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How to Run a Reverse Dungeon Style Dungeons and Dragons Campaign

Having a party of brave adventurers delve into deep dungeons, wipe out hordes of monsters and steal all their loot is the basis of the pen-and-paper role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. A "reverse dungeon" campaign throws this setup out of order, and puts the players in the role of the monsters who are defending their lairs from the adventurers.

Things You'll Need

Dungeons and Dragons rulebooks
Dice
Character sheets

Instructions

- 1
  Prepare a large dungeon with multiple levels and draw a map of the entire complex using grid paper, so the players will have a physical representation to refer to during the game. Come up with a background story as to why the monsters they will be playing are inhabiting the dungeon, and create a reason why a party of adventurers would want to plunder it.
- 2
  
  Allow the characters to control multiple monsters at one time if they will be running weaker creatures, such as kobolds or goblins. A single character per player may be more appropriate if they are using stronger monsters, such as vampires, mind flayers or giants.
- 3
  Force the players to think through their fortifications as the monsters would in a normal campaign. Kobolds would set up numerous traps and build deep tunnels, while larger and more intelligent creatures like liches or dragons would recruit other monsters or even human mercenaries to guard their domains.
- 4
  
  Have the players fall back to lower levels of the dungeon if the marauding party of adventurers overwhelms their defenses or slaughters their monsters.
- 5
  Assign the players points to use toward acquiring new monsters, traps or items if you want to add a more tactical element to the game. As they progress through the game, give them more points when they accomplish specific tasks or defeat adventurers who are invading their lair.
- 6
  Give the players jobs to complete to maintain their dungeon, such as acquiring food for the monsters, stealing gold from the nearby town to pay mercenaries, or mining for ore to forge new weapons and armor.
- 7
  Have the players occasionally take on the roles of the leaders of the groups of monsters who live in the dungeon. Have them role-play convincing their subordinates to go into battle and spurring them on to keep fighting when the tide turns against them.

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