> [!abstract] **Fool Proof Rules to a Dungeon** >1. Trust a flumph. >2. Before you drink from a fountain or pool, toss a copper coin into it. It’s a small price to pay for your life. >3. Sometimes a chest is just a chest, but don’t bet on it. >4. No one carves statues of frightened warriors. If you see one, keep your eyes closed and your ears open. >5. Don’t poke skeletons. Bludgeoning works best. >6. Keep a few gems in your pocket. A hungry Xorn is a helpful Xorn. >7. Before opening a sarcophagus, light a torch. >8. Traps mean someone wanted to keep you out. If a trap still works, that means there’s still plunder on the other side. >9. Some wards don’t follow their object. Don’t open interesting plunder until at least 100 feet away from ornate pedestals. >10. Do not trust attractive men and women in dungeons. >11. Glowing things that don’t do anything when poked with a pole, still might when poked with a finger. >12. Always wear gloves when handling strange objects. >13. Consider all objects removed from dungeons strange until proven otherwise (thoroughly) >14. Always ask permission to walk past a statue. It never hurts to be polite and it might save your life. >15. Do not kill a lich. They’ll just come back angrier. >16. You’d be surprised at how much in a dungeon is actually edible. That doesn’t make it a good idea to put anything in your mouth besides what you brought in with you. >17. Never interrupt anything willing to tell you a story. >18. Runic circles can be very good, very bad, or very boring. Unfortunately, it usually takes an intelligent being to determine this. Try to make sure your friend goes first. >19. Make offerings at any dais or altar you find and cannot identify. Unless you’re a paladin and your god is watching. >20. Always check behind tapestries and drapes. Similarly, always check beneath rugs. Do this with a 10-foot pole, in case you actually find something. >21. A spear or quarterstaff is not a proper substitute for a 10-foot pole. >22. Don’t mess with fungus. Yes, some can be eaten and most is harmless. Others eject spores that can kill you in less than a day. >23. Every adventurer should have a large towel. >24. If you find something powerful intentionally imprisoned in a dungeon, there’s probably something worse that put it there. If that thing isn’t gone, you should be.