repopulating a dungeon

[Torpin]

So my players are planning on leaving a dungeons to head back to town for a night before returning to the dungeon. Its a multilevel dungeon, 5 floors, now once they clear an entire floor its a safe zone.At this point im debating weather or or not something should move into one of the empty rooms. what do you do in this scenario. Im leaning towards one of the wandering monsters for one of the rooms. so what im asking
how long before you put new monsters in a dungeon
are the above or below the CR of the dungeon.

[Gallowglass]

I mean, do you know what else is in the dungeon or are you making it up as you go along?

Assuming you know what else is in the dungeon, ask yourself how they respond overnight to what the adventurers have done? Are they aware of it? Do they respond by moving in to the now empty area, securing it and preparing to ambush the adventurers when they returns? Do they respond by moving in to the now empty area and searching it, securing it, but are unaware that the adventurers will return? Do they respond by setting new traps and bracing for an assault by whoever killed the upstairs neighbor?

The classic dungeon is filled with creatures that have no interaction with everything else in the dungeon. That's how you end up with cockatrices just one slim wooden door away from a bunch of orcs sitting around a poker table. Its an ecology of idiocy. And there's nothing wrong with that. That's perfectly fine. If that's what you have, then just proceed like playing a diablo game.

But normally I would have the rest of the dungeon respond to the intrusion in logical ways. I try to build ecologies that make at least some sense and assume that the dungeon denizens must interact in some ways.

[Eldariel]

So my players are planning on leaving a dungeons to head back to town for a night before returning to the dungeon. Its a multilevel dungeon, 5 floors, now once they clear an entire floor its a safe zone.At this point im debating weather or or not something should move into one of the empty rooms. what do you do in this scenario. Im leaning towards one of the wandering monsters for one of the rooms. so what im asking
how long before you put new monsters in a dungeon
are the above or below the CR of the dungeon.

Depends a lot on the dungeon. And dungeons have no CR. I'd just roll to see when local random encounters take place there and have them stay, unless the inhabitants from the rest of the dungeon are the type that would take the opportunity to regain territory/reinforce their defenses. A Hobgoblin base/temple/city would certainly take measures to not only reclaim the lost territory but to also arm every available member of the population, build barricades, use defensive magic and in general, prepare to deflect any further intrusions. Shambling uncontrolled mindless dead might or might not, depending on where chance takes them, happen to enter the area. A random Purple Worm or similar might find a convenient nest site at least initially, if there are any around. But yeah, roll the local random encounter table and see what happens; that's the reason it's for.

[Hackulator]

I would not "repopulate" the dungeon in a single night, that seems kind of unlikely unless there is some active force causing the repopulation.

HOWEVER, what I might do is have the monsters from the lower levels, at least the ones who are intelligent, now realize they are under attack and be prepared for the heroes return, possibly with traps or ambushes set up in the previously cleared area.

[Torpin]

I mean, do you know what else is in the dungeon or are you making it up as you go along?

Assuming you know what else is in the dungeon, ask yourself how they respond overnight to what the adventurers have done? Are they aware of it? Do they respond by moving in to the now empty area, securing it and preparing to ambush the adventurers when they returns? Do they respond by moving in to the now empty area and searching it, securing it, but are unaware that the adventurers will return? Do they respond by setting new traps and bracing for an assault by whoever killed the upstairs neighbor?

The classic dungeon is filled with creatures that have no interaction with everything else in the dungeon. That's how you end up with cockatrices just one slim wooden door away from a bunch of orcs sitting around a poker table. Its an ecology of idiocy. And there's nothing wrong with that. That's perfectly fine. If that's what you have, then just proceed like playing a diablo game.

But normally I would have the rest of the dungeon respond to the intrusion in logical ways. I try to build ecologies that make at least some sense and assume that the dungeon denizens must interact in some ways.

it is not a random dungeon, ive already designed 4 of the 5 levels and have a good idea whats the bottom level. the dungeon itself is a shrine to orcus


And dungeons have no CR. . i mean cr of the inhabitants

[Eldariel]

it is not a random dungeon, ive already designed 4 of the 5 levels and have a good idea whats the bottom level. the dungeon itself is a shrine to orcus
i mean cr of the inhabitants

Be that as it may, the CR of the new creatures should naturally be determined by the environment, i.e. where the new creatures could come from. Whenever you leave a task unfinished, it's fully possible that enemies beyond your power now inhabit it (not to say that the same couldn't be true for targets you attack the first time; all depends on the surveillance). In this case, demons and undead from planes might or might not be interested. Depending on how well monitored said shrine is, of course outside help might be sent in the case of an attack and if the users are intelligent, they'll certainly setup their defenses in such a way that they use all the space available to them as well as their wits allow. Beasts may use it as a shelter though Orcus in particular would lead me to believe there's desecrate or something in place, and beasts avoid undead so that's out if this is the case. Generally not, but again, roll and give it like 1-10% chance. You don't need to arbitrarily decide, you have dice (and probably tables of your own) to tell you what happens in the world.

[King of Nowhere]

the rest of the inhabitants of the dungeon, seeing that the first floor got slaughtered, decided that's too dangerous and escaped overnight. Of course, they brought anything valuable with them (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0024.html). :smallcool:

but really, i would decide judging on who are the other inhabitants of the dungeon.

[Troacctid]

Orcus is involved? Perfect. All the enemies they killed before have now risen again as undead.

[Godskook]

A group of rookie delvers were planning on raiding the place after the PCs left, and were waiting in hiding for the PCs to leave. When the PCs left, they went in to claim any leftovers. While down there, they find something "good", but it's stuck in the wall, and they still can't get it out. When the PCs return, the rookies refuse to leave and refuse to share "their" find, although they'd prefer if the PCs just didn't know. The delvers will fight if pressed and will reject any deal for less than a 75% of what they found. PCs can ignore them(nothing happens, the rookies don't interfere), they can talk to them, or murder-hobo them, for appropriate rewards.

[Saintheart]

Shortest answer for repopulating a dungeon after the party's trundled through it wading in monsters' blood?

Scavengers and carrion eaters. Rats, carrion crawlers, insect swarms, stuff that feeds off the dead or recently-dead.

[Torpin]

Orcus is involved? Perfect. All the enemies they killed before have now risen again as undead.

Good call, im gonna go with this thanks