The Psychological Environment (CSC)

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Dungeons and other underground complexes touch a note deep within all of us. There is a certain fear or uneasiness associated with subterranean realms which even the bravest explorers must admit to at some point.
Think back to when you were a child. At one point or another, each of us found our own "dungeon". Maybe it was a narrow fissure in the side of a cliff near your home or the basement of an old, abandoned house on the outskirts of town. Whatever it was, there were only two things about it that you were sure of: first, that it was full of ghost or monsters and second, that you weren't about to go in there alone.
Now, of course, you can look back on the incident and smile. There probably weren't any monsters in there after all and maybe you even got the courage up to explore it one day. But, when you think back to it today, I'll bet you still feel a sense of wonder and a little tingle of fear. It's that little tingle that a good dungeon setting can rekindle in all of us.
==Isolation==
Perhaps the most dramatic psychological aspect of a dungeon quest is that it places the characters in a situation where they are cut off from the rest of the world. In some cases, this sense of isolation is founded simply on the knowledge that they have travelled several hundred yards beneath the surface of the earth and are not likely to encounter anyone else here. At least, not anyone who doesn't want to use them as target practice or the main course at a monster buffet.
In other cases, the sense of isolation may be reinforced by a physical barrier which impedes not only any chance of rescue, but any chance of a quick escape. Examples of physical isolation techniques might include a cave-in which seals off the route which lead the party to this point or a series of iron gates which have slammed shut behind them.
When we are dealing with physical isolation and the means by which the dungeon master inflicts it upon his players, it is important to avoid obvious plot devices and wild coincidences. For example, having a cavern collapse behind the party without reason simply to trap them in the dungeon is generally a bad move. In addition to being an obviously engineered plot device, it detracts from the suspension of disbelief which is vital to any game.
Of course, this doesn't mean that you can never use such a device in your plots, simply keep in mind that you are planning to use one and then justify it ahead of time. If the party is constantly reminded of the creaking timbers holding up the dungeon ceiling and are pelted with minor rockfalls from time to time, then a big cave-in behind them will seem more like a stroke of good fortune ("At least it didn't fall on us!") than a plot device.
Another means of inducing physical isolation, that of an intentional barrier which is obviously sprung on the players like a trap, has its own unique advantages. By the same token, it has its drawbacks in the dungeon and must be used with care.
If an iron portcullis comes crashing down behind the party, it must be there for a reason. In all probability, such a trap is set up ahead of time by a band of raiders (goblins, kobolds, or whatever) who plan to ambush passers by as soon as it falls. While the characters have their attention turned to the gate which has just slammed loudly into place, they are attacked by the raiders. Simple enough.
In other cases, the gate (or whatever isolation mechanism is being employed) will be unleashed by someone with more in mind than simply robbing the party. As soon as the party enters the sewers underneath the Tower of the Mad Wizard he might drop iron gates and wizard lock all the exits to keep them from leaving so that he can play cat and mouse with them. In cases like this, the characters should be made aware that not only are they now isolated from the outside world, but also that the bad guys know exactly where they are. Try this the next time to you want to watch a party of powerful characters overcome with fear and apprehension.
==Alienation==
Another aspect of the dungeon style adventure is the fact that it forces the characters to confront an environment which is quite alien to them. There are numerous hazards which exist underground and not on the surface world. Although any of these hazards might be easily dealt with and discounted in a more familiar setting, the fact that they all exist simultaneously in the vast reaches of the underground can be quite overwhelming to a character.
Examples of the ways in which an unfamiliar environment can disorient or confuse a character are unending, but here are a few of the most common ones:
Keeping Track of Time is very difficult in a dungeon. On the surface, in their homes, characters could depend on a faithful grandfather clock or hourglass to mark the passing of the day. While miniaturized watches might be available from the finest dwarven craftsmen, they are not common by any means. Waterclocks or hourglasses, while they will keep excellent track of time if left undisturbed, do not function if carried in a backpack or subjected to numerous shocks. Even the ages old skill of knowing the time based on the elevation of the sun fails you when the sun is hidden from view by half a mile of bedrock.
The inability of the players to keep track of time with any degree of accuracy can be a very useful plot device; especially if they are on a mission where time is of the essence.
Sense of Direction is another easily disrupted thing which most of us take for granted every day. In an environment which is new to you, like the twisting tunnels of a dungeon, it is all but impossible for the average person to keep track of their compass points. Of course, there are means by which this can be overcome (a magnetic compass, for example) but these can be fooled or destroyed.
Other traditional means for determining position and heading, such as taking a bearing on the sun, moon, or stars, fail when far beneath the surface.
Obviously, being forced to resort to "seat of the pants" mapping can force the party to make "best guess" maps which may or may not be accurate enough to save their lives when everything hits the fan. It's this kind of uncertainty that has resulted in more than one party of dungeon delvers developing an acute case of paranoia.
==The Home Field Advantage==
This is a term which we can use to describe the culmination of a party's sense of isolation and alienation. In short, it boils down to this: the monsters and inhabitants of the dungeon know every passage and crawlway in their subterranean mazes, but you don't. Even races of otherwise insignificant creatures, like goblins or kobolds, can employ this knowledge to misdirect explorers, set up deadly ambushes, or lure their enemies into lethal traps.
Perhaps the best way to use this in a game is to arrange for a party of explorers to stumble into ambush after ambush as they travel through a dungeon. At each turn, a volley of darts or arrows flies at them to inflict minor damage. When they rush to the counter attack, however, they find nothing left to fight. The fiends have used their skills and knowledge of the tunnels to evade their attackers.
Another possibility is the suicide squad. Here, a small group draws the party's attention and then flees, hoping to lure the characters into a hot pursuit. After numerous twists and turns, during which the dungeon delvers almost overtake their foes on several occasions, the players find that they have been tricked. They have followed the bait and are now in a very dangerous situation. Perhaps they now face an army of creatures who surround them on all sides or they have been lured right into the lair of a very powerful monster. Whatever the end result, they have been tricked because they did not know the area nearly as well as the creatures who inhabit it.
==Controlability==
This is another factor which deserves to be mentioned at this time as it is one of the best "selling points" for a dungeon based campaign. In short, the point we need to make is that the dungeon master has a great deal of control over the actions of his players in an underground campaign. In a campaign set above ground, in a city for example, the players can opt to move in any direction and pursue courses of action wholly unplanned for by the referee. While this is not totally eliminated in a dungeon setting, it is greatly reduced.
Of course, this feature of a dungeon campaign not only makes the referee's job a little easier, it also makes things easier for a new player to understand. A novice gamer can often be left confused and overwhelmed by the multitude of choices available to him or her in a city or wilderness campaign, hi a dungeon, where the choice of actions is usually far more limited, they may feel more in control of the situation and better understand what is going on in the game.