Strange things abound in dungeons.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

Whether it be a cobweb-covered gate, a portcullis adorned with a green iron devil's face or a fissure in the stony ground belching a sulphurous smoke, the entrance to your dungeon sets the tone for the adventure.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

A bridge normally crosses a river, ravine, chasm, gorge or another obstacle. In a dungeon, a bridge could also span a deadly lava flow, glacial lake, pit of spikes, the den of dangerous subterranean creatures or other outlandish terrain feature. Deep pits (or more perilous falls) make bridges dangerous terrain to cross and fight on, particularly for characters without the ability to fly.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

One is hard-stretched to design a dungeon without noting the appearance of its walls. Whether the dungeon is an ancient and forgotten crypt haunted by the ghosts of yesteryear or a newly-built den of smugglers and slavers staffed by men most foul, a dungeon’s walls help set the tone for an adventure as well as player expectations for what horrors might lurk within.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

A ceiling affects a room’s mood and style. A ceiling’s style can vary between simple and plain to expansive and elaborate with ornate painted frescos (or somewhere in between).

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

Trapdoors come in many different shapes and sizes and often provide access to hidden chambers, treasure vaults, cellars, prisons and so on.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

The dungeon’s floor is the one feature with which every adventurer will interact.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

Double doors almost always guard areas of great importance. Often throne rooms, subterranean chapels, crypts housing the remains of important personages and similarly important locations lie beyond. Thus, such dungeon features are often well-built, sturdy and ornately decorated.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

Dungeon doors come in many different shapes and sizes. Doors are one of the most basic dungeon features and as such can offer clever explorers vital clues to what might lie beyond.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

While often crafted to represent beautiful people, ferocious beasts, heroes or deities, fountains also serve a vital function by providing fresh drinking water. Fountains in a dungeon or cavern setting may be artistic creations of the current or past occupants, altars to deities (fair or foul) or something else entirely.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

Pools add an element of mystery to a dungeon. In their often murky depths, they can hide both treasure, monsters or other secrets. Dungeon pools can be magical or mundane. Some are naturally occurring with swiftly flowing water, while others feature elaborate fountains, traps or other features. It is a brave adventurer who willing steps into unknown waters.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

Wealthy or powerful individuals may have elaborately decorated sarcophagi dripping with gemstones, precious metals and other decorations. These treasure-filled tombs are certain to be guarded with fiendish traps or deadly guardians to keep out would-be grave robbers.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

Statues come in many shapes and sizes and are a staple of most dungeons.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

Stairs come in many shapes and sizes, including steep, gradual, precipitous and spiral. Stairs in dungeons don’t even have to be made of stone—some can be of wood, bone or other magical or fantastical substances.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.