What Tundale Saw in Hell
The Vision of Tundale is a 12th-century vision of Hell and purgatory reported by the Irish knight Tundale. Unlike in other visions of Hell, Tundale actually experiences many of Hell’s torments rather than simply witnessing them. Because Tundale isn’t just a spectator, his vision is better fodder for RPGs than, say, Dante’s Inferno. Much of […]
Beehive Tombs
Beehive tombs were a distinctive burial structure used by the Mycenaean Greeks, and they’re a cool setting for a combat encounter. The tomb itself is underground. It may be built into the side of a hill, excavated into the flat earth, or even have an artificial hill built up over it. To enter the tomb, […]
Gravity Puzzle: A Ring-Shaped Dungeon
I mentioned before that I love dungeons whose layout is a puzzle for the players to solve. This is one of them. This dungeon is built along a single straight passageway. Rooms branch off from the passage, and you may have encounters in the tunnel itself. It’s important that the passage appears natural. The floor […]
Reshuffling Dungeon
One of my favorite kinds of dungeons is the one where the layout itself is a puzzle for the players to solve. This reshuffling dungeon looks straightforward at first, but repeats itself in unpredictable ways. Clearing the dungeon gives the illusion of forward progress, but doesn’t actually lead anywhere. Nonetheless, once the players realize this, […]