Tenkar’s visual descriptions

 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ew-tZ9OmiaU&t=592s

Tenkar's notes say: An escalation ladder (from vibe → evidence → first bite → commitment) so danger is readable before it’s fatal.

Tenkar’s 3 things to hint at big danger (thx to ohfoti)

1. Senses: a vague foreboding or sense of doom 
2. Physical Evidence: an obvious or visible example of how deadly
3. Actionable: a hint on the type of danger, but you can avoid. 

Senses Examples (his notes say: Sensory cues that raise the hair on your neck without giving away the answer) (Monster signatures that hint at the threat without naming it)

• A large slime trail on floor. A terrible smell between wet dog and rot. = clue of black poudding. Or gel cube. 
• Massive tuft Of shed fur
• Coins fused in corner from massive heat. 
• Webs too big for normal spider. 
• You feel a chill in your bones
• Torches burn twice as fast here
• Corridor drains heat
• *** Green Slime is deadly: Clean cave, maybe a piece of armor or a weapon that was partially dissolved, if you want to be generous, a piece can drop 10' in front of the party that lands with a sizzle - they don't see it, just hear the flop and fizz

Physical Evidence- (his notes say: Environmental tells that show “proof” the dungeon has teeth) 

• Animals wont go near
• Priest’s holy symbol cracked in half when tried to bless the place
• People came back, couldn’t speak (tongue swollen). Died 24 hrs. 

Still on Physical Evidence, plus Actionable? -  (his notes say: Environmental tells that show “proof” the dungeon has teeth) 

• You see animals frozen (petrified) in the middle of the room. (Instead of saying you see a basilisk). 
• A statue’s gaze makes your skin itch, you lose 1 dex for ~hour (1d6 turns or something) Shows this dungeon has TEETH. 
• 
  
• Trap near miss, darts thud into wall where your head was. Shows this dungeon has TEETH. 
• Fungus spores… cough for d6 turns hours, cant sneak. Shows this dungeon has TEETH. 

Actionable (make a decision to not get nuked)(notes: NPC warnings and rumors that are specific, actionable, and actually useful)

• Maybe just being able to escape is the whole idea. 
• Scrapings on the wall says go the other way.
• Scratchings on the wall say a mirror will help (vs. basilisk). ((doesn't have to be perfect info tho, keep the truth slightly out of focus. Accurate but incomplete.))
• Avoid the trap, go another way.
• Go back and get reinforcements. Hirelings, etc. 

Commitment Points / No turnaround zone (players understand if they cross this line, that's it, can't easily go back): Time 10:30ish https://youtu.be/ew-tZ9OmiaU?t=619

• A heavy stone door shuts loudly behind you.
• A crawlspace that is dark and dank... and lets you know if you go down there, hard getting back up. 
• A rope into scary difficult to return to area
• Flooded dungeon spot, armor becomes a problem. 

.Extras from Dan S:

@DanStevenson

10 hours ago

Graffiti would tell experience players what type of humanoids are living in the dungeon. Another thing graffiti could tell the players is another group adventurers tried to hit the dungeon but were chased out. The failed dungeoneers could post up a warning or a FU to the monsters who chased them out.  Stink and piss pots dumped near the entrance will tell players humanoids living in the dungeon are present and using the dungeon as a residence. There could be warnings written in goblin such as don't drink from red bottles or booby traps straight ahead. If a character speaks goblin it could come in handy. 

If there are streams or ponds near by the dungeon the monsters of humanoids would create well worn trails to the water sources. This could lead to finding tracks along the banks of the water allowing players to know what is lurking in the dungeon. Butchering locations were the dungeon inhabitants have been dressing out deer, boars, and people that are being eaten by whoever or whatever is in the dungeon. If there are a lot bones and hides that means there is a lot mouths to feed in the dungeon. 

Fake signs written in common could trick players to enter a booby trapped room. Signs that read treasure room, armory, or lord's chambers could draw in greedy players.

OTHER PPL'S ADVICE

https://youtu.be/i4ZrTOexNJk?t=227

• That guy at that time has a good one vs. humans. B/c humans might be level 0 or might be level 15 assassins. Basically you have to say "they look battle hardened, the grip their weapons with ease and confidence... you[r instincts tell you that you] are outmatched. What do you do". 
• ObsidianKnight90 says: telegraph individual attacks by monsters, especially the big flashy powerful ones. Having the red dragon take its turn, and finishing it by telling the players that smoke is coming from its nostrils and flames are licking out between its teeth is a GREAT way to tell him that it's going to use its Breath Weapon next round. The evil mage grabbing a lodestone and staring dead-eyed at the Rogue, mumbling arcane curses over and over, can let them know that Disintegrate is incoming. This let your players mitigate this incoming threat, by diving behind cover before the dragonfire hits or knocking the component out of the mage's hand.
• WilliamBarnes says: house rule in my campaigns. When the turn starts, I go in REVERSE order, with the LOWEST init declaring what they're going to do FIRST. People with higher inits, get to have foreknowledge of what the lower init people are going to do, and can respond or interrupt. Then after everyone has declared, the events HAPPEN from high to low.
• What monster left its tracks amidst the bones.
•