Running the game without a map

BiggusGeekus · Dec 30, 2010

Let's assume your group is on a road trip in a standard sedan. Character sheets can be referenced, but only briefly (especially for the driver), Looking up stuff in books is OK, rolling dice is OK, but there's no map or table.

Suggestions?

Nemesis Destiny · Dec 30, 2010

Maptool running on a laptop. Or, a pad of graph paper.

Don't DM and drive.

The Human Target · Dec 30, 2010

Yeah I gotta say its a bad idea to DM or play and drive.

And if I had to play 4E with no map, I would just not play it.

RangerWickett · Dec 30, 2010

I think the driver should not be involved, unless maybe you're on the interstate, but his brain shouldn't be required to do any heavy lifting.

As for 4e combat without a map, I get by just fine with paper and pencil, and drawing a scribble map as opposed to using the whole dry-erase/mini shebang. If that's still unavailable, talk to Kiznit. His retooling of somebody's retooling of something or other (I think the latest version is called the Red Box Hack) handles gaming without needing any sort of map. It's very elegant and quick to play.

You could probably finagle it and make new versions of all the existing PCs; character creation takes, like, 2 minutes.

Cerebral Paladin · Dec 30, 2010

I agree with the suggestion that 4E may not be the ideal game system for mapless play in a car.

I think one of the keys is to tailor the game to play to the strengths of the format and to avoid the weaknesses. Combat, and in particular tactically complex combat, is quite difficult without a battlemap. In contrast, role-playing based encounters, intrigue, non-physical problem solving, and so forth aren't hurt at all by a lack of a map. So whatever system you use, if you emphasize the aspects that don't require a map, you'll have a better experience.

Trebor62 · Dec 30, 2010

No map is tough. But for a portable cheap set up I have used card stock printout a of map at reduced scale to get it on one card, or graph paper to draw out the map.

I use broad lead mechanical pencils .9mm, or a worn #2 pencil with a smooth round point, for writing and marking on the map. Press lightly and use Pentil or Steadler (spelling) eraser to do the erasing and you can get a lot of mileage out of the map or graph paper. You can use ink pens or markers to mark the permanent features of the eccounter and the pencils and erasers to place and move the PC and monsters about.

Counters if prefered can be made from small squares of card stock, pieces of round pencil eraser, different colored modeling clays etc.

This set up can also be used to handle encounters over larger areas were space or tiles maybe insufficient to use tiles or a one inch square map.

Wednesday Boy · Dec 30, 2010

If I was running a game and we wanted to play it in a car on a roadtrip, I'd take the opportunity to run a completely roleplaying-centric session. I'd have the session(s) focus on a social or investigative scenario that is tied into the main plot. I might keep the players' sheets on hand and one d20 in case I wanted to make a check or introduce some sort of randomness. But for the most part I'd base the characters' chances of success on the general theme of the character. (i.e., If the character is supposed to be a sneaky guy, he'll sneak past the drunk guard regardless of his actual Stealth modifier.) All in all, I'd let the players be their characters for a session and entirely disregard combat, maps, and dice.

UnknownAtThisTime · Dec 30, 2010

I have played on a long road trip (interstate).

The DM was in the passenger seat and used a laptop for the map. The players looked over his shoulder every so often from the back seat. The driver was also a player but left the rolling and anything more than high level details to someone else. It was more like having a conversation.

We tended to make the session far more 'roleplay' intensive and less encounter driven. Through 6 hours of drive time, we probably did two encounters.

BiggusGeekus · Dec 30, 2010

Thanks for the advice all!

Though if you don't like the idea of the driver playing, I guess I better not tell you about my plans for Twister....

Ahrimon · Dec 31, 2010

Get one of those magnetic whiteboards that are a little bigger than a regular sheet of paper. About the size of a regular 4e book. Some graph paper (four or five squares per inch) and check the game aisle or a dollar store for some of those little magnetic travel games to salvage tokens from. Or if you can find them they make colored magnets that look like push pins. They're made for white boards, but might be pricier than the magnetic games. Pre draw the encounters on the graph paper if possible. A little scotch tape will hold the paper to the white board. The little peices from the travel games work wonders for counters and they stick so you can pass it around. A smartphone/ipad with a dice app and a car addapter will give you bump resistant dice as well.