''Dungeonscape'' is a supplement for the 3.5 edition of ''
Dungeons & Dragons
''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TS ...
''.
Contents
''Dungeonscape'' focuses on the finer points of the
dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period. An oubliette (from ...
, the medium for adventure and danger in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game.
Dungeon masters may use this supplement to include new traps, monsters, descriptions, and rules for older dungeon-related errata.
Players may use the information in this book to shape their characters for the dungeon, including new feats, skills, prestige classes, and equipment.
''Dungeonscape'' introduces a new base character class, the factotum (previously known as the journeyman), which uses an ability called "inspiration" to perform action such as to cast spells, master any skill, take extra actions, make sneak attacks, and attack with weapons. Other features of the class include trapfinding, the ability to heal other characters, and turn undead.
The book adds at least one alternative class ability to each of the standard ''D&D'' classes, designed to make a character better at dealing with situations encountered in dungeons. The book also provides new feats, new alchemical and magical items, and also new gear options, many of which were adapted from older supplements such as the '' Dungeoneer's Survival Guide''.
The book also includes three prestige classes: the beast heart adept, which combines a druid's affinity for animals with similar skills to harness and befriend monsters; the trapsmith, a master of dealing with and placing magical and mechanical traps; and the dungeon lord, who has a variety of powerful abilities while in the character's own dungeon.
''Dungeonscape'' has an entire chapter devoted to traps, devoted mostly to encounter traps, which function more like combat encounters - a concept introduced in '' Secrets of Xen'drik''. Also included are rules to present high level standard traps, and information on how to design complex traps and other hazards.
The book also focuses on designing traditional dungeons, and stranger locations as well, and gives ideas on both mundane and unusual things to include in a dungeon. The book features monsters, including the ascomoid and rot grub swarm, and templates to import them into a dungeon or make them more deadly inhabitants.
Publication history
''Dungeonscape'' was released in February 2007, and was written by
Jason Bulmahn
Jason Bulmahn is an American game designer who has written or contributed to several works.
Career
Jason Bulmahn coordinated the world's largest organized play ''D&D'' campaign for the RPGA (Living Greyhawk), and then joined Paizo Publishing as ...
and
Rich Burlew
Rich may refer to:
Common uses
* Rich, an entity possessing wealth
* Rich, an intense flavor, color, sound, texture, or feeling
** Rich (wine), a descriptor in wine tasting
Places United States
* Rich, Mississippi, an unincorporated comm ...
. Cover art was by
Michael Komarck
Michael Komarck is a fantasy artist. His work has been featured in many roleplaying games, board games, book covers, and collectible cards. Komarck produced the official art and calendars for George R.R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire''.
Early ...
Daarken
Michael Lim, better known by his pseudonym Daarken, is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games.
Career
His ''Dungeons & Dragons'' work includes interior art for ''Races of Eberron'' (2005), ''Heroes of Horror'' (2005), '' Races o ...
,
Wayne England
Wayne England (d. 9 February 2016) was an English artist whose work regularly appeared in role-playing games, wargaming rulebooks and magazines and was used on cards for collectible card games such as ''Magic: The Gathering''.
He died on 9 Feb ...
Carl Frank
Carl Frank is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games.
Education
He graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a BFA in illustration.
Career
His ''Dungeons & Dragons'' work includes '' Scourge of the Howling Hord ...
Jon Hodgson
Jon is a shortened form of the common given name Jonathan, derived from "YHWH has given", and an alternate spelling of John, derived from "YHWH has pardoned".Ralph Horsley,
Warren Mahy
Warren Mahy is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games and other fantasy works.
Early life and education
Warren was born in the small sea side town of Whakatane in New Zealand. He grew up surrounded by the wonders of the Pacific ...
David Roach David Roach may refer to:
*David Roach (American football) (born 1985), American football safety
*David Roach (saxophonist) (born 1955), British classical saxophonist
*David Roach (comics), British comics artist
* David Roach (athletic director) (b ...
, and
Franz Vohwinkel
Franz Vohwinkel (born 1964 in Munich, West Germany) is a German artist and illustrator whose work has appeared in role-playing games.
Works
Vohwinkel drew the cover art for the book ''Dataware'' (1998) for TSR's ''Alternity'' game, and illustra ...
.
Bulmahn used the ''
Tomb of Horrors
''Tomb of Horrors'' is an adventure module written by Gary Gygax for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') role-playing game. It was originally written for and used at the 1975 Origins 1 convention. Gygax designed the adventure both to chal ...
'' module, as well as Indiana Jones, as inspiration for some of the traps in ''Dungeonscape''. When deciding on equipment options for the book, the designers tried to focus on noncombat utility, and added items that help an adventurer deal with the sort of physical obstructions that are commonly found in dungeons.