It can’t all be about the dungeon, can it? I mean, a 20,000-room dwarven dungeon cannot exist by itself. There must be a world around it. The dwarves needed to trade with someone. People had to visit from somewhere. Rumors had to start someplace. But how does one create a world outside the dungeon while maintaining focus on the dungeon? Obviously, if you have a dungeon this massive, you don’t want your players to wander away and search other areas. Or, maybe you do. Either way, we begin to consider the dungeon as an entity that exists in a region of a world with its own history and depth. It’s not just the dwarven dungeon. It’s the world around it too. And, that world can provide great ways to learn more about the dungeon, the secrets it might hold, the treasures it has buried, the people who lived there, and the dark and deadly reasons it fell. Some of these stories can be told from inside the dungeon, but there are many that can be learned from the people around it.
I wanted Thelsberry, the small hamlet with a few dozen villagers, to be the starting point. It offers the characters a place to buy some limited supplies, hear some rumors, and even get some quests. As the characters advance in level, Thelsberry grows. New stores open, new patrons arrive with quests and information, new gear is available, and so on. The village becomes a town. The town becomes a city. Its growth is linked to the characters’ progress and reputation, and all that wealth is what brought forth the dragon. Oh. Wait a minute. Sorry. Wrong story. And, as everything grows and prospers, the characters can use their wealth and influence to effect change and build their own place within the city. But that only focuses on Thelsberry, one place outside the dungeon. What about others?
Surely there must be areas or kingdoms that existed prior to the dungeon’s fall, and that still exist today. These places could provide great opportunities for role-playing, gathering information, earning reputation, and gaining knowledge of the dungeon that only those who had experienced it in its zenith can truly possess and explain. There are many long-lived races. There could be people who might have visited the dungeon in their youth and can still recall its splendor, its enormity, and its wealth. Players could engage with gnomish merchants who long for the taste of dwarven ale brewed in the ancient halls or a gnomish lord who wants to reclaim artifacts that were fashioned by the dwarves but never delivered. These places can provide a reprieve from dungeon investigation and offer a means of outdoor exploration and drama. Depending on the patrons the characters interact with, allies can be formed, armies can be built, and parts of the dungeon can be reclaimed and held – at least for a while. After all, do you really want monsters to reclaim the halls that took blood, sweat, and lives to clear?
There can also be fallen ruins of ancient kingdoms or structures that once interacted with the dwarves but did not survive to modern day. These sites might contain information on the dungeon that can not be found through any other source. They could provide maps, keys, names, or locations that could prove essential in unlocking the treasure troves of old.
So, I ask again. It can’t all be about the dungeon, can it? I guess that will depend on the DM, the players, and the scope of their dreams and imagination.