Something I've been curious about is how people key their dungeons. Typically I keep it short, and detail a lot of the info based on a short description as I present it to the players. I've thought about writing a full sentence or two a la the older TSR modules, but I wanna know how others do it.

Do you think it's worth writing detailed descriptions, or is it a waste of time?

Often I end up with something like this:

24. Pillared Lounge
Four large brick pillars, several benches, burning brazier
Goblin: (7) hp 5,5,4,3,3,2,1
Each goblin carries 13sp, 1gp

I do a bit more than that.  Early into my planning process I always decide what the location used to be before it became a ruin for adventuring.  So I'll have a note like "this used to be the castle bakery" from which I can add a lot of relevant detail on the fly. 

I'll also have a note on any monsters with some details like why are they there, how do they spend their time, what do they eat, which shapes the monsters' actions in the encounter.  This helps make each encounter a little unique

Quote from: 1stLevelWizard on January 19, 2024, 10:13:04 PM
Something I've been curious about is how people key their dungeons. Typically I keep it short, and detail a lot of the info based on a short description as I present it to the players. I've thought about writing a full sentence or two a la the older TSR modules, but I wanna know how others do it.

Do you think it's worth writing detailed descriptions, or is it a waste of time?

Often I end up with something like this:

24. Pillared Lounge
Four large brick pillars, several benches, burning brazier
Goblin: (7) hp 5,5,4,3,3,2,1
Each goblin carries 13sp, 1gp

That's about what I do. Since it's my adventure, a lot of it is in my head, and I just need teaser notes, stats and difficulty numbers as appropriate.
I do do some downloads of images from the web and stick them in my adventures. The players rarely see them, but they're there for my own "imgaination teasers". A shorthand for the imagery that was in my head writing the adventure.

Quote from: 1stLevelWizard on January 19, 2024, 10:13:04 PM
Something I've been curious about is how people key their dungeons. Typically I keep it short, and detail a lot of the info based on a short description as I present it to the players. I've thought about writing a full sentence or two a la the older TSR modules, but I wanna know how others do it.

Do you think it's worth writing detailed descriptions, or is it a waste of time?

Key?

The key is in my head, typically lodged there because I had to build or adapt the map being used myself and so designed or picked it with the relevant details I needed were fairly obvious.

Outside of D&D style games I tend to be so "sandbox" that I have to mostly invent the surroundings and NPCs on the fly. It helps though that outside of D&D I've mostly run modern-day settings so Google Earth and its ability to lay down landmarks and boundries (and then supply a link to it to other players) is typically sufficient.

Quote from: 1stLevelWizard on January 19, 2024, 10:13:04 PM

Do you think it's worth writing detailed descriptions, or is it a waste of time?

Often I end up with something like this:

24. Pillared Lounge
Four large brick pillars, several benches, burning brazier
Goblin: (7) hp 5,5,4,3,3,2,1
Each goblin carries 13sp, 1gp

I do something similar in the first part, except slightly more verbose, often with comments on nearby senses.  For example, if there's a torch in the next room, no light in this one, then instead of referencing the torch directly, I'll have something like "faint light, smoke (torch, area 25).  I like to put the creature name in bold, then have a "Treasure" line in bold at the end that summarizes what was carried and/or found in the room. 

Then only when I need something else, I put the additional text after.  This is typically reference notes to myself, such as reminding about where in the key a hidden passage goes.

My overall format though is:

1. Anything immediately obvious at a glance when entering.
2. Creatures.
3. Traps.
4. Treasure.
5. Any other details, if relevant.

I like to write out a lot of description because I don't always know how long it will be before I actually get to run my created content. Here is a sample room from an AD&D adventure I ran a couple months ago:

7.HAUNTED GALLERY
   The northern door of this gallery has a large bar secured by a large lock on the northern side. Carved on the northern side of the door is warning scrawled in an alien language from another world. If deciphered it reads " Beware the sleepers. Do not disturb."

This gallery is very dry and dusty. The walls are decorated with frescoes depicting scenes of battle and of a royal court. Each of the niches in the western hall contain an ornate sarcophagus with carvings depicting scenes similar to the frescoes that decorate the walls. The stone lids are heavy and require at least 2 individuals using both hands to remove. Inside of each sarcophagus is a well wrapped mummy. The marked alcoves contain actual monsters, the others are just mummified corpses. If a sarcophagus with a mummy is opened, it will spring up and attack. One round later, the sound of stone crashing will be heard. The other mummies will rise and join the combat.

3 MUMMIES ( AC 3; MV 60'; HD 6+3; hp 39; THAC0 13; #AT 1; D 1-12; SA Fear, Cause Disease; SD +1 wpn to-hit; Immune to sleep/charm/hold; SZ M; Int Low; AL LE; XP 1,462)
The mummies here were buried with some treasure. The treasure for each sarcophagus is listed below:
A-   Female mummy holding two crossed can scepters across her chest. The scepters a gold and each worth 500gp.
B-   Male mummy wearing a golden crown set with gems worth 6500gp
C-   Male mummy jeweled armbands worth 1200gp
D-   Female mummy with golden plate neck torc adorned with gems worth 1700gp
E-   Male mummy holding an exotic looking sword made of bronze (perhaps worth 800 gp to a curio collector)
F-   Female mummy unadorned with any decoration. If the sarcophagus is searched, a black onyx ring will be found in a corner. This humble black ring is actually a ring of mighty defense. This ring functions as a ring of protection +3- it gives a strong aura of evocation & alteration magic if detected for. There are two inscriptions on the inner side of the ring. They are written in an alien language which must be deciphered by magic. Once deciphered the two inscriptions are TAMENG and NGAJAGA. The inscriptions are command words for magical effects as follows:
TAMENG- uttering this command while wearing the ring brings forth the shield spell which lasts for 40 rounds. This command will function twice per day.
NGAJAGA-uttering this command will surround the wearer with a fire shield spell that lasts for 10 rounds. This command will function once per day. After the first use by an individual, they will be able to concentrate while reciting the command word and select which form of the spell to use.

The door to the east is heavy wood bound with iron. There is a wooden plaque with strange writing on the door. Magic or a thief ability will be required to translate it. If done it reads: KEEP OUT EXPERIMENT IN PROGRESS. The door is not locked, just stuck.

This content was written a little over a year before I got to run it.

Quote from: Ratman_tf on January 19, 2024, 10:30:20 PM

Quote from: 1stLevelWizard on January 19, 2024, 10:13:04 PM
Something I've been curious about is how people key their dungeons. Typically I keep it short, and detail a lot of the info based on a short description as I present it to the players. I've thought about writing a full sentence or two a la the older TSR modules, but I wanna know how others do it.

Do you think it's worth writing detailed descriptions, or is it a waste of time?

Often I end up with something like this:

24. Pillared Lounge
Four large brick pillars, several benches, burning brazier
Goblin: (7) hp 5,5,4,3,3,2,1
Each goblin carries 13sp, 1gp

That's about what I do. Since it's my adventure, a lot of it is in my head, and I just need teaser notes, stats and difficulty numbers as appropriate.
I do do some downloads of images from the web and stick them in my adventures. The players rarely see them, but they're there for my own "imgaination teasers". A shorthand for the imagery that was in my head writing the adventure.

Haha, truth be told I do the same thing. I like to make a cover page that mimics the old TSR covers, that way when I put it away in a binder I know what it is.

Quote from: Exploderwizard on January 20, 2024, 08:02:33 AM
I like to write out a lot of description because I don't always know how long it will be before I actually get to run my created content. Here is a sample room from an AD&D adventure I ran a couple months ago:

This content was written a little over a year before I got to run it.

I thought about expanding to full sentences. I've gotten used to running premade modules so I've become familiar with the boxed text. I usually throw together my keys in a word document and print them out, so I try to keep the page count low.

I prefer a three tier master key system.  I understand that kobold chiefs need a lot of latitude in their access but you should definitely not allow them access without escort into gobliniod areas.  Dragons really should get a lot of on site authority and should be able to come and go as they please but also need to be kept out of maintenance tunnels and facility work shops.  Troglodytes really need to be as limited as possible with minimal access with only a dungeon entrance pass key and access to their living areas.  Of course the lich needs needs full access and should have exclusive access to the phylactery room and black magic library.     

My keys for rooms range from simple, short notes to myself to copying the format of B1 depending on how much detail I want/need for the area in question.

Quote from: 1stLevelWizard on January 19, 2024, 10:13:04 PM

Often I end up with something like this:

24. Pillared Lounge
Four large brick pillars, several benches, burning brazier
Goblin: (7) hp 5,5,4,3,3,2,1
Each goblin carries 13sp, 1gp

I do this as well, except the goblins all bave the same number of hit points.  The work of Gavin Norman and the OSE adventure designers have inspired me to streamline my game notes.  I don't need to know why Grok the Goblin is in the dungeon and what he will do in combat.  I can come up with that all on my own.

I do prefer more detailed treasure however.  I never understood why mook monsters walked around with purses full of coins.  Is there some monster market where they buy their rusty short swords and poorly-locked chests?  I prefer treasures like:

Goblin idol carved from a boar's tusk worth 5sp.

String of 8 copper coins worn as a necklace.

Six picees of uncut quartz worth 10gp each.

Quote from: Svenhelgrim on January 23, 2024, 12:59:27 PM

Quote from: 1stLevelWizard on January 19, 2024, 10:13:04 PM

Often I end up with something like this:

24. Pillared Lounge
Four large brick pillars, several benches, burning brazier
Goblin: (7) hp 5,5,4,3,3,2,1
Each goblin carries 13sp, 1gp

I do this as well, except the goblins all bave the same number of hit points.  The work of Gavin Norman and the OSE adventure designers have inspired me to streamline my game notes.  I don't need to know why Grok the Goblin is in the dungeon and what he will do in combat.  I can come up with that all on my own.

I do prefer more detailed treasure however.  I never understood why mook monsters walked around with purses full of coins.  Is there some monster market where they buy their rusty short swords and poorly-locked chests?  I prefer treasures like:

Goblin idol carved from a boar's tusk worth 5sp.

String of 8 copper coins worn as a necklace.

Six picees of uncut quartz worth 10gp each.

I do this whenever I roll up some hoard of coins. Like I rolled up 6,000gp for a Gnoll warband. So I swapped out 4,000gp for gems, jewelry, furs, etc.

Keying my dungeons - I write notes directly on the map if at all possible.

I'm in the "writing detailed descriptions is (usually) a waste of time" camp. I keep it brief, with the minimal detail needed for me to remember/run the encounter.

Detailed descriptions are mostly for published material, in my opinion.