Is It Time For Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition: Dungeon Delve?

4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons was great for many people, but it just didn't hit the spot for others. As a group, we enjoyed our time with the game and tried out hand at two different campaigns, but it always felt like a glorified miniatures game rather than a role-playing toolkit. However, it was great for Dungeon Delve...

Dungeon Delve was an awesome way for you to get stuck into Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition. Each encounter included in the book was tailored towards a particular level of character, starting off at Level 1 and running all the way through to (I think) Level 32.

The idea of Dungeon Delve was that it could be used by a struggling Dungeon Master when they were running short of ideas, or simply as part of a larger campaign if needed. We used it (although for only a few sessions) as a way to power through levels and try our hand at new characters we might not have considered before. 

You could simply sit down with your friends, roll up a Level 1 character, and get stuck into the game very quickly indeed with all of the work done for you. Once you were done with that map you could leap forward into Level 2, 3, 4 and beyond just as easily. 

It might not be everybody's cup of tea but for those that might not be able to get in a big campaign with their friends, this was a great way of leaping into Dungeons & Dragons, slaying some bad guys and feeling like you'd accomplished something at the end of the evening too.

Time To Delve In 5th?

This is where 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons comes in. Whilst it might not be as 'arcade based' as it predecessor it would be fun to have a book much like Dungeon Delve from 5th Edition which provides you with a range of different encounters for those at early levels all the way through to 'paragon' and epic'. 

I could certainly be up for stepping up to become the Dungeon Master for a few of these encounters and then switch out for someone else when I feel like playing instead. As with 4th Edition, I could see myself really enjoying powering through levels and unlocking some of the potential that we rarely get to see at those higher levels. 

There's always the option of playing something like Dungeon Delve without a Dungeon Master at all. We used to play the 4th Edition version without one, using our own common sense to dictate what the monsters would do instead. Of course, there is something to be said for a player taking control of the monsters and it can be a fun experience, especially if you've never done it before, but it's also good for everyone to be on the same page too having a co-operative experience. 

Whilst it would be great for groups to be able to get stuck into rich stories and develop their characters, sometimes we just don't have time for that. Plus, you can fall in love with a character from one of these 'Dungeon Delves' just as easily as the one you've worked on for a proper campaign. Heck, I think my Wizard from 4th Edition; Balthazar, was brilliant!

If anyone knows of folks out there who have been working on Dungeon Delve-esque material then it would be great to hear about it. Something official from Wizards Of The Coast would be a big winner though I think. 

What do you reckon to a D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Delve supplement?