Developing the Sandbox: Monster Lairs

This post is part of my series on developing the sandbox. You can read other posts in the series here. The series will, when necessary, go into detail on the development of my sandbox for Dungeon Module B1: In Search of the Unknown, but will also discuss sandbox development more generally. You can read play reports from my B1 campaign here."Wilderness" monster lairs (really "outdoor" monster lairs, since they can appear in inhabited as well as wilderness areas) have much in common with other location types in the sandbox. They're kind of like dungeons, and kind of like strongholds. Monsters can have lairs in dungeons. A stronghold is essentially the lair of its ruler or occupants. The Caves of Chaos is the quintessential monster lair in classic D&D, but it looks very much like a dungeon and plays very similarly to a stronghold, the difference being mainly one of aesthetics and the "personhood" of its inhabitants (i.e., whether or not it is socially acceptable to kill them). The Hall…