or creatures that emerge from the portal
86-87	Planar junction, where the gate to another plane once stood (25 percent chance of being active)
88-90	Storage
91	Strong room or vault, for guarding valuable treasures connected to the portal or funds used to pay the planar gate’s guardians
92-93	Study
94	Torture chamber, for questioning creatures that pass through the portal or that attempt to clandestinely use it
95-98	Latrine or bath
99-00	Workshop for constructing tools and gear needed to study the portal

Dungeon: Stronghold

d100	Purpose
01-02	Antechamber where visitors seeking access to the stronghold wait
03-05	Armory holding high-quality gear, including light siege weapons such as ballistas
06	Audience chamber used by the master of the stronghold to receive visitors
07	Aviary or zoo for keeping exotic creatures
08-11	Banquet room for hosting celebrations and guests
12-15	Barracks used by elite guards
16	Bath outfitted with a marble floor and other luxurious accoutrements
17	Bedroom for use by the stronghold’s master or important guests
18	Chapel dedicated to a deity associated with the stronghold’s master
19-21	Cistern providing drinking water
22-25	Dining room for intimate gatherings or informal meals
26	Dressing room featuring a number of wardrobes
27-29	Gallery for the display of expensive works of art and trophies
30-32	Game room used to entertain visitors
33-50	Guardroom
51	Kennel where monsters or trained animals that protect the stronghold are kept
52-57	Kitchen designed to prepare exotic foods for large numbers of guests
58-61	Library with an extensive collection of rare books
62	Lounge used to entertain guests
63-70	Pantry, including cellar for wine or spirits
71-74	Sitting room for family and intimate guests
75-78	Stable
79-86	Storage for mundane goods and supplies
87	Strong room or vault for protecting important treasures (75 percent chance of being hidden behind a secret door)
88-92	Study, including a writing desk
93	Throne room, elaborately decorated
94-96	Waiting room where lesser guests are held before receiving an audience
97-98	Latrine or bath
99-00	Crypt belonging to the stronghold’s master or someone else of importance

Dungeon: Temple or Shrine

d100	Purpose
01-03	Armory filled with weapons and armor, battle banners, and pennants
04-05	Audience chamber where priests of the temple receive commoners and low-ranking visitors
06-07	Banquet room used for celebrations and holy days
08-10	Barracks for the temple’s military arm or its hired guards
11-14	Cells where the faithful can sit in quiet contemplation
15-24	Central temple built to accommodate rituals
25-28	Chapel dedicated to a lesser deity associated with the temple’s major deity
29-31	Classroom used to train initiates and priests
32-34	Conjuring room, specially sanctified and used to summon extraplanar creatures
35-40	Crypt for a high priest or similar figure, hidden and heavily guarded by creatures and traps
41-42	Dining room (large) for the temple’s servants and lesser priests
43	Dining room (small) for the temple’s high priests
44-46	Divination room, inscribed with runes and stocked with soothsaying implements
47-50	Dormitory for lesser priests or students
51-56	Guardroom
57	Kennel for animals or monsters associated with the temple’s deity
58-60	Kitchen (might bear a disturbing resemblance to a torture chamber in an evil temple)
61-65	Library, well stocked with religious treatises
66-68	Prison for captured enemies (in good or neutral temples) or those designated as sacrifices (in evil temples)
69-73	Robing room containing ceremonial outfits and items
74	Stable for riding horses and mounts belonging to the temple, or for visiting messengers and caravans
75-79	Storage holding mundane supplies
80	Strong room or vault holding important relics and ceremonial items, heavily trapped
81-82	Torture chamber, used in inquisitions (in good or neutral temples with a lawful bent) or for the sheer joy of causing pain (evil temples)
83-89	Trophy room where art celebrating key figures and events from mythology is displayed
90	Latrine or bath
91-94	Well for drinking water, defendable in the case of attack or siege
95-00	Workshop for repairing or creating weapons, religious items, and tools

Dungeon: Tomb

d20	Purpose
1	Antechamber for those that have come to pay respect to the dead or prepare themselves for burial rituals
2-3	Chapel dedicated to deities that watch over the dead and protect their resting places
4-8	Crypt for less important burials
9	Divination room, used in rituals to contact the dead for guidance
10	False crypt (trapped) to kill or capture thieves
11	Gallery to display the deeds of the deceased through trophies, statues, paintings and so forth
12	Grand crypt for a noble, high priest, or other important individual
13-14	Guardroom, usually guarded by undead, constructs, or other creatures that don’t need to eat or sleep
15	Robing room for priests to prepare for burial rituals
16-17	Storage, stocked with tools for maintaining the tomb and preparing the dead for burial
18	Tomb where the wealthiest and most important folk are interred, protected by secret doors and traps
19-20	Workshop for embalming the dead

Dungeon: Treasure Vault

d20	Purpose
1	Antechamber for visiting dignitaries
2	Armory containing mundane and magic gear used by the treasure vault’s guards
3-4	Barracks for guards
5	Cistern providing fresh water
6-9	Guardroom to defend against intruders
10	Kennel for trained beasts used to guard the treasure vault
11	Kitchen for feeding guards
12	Watch room that allows guards to observe those who approach the dungeon
13	Prison for hold ing captured intruders
14-15	Strong room or vault, for guarding the treasure hidden in the dungeon, accessible only by locked or secret door
16	Torture chamber for extracting information from captured intruders
17-20	Trap or other trick designed to kill or capture creatures that enter the dungeon

General Dungeon Chambers

d100	Purpose
01	Antechamber
02-03	Armory
04	Audience chamber
05	Aviary
06-07	Banquet room
08-10	Barracks
11	Bath or latrine
12	Bedroom
13	Bestiary
14-16	Cell
17	Chantry
18	Chapel
19-20	Cistern
21	Classroom
22	Closet
23-24	Conjuring room
25-26	Court
27-29	Crypt
30-31	Dining room
32-33	Divination room
34	Dormitory
35	Dressing room
36	Entry room or vestibule
37-38	Gallery
39-40	Game room
41-43	Guardroom
44-45	Hall
46-47	Hall, great
48-49	Hallway
50	Kennel
51-52	Kitchen
53-54	Laboratory
55-57	Library
58-59	Lounge
60	Meditation chamber
61	Observatory
62	Office
63-64	Pantry
65-66	Pen or prison
67-68	Reception room
69-70	Refectory
71	Robing room
72	Salon
73-74	Shrine
75-76	Sitting room
77-78	Smithy
79	Stable
80-81	Storage room
82-83	Strong room or vault
84-85	Study
86-88	Temple
89-90	Throne room
91	Torture chamber
92-93	Training or exercise room
94-95	Trophy room or museum
96	Waiting room
97	Nursery or schoolroom
98	Well
99-00	Workshop

Current Chamber State

If a dungeon has a tumultuous history, you can roll to determine the current condition of any particular area. Otherwise, if the room is still used for its intended purpose, it remains intact.

Current Chamber State

d20	Features
1-3	Rubble, ceiling partially collapsed
4-5	Holes, floor partially collapsed
6-7	Ashes, contents mostly burned
8-9	Used as a campsite
10-11	Pool of water; chamber’s original contents are water damaged
12-16	Furniture wrecked but still present
17-18	Converted to some other use (roll on the General Dungeon Chambers table)
19	Stripped bare
20	Pristine and in original state

Chamber Contents

Once you have a sense of the purpose of the various dungeon chambers, you can think about the contents of those areas. The Dungeon Chamber Contents table allows you to randomly roll contents for a chamber, or you can choose contents for specific areas. If you choose contents, be sure to include an interesting, colorful assortment of things. In addition to the contents shown on this table, refer to “Dungeon Dressing” later in this appendix for additional items and elements to fill rooms.

In the Dungeon Chamber Contents table, a “dominant inhabitant” is a creature that controls an area. Pets and allied creatures are subservient to the dominant inhabitant. “Random creatures” are scavengers or nuisances, usually lone monsters or small groups passing through the area. They include such creatures as carrion crawlers, dire rats, gelatinous cubes, and rust monsters. See chapter 3, “Creating Adventures,” for more information on random encounters.

Dungeon Chamber Contents

d100	Contents
01-08	Monster (dominant inhabitant)
09-15	Monster (dominant inhabitant) with treasure
16-27	Monster (pet or allied creature)
28-33	Monster (pet or allied creature) guarding treasure
34-42	Monster (random creature)
43-50	Monster (random creature) with treasure
51-58	Dungeon hazard (see “Random Dungeon Hazards”) with incidental treasure
59-63	Obstacle (see “Random Obstacles”)
64-73	Trap (see “Random Traps”)
74-76	Trap (see “Random Traps”) protecting treasure
77-80	Trick (see “Random Tricks”)
81-88	Empty room
89-94	Empty room with dungeon hazard (see “Random Dungeon Hazards”)
95-00	Empty room with treasure

Monsters and Motivations

See chapter 3, “Creating Adventures,” for guidance on creating encounters with monsters. To foster variety and suspense, be sure to include encounters of varying difficulty.

A powerful creature encountered early in the dungeon sets an exciting tone and forces the adventurers to rely on their wits. For example, an ancient red dragon might slumber on the first level of a dungeon, a pall of smoke and the sound of its heavy breathing filling the chambers near its lair. Clever characters will do their utmost to avoid the dragon, even as the party’s brave thief makes off with a few coins from its hoard.

Not all monsters are automatically hostile. When placing monsters in your dungeon, consider their relationships to nearby creatures and their attitudes toward adventurers. Characters might be able to appease a hungry beast by offering it food, and smarter creatures have complex motivations. The Monster Motivation table lets you use a monster’s goals to define its presence in the dungeon.

For large groups of monsters encountered across multiple chambers, motivation could apply to the entire group, or each subgroup could have conflicting goals.

Monster Motivation

d20	Goals
1-2	Find a sanctuary
3-5	Conquer the dungeon
6-8	Seek an item in the dungeon
9-11	Slay a rival
12-13	Hide from enemies
14-15	Recover from a battle
16-17	Avoid danger
18-20	Seek wealth

Random Dungeon Hazards

Hazards are rarely found in inhabited areas, because monsters either clear them away or avoid them. Shriekers and violet fungi are described in the Monster Manual. The other hazards on the table are described in chapter 5, “Adventure Environments.”

Dungeon Hazards

d20	Hazard
1-3	Brown mold
4-8	Green slime
9-10	Shrieker
11-15	webs
16-17	Violet fungus
18-20	Yellow mold

Random Obstacles

Obstacles block progress through the dungeon. In some cases, what adventurers consider an obstacle is an easy path for the dungeon’s inhabitants. For example, a flooded chamber is a barrier to many characters but easily navigated by water-breathing creatures.

Obstacles can affect more than one room. A chasm might run through several passages and chambers, or send cracks through the stonework in a wider area around it. An area of battering winds that emanates from a magic altar could stir the air less dangerously for hundreds of feet in all directions.

Obstacles

d20	Obstacle
1	Antilife aura with a radius of 1d10 × 10 ft.; while in the aura, living creatures can’t regain hit points
2	Battering winds reduce speed by half, impose disadvantage on ranged attack rolls
3	Blade barrier blocks passage
4-8	Cave-in
9-12	Chasm 1d4 × 10 ft. wide and 2d6 × 10 ft. deep, possibly connected to other levels of the dungeon
13-14	Flooding leaves 2d10 ft. of water in the area; create nearby upward-sloping passages, raised floors, or rising sta irs to contain the water
15	Lava flows through the area (50 percent chance of a stone bridge crossing it)
16	Overgrown mushrooms block progress and must be hacked down (25 percent chance of a mold or fungus dungeon hazard hidden among them)
17	Poisonous gas (deals 1d6 poison damage per minute of exposure)
18	Reverse gravity effect causes creatures to fall toward the ceiling
19	Wall of fire blocks passage
20	Wall of force blocks passage

Random Traps

If you need a trap quickly or want to drop random traps into a dungeon, use the sample traps presented in chapter 5, “Adventure Environments” or the tables below. If you use the tables, start with the Trap Effects and Trap Trigger tables to decide the type of trap, then use the Trap Damage Severity tables to decide how deadly it should be. For more information on trap damage severity, see chapter 5.

Trap Trigger

d6	Trigger
1	stepped on (floor, stairs)
2	moved through (doorway, hallway)
3	touched (doorknob, statue)
4	opened (door, treasure chest)
5	looked at (mural, arcane symbol)
6	moved (cart, stone block)

Trap Damage Severity

d6	Damage Severity
1-2	Setback
3-5	Dangerous
6	Deadly

Trap Effects

d100	Effect
1-4	Magic missile shoot from a statue or object
5-7	Collapsing staircase creates a ramp that deposits characters into a pit at its lower end
8-10	Ceiling block falls, or entire ceiling collapses
11-12	Ceiling lowers slowly in locked room
13-14	Chute opens in floor
15-16	Clanging noise attracts nearby monsters
17-19	Touching an object triggers a disintegrate spell
20-23	Door or other object is coated with contact poison
24-27	Fire shoots out from wall, floor, or object
28-30	Touching an object triggers a flesh to stone spell
31-33	Floor collapses or is an illusion
34-36	Vent releases gas: blinding, acidic, obscuring, paralyzing, poisonous, or sleep-inducing
37-39	Floor tiles are electrified
40-43	Glyph of warding
44-46	Huge wheeled statue rolls down corridor
47-49	Lightning bolt shoots from wall or object
50-52	Locked room floods with water or acid
53-56	Darts shoot out of an opened chest
57-59	A flying sword, animated armor, or rug of smothering animates and attacks when touched (see “Animated Objects” in the Monster Manual)
60-62	Pendulum, either bladed or weighted as a maul, swings across the room or hall
63-67	Hidden pit opens beneath characters (25 percent chance that a black pudding or gelatinous cube fills the bottom of the pit)
68-70	Hidden pit floods with acid or fire
71-73	Locking pit floods with water
74-77	Scything blade emerges from wall or object
78-81	Spears (possibly poisoned) spring out
82-84	Brittle stairs collapse over spikes
85-88	Thunderwave knocks characters into a pit or spikes
89-91	Steel or stone jaws restrain a character
92-94	Stone block smashes across hallway
95-97	Symbol
98-100	Walls slide together

Random Tricks

Tricks are quirkier and less deadly than traps. Some are effects left behind by the dungeon’s creators, while others might be manifestations of the strange magical energy suffusing the dungeon.

The following tables allow you to generate random tricks. Roll first to determine an object that the trick is placed on, then roll to determine the nature of the trick. Some tricks are permanent effects that can’t be dispelled; others are temporary or can be neutralized with a dispel magic spell. You decide which is which.

Trick Objects

d20	Object
1	Book
2	Brain preserved in a jar
3	Burning fire
4	Cracked gem
5	Door energy
6	Fresco
7	Furniture
8	Glass sculpture
9	Mushroom field
10	Painting
11	Plant or tree
12	Pool of water
13	Runes engraved on wall or floor
14	Skull
15	Sphere of magical
16	Statue
17	Stone obelisk
18	Suit of armor
19	Tapestry or rug
20	Target dummy

Tricks

d100	Trick Effect
1-3	Ages the first person to touch the object
4-6	The touched object animates, or it animates other objects nearby
7-10	Asks three skill-testing questions (if all three are answered correctly, a reward appears)
11-13	Bestows resistance or vulnerability
14-16	Changes a character’s alignment, personality, size, appearance, or sex when touched
17-19	Changes one substance to another, such as gold to lead or metal to brittle crystal
20-22	Creates a force field
23-26	Creates an illusion
27-29	Suppresses magic items for a time
30-32	Enlarges or reduces characters
33-35	Magic mouth speaks a riddle
36-38	Confusion (targets all creatures within 10 ft.)
39-41	Gives directions (true or false)
42-44	Grants a wish
45-47	Flies about to avoid being touched
48-50	Casts geas on the characters
51-53	Increases, reduces, negates, or reverses gravity
54-56	Induces greed
57-59	Contains an imprisoned creature
60-62	Locks or unlocks exits
63-65	Offers a game of chance, with the promise of a reward or valuable information
66-68	Helps or harms certain types of creatures
69-71	Casts polymorph on the characters (lasts 1 hour)
72-75	Presents a puzzle or riddle
76-78	Prevents movement
79-81	Releases coins, false coins, gems, false gems, a magic item, or a map
82-84	Releases, summons, or turns into a monster
85-87	Casts suggestion on the characters
88-90	Wails loudly when touched
91-93	Talks (normal speech, nonsense, poetry and rhymes, singing, spellcasting, or screaming)
94-97	Teleports characters to another place
98-00	Swaps two or more characters' minds

Random treasures

Use the tables and guidelines in chapter 7, “Treasure” to determine the treasure in each area of your dungeon.

Empty Rooms

An empty room can be a godsend for characters who need a safe place to take a short rest. Characters can also barricade themselves there and take a long rest.

Sometimes such a room isn’t as empty as it appears. If the characters search a room carefully, you can reward them with a secret compartment containing a journal belonging to a previous inhabitant, a map leading to another dungeon, or some other discovery.

Dungeon Dressing

The tables in this section provide miscellaneous items and points of interest that can be placed in your dungeon. Dungeon dressing can help establish the atmosphere of a dungeon, give clues about its creators and history, provide the basis for tricks and traps, or encourage exploration.

To generate dungeon dressing at random, roll once on each of the following tables: Noises, Air, and Odors. Roll as often as you like on the other tables in this section, or choose appropriate furnishings for the area.

Noises

d100	Effect
1-5	Bang or slam
6	Bellowing
7	Buzzing
8-10	Chanting
11	Chiming
12	Chirping
13	Clanking
14	Clashing
15	Clicking
16	Coughing
17-18	Creaking
19	Drumming
20-23	Footsteps ahead
24-26	Footsteps approaching
27-29	Footsteps behind
30-31	Footsteps receding
32-33	Footsteps to the side
34-35	Giggling (faint)
36	Gong
37-39	Grating
40-41	Groaning
42	Grunting
43-44	Hissing
45	Horn or trumpet sounding
46	Howling
47-48	Humming
49	Jingling
50-53	Knocking
54-55	Laughter
56-57	Moaning
58-60	Murmuring
61-62	Music
63	Rattling
64	Ringing
65-68	Rustling
69-72	Scratching or scrabbling
73-74	Screaming
75-77	Scuttling
78	Shuffling
79-80	Slithering
81	Snapping
82	Sneezing
83	Sobbing
84	Splashing
85	Splintering
86-87	Squeaking
88	Squealing
89-90	Tapping
91-92	Thud
93-94	Thumping
95	Tinkling
96	Twanging
97	Whining
98	Whispering
99-00	Whistling

Air

d100	Effect
1-60	Clear and damp
61-70	Clear and drafty
71-80	Clear but cold
81-83	Foggy or misty and cold
84-85	Clear, with mist covering floor
86-90	Clear and warm
91-93	Hazy and humid
94-96	Smoky or steamy
97-98	Clear, with smoke covering ceiling
99-00	Clear and windy

Odor

d100	Effect
1-3	Acrid
4-5	Chlorine
6-39	Dank or moldy
40-49	Earthy
50-57	Manure
58-61	Metallic
62-65	Ozone
66-70	Putrid
71-75	Rotting vegetation
76-77	Salty and wet
78-82	Smoky
83-89	Stale
90-95	Sulfurous
96-00	Urine

General Features

d100	Item
1	Arrow, broken
2-4	Ashes
5-6	Bones
7	Bottle, broken
8	Chain, corroded (5 ft. long)
9	Club, splintered
10-19	Cobwebs
20	Coin, copper
21-22	Cracks, ceiling
23-24	Cracks, floor
25-26	Cracks, wall
27	Dagger hilt
28-29	Damp ceiling
30-33	Dampness, wall
34	Dried blood
35-41	Dripping blood
42-44	Dung
45-49	Dust
50	Flask, cracked
51	Food scraps
52	Fungi (common)
53-55	Guano
56	Hair or fur
57	Hammer head, cracked
58	Helmet, badly dented
59	Iron bar, bent and rusted
60	Javelin head, blunt
61	Leather boot
62-64	Leaves and twigs
65-68	Mold (common)
69	Pick handle
70	Pole, broken
71	Pottery shards
72-73	Rags
74	Rope, rotten
75-76	Rubble and dirt
77	Sack, torn
78-80	Slime (harmless)
81	Spike, rusted
82-83	Sticks
84	Stones, small
85	Straw
86	Sword blade, broken
87	Teeth or fangs, scattered
88	Torch stub
89	Wall scratchings
90-91	Water, large puddle
92-93	Water, small puddle
94-95	Water, trickle
96	Wax blob (candle stub)
97	Wax drippings
98-00	Wood pieces, rotting

General Furnishings and Appointments

d100	Item
1	Altar
2	Armchair
3	Armoire
4	Arras or curtain
5	Bag
6	Barrel (40 gallons)
7-8	Bed
9	Bench
10	Blanket
11	Box (large)
12	Brazier and charcoal
13	Bucket
14	Buffet cabinet
15	Bunks
16	Butt (huge cask, 125 gallons)
17	Cabinet
18	Candelabrum
19	Carpet (large)
20	Cask (40 gallons)
21	Chandelier
22	Charcoal
23-24	Chair, plain
25	Chair, padded
26	Chair, padded, or divan
27	Chest, large
28	Chest, medium
29	Chest of drawers
30	Closet (wardrobe)
31	Coal
32-33	Couch
34	Crate
35	Cresset
36	Cupboard
37	Cushion
38	Dais
39	Desk
40-42	Fireplace and wood
43	Fireplace with mantle
44	Firkin (small cask, 10 gallons)
45	Fountain
46	Fresco
47	Grindstone
48	Hamper
49	Hassock
50	Hogshead (large cask, 65 gallons)
51	Idol (large)
52	Keg (small barrel, 20 gallons)
53	Loom
54	Mat
55	Mattress
56	Pail
57	Painting
58-60	Pallet
61	Pedestal
62-64	Pegs
65	Pillow
66	Pipe (large cask, 105 gallons)
67	Quilt
68-70	Rug (small or medium)
71	Rushes
72	Sack
73	Sconce
74	Screen
75	Sheet
76-77	Shelf
78	Shrine
79	Sideboard
80	Sofa
81	Staff, normal
82	Stand
83	Statue
84	Stool, high
85	Stool, normal
86	Table, large
87	Table, long
88	Table, low
89	Table, round
90	Table, small
91	Table, trestle
92	Tapestry
93	Throne
94	Trunk
95	Tub
96	Tun (huge cask, 250 gallons)
97	Urn
98	Wall basin and font
99	Wood billets
00	Workbench

Religious Articles and Furnishings

d100	Item
1-5	Altar
6-8	Bells
9-11	Brazier
12	Candelabra
13-14	Candles
15	Candlesticks
16	Cassocks
17	Chimes
18-19	Cloth, altar
20-23	Columns or pillars
24	Curtain or tapestry
25	Drum
26-27	Font
28-29	Gong
30-35	Holy or unholy symbol
36-37	Holy or unholy writings
38-43	Idol
44-48	Incense burner
49	Kneeling bench
50-53	Lamp
54	Lectern
55	Mosaic
56-58	Offertory container
59	Paintings or frescoes
60-61	Pews
62	Pipes, musical
63	Prayer rug
64	Pulpit
65	Rail
66-69	Robes
70-71	Screen
72-76	Shrine
77	Side chairs
78-79	Stand
80-82	Statue
83	Throne
84-85	Thurible
86-90	Tripod
91-97	Vestments
98-99	Votive light
00	Whistle

Mage Furnishings

d100	Item
1-3	Alembic
4-5	Balance and weights
6-9	Beaker
10	Bellows
11-14	Book
15-16	Bottle
17	Bowl
18	Box
19-22	Brazier
23	Cage
24	Candle
25-26	Candlestick
27-28	Cauldron
29-30	Chalk
31-32	Crucible
33	Crystal ball
34	Decanter
35	Desk
36	Dish
37-40	Flask or jar
41	Funnel
42	Furnace
43-44	Herbs
45	Horn
46-47	Hourglass
48-49	Jug
50	Kettle
51	Ladle
52	Lamp or lantern
53	Lens (concave or convex)
54	Magic circle
55	Mortar and pestle
56	Pan
57-58	Parchment
59	Pentacle
60	Pentagram
61	Pipe, smoking
62	Pot
63	Prism
64-65	Quill
66-68	Retort
69	Rod, mixing or stirring
70-72	Scroll
73	Sextant
74-75	Skull
76	Spatula
77	Spoon, measuring
78	Stand
79	Stool
80	Stuffed animal
81	Tank (container)
82	Tongs
83	Tripod
84	Tube (container)
85-86	Tube (piping)
87	Tweezers
88-90	Vial
91	Water clock
92	Wire
93-00	Workbench

Utensils and Personal Items

d100	Item
1	Awl
2	Bandages
3	Basin
4-5	Basket
6-7	Book
8-9	Bottle
10	Bowl
11	Box
12-13	Brush
14	Candle
15	Candle snuffer
16	Candlestick
17	Cane or walking stick
18	Case
19	Casket (small)
20-21	Coffer
22	Cologne or perfume
23	Comb
24	Cup
25	Decanter
26-27	Dish
28	Ear spoon
29	Ewer
30	Flagon, mug, or tankard
31-32	Flask or jar
33	Food
34	Fork
35	Grater
36	Grinder
37	Horn, drinking
38	Hourglass
39	Jug or pitcher
40	Kettle
41	Key
42	Knife
43	Knucklebones or dice
44	Ladle
45-46	Lamp or lantern
47-48	Mirror
49	Needle(s)
50	Oil, cooking
51	Oil, fuel
52	Oil, scented
53	Pan
54-55	Parchment
56	Pipe, musical
57	Pipe, smoking
58	Plate, platter, or saucer
59	Pot
60-61	Pouch
62	Powder puff
63	Quill
64	Razor
65	Rope
66	Salve or unguent
67-68	Scroll
69	Shaker
70	Sifter or strainer
71-72	Soap
73	Spigot
74	Spoon
75	Stopper
76-77	Statuette or figurine
78-79	Thread
80-82	Tinderbox (with flint and steel)
83	Towel
84	Tray
85	Trivet or tripod
86	Tureen
87-88	Twine
89-90	Vase
91-92	Vial
93	Washcloth
94	Whetstone
95-96	Wig
97-98	Wool
99-00	Yarn

Container Contents

d100	Item
1-3	Ash
4-6	Bark
7-9	Bodily organs
10-14	Bones
15-17	Cinders
18-22	Crystals
23-26	Dust
27-28	Fibers
29-31	Gelatin
32-35	Grains
36-38	Grease
39-41	Husks
42-46	Leaves
47-54	Liquid, thin
55-59	Liquid, viscous
60-61	Lumps, unidentifiable
62-64	Oil
65-68	Paste
69-71	Pellets
72-84	Powder
85-86	Semiliquid suspension
87-88	Skin or hide
89-90	Spheres (metal, stone, or wood)
91-92	Splinters
93-94	Stalks
95-97	Strands
98-00	Strips

Books, Scrolls, and Tomes

d100	Contents
1-2	Account records
3-4	Alchemist’s notebook
5-6	Almanac
7-8	Bestiary
9-11	Biography
12-14	Book of heraldry
15	Book of myths
16	Book of pressed flowers
17	Calendar
18-22	Catalog
23-24	Contract
25-27	Diary
28-29	Dictionary
30-32	Doodles or sketches
33	Forged document
34	Grammar workbook
35-36	Heretical text
37-41	Historical text
42-43	Last will and testament
44-45	Legal code
46-53	Letter
54	Lunatic’s ravings
55	Magic tricks (not a spellbook)
56	Magic scroll
57-59	Map or atlas
60	Memoir
61-62	Navigational chart or star chart
63-64	Novel
65	Painting
66-67	Poetry
68-69	Prayer book
70	Property deed
71-74	Recipe book or cookbook
75	Record of a criminal trial
76	Royal proclamation
77-78	Sheet music
79	Spellbook
80	Text on armor making
81-82	Text on astrology
83-84	Text on brewing
85-86	Text on exotic flora or fauna
87-88	Text on herbalism
89-90	Text on local flora
91-92	Text on mathematics
93	Text on masonry
94	Text on medicine
95	Theological text
96	Tome of (forbidden lore)
97-99	Travelogue for an exotic land
00	Travelogue of the planes