How to teach new DMs procedures for dungeon crawling, etc.

Hemlock

Should be playing D&D instead
The Alexandrian has a post that I agree with, Whither the Dungeon? – The Decline and Fall of D&D Adventures. Excerpt:

I’ve talked in the past about how D&D 5th Edition doesn’t teach DMs how to run dungeons. In fact, it doesn’t even teach them how to key a dungeon map (or provide an example of a keyed dungeon map).​
(To understand how weird this is, consider that the 5th Edition Starter Set includes a detailed explanation of exactly how a DM should use boxed text, but still doesn’t tell the DM how to run the dungeon that’s included in the sample adventure. Like, there was a perceived need to very specifically explain how you read text out loud, but not a perceived need to explain how you’re supposed to run a dungeon… the thing that’s actually unique to being a GM. But I digress.)​
By contrast, the original edition of D&D in 1974 contains very specific instructions for both things: How to prep a dungeon and how to run the dungeon.​
This is not some newfangled failure on the part of 5th Edition. It’s the end of a very long trend line (briefly interrupted, but only partially reversed by 3rd Edition) in which the D&D rulebooks have slowly stopped teaching DMs how to run the game at arguably its most fundamental level.​
...Recently, though, I’ve been digging through stuff on the DM’s Guild and it’s become clear that the problem is no longer theoretical: It’s very real.​
EXAMPLE 1: I’m reading through a module. The entire concept is that the PCs are exploring a ruined castle. But there’s no map of the castle. There are room-by-room descriptions of the castle, but no map to show how these areas relate to each other.​
It should be noted that there ARE two other maps in the book: Encounter maps depicting specific rooms. So it’s not a budgetary issue. Cartography could have existed.​
So I’m just confused, until I remember that… Oh, right. D&D doesn’t teach this any more.​

It's not just map keys of course[1]. New DMs should know the dungeon crawl procedure. I'll do my bit for humanity and write up roughly what the DMG should have said in Chapter One. I'm going to use the terms "players" and "player characters" interchangeably here.

Dungeon crawls are one simple and fun way to run an adventure. They focus on players moving from place to place within a "dungeon", interacting with the contents of each place such as by searching for traps or treasure, talking with dungeon inhabitants such as non-player characters or even monsters, or combat with those inhabitants.
At its most basic, a dungeon crawl happens when you as Dungeon Master do the following:
1. By consulting the map and the map key, briefly describe the place where the players currently are. Be sure to include information about any monsters, treasure, etc. in plain sight, as well as any exits leading to a different location (different room, hallway, etc.). Try to keep descriptions brief--don't feel like you have say everything up front. Give the players enough information about immediately-obvious features so they can ask follow-up questions, such as "how many orcs are there?" or "what does the statue look like?" Players tend to remember detailed info better if it's given as a response to their questioning.
2. After describing the location, ask, "What do you want to do or ask me?"
3. Answer their questions and decide the results of their actions. Optionally, if enough time has passed, roll a wandering monster check to see if any monsters enter the location from elsewhere in the dungeon.
4. If players aren't sure what to do, a good default action is to move to a different location by going through one of the exits. You can ask for example, "Do you want to go through the north door or back through the east door or do something else?" If they move, return to step 1.
There are many variations on dungeoncrawling such as navigating a forest instead of a dungeon, and there are ways of running an adventure without dungeon crawling at all, but if you can do the above you are ready to DM your first adventure!

How would YOU teach new DMs and GMs how to run a game? Feel free to talk about dungeon crawling, action resolution, hexcrawls, diplomacy, mysteries, or any other game structure (Game Structures) or campaign structure (Some Brief Thoughts on Campaign Structures) you think is important to know.

[1] BTW I think it's generally a mistake, though common, to key maps solely by numbers. A map which has a hallway labeled "13. Gelatinous Cube" is superior to one that just says "13".
 

Beoric

8, 8, I forget what is for
I think that's a pretty good start, although it needs to be modified depending on what procedures you are including (for example, wandering monsters/hazard dice). I would also expressly state that the DM should modify the procedure to suit the circumstances.

If I was designing a teaching module I might include sidebars for the early keyed entries that gave guidance as to how to interpret or expand on standard dungeon entries. For instance, if I included a 10' pit, I might have a sidebar pointing out that the DM gets to decide on the type of lid, how it can be detected, how it responds to prodding with a 10' pole, etc., with examples. With a nod to Courtney Campbell, since my thoughts on this draw directly from his work.

I might include a "what the monsters are doing" chart, to prevent the habit of assuming that monsters are sitting in their lairs waiting for adventurers to come along, or that wanderers attack on sight; and I would encourage the DM to use it in other modules where no guidance is provided. This section would probably include a discussion of why monsters might not want to attack, at least right away.

I would probably include a couple of factions, along with guidelines of how to use them. And guidelines for restocking/redeployment in response to partial clearing of the dungeon.

The keyed entries would probably be relatively simple, since part of what I would want to do is teach DMs to riff off the material. Maybe a couple of more complex entries to show what is possible, but that would be the exception, I think. Monster motivations would factor heavily. I would make sure I had at least a few traps and a couple of tricks. I would want a lot of interactivity, including some temptation/push your luck entries.

I assume the dungeon is also for teaching players, so I would instruct the DM to establish things like marching order, exploration roles of the various PCs, etc. (To expand on this, in my own game I want to know who is mapping, who is probing with the 10' pole, who is checking for secret doors as they go, who is looking ahead and who is looking behind. Mapping, probing and checking for secret doors all slow movement from late-D&D standard to 1e speeds, which enables wandering monster checks. I don't make players map from my descriptions, I give them a map, but they only get a map if someone is mapping; and my trap and secret door detection DCs are higher than any PC's likely passive perception score, but are more easily detected if you are actively searching by tapping, using a 10' pole appropriately, etc. So the choice is to move quickly, which generally avoids monsters but results in you missing stuff and tripping over traps; or having a shot at finding the traps and secret doors, but risking wanderers.)

The entries themselves would be designed to hint at various dungeon exploration practices for players. There would likely be a few already triggered traps, and evidence of things that had been done by previous adventurers, like giant frogs with their bellies sliced open, chests that are broken open rather than being opened conventionally, already open secret doors and compartments, etc. And the entries would generally reward generally wise behaviour, while punishing generally foolish behaviour; no need to go all Grimtooth and start breaking dungeon conventions until they have learned the basics. I would want at least a couple of monsters that it would be best not to kill, at least until you extracted information from them; and some sort of clues to let the players know when they had screwed this up.
 

squeen

8, 8, I forget what is for
The Alexandrian has a post that I agree with, Whither the Dungeon? – The Decline and Fall of D&D Adventures. Excerpt:

I’ve talked in the past about how D&D 5th Edition doesn’t teach DMs how to run dungeons. In fact, it doesn’t even teach them how to key a dungeon map (or provide an example of a keyed dungeon map).​

[1] BTW I think it's generally a mistake, though common, to key maps solely by numbers. A map which has a hallway labeled "13. Gelatinous Cube" is superior to one that just says "13".
This is a weird thing to have come to pass, considering a book called The Dungeon Masters Guide exists in 5e. (Also, does it used the nerfered term Game Master inside the book titled Dungeon Masters Guide?)

Learning to be a DM is probably the hardest skill to acquire, so should get a lot of attention. Weird.

Not to be too algorithmic minded, something I think is needed is a basic flowchart for the DM to cycle through each turn. One for exploration, one for combat. It's on my to-do list for AD&D/OSRIC.

I mainly want to suggest that your last point [1], is possibly only applicable for basic/beginner dungeons and wouldn't play out too well in an environment that is suppose to be dynamic. The monsters shouldn't stay put, restock, etc. I tended to thing of the dungeon as the spacial playground in which action takes place and not as discrete encounters (e.g. "nodes").

Also, from the comments on the Alexandrian article you referenced:
As somebody who has never played a single game of DnD despite years of tabletop roleplaying experience, I have to wholeheartedly agree with what Justin says here, in the specific as well as the general, because I am very much the new, ignorant generation of gamer (and game designer) he is talking about, and very unhappy about it.
Wow. Excuse me for feeling completely disconnected from this crowd.
 
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Beoric

8, 8, I forget what is for
This is a weird thing to have come to pass, considering a book called The Dungeon Masters Guide exists in 5e. (Also, does it used the nerfered term Game Master inside the book titled Dungeon Masters Guide?)
Seriously? "Game Master" isn't "nerfed", it is non-proprietary. WotC owns the term "Dungeon Master", nobody else can use it. Not every variation is an intentional assault on the dignity of the game.
 

squeen

8, 8, I forget what is for
Seriously? "Game Master" isn't "nerfed", it is non-proprietary. WotC owns the term "Dungeon Master", nobody else can use it. Not every variation is an intentional assault on the dignity of the game.
Ha! I still get your goat @Beoric!

This is not an official publication. It's ok to say DM here and not the sanitized GM.
 

Hemlock

Should be playing D&D instead
This is a weird thing to have come to pass, considering a book called The Dungeon Masters Guide exists in 5e. (Also, does it used the nerfered term Game Master inside the book titled Dungeon Masters Guide?)
Yeah, it's weird that the DMG doesn't teach how to DM, but that's kind of the point.

No, the DMG doesn't use the term "Game Master." I don't know what "nerfered" means in this context but AFAIK "GM" and "DM" both originated around the same time, as more-specific alternatives to OD&D's "referee." I use them more-or-less interchangeably in my own writing.

I mainly want to suggest that your last point [1], is possibly only applicable for basic/beginner dungeons and wouldn't play out too well in an environment that is suppose to be dynamic. The monsters shouldn't stay put, restock, etc. I tended to thing of the dungeon as the spacial playground in which action takes place and not as discrete encounters (e.g. "nodes").
Sure, absolutely. I actually rather dislike static dungeons. They're easy to teach to new DMs though.

[1] is also not applicable in very dense maps where there isn't room to write much.
 

Hemlock

Should be playing D&D instead
I think that's a pretty good start, although it needs to be modified depending on what procedures you are including (for example, wandering monsters/hazard dice). I would also expressly state that the DM should modify the procedure to suit the circumstances.

If I was designing a teaching module I might include sidebars for the early keyed entries that gave guidance as to how to interpret or expand on standard dungeon entries. For instance, if I included a 10' pit, I might have a sidebar pointing out that the DM gets to decide on the type of lid, how it can be detected, how it responds to prodding with a 10' pole, etc., with examples. With a nod to Courtney Campbell, since my thoughts on this draw directly from his work.

I might include a "what the monsters are doing" chart, to prevent the habit of assuming that monsters are sitting in their lairs waiting for adventurers to come along, or that wanderers attack on sight; and I would encourage the DM to use it in other modules where no guidance is provided. This section would probably include a discussion of why monsters might not want to attack, at least right away.

*snip more excellent feedback*
Good stuff, Beoric. I don't have much to say in response right now but these are great ideas.
 
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