One highly neglected part of designing a dungeon is the use of obstacles. In Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition we spend a great deal of time during character creation on determining skills, purchasing equipment and weapons and picking starting spells. And then we tend to forget about most of those skills and most of that equipment that the delvers are carrying. What is it for? What are they intended to do with it? And what good does that 17 Strength do other than adding +1 to hit and to damage?
At lower levels basic obstacles can be as much of a threat to adventurers as monsters and traps. At higher levels, however, the adventurers may use magical means to avoid most obstacles. With spells they can fly over them, passwall through them or teleport by them when needed.
Some basic obstacles that can be used to create problems for your low level adventurers to solve might include:
- Fallen walls
- Collapsed stairs
- An entrance that is merely a deep hole in the ground and must be entered by climbing a rope
- A rusty old portcullis
- A broken drawbridge over a moat
- A raging stream
- A molten pit of lava
- A locked and barred door
- An open and obvious pit with spikes that must be crossed
- A nest of poisonous vipers
Obstacles are good for low level adventures. They give the delvers problems to solve that their skills should give them a chance to succeed with while still giving them an element of risk
A quick look at the strength tables on PHB page 9 shows how important this trait can be. In addition to the combat bonuses there are also bonuses to encumbrance, improvement of ability to open stuck doors and a percentage chance to bend bars and lift gates. A look at the intelligence tables on page 10 of the PHB shows that improved intellect gives additional languages known. This might allow the adventurers to translate inscriptions, riddles or other writings that might impart necessary clues. A look at the charisma table gives us the potential reactions of people and creatures met on the road, in the city or in the dungeon. All of these are important skills that often get overlooked in the rush to present delvers monsters and traps to encounter.
A quick look at the equipment tables on pages 35-36 of the PHB gives us other information that is often not well used. Herbs such as belladona, garlic and wolvesbane are often for sale in the market. How often do these things get used in your games? Flasks of oil and lanterns often get used and occasionally some intrepid player will use the all important ten foot pole. But how often do your players use their metal spikes for anything other than feeding rust monsters?
Iron spikes can be used for climbing, for wedging doors shut or for stringing up a rope to climb over lava rivers or poison vipers. Ten foot poles can be used for detecting pit traps, rigging a means to cross such a pit trap, for detecting many other sorts of traps or hazards or for many other creative purposes. And rope itself has uses beyond just climbing.
Putting in obstacles at low levels is like creating a puzzle or riddle for your players to solve. And it adds so much to the role play. Who is going to take charge in the group? Who has an idea on how cross that burning river of oil while the goblins are firing arrows at the adventurers? I highly recommend that you consider these obstacles and hazards when designing your next adventure. There is nothing quite so satisfying as seeing a young explorer plunge into a pit of angry wolves when his hands slip off the rope he was climbing……
