Welcome to our third spotlight on the free roleplaying game Hundred Dungeons. Today we’re checking out rules for the Dark: the play mode in which you brave danger to uncover secrets and treasure. If you missed the introduction to the game, or the Wild (rules for exploration and overland travel), feel free to check those posts out first.
The Wild (wilderness exploration)
The Dark (dungeon exploration)
Recuperation (resting and downtime)
Art by Chris Cold
THE DARK
Moving through hostile environments, sneaking past danger, and gathering clues are part of the Dark, a realm that might equally represent a dungeon, enemy lair, haunted site, or citywide investigation.
STRUCTURE
This mode of play focuses character actions on traversing, discovering, and collecting from areas of a dangerous site. When the party descends or extends themselves into one of these sites, they enter the Dark. Rounds in the Dark last 10 minutes, and involve characters taking actions in order as they move from area to area within the site.
One character who holds a light source has initiative, and players proceed clockwise around the table from them. Before taking turns, the GM and players might establish a marching order or other exploratory procedures.
PLAYER ACTIONS IN THE DARK
As an action on their turn, players can move from one area to a connected area, and also interact with something by describing what they do during the 10 minutes of the round. This might include activities such as investigating a room, unlocking a chest, mapping the surroundings, or sneaking up on an unsuspecting enemy.
The GM assesses whether the action reveals any area traits, or if a trait is invoked, as described below.
REVEALING AREA TRAITS
Player actions often reveal area traits, which point toward what can be investigated or interacted with in that area. Many traits are revealed immediately upon entering an area, based on what’s obvious to the characters. They might see a Cryptic Idol, smell the Mildewed Ceiling, or hear Gambling Brigands. Other area traits require particular interactions to be revealed, perhaps even a successful ability roll, casting a certain spell, or performing some highly specific step (such as pulling a lever or speaking a command word). By this same token, traits can be eliminated with successful interaction, like disarming a trap or barricading a doorway.
Names for traits don’t normally give away any surprises about what they do — so if there’s a spinning blade trap, don’t name it that unless its nature is obvious to the player characters. Instead name the trait for the aspect that’s perceptible, such as the Iron Wall Fittings that house the blade mechanism.
Velgen opens the door to the crypt, revealing a Marble Bridge. In a chasm below lies an Immense Pile of Corpses. The whole area is thick with the Stench of Rotting Flesh.
Velgen uses his action to press on the Marble Bridge with his staff, and finds that one stone gives a little under the pressure, suggesting it might be trapped. He beckons to his companion Yarna, who uses her action to wedge pitons into the pressure plate with an 18 Dexterity roll. The GM doesn’t invoke the Marble Bridge’s trap while they cross.
Some of the traits of an area will be defined in advance by the GM, others improvised on the spot. It’s okay if players ask a question that prompts the GM to provide new information, and for the GM to then say, “You know what? That sounds like a new trait.” Some GMs may wish to write an area’s traits down on notecards or in the margins of a map handout.
In general, area traits are either descriptive or dangerous.
Descriptive traits include clues, environmental effects, or something interactive about an area. It’s less common for these traits to be invoked outside of Combat, but the option is there for the GM.
Dangerous traits might take the form of hazards, traps, or aggressive enemies. These are the most common traits to be invoked by the GM (see below).
Area traits that refer to creatures might be descriptive or dangerous, depending on the attitude of those creatures.
INVOKING TRAITS
As play progresses, the GM can invoke an area trait to create an additional complication or risk to the party. If so, they hand inspiration to a player of their choice, usually the player most affected. The extent of the danger the trait presents can be epic or minor, but it should have the potential to impact events (otherwise, why bother?).
Some traits, when invoked, might initiate Combat. Others won’t, especially if they present a one-time danger (like a trap) or a lingering effect (like a natural gas leak). The exact negative consequences of a hazard are always determined by the GM. Don’t hand inspiration to a player after the first time a trait is invoked. That dangerous element is now in play for everyone, like it or not.
Yarna’s attempt to wedge the pitons into the pressure plate results in an 8 Dexterity roll. The GM decides to invoke the Marble Bridge trait, describing how the bridge collapses downward into the Immense Pile of Corpses in the chasm. She hands Yarna’s player inspiration and has her roll Dexterity at 15 to avoid toppling over the edge of the chasm herself.
REST IN THE DARK
It’s rare that rest is possible in the Dark. Short rests can be accomplished when any threat of encountering enemies or harm is prevented. Even the anxiety of knowing enemies are in neighboring areas will negate the benefits of rest.
ENDING THE DARK
Players might move from the Dark to Combat and back, or from the Dark to the Wild during a given session. The GM determines how the party transitions from one mode to another.
NEXT TIME
We’ve gone from the Wild to the Dark, and Combat is next as we drill down along the timescale!
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
Hundred Dungeons is created and written by Graham Ward © 2023
Permission granted to copy for personal use only.
