How to Run a DUNGEON DELVE Module

Some considerations on the philosophy of running a DM-centered module effectively.

By R. Nelson Bailey

Published modules are a valuable resource for any Dungeon Master (DM) running a Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) game. They not only save the DM time in preparing and running a campaign but also often serve as a source of inspiration. Most modules are self-contained and include nearly all the information—aside from the rule books—the DM needs to run the adventure.

One thing missing from nearly all published adventures is instruction on how to integrate them into a campaign and how best to use them at the table.

The DUNGEON DELVE Philosophy

DUNGEON DELVE modules are all written with an underlying philosophy. They do not insist that you—the DM—run them in a particular way; after all, it is your game. Instead, they provide a framework for play rather than a complete script, trusting the DM to shape the adventure through adjudication, improvisation, and the players’ choices. Understanding how they are written and intended to be used will help you get the most from them.

DUNGEON DELVE modules are DM-centered. Rather than presenting a predetermined story for players to experience, they offer situations, motives, locations, and tools—a living framework in which events unfold through play. They allow the DM to exercise creativity by deciding how events unfold, telling the story in their own voice, and expanding or personalizing the material as desired. These are not adventures that must be followed scene by scene. In this respect, they are written in the tradition of many classic D&D modules, such as Keep on the Borderlands and Slave Pits of the Undercity.

Many published modules instead provide a fully developed story arc and narrative for the DM to follow. The author has already established the adventure’s overall narrative. A specific adventure hook often introduces the party to the adventure—a patron may hire the PCs to retrieve an item, investigate a location, or accomplish another objective. From there, the adventure commonly progresses through a series of interconnected scenarios, each leading to the next. Important NPCs often provide exposition, clues, and prepared dialogue that move the characters toward the next stage of the adventure, culminating in a planned climax. Because these adventures are built around a predetermined narrative, both the players and the DM are generally expected to follow that structure. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this approach, it leaves comparatively little room for the DM to personalize the material or allow the story to evolve naturally through play.

DUNGEON DELVE modules do not follow this narrative model. Instead, the DM and players determine how events unfold during play. In this way, they become participants in creating the adventure rather than simply following an author’s plot.

Understanding the Adventure

Each module explains what happened before the PCs arrive, the motivations of the villains and NPCs, what the locations are like, what can be found there, and how creatures are likely to react. Each encounter area is fully detailed, including the objects present, monsters, traps, hazards, and treasure. Rather than dictating exactly how the story must unfold, the module provides the information needed to bring the adventure to life. Unanswered questions are not oversights but deliberate opportunities for the DM to develop the adventure in ways that best suit the campaign.

Each module contains a loose story, but that story exists before the PCs arrive. Events are already in motion, villains pursue their own ambitions, NPCs have their own goals, and locations have histories independent of the player characters. For example, the five Orclase shades in Lords of Shadow have recently returned to their ancestral home and seek to reestablish rule in their former lands. These elements establish the situation rather than dictate the outcome. The consequences of the PCs’ actions are determined through play rather than prescribed by the author. The DM may simply allow the PCs to discover the adventure naturally and explore it, or build an elaborate campaign around the material. The modules are designed to support either approach equally well.

Modularity and Flexibility

Each adventure is modular. Its loose structure allows monsters, NPCs, treasures, encounters, and even entire sections to be altered or removed without requiring the rest of the adventure to be rewritten. Want to replace the hobgoblins with orcs? Go ahead. Want to remove an NPC? No problem. Want to expand the dungeon by adding another level? Do it. The adventure is designed to accommodate such changes with minimal effort.

For example, Night of the Demon-Dolls consists of two major parts: an investigation into a series of murders and a confrontation with the villain, Astarbul, in his lair. A DM can remove the investigation entirely and still run the lair with little to no alteration.

Likewise, every module is designed to be world-neutral. Specific references to kingdoms, politics, and campaign settings are intentionally minimized so the adventure can be placed just as easily in a home campaign as in an established setting such as the World of Greyhawk.

DUNGEON DELVE modules are DM-centered. Rather than presenting a predetermined story for players to experience, they offer situations, motives, locations, and tools—a living framework in which events unfold through play.

Hooks, Plots, and Campaign Integration

Adventure hooks are handled the same way. Every module includes one or more adventure hooks, but none are intended to be mandatory. Each hook is deliberately loose, allowing the DM to flesh out the details. The DM may replace it with one that better fits the campaign with very little effort. Many adventures even provide several possible hooks to choose from.

The plots themselves are equally flexible. Rather than functioning as straitjackets, they provide opportunities. Clues, rumors, and unresolved threads are scattered throughout the adventure for the DM to develop as desired. For example, Dungeons of the Dread Wyrm includes correspondence and records showing that the dragon Felmurnuzza has secretly controlled the rulers of a nation for years. With a small amount of development, these discoveries can become an entirely new adventure—or even a campaign—uncovering a conspiracy that extends far beyond the original module.

The Mystic Caverns of Enzirion may be approached as a straightforward dungeon exploration or woven into a much larger campaign, depending entirely upon the DM’s goals. For example, a noble may discover evidence that a famous wizard who disappeared years ago remains imprisoned beneath the caverns by a powerful enchantment. The caverns themselves remain unchanged, for the imprisoned wizard is already part of the adventure. Yet this premise transforms the adventure into a rescue mission rather than a simple expedition.

Running the Adventure

Once you have chosen an adventure hook, you may wish to add a story to the module. Make it as elaborate or as simple as you wish. You may want to introduce a story frame—a loose narrative that supports the action in the module. Read the module fully, become familiar with the locations, NPCs, and their motivations, then allow the players’ decisions to shape the course of the adventure. As play develops, follow the logic of the situation rather than the expectations of the text. You can find these seeds within the module itself. The sorceress Cinestra in Labyrinth of the Dweller is a prime example of a seed from which to build a story in that module. You may decide that she wishes to dupe the party into finding the Gate of the Gods and battling its guardian. Once they find it, she seeks to eliminate them and possess the powerful device. In this way, a villainous NPC assumes a larger role in the adventure, becoming more than merely an opponent for the player characters to fight.

Final Thoughts

Loose story structures, open-ended hooks, and modular design all serve the same purpose: they encourage adventures to emerge naturally through play rather than follow a predetermined narrative. This reflects the fundamental nature of Dungeons & Dragons as a game of shared creativity between the Dungeon Master and the players. Together, they determine where the story goes and how it unfolds. Every group therefore creates a unique adventure that no other group could exactly replicate. Understanding this philosophy will help you get the most from every DUNGEON DELVE module.

---