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This is a plea from a GM and huge fan: I would be happy to see more material on dungeon planning and construction, easily an entire main book's worth if it has the same care and content of past products. I really like the Gamemastery Guide and I love, love, love Ultimate Campaign. UC gave us GMs so many nifty little subsystems to spice and crunch up our games and I try to never miss running a one to the hilt.
With all the great tools you've given us I feel like the material on dungeons is sorely lacking. The Corebook has those lovely environment and trap construction rules, as well as extremely well defined encounter and reward construction rules. The GMG has a couple of pages on dungeons, including that great symbology key and a few suggestions for including puzzles and riddles, but still definitely a short section. And that's it. We have four beautiful, brilliant, robust Bestiaries but all too little instructing as to how we should house these magnificent monsters.
PFRPG is a robust roleplaying system descended from D&D 3rd. That system is itself descended from a board game where you move around squares in dungeons, searching for traps and treasure while running into monsters. I know the game has evolved far beyond that but not so far that dungeon delving isn't still central to the game experience, as well as unique and interesting dungeon construction. There is a very old Knights of the Dinner Table that makes jokes about how one character's campaign is just him going through the Monstrous Manual (I said it was old) in alphabetical order. Great monsters are great but only if they are presented in fresh and interesting ways and the encounters don't feel forced, and I have yet to find a better way to do that than a well-planned dungeon.
But dungeon planning is hard! I feel like with the basebook and GMG and Ultimate campaign we have all these fantastic little tools and rules and subsystems that basically build our game for us except when it comes to dungeons. I still struggle with creating good dungeon maps, or keeping the terrain interesting or making the room layout make sense but still be explorable and full of hidden dangers. I think you could do a huge chapter on dungeon maps themselves alone. Also maybe some puzzle building resources as well as maybe a puzzle gallery section. Sample dungeons of course. Advice on making very mall dungeons versus very large ones, etc. I feel like everything in Pathfinder is so defined but dungeon building is so undefined. Alignments have a 9 point scale, downtime has turn phases, towns have size ratings and skill modifiers depending on town culture, but dungeons have nothing equivalent to rate or define them. I feel like so many new GMs fall flat because they have no idea how to organize the encounters of their game, and I think a book of step by step dungeon building advice and rulesets would go a long way to making all our games more robust.
I know you know how to make dungeons; you're the guys who made the Emerald Spire! Pass some of that knowhow this way!
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you should read this, it should help you a bit and it's free:
Frankly when it comes to dungeon design, just look around at what you like, and don't be afraid to copy it and put your own spin on it. You like god of wars ride of the phoenix? well then put it in your dungeon, where the heroes ride the back of a phoenix to reach the boss. Essentially if you have an awesome idea, just use it, don't worry about what will happen after. Because after all,it could be your last session for a reason or another.
Check out Jaquaying the Dungeon and Part 2 in the Alexandrian Blog.
Maybe Central Casting: Dungeons might be interesting, read an example of using it here.
Also there's How to Host a Dungeon "a solo game of dungeon creation where you build a dungeon through its history from the dawn of time. [...] When you complete your game, you have a dungeon history and map suitable for a dungeon crawling role-playing game or just your own enjoyment."
A google image search for dwarven dungeon turns up lots of nice maps.
Also maybe play Dwarf Fortress. And/or read the awesome Dwarf Fortress - Boatmurdered play report.
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Also there are loads of Dungeon Generators out there on the web, most of them probably inspired by the one in the 1E AD&D DMG Appendix A. Apparently 5e has one as well.
http://donjon.bin.sh/pathfinder/dungeon/ being a great example.
Alternate Dungeons: Mystic Ruins by Rite Publishing seems apropos.
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Thanks guys! I will look into these and I really appreciate the help.
But see my point? All of your suggestions were for external webpages and products. I think Paizo could really benefit from taking some of these techniques and folding them into a Pathfinder specific book. These products exist and I'm going to use them because there is a hole I feel in the provided system, and I know if they plugged it up by releasing Ultimate Dungeon, I'd be the first to buy it!
With a little selection, the cards in The Cleaves can help you make dungeons. Just replace the cards you don't want with more corridors. Outside The Cleaves, rooms don't overlap, so move the next room and put in a hallway.
With a little selection, the cards in The Cleaves can help you make dungeons. Just replace the cards you don't want with more corridors. Outside The Cleaves, rooms don't overlap, so move the next room and put in a hallway.
GG - without linking the Cleaves, why do you assume anyone has any knowledge of what it is?
Go to The Cleaves..
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2lxeb?The-CleavesCDM-Backup-again#2
Want me to link the rooms topic, traps, treasures, or anything else?
The more you link, the more people are informed. ;)
I would like this book too. Good idea. :)
Go to Random-Rooms..
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2l1yl?100-Random-Rooms-CLEAVES#1