Do players map the dungeon when you play?

Benoist · May 08, 2014, 04:44:31 PM

Do the players map the dungeon (or wilderness, or ruined castle, or cave system, whatever) as they explore it in your game?

languagegeek · May 08, 2014, 04:49:48 PM

Yes, players do the mapping for wilderness hexes and dungeons and towns. When they're not exploring somewhere new, I assume they know the general layout and do provide a map.

Benoist · May 08, 2014, 04:52:40 PM

Sometimes I describe verbally. Sometimes, I'll make a sketch (using a sheet of paper, a white board, whatever) of the PCs' immediate surroundings, and it's up to the players to keep track of everything. Sometimes I'll go full blown Dwarven Forge and like wise, it'll describe a general area in the PCs vicinity, and it'll be up to the players to connect different set ups and see how the general layout works.

So I chose "yes, in a way."

thedungeondelver · May 08, 2014, 04:52:52 PM

I've had players not before, and then learn the hard way they should have. "We flee!" "Okay what direction?" "The direction we came!" "Which is...?" and then have them painstakingly explore their way back out, being chased all the while.

Fuckin' pay attention or get eaten.

(There, you shitlords from SA, something for grognards.txt - go ahead and quote it, halloweenjack, and put that little dumb fuckin' smiley face with the axe next to it you predictable fuck)

Gronan of Simmerya · May 08, 2014, 04:58:57 PM

I don't tell people they have to map, but I do suggest they might want to.

And laugh to myself when they don't.

The Butcher · May 08, 2014, 04:59:32 PM

One of them learned soon enough that there was no chance of exploring the Marmoreal Tomb in any sane manner without mapping. They also "tagged" already-explored areas with chalk... Only to discover that some of the tags are being erased by the dungeon's tenants (kobolds in thrall to the gnolls in the west wing, emboldened by the eradication of the goblins from area 21).

Quote from: thedungeondelver;747883(There, you shitlords from SA, something for grognards.txt - go ahead and quote it, halloweenjack, and put that little dumb fuckin' smiley face with the axe next to it you predictable fuck)

Is that still even a thing? Is it behind the paywall?

thedungeondelver · May 08, 2014, 05:16:54 PM

Quote from: The Butcher;747887Is that still even a thing? Is it behind the paywall?

Yep to both.

Doughdee222 · May 08, 2014, 05:25:29 PM

I grew tired of constantly calling out room dimensions and where items and monsters are. So I prefer to speed it all up by quickly sketching out the shape of the room on a battlemap or paper (accuracy not guaranteed.) If the players don't make a copy for their own use... well, tough.

Sacrosanct · May 08, 2014, 05:27:44 PM

we used to map. Now I DM almost exclusively, and I find it much faster for me to give a quick sketch of the area rather than try to explain it. Especially for very odd shaped areas. Now most mapping just consists of very rough diagrams.

Exploderwizard · May 08, 2014, 06:00:27 PM

I usually provide players maps of areas that are civilized and well settled. This gives them a good idea of their initial surroundings and provides helpful inspiration and motivation to explore certain areas that they may wish to find out more about.
My own copies of these maps will include things not shown on the players map.

Once a wilderness area or dungeon is entered it is up to the players to map or not as they choose.

LibraryLass · May 08, 2014, 06:06:04 PM

Quote from: Benoist;747878Do the players map the dungeon (or wilderness, or ruined castle, or cave system, whatever) as they explore it in your game?

Last campaign I ran we started out doing it but they felt it was slowing things down too much to have to pause every turn and draw it. But circumstances interfered to stop us playing before we settled on a quicker alternative. I like Sacrosanct's idea.

Spinachcat · May 08, 2014, 08:05:12 PM

I love the idea of player's mapping, but in actual play, I find that the DM drawing the map is just fast and easier and FOR ME speeding up play leads to more immersion.

But that's the GM map for ease of play...

Smart players sketch their own along the way. Though, I do give leeway for high INT characters. It's not a stretch to believe that an INT 16 Wizard can sketch out a place he's recently been from memory. Hell, that shouldn't be too much for an INT 13 Fighter either.

And Dwarves? They kinda have built in GPS when underground.

fustilarian · May 08, 2014, 08:10:18 PM

I have one of those dry erasable playmats that's always open in the middle of the table, so anyone can draw whatever diagrams or maps they want during the game. A couple of the players are really visual people, so normally I'll map out big areas beforehand. I'll end up drawing a bunch of diagrams during play to help them judge distances or angles, or if there's a certain object I want them to imagine in a specific way.

K Peterson · May 08, 2014, 08:43:19 PM

Been a lot of years since I've had players in a campaign do any mapping. Usually, it's been the GM that's sketched something out on a whiteboard, or done a more detailed map on a battlemat.

Steerpike · May 08, 2014, 08:57:22 PM

My players map intermittently if/when it's required (like in a large dungeon). I provide them with a lot of maps as well, frequently as in-universe handouts.

In most of my sessions we have a giant map of Sigil sprawled across the table, with markers showing where characters are located.