Dictating The Dungeon: Mapping and Description

[GX.Sigma]

I realized as I was running my first playtest game that this was the first time I had ever run a game so focused on dungeon exploration. In my zeal to run the playtest as old-school as possible, I defaulted to the traditional method of the DM dictating the dimensions of the dungeon to the players, one of whom would map it out.

I found almost instantly that I had no idea how to do this.

We got through the Kobold caves with a lot of west-east-left-right confusion, a lot of "like this?" and "close enough". One recurring problem was that I didn't know how to describe a simple T-junction--from the cave mouth to the wall ahead is 30 feet, but there's only 20 feet of wall to each side before it opens on both sides... How do you describe that? If I say something is "30 feet ahead," is it in the second square from them, or the third square from them? Do you count from square centers or edges?

When we did Cave B (the first Orc lair), it got really bad. Look at a copy of your map. See how the entrance and area 9 connect with the hallway to area 8? See how area 9 connects with area 10 (twice with one 10-foot block in the middle)? How the hell do I describe that? We often fell into a rut of asking and answering map questions, which quickly got tedious for all. Worse, I was unable to do any sort of colorful description of the environment, as so much of my head-space and word-space was taken up by describing the physical dimensions of the dungeon.

Do any of you more experienced with dictating dungeon exploration have any tips, pointers, or advice on how to handle this issue?

 

[slobo777]

Don't sweat it, let it go wrong. It's part of the fun comparing the resulting wonky player maps to what you have as DM. The players should only need the map to guide them back out, so as long as it branches ok, a 10 feet here or there is unimportant.

I tended to explain in first person to the mapper. E.g. "The cave is 10' wide, and you can see straight ahead 40', where the passage turns right. Half-way along on the left is a narrow passage branching off."

The cool thing for the players, when it works, is they get to figure out routes around enemies and traps or even the likely location of a secret door.

I remember it's a lot of work though, and my group doesn't bother nowadays.

 

[Rogue Agent]

One recurring problem was that I didn't know how to describe a simple T-junction--from the cave mouth to the wall ahead is 30 feet, but there's only 20 feet of wall to each side before it opens on both sides... How do you describe that? If I say something is "30 feet ahead," is it in the second square from them, or the third square from them? Do you count from square centers or edges?

Worry less about precision. The idea that people can get hyper-accurate measurements on a space just be walking through a space is an artifact of playing on battlemaps for years. So, in this situation, I would usually say something like "the hall goes about 20 or 30 feet down, then there's a T-intersection".

If people want to take the time to accurately map, then we can get into more precise details: But spending that time has consequences (i.e., monsters finding you or having time to reinforce their defenses).

With that being said: If you're describing a hallway that leads into a 30' wide room, you would state the length of the hall to the entrance of the room -- not to the far side of the room. For intersections (including T-intersections) it's the same principle: You measure to where the crossing hallway starts, not to the far side of the crossing hallway.

When we did Cave B (the first Orc lair), it got really bad. Look at a copy of your map. See how the entrance and area 9 connect with the hallway to area 8? See how area 9 connects with area 10 (twice with one 10-foot block in the middle)? How the hell do I describe that?

Assuming you're entering area 9 from the direction of entrance B, probably something like: On the far side of the room you can see a couple of tunnels leading away. There's also a tunnel in the north wall, and another almost immediately to your right that looks like it might loop back to where you came from."

If they go over and look down the tunnels leading to area 10, I'd probably say something like: "It looks like they're both heading down into the same large chamber."

IOW: Don't be afraid of giving some reasonable explanation of how things seem to connect without getting bogged down into specific geometry and distance.

Do any of you more experienced with dictating dungeon exploration have any tips, pointers, or advice on how to handle this issue?

The generic formula works like this:

1. Describe the rough dimensions of the space.
2. Fill the space with detail.
3. Inhabitants.
4. Mention where the exits are.

Once you've mastered it, you'll ignore this formula as often as you use it. But it's useful for keeping your thoughts organized while you're still learning the ropes.

Sometimes you'll run into a situation where the best way to explain what a space looks like really is to just sketch it out. (For example.) Grab some scratch paper, and jot it down. (Although you still don't need to worry about precise measurements.)

An example, using area 56 from the Caves of Chaos: "You throw open the door, revealing a short hallway -- maybe 10 feet or so -- emptying out into a 20 foot wide, vaulted chamber that opens up to your left." (that's the physical dimensions) "There are four crude beds, a table of scarred wood with chairs, and a shelf carved with oak leaves and stacked high with tomes and scrolls." (space filled with details) "Sitting around the table, startled by your sudden entrance, are four humans dressed in red robes with black cowls over heavy armor. Each bears the symbol of a burning spiral and a mace." (inhabitants) They can't see any other exits at the moment, but once they move a little further into the room: "It looks like another short hall leads to the door your saw further down the outer corridor."

Another example, this one using area 61: "The stairs bottom out into a dank chamber of rough-hewn stone -- about forty feet long and roughly half that wide, with the nearest corner of rotting masonry partially collapsed." (physical dimensions) "A rack, an iron maiden; tongs, pincers, skewers. Implements of torture are arrayed around a stoked fire that fills the air with a thick heat and acrid smoke." (details) "Two of the cultist acolytes look up from their grim work." (inhabitants)

And so forth.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

This is why I consider the eraserable battlemat to be one of the best inventions of the last century! No more half hour long arguments about what some weird room/corridor looks like. Draw, "Here, this is what it looks like." Done. I wouldn't go back to TotM if you paid me. (And I'm not a big fan of 4e encounter tactics. That's a conclusion I came to a long time ago.)

 

[Libramarian]

It doesn't need to be exact. E.g. it doesn't matter with the t-intersection whether the players are thinking it goes for 20 or 30 feet before splitting. And then for the rooms when the little voice in your head says "there is no way I will be able to describe this" just draw it out for them.

Wrt mapping, I never force the players to map anything. What I do is I don't allow them to teleport around; they say what direction they are going in and how far, and if they get lost, then they get lost*. They can choose whether the dungeon seems complex enough to warrant mapping or not, and they choose how precisely they want to map. We definitely don't try to create square-by-square exact reproductions anymore.

The kobold cave is definitely small enough to not be worth mapping imo. I was able to visualize that whole cave by the DM's description.

*going by the playtest rules they could just bring a dwarf along, who seems to have an automapping racial ability.