Back in the earliest days of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Gary Gygax tucked a little treasure into the back of the Dungeon Masters Guide. Appendix A was a collection of tables for generating entire dungeons on the fly - rooms, passages, traps, treasures, and monsters, all dictated by the roll of dice. Pure imagination fuel! The catch? It was all words and charts.
In 2012, Paul Hughes of Blog of Holding reimagined the whole thing as a sprawling visual poster. His Random Dungeon Generator As A Dungeon Map lets you literally follow the arrows through the chaos, with whimsical old-school illustrations capturing the spirit of early D&D. Join Rediscovered Realms as we sally forth through this visual masterpiece!
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This Week’s Rediscovered Realms Theme Song:
Step into the twisting dark, where every echo hides a secret and every turn could lead to glory . . . or doom. The Endless Labyrinth comes alive in two rock-infused versions - one hard and heavy, the other soaring with 1980s flair. Which path through the maze will you choose?
Appendix A first appeared in 1979 — The AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide was published in ’79, and Appendix A gave DMs the tools to whip up endless dungeons on demand.
The problem was it took a bit of a learning curve to use it effectively.
For anyone who is looking to play with this Appendix, a couple years back,
Kickstarted in 2012 — Paul Hughes launched this 2’ x 3’ poster through Kickstarter, attracting classic D&D fans who wanted to see Appendix A visualized.
Illustrated like an adventure — The poster’s arrows and cartoon adventurers echo the marginalia of TSR modules and Dragon Magazine, giving it an instantly nostalgic feel.
Usable at the table — It’s not just art. You can still run a dungeon with it, mapping out paths and rolling dice to see where your heroes end up.
Still available today — Paul continues to sell the poster directly on his blog (blogofholding.com), more than a decade after its original release.
I love the creativity of this poster and how it makes the dungeon-building process circuitously iterative (in a fun way!) by following the yellow arrows. (And of course, the old school style D&D art is a blast!)
Appendix A has always been a testament to the wild creativity at the heart of Dungeons & Dragons. With Paul Hughes’ illustrated poster, the random dungeon generator feels less like a spreadsheet and more like a sprawling, chaotic adventure map begging to be explored. Whether you use it as an excuse to roll some dice or just to spark dungeon-building inspiration, it’s proof that even the driest rules can become works of art in the right hands. Until next time, may your corridors twist endlessly onward, Bold Adventurer!
Have you ever tried using the Appendix A dungeon generator in the original Dungeon Masters Guide?
Do you prefer random dungeons for the chaos, or carefully designed maps for the drama?
Would you hang a poster like this in your game room - or actually use it at the table?
For those like me who love random tables, here are a couple well-reviewed Dungeon-themed books on Amazon!
You can find these books and more in Brodryk’s 🏰brand new shelf🏰 at the Rediscovered Realms Amazon Storefront: “Gamemaster Tools & Aids: Forge Your Next Adventure”(Make sure to offer suggestions for items you love that I should add here.)
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The Endless Labyrinth [Verse 1] Stone on stone, the silence grows Through winding halls where no one knows Whispers ride the torch’s flame Every step, it calls your name [Pre-Chorus] Turn the corner, shadows gleam Walls that shift like broken dreams Echoes lead where fate may hide Choose the path, or be denied [Chorus] In the endless labyrinth, secrets wait unseen Treasure clad in silver light, or terror in between Every door’s a question, every hall’s a snare The endless labyrinth keeps you wandering there [Verse 2] Dust of ages, cold and deep Eyes in darkness never sleep Runes that twist, a riddle’s snare Open hearts to wild despair [Pre-Chorus] Dice of fate behind the veil Chance decides if you prevail Golden halls or dungeon tomb Every step could spell your doom [Chorus] In the endless labyrinth, secrets wait unseen Treasure clad in silver light, or terror in between Every door’s a question, every hall’s a snare The endless labyrinth keeps you wandering there [Bridge] Corridors that fold in lies Lamplight dim, shadows fly Will you find the promised prize Or be devoured where silence hides? [Final Chorus] In the endless labyrinth, secrets weave their song Fortune favors fleeting steps, but danger lingers long Every stone remembers, every echo dares The endless labyrinth keeps you wandering there [Outro] Stone on stone, the silence grows… And the labyrinth never lets go. Never let's go . . .
The artwork on both the original tables and the poster are perfect. The monster table on the poster is great as it gives DM note doodles vibes. Definitely a "if I ever get the space" top choice item.
I have not heard of this appendix but will def check it out now and yes, if I get the poster I will hang it in my game room.
The artwork on both the original tables and the poster are perfect. The monster table on the poster is great as it gives DM note doodles vibes. Definitely a "if I ever get the space" top choice item.