Dungeon Inhabitants and Plot

The GM should populate his dungeon (or building, or whatever)
with appropriate men, beasts, and monsters. If you are just creating a
“hack-and-slash” dungeon, you don’t need to worry about what they are
doing there, what they eat, why they attack the party, or anything else –
just stock the rooms and go.
Likewise, the “plot” for a hack-and-slash adventure will be very sim-
ple. “Joe the Barbarian, with his friends Ed the Barbarian and Marge
the Barbarian, went down into a cave. They saw lots of monsters and
killed them and took their treasure. A dragon ate Ed. Joe and Marge ran
away. The End.”
If you want to create a situation that actually makes sense, you have
advanced to the level of adventure design. Congratulations. Read on . . .
might not exist yet if the investigators
come on the scene “too soon.” The
murders might even continue as the
players investigate (that’s one sure way
to eliminate a suspect). Likewise,
important NPCs may come and go,
with little regard for the adventurers’
wishes. And there is no limit to what
can happen “offstage.” Elections, wars,
and alien invasions . . . many events
can present new challenges.
This sort of plot is harder to write,
and demands more from the GM dur-
ing play. But it gives the players a
sense of urgency that is missing in a
plain, linear adventure.