A Mapless Dungeon Subsystem for Pathfinder 2e

In a recent session with my kingmaker group, we all got a chance to use the Pf2e Research subsystem. I thought it would not be a good experience but was happily surprised with how enjoyable it was.

Me being me, I started to get ideas of how to use a variant of this sub system to explore a dungeon in a mapless fashion! The subsystem is very simple at its core and turning it into a mapless dungeon procedure is something I am sure others have done before me. However, here is how I would go about making a Pathfinder 2e Dungeon Exploration Subsystem.

The Research Subsystem

First, a brief explanation of the research subsystem that inspired this in the first place. Like other pf2e subsystems, it revolves around players collecting points. They are usually collected by using skill rolls but they can be earned for doing anything that fits with the scenario. After collecting a certain number of points, players will gain a reward in the form of a breakthrough in their investigation. These breakthroughs are more and more helpful the more points the group gets with the most important piece of information being given for reaching the max number of points for the encounter.

This particular subsystem is meant to be run during exploration / downtime mode. In the case of the kingmaker campaign, there was also an encounter check that was made at the top of each round. It started at a DC 20 flat check and if the encounter did not happen, then the DC of the check would be reduced by 2. It would keep getting lower with each round that an encounter was not rolled. This would reset to DC 20 if an encounter occurred.

This simple little system provided me with an easy to run investigation and it even had some stakes too. I had some good fun making the encounter check and the group had a good time describing how their characters where attempting to discover information about the curse they where researching.

The increasing chance of a random encounter on each round was also a fun little touch. It gave the group some stakes and rewarded them for getting crits since this would not only let them get to a breakthrough sooner but also would let them avoid fights.

The Idea

In my previous artical on mapless dungeons I talked about using tables to create dungeon rooms on the spot durring play. In this procedure the rooms will be pre generated. The rooms will also have a specific order that they are accessed by the party.

Instead of giving the group a breakthrough when they reach a certain number of points, the group will find a key room of the dungeon. This could be anything you desire. It could even be a 5 room dungeon but instead of having the map, the group would get 5 encounters over the course of play as they explore. The last room of the dungeon would be found once the group gets the max number of points and completes the dungeon.

Random encounters can also be checked for at the start of each round. Perhaps getting more likely after each passing round that an encounter is not had. This helps give the group some time pressure and makes the environment feel dangerous. Exactly what we want.

Just like any other subsystem, you can give it a level (perhaps the same as the floor level) and use the dc by level table to get an appropriate dc to navigate the depths. You can even list some skills that would be easier or harder to use when navigating with them. It gives some structure to dungeon exploration that goes beyond the group just saying “we go left” and lets the party use their skills creatively. Sprinkle in some vivid descriptions of the halls and rooms the party finds and you have yourself a dungeon that is fun and easy to run.

Pros

Since this is a mapless dungeon method, the pros explained in my previous post on the subject apply. These dungeons are easy to prep and run.

Some unique pros of this particular method is that its even easier to prep than the previous methods. Instead of having to make tables, you simply make some key rooms and encounters. The party runs into them in order and there is zero risk of strange results from tables. If you are running a very plot heavy campaign, this is great since you have a high level of control over the things the party encounters and can use that control to tell a story.

The only table that you might want to make is a random encounter table. However, even this is not mandatory since there is a chance the group will reach the end of the dungeon without provoking a random encounter or only running into 1 or 2.

This method also ensures that no prep is wasted. In previous methods there was a chance that some table results would not be rolled and so would not be seen.

Cons

This method also has some unique cons. The biggest one is the lack of surprise. Other mapless methods have tables so we cant be sure of what will be seen during play. Every room is pre planed in this method so we always know what the party is going to run into. The only surprise in this method is the chance for the group to run into a random encounter.

This method is also very linear. Some groups will not mind this. However others will be completely repelled by it and say that its much to railroady.

The mapless cons I described in the previous post also apply here.

Variations

One nice thing about pathfinder subsystems is that they are easy to hack. If you want to have less skill checks, you can change the point breakpoints to only require one or two points before finding a room. If you did this tho, I would make a critical fail result in a random encounter or random encounter check. You could even make a failed roll result in the group running into a trap. This would make the dungeon much more active and faster pase.

You could have levels of a dungeon be different subsystems. Perhaps the group finds the entrance to the next level early in first subsystem. They then can make a choice of weather they wish to fully explore the first level or go down and start looking at the next level.

The DC for an encounter can also be constantly going down. Making the floor feel very dangerous as the group is under constant assault. I would not make such a floor be to large tho as constant interruptions from random encounters can become tedious.

You can place guides in the dungeon that will award the party multiple points if they can be convinced to help. Hidden maps and even things outside the dungeon could also award points and help the party find key rooms.

The linear nature of the system can be reduced by having a list of key rooms and then rolling on that list when the group gets to a breakpoint instead of having a predetermined one in place. The encounters on the list can be crossed off as they are found if having multiple of the same would not make sense or would be undesirable.

Conclusion

While this subsystem was inspired by Pathfinder 2e, it is not exclusive to it. The idea of earning points from skill checks can be moved to any RPG with a skill system. Even if its a very minimal one like Dungeon Crawl Classics.

Ultimately, its another tool that can be used to help with running games. I personally would likely still use the dual table mapless dungeon method before trying this one out. If I was in a real pinch and I only had an hour to prep for a dungeon crawl, then I would consider this. I would also use this if my game was supposed to be a little more plot heavy. Perhaps for a one shot or a grand narrative campaign.