User manual

Run a dungeon before the table gets restless.

This manual is the public guide for Dungeons on Automatic. It explains the workflow, what each control means, how to export useful files, and how to recover when a seed has developed professional objections.

Quick start

  1. Choose a dungeon size, biome mix, party CER, challenge profile, generosity, door security, and travel distance.
  2. Select the source books your table actually uses, then apply the staged source changes before generating.
  3. Add a Session Brief if you want a theme, tone, set-piece request, danger hint, or party spotlight.
  4. Generate a seed. Review the GM map, player map, and room list.
  5. Lock any rooms you want to preserve, then reroll specific details as needed.
  6. Export the map and room key into your prep tool or VTT.
Best first run: Standard size, 4 biomes, Average challenge, 100% generosity, Standard door security, and the default required sources. Raise danger after you know the party's appetite for terrible architectural decisions.

Generator controls

ControlWhat it doesGood first value
SeedLocks the generation run so the same settings produce the same dungeon.Random, then save it
SizeSets the map footprint and rough room capacity. Values are Compact, Standard, and Large.Standard
BiomesControls the major terrain or theme regions allocated by the BSP pass. The UI supports 2-8 biomes.4 biomes
RoomsControls room density. Values are Sparse, Scattered, Tight, and Dense.Scattered or Tight
Room sizeSets the preferred room scale from Tiny through Colossal.Standard middle values
Corridor profileShapes corridor behavior. Values are Labyrinthian, Squiggly, Wandering, Organized, and Straight.Wandering
Dead endsChanges branch and cul-de-sac frequency. Values are None, Few, Some, Most, and All.Some
StairsControls whether the generated level includes stair features for later connection or export.Yes
TeleportersAdds rare or frequent portal-style connections when the dungeon calls for less conventional circulation.Off
Party CERSets the party capability used by encounter and danger placement.Your table's current CER
ChallengeAdjusts how often the dungeon leans into threat, hazard, and pressure.Average
Door securitySets how severe door locks, bars, and complications can become. Values are None, Basic, Standard, Secure, and Deathtrap.Standard
TravelFrames how far the dungeon sits from home base. Values are Random, Nearby, Next Dungeon Over, Lost, and Very Far.Random
GenerosityShapes treasure hook density and reward pacing. Values are 50%, 100%, 200%, 300%, and 400%.100%

Source-book filtering

Required sources stay locked on so the generator has the structural data it needs. Monster books can be bulk enabled or disabled, and source changes are staged until you choose Apply or Generate.

Profiles and persistence

Generation profiles can be exported and imported. The app also persists your last settings locally so a table setup survives a restart.

Session Brief and Dungeon Intent

Before generation, the Session Brief can capture tonight's theme, factions, tone, set pieces, danger target, and skills or advantages you want to spotlight. You can fill it in directly; with a local LLM connected, Suggest chips and the optional Dungeon Interview can turn loose notes into structured brief fields.

After generation, Dungeon Intent gives you finer control: brief Markdown, global tag bias, region-specific pressure, and set-piece requests. Room-level course correction can reroll encounters, treasure, or a zone with optional tag bias.

The AI serves as a director. Suggestions become typed tool calls, deterministic generation passes, or schema-checked prose. Source-filtered DFRPG data and validators remain authoritative.

Maps and room keys

The GM map contains everything: room numbers, secret doors, hazards, keys, encounters, markers, GM lights, treasure hooks, and notes. The player map removes hidden or GM-only information so it can be safely shared during play.

Map controls

The map view includes biome underlay and grid toggles, pan and zoom controls, and zoom-to-fit for returning to the full dungeon view.

Room keys

Each room entry is meant to be used at the table. It should include room purpose, visible features, encounter pressure, treasure hooks or scaled treasure notes, hazards, doors, and tags that explain why the room belongs where it does.

Exports

FormatUse it for
JSONFull generator state for debugging, reproducibility, local storage, or later import.
PNG GMGM map image with private labels, markers, lights, and operational details.
PNG PlayerPlayer-safe map image for handouts and table display.
FoundryFoundry scene JSON with map data and VTT setup information.
Foundry + map imageFoundry scene JSON using an external PNG, JPEG, or WebP map as the scene background.
UVTT GMUniversal VTT .dd2vtt with embedded map image, walls, portals, lights, and GM-facing data.
UVTT PlayerUniversal VTT .dd2vtt player version with hidden details removed where applicable.
Placement TSVTabular placement data for audit, debugging, spreadsheets, or custom prep workflows.
Markdown GMGM room key for Obsidian, campaign notes, and printable prep.
GCS NPC bundleGenerated NPC data packaged for a GURPS Character Sheet workflow.

Player-safe behavior

Player exports hide secret or GM-only details, room labels, GM lights, markers, encounters, traps, treasure hooks, and notes where applicable.

VTT precision

Foundry scene JSON is available today. Universal VTT exports include embedded map images, walls, portals, lights, and GM/player modes. Importer hardening remains active roadmap work.

Stage Manager

The Stage Manager is the in-character director layer and the real progress/event surface. Kovath, Zarlzazz, Vorga, and Mizzik narrate what the generator is doing while generation, validation, exports, and polish work happen underneath.

Local AI direction and narrative polish

Local AI is optional. Connect Ollama, LM Studio, or llama.cpp in Settings to enable brief suggestions, the Dungeon Interview, director actions, and narrative polish. The desktop app talks to the provider running on your own machine.

LLM director actions use a constrained list of validated tool calls. Source filters and structural validators review every proposed DungeonState change.

Current limitations

  • Generation is single-level today.
  • Stairs can be placed and exported. Multi-floor graphing is future work.
  • Universal VTT importer QA is ongoing.
  • Custom treasure per room and custom container tables remain roadmap work.
  • Hallways currently use fixed widths.

Troubleshooting

The dungeon feels too lethal

Lower challenge, reduce peril-heavy biomes, or reroll encounters while keeping the room layout locked.

The map feels too linear

Increase size, raise branch/dead-end tolerance, or add a second biome to force more internal transitions.

The VTT import is misaligned

Confirm the target grid size, export scale, and whether the VTT expects pixels per square or square size in scene units.

I need to report a bug

Keep the seed, settings, app version, export format, and the room number or map area where the problem appears. That is the incident report. The staff will pretend to appreciate it.