The Dungeon-O-Matic

When we desire to have an "everybody plays" session, where no one is DMing a planned adventure, we can use the "Dungeon-O-Matic" using the Brown Cardboard Tiles, or any other dungeon tiles for that matter and the following procedure:

The Dungeon-O-Matic

 

BASIC PROCEDURE

 

1—Place a Dungeon Tile on the table

 

2—Place door markers at all open exits from the tile.

 

3—Have party enter the tile.

 

4—Roll each hallway or room entered (1d10), after door is opened

 

                        1-3   Empty

                        4      Treasure

                        5-6   Monster, No Treasure

                        7-9   Monster and Treasure

                        10—Trap

 

5—Repeat until dead or leave

THE SPECIFICS:

TREASURE:  whenever there is a treasure result, pick one player to be “on guard”—watching the hallways while the rest deal with the treasure, that player cannot be involved in the opening of the container.    The “on-guard” player rolls once on the container table (see the Dungeon Stocking Assortment booklet) and DM’s the players’ attempts to open the container.   Each time the players attempt a noisy means to open the container, roll 1d6, with a “6” indicating that a wandering monster (with no treasure) appears.

When the container has been successfully opened, and any traps have been triggered or disarmed, then roll 1d6 with the result as follows:

            1-2    1 treasure card from the deck

            3-4     2 treasure cards from the deck

            5        3 treasure cards from the deck

            6        2+1d4 treasure cards from the deck

Pocket Change and Looted Equipment:  if the enemy were humanoids of some sort (orcs, human, dwarves, ogres etc.) who might use money, even if they otherwise have no treasure indicated, consider them to have 2d6 silver pieces each.    If they are wearing armor and carrying weapons, consider that one half the equipment has survived the battle and can be taken as loot (if you can carry it), although generally, body armor worn by orcs and goblin types has no loot value.

MONSTERS:  use the Dungeon Stocking Assortment (or some other random level-themed monster encounter table).    When a monster is indicated, roll 1d6 as follows:

                        1:   1 roll of monster 1 level lower than dungeon level

                        2:   2 rolls of monster 1 level lower, but reroll if incompatible monsters

                        3-5   1 roll of monster of dungeon’s level

                        6:     1 roll of monster of 1 level higher than dungeon’s level

In all cases, re-roll if monster won’t fit in room or is inappropriate to context

TRAPS: roll 1d10 on the following table:

            1-6:  Roll random trap from Dungeon Stocking Assortment and have it effect the person who opens the door, and those nearby as appropriate

            7-8:  Heavy Portcullis falls down splitting the party in half  DC 20 Strength to open, one attempt per person

            9:  last person in marching order is affected by random trap

            10:  all doors behind the party are sealed shut.   Party can’t exit the dungeon until finds another exit.   Either wait for new tile with stairs marked on it to be drawn randomly, or have the next encounter with a trap be the exit.