In this series, I am going to talk about things that I think every good dungeon should have. Of course your mileage may vary.

It’s a given that you shouldn’t have cameras out in dungeons, but now that we all have cameras in our pockets it’s almost impossible to make sure people don’t use them. Not to take pictures, but we’re on our phones all the time. Even if we’re not taking pictures, holding up our phones can make it seem like we are. 

At 1763, which I’ve mentioned in the past, it was against the rules to have your phone out while inside the dungeon (past the big double-doors). You had to step out to do anything; you couldn’t even check your notifications. Thankfully, many of the other dungeons I’ve been to have discovered that painter’s tape gets around a lot of these issues. 

Not only does painter’s tape come off quickly and not leave residue, but it’s also usually quite bright, so when you hold up your phone other people can see the tape and be reassured that you’re not taking pictures or video. It’s relatively inexpensive, and a little of it goes a long way because phone cameras aren’t that big. 

Being unable to use your phone these days feels like having an arm removed (or at the very least tied behind your back). And it can be important to have it handy — if you’re a parent, for example, you need to know if your kid is messaging you. Smartwatches help get around this issue, but it can be a pain to reply on one of them. If you’re going to have a dungeon, you need to make sure people are able to use all of their tools, and cell phones are tools. They just happen to have cameras on them, but a little painter’s tape will block that and allow safe phone usage in the dungeon.

Previously:

• Tables
• Normal Lighting
• An Aftercare Space
• Room to Play