The Writing On The Wall – Using Graffiti For Clues And Foreshadowing
I like graffiti.
I got the idea of adding vandals to my dungeons from Barrowmaze Complete by Dr. Greg Gillespie.
Buried under the several feet of tephra that surrounds Obsidian Invictus is a vast network of crypts built in a former age to service a Beast.
And the characters have discovered the way in.
It’s dark. The smell of rot gets stronger as the party explores deeper.
Then, at torchlight’s edge, something red on the wall. Symbols. Words.
Etched in blood.
The wizard steps forward and raises his eyepiece.
It’s old Dethek. And hard to make out. The author really needs to study his letters more. Let’s see. It reads: “Entrance sealed behind us! Cannot get out.”
So put yourself in the wizard’s slippers now. You suddenly realize your way back out might be gone. You have no idea what else is down here. And it seems there’s no other way out. Trapped!
Further, it reveals someone else has been here before. That always adds a fun dimension. We’re not alone.
Also, cave-texting in blood like this amps up the drama.
I add one final detail:
And the blood is still wet.
Now we’ve got urgency.
Warnings, clues, and foreshadowing from previous explorers, victims, and raiders via graffiti is a huge win. I highly recommend you start adding scrawls from the past to your dungeon decor today.
To finish this tip off, here’s a d12 table to hopefully inspire.
d12 Disturbing Graffiti Ideas
- If you are reading this, you are the new bait.
- Entrance sealed behind us! Cannot get out.
- Don’t look at the ceiling.
- We ate the mules. Then we ate Marik.
- The whispers are true.
- Do not sleep. It takes you when you sleep.
- The water makes you forget. Who am I?
- It only attacks if it knows you can see it.
- They look like us now. Trust no one.
- 12 days in the dark. The walls are breathing.
- Leave a true sacrifice or it will take your soul.
- We found the bottom. Pallus help us, we found the bottom.
Cheers,
Johnn
roleplayingtips.com
https://discord.gg/6MxTRAqQ76
Have more fun at every game!
P.S. When you are ready, here are +4 vorpal ways I can help you with your campaign:
+1 Get My Campaign Logger App Free to Make Prep & GMing Easier
For GMs of any system looking to run deep, detailed, and immersive games, Campaign Logger lets you take session notes at the speed of thought in your unique GMing style while improving your preparation experience so you can focus on the parts of the game you enjoy the most.
Get your free Campaign Logger account here.
+2 Level-Up Your GMing With My Books
- Logical Dungeon Design: A System for Creating Living, Breathing Dungeons That Make Sense and Generate Their Own Stories.
- Tiny Prep: Learn the perfect way to deliver epic sessions without the epic prep time.
- The Simple AI Guide to Adventure Building: Turn ChatGPT into your GM’s familiar, a smart assistant with an infinite well of ideas.
- NPC Mastery Bundle: A huge collection of tips, techniques, and aids that will inject life and detail into your NPCs
+3 Get the Demonplague (with 62 5-Star Ratings so far)
A complete level 1-20 campaign D&D 5E adventure path that offers intense roleplay, sandbox and hexcrawl play, cunning combats, and fiendish monsters.
Click here to see more details and to order.
+4 Get More GM Loot
Visit the Roleplaying Tips DriveThruRPG store, or browse books and courses to level up your GMing at the RoleplayingTips.com store.
