20-Block Dungeon Stocking

All very good I would just add - Making the dungeon alive - Everything should get harder each level they go down.

As for getting past traps & puzzles there should be offered Magic Mitigation and Men & Supplies Mitigation

Weak Magic Required (D12+Depth) 1 Detect Magic 2 Hold Portal 3 Light 4 Protection from Evil 5 Read Languages 6 Read Magic 7 Ventriloquism 8 Continual Light 9 Darkness 10 Detect Evil 11 Detect Invisible 12 ESP 13+ Roll on Strong Magic + spend HERBS Note: By expending Torch, Rations and Wine, the result may be rerolled.

Strong Magic Required (D12+Depth) 1 Knock 2 Levitate 3 Locate Object 4 Magic Mouth 5 Wizard Lock 6 Clairaudience 7 Clairvoyance 8 Dispel Magic 9 Explosive Runes 10 Hold Person 11 Rope Trick 12 Suggestion 13+ Roll on Powerful Magic + spend Holy Water

Powerful Magic Required (D12+Depth) 1 Water Breathing 2 Charm Monster 3 Confusion 4 Dimension Door 5 Fear 6 Growth of Plants 7 Hallucinatory Terrain 8 Remove Curse 9 Wall of Fire 10 Wall of Ice 11 Wizard Eye 12 Weak Magic & Strong Magic 13+ Roll twice and combine + Any Cross

Overall Note: Failure to produce the required magic spells or items results in TRAP condition.

Men & Equipment Mitigation SUNDRY refers to any item in the inventory. HERBS may be generically any of three: Wolvesbane, Belladona or Garlic. Best to have a variety of gear to exhaust.

Example Save vs Poision Trap Save vs Poison (D8) 1 Water Skin 2 Obstacles 3 Oil & reroll 4 Obstacles (x2) 5 Wine & reroll 6 Obstacles (x3) 7 HERB & reroll 8 Torch, Ration & reroll

Note: Gear expenditure could be individual or group, depending upon scope of toxin. Fail mitigate or save takes D6 dam per level dungeon depth. There is also Neutralize Poison for a cleric of high enough ability.

Note: Typically the gear loss is for the one potentially stricken. Fail mitigate or save will lose lowest level of party for rest of adventure. Do you leave him up top; he could be later lost like the Wagon. Carrying the body weight out or home is also a struggle. Take all his arms and gear; what about his loot? For a low level schlub, this could be mortal w/o friends. Henchmen perhaps? More on them later. There is also Remove Curse for a mages and clerics of high enough ability.

Mitigation for Breath Type Trap Save vs Breath (D8) 1 Any weapon or armor 2 Torch, Water, Rations & reroll 3 per Obstacles 4 per Obstacles (x2) 5 per Obstacles (x3) 6 per Obstacles (D8) 7 HERB & reroll 8 Mule, Cart ~25% surface loss & reroll

Note: Each member of the group will need to make a sacrifice; the loss may vary. Fail mitigate or save means everyone takes D6 dam per level dungeon depth; hirelings beware. There is also Wall spells for a mage of high enough ability.

Wholly Fugit Trap Save (Deep Levels ) Wholly Fug (D8) 1 Noxious Cloud, damage D6, no save 2 Fire Plume, damage D8, no save 3 Disintegration Globe, damage D20, no save; test that 5% for each ready arms and armor. 4 Water Deluge, damage D12 to armored, area impassable, no save 5 Giant Deadfall, halve remaining HPs, avoid D20 under DEX / 3 6 Dwarven Pitfall, halve remaining HPs, avoid D20 under CON / 3 7 Elven Spite, halve remaining HPs, avoid D20 under WIS / 3 8 Divine Retribution, kill someone at random, avoid D12 under level; if he's 100+ hps at demise, he turns to a puddle of treasure, yeah! (See note.)

Good article, and I love your little sketch illustrations.