The Dungeon Builder's Guidebook

Busily writing the Playing Card Dungeon (seriously need a jazzier name) book and a buddy lent me a copy of the Dungeon Builder’s Handbook, an AD&D sourcebook written by Bruce R. Cordell.

Its chock full of good ideas and I’m eagerly reading through, but it is becoming very clear that the book is an artefact of a different time. The entire first chapter outlines how to justify your dungeon and its ecology. The book seriously wants you to being building your dungeon not with corridors, rooms and traps, but with building a viable foodweb!
"Realistically, portraying the ecological interation within a dungeon setting requires you to consider the dietary needs of the creatures living therein.."
The game is called DUNGEONS and Dragons. All you ever need to justify a good dungeon are the words “ancient insane wizard”.

Still, the book is very useful and a lot of fun. Recommended for anyone planning an old school dungeon hack.