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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ExploderWizard" data-source="post: 5251060" data-attributes="member: 66434">Sometimes, the way an adventure is structured and presented can make exploration and roleplaying more difficult to just add in than it should be for an inexperienced DM.  One thing that really stands out as missing to me in recent adventures is maps. The only maps I see are combat maps with little starting position notations and features that factor in during combats on them. Where are the area maps, and the larger view maps which show the relative positions of all the encounter area maps with perhaps some empty/undefined areas between them that the DM could use as a jumping off point to add some non-combat based material to the adventure? In the classic Keep on the Borderlands there wasn't exactly a wealth of roleplaying material provided with the adventure. Besides the rumor table there wasn't a lot there beyond keyed locations,combat statistics, and treasure. What it did have was cool maps, of the keep, the small bit of wilderness around it, and the entire Caves of Chaos layed out on the inside module cover to be easily propped up inside the DM screen.  The keep provided an area of civilization to explore and places to go for equipment, information and any other interaction that could be imagined. The wildlands map had a few keyed areas with potential encounters but also a lot of room for the DM to add his/her own material to an already somewhat defined setting.  The caves were largely filled with monsters but the presentation was very open and any number of encounters there could (and did) become roleplaying encounters. I recently finished reading Orcs of Stonefang Pass. Without spoiling anything about the adventure I can say that I am dissappointed about the general lack of maps. The only ones provided are the individual combat maps of the encounter areas. There is no area map, map of the village, or any map showing the route/features of the pass itself which is a huge underground tunnel complex that is supposed to run for 25-30 miles under a mountain.  I really miss those useful maps that used to come with adventures. They provided such springboards to exploration and roleplaying.</blockquote>

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