new DM, trying to figure out maps, dungeon tiles, graph paper

[buddhafrog]

After a 20 year break, I've started playing D&D again, this time DM'ing for my 9 y/o son and two friends. It's been so fun to see their wide-eye excitement - everything has been going great!

What I'm getting real hung up with is when and how to best use battle maps, dungeon tiles, ol' pencil and graph paper.

The other day we did our first short dungeon crawl trying to free a captured messenger that had an important letter for the PC's. I used the cut out dungeon tiles and it was amazing -- the tension of not knowing what was around the corner was palpable. This was one of the best things about the old days with graph paper -- you drew what the character saw, leaving the unknown filled with dreadful possibilities. Now, especially for the boys, they LOVE their mini's (OK, me too). So I'm trying to figure out the best way to incorporate all of these.

I'm in the process of printing off tons of tiles/maps. I have .pdf's of all the dungeon tiles and many of the e-skeleton map sets and more. When we use battle maps, I put the map on the table and place a thin acrylic sheet over it to keep it flat and enable me to use white board markers. This has worked well.

This may seem like a simple question, but I'm wondering if you could give me some examples of how/when you use these different types within your games and how you transition between them. Also, for town buildings (stores, etc), I have some small tiles - do you only use these if there are encounters here? If so, do you just throw it down during game play?

 

[Gilladian]

I'm fond of the battlemat as my main tool for PC maps. I use wet-erase markers directly on the map. Just be careful to wipe off at the end of the session, or it may not clean up completely every time. Blue is the easiest color to remove...

I tend to use props, but not tiles. The tiles are too nuisancy; i own a bunch, and never get them out. I like making my own prop trees, bushes, tables, treasure heaps, altars, wells, etc... out of odds and ends around the house; I use a lot of polymer clay, which can be baked in the normal household oven.

3d structures (buildings, walls, doors) are a dismal pain; skip them is my suggestion.

And still, for larger dungeons, make the PCs map. I only draw out individual rooms/sections of the dungeon, and never complete a whole map with it. If they want to see the whole dungeon, they'd better draw it themselves.

 

[Similkameen]

In our games, it is up to the party to map their progress - paper/graph paper. If they don't then when the dungeon is too complicated, they may or may not find their way out. So it is a lesson learned. With nine year olds, I am not sure that they can handle the mapping as well as the game. It might be friendlier to give them a copy of the areas they have mapped (without all the nice DM notes).

We use tiles - either square or hex (hex by preference) - when we are in an encounter. We may capture some of the map on the tiles - rooms, tunnels, doors, stairs, and some furniture, or water, pits.... This is usually just to elaborate and make a particular encounter clearer to understand.

It is easier for the players to understand when they can't see the monster behind the pillar, or that they can't attack around a corner.

We do use doors - open or closed makes a difference. We use thin strips of tiles, or pencils/pens to delimit wall.

But essentially the tiles are used to make it easier to visualize in combat or in another situation where understanding terrain and environment are important.

For elevation, we usually place a different coloured tile underneath that creature, or place a die with the appropriate number beside that creature. (A creature 10 feet up in the air, would have a 2 on the die, for 2 squares up). A creature on a red tile means it is under the bridge, as opposed to on it.

Sometimes we get very elaborate, putting in elevation and lots of features, and other times we do it very simply. It really depends on our mood at the time of the game (and the complexity of what the DM is presenting).

 

[Derulbaskul]

I draw the map for the party on graph paper like I first started doing 29 years ago and then the most artistic player draws that to the battle map if we have a combat.

I have all the dungeon tiles but they're simply not practical most of the time. They're nigh on impossible to keep track of so I just find it easier to use a battle map (except for a couple of set pieces where I have used the tiles and/or one of the maps that came with the minis before 4E).

 

[megamania]

Tiles are awesome and the kids will appreciate them greatly but they involve set up time.

I do a grid (graph paper) image of the room in my notes then BEFORE the game I set it up with the tiles. Once done, I place these tiles and the creature miniatures into a gallon sized zip lock bag. Makes for quick set up and keeps the surprise going.

I am considering doing some graph work with the kids (earn extra XP if they do it correctly / near correct) with a maze but generally don't do have them map it out.

I used to use chessex battlemats all of the time until I got enough Tiles to set up a dungeon or two in advance. Maps are good but these can take time to set up also (especially complex rooms).


I can't give much for advice. Try to get a feel for what the players want vs time/organization restraints. Try the zip lock by room system. Works very well for me.

Keep sharing the hobby with the kids and others also.

 

[Nebulous]

This may seem like a simple question, but I'm wondering if you could give me some examples of how/when you use these different types within your games and how you transition between them. Also, for town buildings (stores, etc), I have some small tiles - do you only use these if there are encounters here? If so, do you just throw it down during game play?

Well, i also tabletop game and i have a vinyl battlemap and an acrylic sheet i place over it for using markers. I also have dozens of D&D tiles (i don't use those much actually) and probably hundreds of printed maps from various sources over the years. I also have about 12 of Paizo's flipmaps that are really cool. I usually know what encounters are coming up and i prepare the maps accordingly ahead of time. Rarely i will get surprised but i can usually throw something down from the collection that is appropriate.

As for using tiles when you don't expect an encounter...sometimes i do, yes, especially for public areas like inns or pubs or city streets. Since you use minis already it is a natural transition to put them down even out of combat.

 

[S'mon]

I start off with a blank Paizo flip-mat, like a battlemat. For most encounter areas I use Paizo flip-mats, drawing/altering them as necessary.

Dungeon Tiles take a lot of pre-planning; a couple approaches that work are (1) including all the tiles for an encounter area in a ziplock bag, or (2) fastening the tiles with bluetack to an A4 piece of cardboard to make up a room/encounter area.

Another thing I do is put a few dungeon tiles down as scenery highlights over a Paizo flipmat. Again this requires preplanning to have the right tiles to hand, whereas the Paizo flipmats allow a more improvisatory approach since either the scene is all premapped, or I can draw it roughly on the blank mat.

 

[S'mon]

I tend to start off the session by placing the PCs on my permanent map (Paizo map cards) of the Inn where they're resident. I GM in a noisy Meetup room in a pub and I think it focuses player attention when the little NPC minis come in and talk to the little PC minis on the map, even though no combat is occurring.

 

[Irondeacon]

I start off with a blank Paizo flip-mat, like a battlemat. For most encounter areas I use Paizo flip-mats, drawing/altering them as necessary.

Dungeon Tiles take a lot of pre-planning; a couple approaches that work are (1) including all the tiles for an encounter area in a ziplock bag, or (2) fastening the tiles with bluetack to an A4 piece of cardboard to make up a room/encounter area.

Another thing I do is put a few dungeon tiles down as scenery highlights over a Paizo flipmat. Again this requires preplanning to have the right tiles to hand, whereas the Paizo flipmats allow a more improvisatory approach since either the scene is all premapped, or I can draw it roughly on the blank mat.

Bluetack! Of course! Why didn't I think of that? Thanks S'mon!

I like the dungeon tiles, but they do require loads of pre-play set up to get what you want for your encounter. The big drawback I've had with them, is getting them placed on the table in a timely fasion. Using bluetack with the foamcore boards I have, means I can pre-set the tiles on the board to my satisfaction, pull them out and use them at the appropriate time, and then remove them after play for re-use. Much better than taking a chance of damaging the tiles with tape.

You also might consider a program like Dundjiinni. Not real expensive, easy to use, and there's a very active community of artists on their forums who create textures, items, and maps for us poor overworked DM's to use. Check out Dundjinni Mapping Software - Bring Your Game To Life .

Thanks again S'mon. It's the little pointers like yours that keep me reading these forumns.
Respectfully, The Deacon
Id Fiat Iron Deacon Si!

 

[Gilladian]

Dundjinni has a pretty steep learning curve. I have never been able to spend enough time with it to get good. And then you've got to pay all the ink/printing costs. Ugh!

Blue tack is good for Dungeon Tiles, but be sure to peel it ALL off at the end of the day. It WILL eventually leave greasy marks on the tiles, and can cause layers to separate. Guess how I know this...