Here are some of my most basic guidelines
for dungeon design, and how they
have been applied to the "R" series of
AD&D modules, produced by the
RPGA Network.

The first 2 modules are organized,
logically run complexes. Have you ever
played in an AD&D dungeon that had
monsters lurking at every turn, with traps
on every door and tricks galore? Have
you ever, in turn, wondered what would
happen if all the creatures came out to
meet each other? PANDEMONIUM! Usually,
1/2 the dungeon would be empty
before the characters arrived, and the
other half would be locked in mortal
combat.

I've been examining the possibilities
(and loopholes!) presented by the AD&D
game rules system for over 5 years.
There is a literally fantastic amount of
fun therein, and you don't need new
monsters, spells, or variants to get it. By
combining the elements presented in the
published rules in various (hopefully)
clever and challenging ways, thousands
of exciting adventures can be created. 

Both module R-1 "To The Aid of Falx"
and R-2 "The Investigation of Hydell"
can stand, undisturbed by nasty Paladins
and things, for years of game time.
Each houses a variety of creatures, but
all coexist within a stable, logical
framework.
Each "R" module was used as a tournament,
but they're not all dungeon
complexes. Two are wilderness adventures;
many are hybrids, combining outdoor
(or interplanar) travel with dungeoneering.
ALL are designed for maximum
playability and enjoyment; I don't
like AD&D "speed races". Most have
what I call a "low incidence of lethality"
-- in other words, you can't get your
character killed easily -- but some,
especially those used as Final Rounds,
are quite difficult, requiring a cooperative
blend of all the players' intelligences (as
well as all the characters' abilities) to
decipher subtle clues and avoid tempting
but disastrous "opportunities." 

Module R-1 "To The Aid Of Falx" was
the Final round at the 1981 GEN CON
South convention's AD&D Open tournament.
It was used later that year at the
GEN CON East I game convention, once
again as a Final round; in this case, the
opening rounds were Parts I and II of
Module R-2 "The Investigation of Hydell."

Most AD&D modules have maps in
light blue ink. The main reason for this is
to prevent photocopying. It IS illegal for
anyone to make a photocopy of any part
of any printed AD&D module, but some
people still do it. (It also takes money
awawy from those of us who work hard to
make a living designing adventures for
YOU, thereby discouraging us and resulting
in less modules... think about that!)
But modern photocopying machines
seem to be able to photocopy anything, so we
didn't worry about that with RPGA
modules. The maps are done nicely in
two colors on white paper, and you can
READ them. 

Some tournament adventures seem
too rigid, too programmed, and often
similar to a race against the other teams.
This is often because they are designed to
be SCORED. The scoring is usually based
on treasure found, actions deemed "best"
by the designer, and occasionally on
accuracy of character play.

With the invention of the RPGA Network
Tournament System, the tournament
scenario designer has been freed
to create the most entertaining, exciting
adventures imaginable. ANY adventure
can be used with this type of system, as it
is based on the votes of the players AND
DM (considering quality of
role playing, knowledge of game rules,
and cooperation between players -- not
necessarily between characters).

So I've had it easy, so to speak; I've just
had to worry about creating a good fantasy
adventure, or a detailed exploration
into one or two aspects of the AD&D
game system, instead of figuring out fair
and comprehensive scoring systems.
Each of my modules can be used in
either campaign or tournament play, and
will hopefully challenge and entertain
players and DMs alike.

Since the burden of evaluating the
players and scoring the team is removed
from the DM's shoulders, that position
becomes far more enjoyable. The players,
freed from the pressure of completing
the adventure for points, may concentrate
on their characters as carefully
as if they were playing at home. Result:
RPGA Network games have been the
setting for some of the best role playing
in the history of the hobby! 

You doubt it? You are cordially invited
to watch any Final round of the RPGA
tournament; they're open to the public.

Here's a quick synopsis of the "R"
series. R-1 is 16 pages, $3.50; the rest
are each 32 pages and $4.50 each (prices
may change without notice, and are valid
to RPGA members ONLY in any case).
Each includes the original tournament
characters, and most are designed for
character levels 5-9.

R-1 "To The Aid Of Falx": This is a compact
1-evening adventure in which
the characters must reccover 5 potions
of Silver Dragon Control being held by
the bad guys. Be careful not to set off
the alarms!

R-2 "The Investigation of Hydell": The
first folks to play in "Hydell" were Gary
Gygax, Brian Blume, and Jim Ward.
THEY were judging ME, actually: this
was the 1980 Masters Competition,
which I was lucky enough to win be a
nose; the dungeon deserves part of the
credit. It's tricky, 3 levels deep -- and
again, try not to trigger the alarms.

R-3 "The Egg of the Phoenix": This epic
2-part tale involves caves, a huge Pit,
a deadly Black Forest, and climaxes
with an interplanar adventure, all to
recover a stolen Artifact. Notes are
included for expansion into a series of
campaign adventures.

R-4 "Doc's Island": This sequel to R-3,
using the same characters (minus 1
casualty), was the GEN CON XIV
final. It will require the best efforts of
good players to complete successfully;
beware! It's MY idea of how difficult it
should be to get a Holy Sword...

R-5 "The Great Bugbear Hunt": Pure
wilderness, no too tough. The party's
out to recover a stolen spell book, and
finds trouble in the Bugbear Hills.

R-6 "The Eye of the Bog": A difficult
multi-dimensional puzzler from
Eric Shook, this involves higher level characters
(one's a Bard) in search
of -- themselves!

R-7, 8, 9, 10: This mammoth four-part
series spans the entire 1982 GEN CON
East and GEN CON convention tournaments.
R-8 and R-10 are the Final
rounds. It's all called The 'Dwarven'
Quest for the Rod of Seven Parts; the
characters are 5 dwarves and a human
mage. This strange crew is caught up in
a transcontinental series of journeys,
and faces some of the most grueling
tasks I've ever creating.