Starting at square one isn’t always what’s best.
So, how do you run a maze, with tedium stacked against you?
Constraining them in narrow pathways can help your players create unique formations that they may not have accomplished before.
Mazes are also great ways to includesecret passagesthrough crumbling walls andillusory pathwaysdesigned to get them off track.
A story element will invest your players in finishing the maze.
Secondly,decide whether the maze is labyrinthine or not.
Quanbraxel by Lily Abdullina
You may have heard the community joke about children’s riddles stumping players in dungeons.
Well, it works the same with mazes.
The Big Bad is here.
Quanbraxel by Lily Abdullina
percentile
Environmental hazards (crumbling walls, quicksand floor, sticky walls to glue trap your players).
This common method of creating world maps for homebrew games can be repurposed with a little imagination!
While not completely foolproof, it can be a lot of fun to try.
City Watch Via Wizards Of The Coast
This can let youslowly revealwhere theyve gone already, so theydon’t fall back onto things they’ve done.
This can be achieved on paper or with a whiteboard.
The thing about working with a map is that sometimes Dungeon Masters can get over-reliant on it.
Tomb of Annihilation art via Wizards of the Coast
Consider not letting your players know if they rolled above the DC to create conflict.
Or, you know, text them privately.
How To Create Encounters
Set up more than just enemies throughout the maze.
Scary Modron March by Andrea Piparo
Your skill checks can help inform these, too!
If your players roll low, they may advance the storyline by “failing forward.”
Not finding one path means another may open up.
Looking to add some mystery and subterfuge to your DnD campaign?
