A dungeon should be the focal point of a game (at least for characters of 1-4 levels) this is because it gives the newbie adventurers a place to build levels quickly and gives them a sense of accomplishment when they are done.

By no means should all game sessions take place in a dungeon and the dungeon should not be the extent of the game masters world.

A good game master will use the dungeon concept with care and not often enough to have players dreading the nights they go spelunking. A good dungeon can be used to provide a means of character development in the game as the assembled players are just starting to learn about each others characters in early level play. A dungeon should be placed near or around the vicinity of a town or city so the pc's have a place to go and heal, rest, and spend some new found loot. As the characters begin to find fame in their communities the opportunity for more substantial adventuring becomes likely.

As a rule of thumb no dungeon should be impossible to escape from or too hard to clear and finish. If a less than capable group of characters get themselves killed off on the first go then the dungeon is probably not appropriate for a decent and well spent gaming session. Always remember that at no time is it ever game master vs. players (or vice versa). The dungeon should have a logical reason for being where it is and a history of its original purpose. It is always better for the players to feel that they have discovered something important in the game world, and gives the world a history, adding to its complexity and playability. This also gives credibility to the world as a whole.

A good dungeon should be well mapped, and therefore relatively easy to be mapped by the players (an erasable game surface is good for showing the pc's the layouts as they go). Any traps or tricks in the dungeon should be pre-planned as well, so that there is no confusion when it comes time to apply them.

If your dungeon carries a secret that must be discovered by the players then don't make it too hard to learn or to overdone to be fun. A good balance can be achieved as the dungeon is created. The monsters found in the dungeon should be within the pc's ability to deal with, the total hit dice of these creatures should not exceed the total levels of the pc's. For instance, 4 pc's levels 2, 3, 1, 2 would have a combined total of 8 so the average monster's (in any given encounter)  could be 16 1/2 hit die types, 2 four hit die types, 4 two hit die types and so on, or any combination of these so long as they don't completely overtake the pc's in power or strength. The Boss of the dungeon, or most powerful creature could as in the instance, be an 8 hit die type but that would probably be too much for the pc's to handle. However, that 8 hit die type might manage to escape the clutches of the pc's, leading to other adventures involving this new found nemesis. This can be an exciting way to lead pc's into whole new adventures, and gives them a common foe to fight.

We have pre-made adventures appearing regularly in this web-site and are perfect examples of how good games are made and run.