A Book of Fantastic Dungeon Inspiration – Johnn’s Bookshelf

Over the last 50 years, I’ve amassed a collection of books useful for GMing that you probably won’t find in any game store. In this series, Johnn’s Bookshelf, I’ll be pulling these hidden gems off my shelves to share with you.

The first book I want you to check out is small but packed with inspiration for dungeon maps and spatial design:

Conditional Design: An Introduction to Elemental Architecture by Anthony Di Mari.

Ever look at a dungeon map and wonder, “What if this wasn’t just a boxy grid?”

I bought this slim, oddball book to help me see the “invisible architecture” of dungeons. Conditional Design is a visual menu of the building blocks of space, movement, and possibility through the lens of architecture.

While most GM books focus on filling dungeons, this book makes you think through them as places of exploration where the map itself creates discovery. It will give you room designs you’ve never imagined, creating unique challenges for your players.

Each page is like a little puzzle. I keep the book beside my desk, open it to a random page, and use the design ideas for instant inspiration.

Anthony Di Mari also gives us a language and logic to design our own spaces. It provides architectural concepts, such as Connect, Open, and Ground, and then a list of verbs to apply to them, such as Extrude, Split, Fracture, and Interlock.

The book is systematic, accessible, and useful. It helps us explore different shapes and environments for our dastardly donjons. For GMs tired of drawing boring dungeon maps, this little book will help you create truly memorable adventures.

Cheers,
Johnn
roleplayingtips.com
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Have more fun at every game!

P.S. Book links in this series might contain affiliate links. I earn a silver piece when you purchase through my links.

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