A dungeon’s social geography plots out how different groups of creatures feel about each other. Perhaps the orc shaman is jealous of the chieftain’s power and wants to seize control of the tribe. If the characters attack the chief, the shaman and his undead minions barricade themselves in the tribe’s shrine and wait for the adventurers to leave the area. Alternatively, perhaps the shaman attempts to parlay with the heroes, offering to lead the tribe to a different region along the frontier if they defeat the chieftain. You can easily keep track of these relationships by creating a diagram similar to a dungeon map. In some cases, your dungeon map can include symbols and notes that describe how the creatures within different dungeon chambers relate to one another. The following categories describe the different types of alliances, hatreds, and rivalries that can exist between two groups. Each is given its own game rules and a symbol you can use to mark the type of relationship that exists between two groups on a map.
When drawing a social geography map, you can either create a diagram separate from your dungeon map or simply include the social rela- tionship markings on your floor plan. Either method works fine, though in dungeons with complex relationships it is usually easiest to make a separate map.
When noting relationships on a dungeon map, draw lines between each encounter area that has some sort of connection. Next to each area, draw the appropriate symbol for the nature of the relationship with an arrow that shows the direction of the feelings. For example, two rival orc tribes maintain guardrooms along a large crevasse that runs through a cavern. The Axebloods are a vicious tribe of cannibalistic barbarians, while the Runeskulls are a savvy, experienced band of mercenaries. The Axebloods hate the Runeskulls because of their associations with humans, while the Runeskulls are afraid of the Axebloods because of their violent tempers and cannibalistic prac- tices. A line drawn between the two guard- rooms illustrates this connection. At the Axebloods’ chamber, the fear symbol, F, is draw with an arrow pointing at their guard- room, showing the Runeskulls fear the inhabitants of the room. An H for hatred is drawn with an arrow pointing towards
the Runeskull chamber, showing the inhabi- tants of the guardroom hate the Runeskulls. The reverse is true at the Runeskull chamber. The hatred symbol has an arrow pointing towards the Runeskull chamber, while the fear symbol’s arrow points away from it.
As you can gather, this can quickly become confusing if a single room has many relation- ships with other areas of the dungeon. In that case, it is best to create a separate diagram. Draw a box labeled either with an encounter’s keyed number from your dungeon map or a list of creatures that share the same relationships with other factions in the dungeon. Each box corresponds to an encounter area’s inhabitants or a group of creatures. You can then draw the relationships that exist within the dungeon between these boxes. This method has the advantage of being easier to read and organize, though sometimes during play it can be more difficult to refer to two different maps. Generally speaking, unless you are an experi- enced DM it is best to use this system in small doses at first until you get the hang of it. Design relationships between important NPCs, powerful monsters, and other notable creatures in a dungeon. The rank and file orcs, skeletons, and ogres can simply share their leaders’ atti- tudes and you can ignore their role in personal grudges and alliances.
You can apply these attitudes both to large groups and individuals. The general meaning of each attitude remains the same, though the specific implementation differs between a group and a single NPC. For example, two orc tribes at war may launch raids, fight skirmish- es, and so on. However, two NPCs in the same tribe who are at war may hire assassins, seek to discredit each other and seize power, and so on.
Neutral: This is the default attitude that exists
between two groups of creatures. They have no particular strong feelings towards each other in either direction, lacking both any particular motivations to aid each other or to harm one another. These groups pay little mind to each other’s actions and try to avoid contact. If adventurers attack one of these groups, the other makes no effort to lend any aid. Any actions they take are purely to bolster their own defenses and fortify the sections of the dun- geon they control. They make no aggressive moves unless doing so benefits them. Over time, these groups can develop any of the
relationships listed below depending on any threats they share, the characters’ actions, and other subsequent developments in a dungeon. A neutral relationship has no symbol. If two groups are both neutral towards each other, no lines connect them. There simply is no rela- tionship between them.
Alliance: The group shares the goals of its
neighbors and actively takes steps to assist them. If they hear the sounds of battle, they rush forward to aid their fellows. They also offer other forms of support, including healing, magical spells, and other resources. However, the alliance does not make one group the vassal of another. While they assist in repelling attackers and work together to drive out adven- turers, the allied group takes care of its own needs first. If adventurers attack a dungeon, the allied group may send aid but it does not strip its own defenses to assist its neighbors. An alliance can benefit only one party. For example, a tribe of kobolds may be allies to a group of orcs, but the orcs may be neutral to the kobolds. The puny kobolds are used as slaves and laborers by the orcs, but without the bigger humanoids’ protection, the kobolds would surely face defeat by a nearby gang of goblins. Thus, the kobolds send reinforcements to aid the orcs, but not vice versa.
An alliance is symbolized with a capital A.
Fanatical Devotion: This relationship is simi-
lar to an alliance except the group that harbors these feelings gladly ignores its own wants and needs in favor of its neighbor’s desires. Creatures that are fanatical to a particular NPC or monster gladly lay down their lives, abandon the section of the dungeon they control to help their leader defend his own, and otherwise place the object of their devotion’s goals above their own. If these creatures hear the sound of combat coming from an area inhabited by crea- tures to whom they are devoted, they throw themselves into the fray without a moment’s hesitation. For all intents and purposes, an NPC or group that has a fanatical ally exercises absolute control over that particular group of supporters.
If you use the morale rules given earlier in this section, fanatical creatures never need to make Will saves for morale when fighting in the
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name of their chosen leader. Their determina- tion and blind faith cause them to gladly die for the object of their worship.
Fanatical devotion is symbolized with the let- ters FT.
Fear: Creatures that are forced to dwell near a
powerful, antagonistic group of monsters may strive to avoid them, devote an inordinate amount of time and resources to defending themselves against a potential attack from them, and do whatever is necessary to placate them. This is a fear relationship. In this case, a group of creatures does not aid or ally with its neighbors, but is too intimidated to take any direct action against them. Consider a tribe of goblins that lives near a mob of trolls. The gob- lins cannot hope to defeat the trolls, but some- times the brutes raid their village. The goblins would be glad to see a band of adventurers defeat the trolls, but they would never risk their own necks to deal with the problem them- selves. They do not take action against the trolls, but they do not aid anyone who would try to destroy them.
If you use the morale rules, creatures that have a fear relationship against a species or group suffer a –2 morale penalty to Will saves for morale in encounters against the group or mon- ster they fear.
Fear is noted with the letters FR.
Friendship: While an alliance indicates that
two groups share similar goals and aid each other, a friendship marks a much deeper bond. Not only do the two groups work together, but they also consider each other close allies and place their friends’ interests and safety on the same level as their own. An allied group may cease to aid its neighbors when doing so proves too costly or runs counter to its interests. A friend, somewhat like a fanatic, provides what- ever material support is necessary and embraces its neighbors’ goals and security as its own.
An ally never weakens its own defenses or uses up critical resources to help its neighbor. A friendly group gladly pushes aside its own needs to assist and support a neighbor. Generally, friendship relationships work in both directions. If group A treats group B as a friend, then group B feels the same way about
A. Only in cases of an extremely clever decep- tion or magical influence (such as a charm per-
son spell used by a kobold shaman to subvert a
gnoll tribe’s leader) should a group be friendly to another without a reciprocal relationship. Friendships are the result of long periods of mutual aid and cooperation. They should be rare between evil creatures, especially if two groups are from different races.
Friendship is noted with the letters FD.
Hatred: The most common attitude between
groups of dungeon dwellers that co-exist in an uneasy peace, hatred arises when two groups come into direct competition for resources and grow to take direct action against one another. Hatred is just short of open warfare. Minor skirmishes may be common between the groups, but a greater threat (such as adventur- ers) stops them from devoting too much energy to toppling each other. These groups never take steps to aid one another and take every oppor- tunity to hinder each other’s efforts. Adventurers may be able to forge temporary alliances with a monster that hates the PCs’ current opponent.
Hatred is marked with an H.
War: This attitude denotes open hostilities
between two groups. Skirmishes occur daily between them, while minor battles are a week- ly occurrence. If either side has a chance to ally with an outsider, it gladly takes the opportunity to gain any advantage in the conflict. The key difference between hatred and war is that in the former, neither side makes an active, concen- trated effort to destroy the other. A group may wish to destroy the object of its hatred, but does not have the will or resources to commit to an armed struggle.
Normally, if one side is at war with a group then their opponent shares the same relation- ship. However, in some cases one group could have this state while its opponent displays hatred or a neutral attitude. In this case, the warlike group conducts a guerilla campaign or relies on stealth and trickery.
War is marked with a W.