If I'm creating a dungeon, I make sure to include these:
Latrines - or something similar. A midden, refuse heap, garderobe, etc. There needs to be some place for folks to relieve themselves. Lack of these indicates the builders don't produce wastes, or the GM just forgot. Make sure it's the former.
Pro tip: Put these in convenient places but where it's unlikely to interfere with living there. Humans rarely want to live right on top of an open sewer. Ensure there is a way to have them emptied, or make sure they self-empty.
Dining areas - and lacking these, a place to eat where people barracks up or otherwise live.
Storerooms - absolutely necessary to live, given a lack of Doesn't Eat or Drink on everyone in the place. Plus players will probably insist on going through this stuff like crazy. I've seen players spend more time on barrels of hardtack and "what kind of dried fruit do they have? My character wants to eat some" than on 1,000 pieces of gold. Make sure the amount makes sense - if you have X guards and 2 days of rations for X guards, that should be an issue.
Water Source - lacking Doesn't Eat or Drink, you need this. Bonus if you can also clean dishes, wash yourself, etc. in this. Make it liveable.
A Way to Restock - not more monsters, although that helps. I mean reprovision food, etc.
Stuff to Do - unless your inhabitants are automatons, they need entertainment. Dice, cards, books (for a literate culture), a practice area, etc. are necessary if you're saying the inhabitants live there for weeks and weeks.
I'm sure I'm missing some things . . . but these are pretty important in my book. I've seen too many dungeons without them.
Also there may be:
ReplyDelete1. Some sort of temple or shrine, if inhabitants are at least slightly religeous.
2. Officer room. Leaders often prefer having separate rooms from regular staff.
3. Sleeping areas. It is hard to sleep in the same room where other people talk, eat and o on, and if there is a night-watch, some people have to sleep while others are awaken.
4. Areas for domestic animals, be it horses, cattle, dogs, wargs, tamed dragon or something.
5. Kitchen, if inhabitants do not want to eat their food raw or cold. Can be combined with dining areas.
6. Prison (or slave barracks, or oubliette, or something like that). Everybody taking prisoners needs one.
7. Treasury, for obvious reasons.
8. Armory for spare weapos and ammunition (and/or smithy to repair broken and make new ones).
9. Wine cellar or ale brewery, if inhabitants do not want to drink only water.
10. Hospital areas for sick and/or wounded.
Yes. If I was feeling less lazy, I'd do a post of "must have" and "likely to have if" and "nice to have" features. For example, #9 is nice if people drink enough to justify a separate room, but if not it won't hurt suspension of disbelief. Lack of a loo, though, or sleeping areas (even if only bunks in the guard room, say), will just seem weird.
DeleteI think #1 is overlooked in the modern world. Religion is much more and much more broadly important historically than it is today. "This guy has a little temple, he must be a cultist or a priest!" = not exactly.