Decoration, fixtures and fittings in a dungeon provide atmosphere and color. In addition, such details can provide key plot hooks, information and RP opportunities.
This type of detail also allows your players to engage more deeply with your setting. You can utilize connections on Scabard between your dungeon and elements of your setting's backstory to achieve this.
History: You can convey important historical events through murals, tapestries or carved tablets. I've used a hall in an empty tower to depict its history in a series of tapestries. Ancient tablets can convey crucial information for a plot. They may be broken so that only a fragment is found at a time.
Mythology: If you have provided your players with a mythology for their setting a dungeon can reinforce it. A room filled with relics (actual or fake) from a mythical character's life can inspire your party. Items of myth don't have to come with a label attached! An innocuous item, quietly resting in a corner could be mythical in origin.
Information: Subtle decorative motifs can provide information about the dungeon. Use of color or particular items could denote specific hazards or rewards. The party may pick up on these - or they may not. Resist the temptation to drop hints. Eventually, the party will realise that small details can mean a lot.
RP: Puzzles or cryptic clues allow parties to 'talk out' a problem to find a solution together. The same is true of an item whose purpose or use is not immediately obvious. This is an easy win for the GM as the RP runs itself.
Got any tips for unusual items or decorations in a dungeon? Feel free to share on the Facebook forum!
And be sure to check out "Shhh! It's a Secret!" for more tips on injecting mystery into your campaign.
Happy Gaming,
-Stolph (Ed)
