Welcome to THAC0 . . . with Advantage! We’re two friends that have been playing D&D a long time. While we both love lots of other RPGs, D&D gives us a closed set of places to explore.

What is a dungeon? Well, that depends on what kind of podcast you’re listening to. But since this is D&D, a dungeon is a closed location with a limited set of options to explore, usually containing traps and monsters. We’re going to look at how dungeons function, and how far you can push that suspension of disbelief when beholders, a dragon, some kobolds, and a whole mess of grimlocks share the same address.

While they were presented in the same manner of locations like the Caves of Chaos or the Tomb of Horrors, many early dungeon adventures in D&D were actually about exploring various locations in ruined cities. The aptly named The Lost City and Dwellers of the Forbidden City are both examples, and even some adventures set in the ever expanding new campaign worlds of Dragonlance and the Forgotten Realms, in Dragons of Despair and Ruins of Adventure, continue that tradition. The presentation often remained the same, a map with various locations marked with a lettered or number key, but with fewer moments of wondering where monsters get their food. Or go to the restroom. Don’t think about monsters going to the restroom. It just brings up all the wrong questions.