DMing terrain well

[LazerPointer]

So I was looking at this picture of some hills in Tajikistan, and it made me think of a big hole I need to fill before I start DMing a homebrew: I don't have a quick understanding of terrain.

I know the types in the DMG, and can describe a forest or mountain path just fine, but when it comes to lines of sight, where creatures and enemies will be, and basically what makes a mountain path feel different to a player than a forest path they travelled earlier, I'm in thin air.

Is looking at pictures and thinking "now if I was a bandit...." the best way of shoring up this part of my game?

 

[Prince of Happiness]

Is looking at pictures and thinking "now if I was a bandit...." the best way of shoring up this part of my game?

That would be a great start. Environmental challenges work well (well, at low-levels mostly). You don't walk straight paths through mountains, sometimes paths get washed out and now there's a huge cliff to get around. Shadowy outlines seen on different peaks around the PCs. Lots of stuff.

 

[Crothian]

descriptions are your friends. Sounds, smells, air flow, weather, the devil is in the details. And pictures are great tyo help the PCs see what you are seeing.

 

[VirgilCaine]

Well, the first thing that strikes me would the pretty steep cliff going off into nothingness and the very narrow path you are on. The second would the the great view of the mountains, and the large amounts of invisible trees.

 

[The Shaman]

Get out and stay out!

Seriously, spend some time hiking or taking a ferry ride and note the details - you have some amazing country around where you live to draw from, from mountains to forests to coasts.

I feel very fortunate to have travelled pretty extensively, with hiking, backpacking, and mountain biking trips ranging from the Cascades to the Sierra Nevada to the Colorado Plateau to the Badlands to the White Mountains to the Smokies to the Golden Isles to the Austrian Alps, and believe me, it helps a lot. However, you don't have to travel the world - spend some time in Stanley Park to get an idea of how far you can see in a forest, or visit Whistler-Blackscombe to take in a mountain vista.

Pictures are very good as both a prompt to developing description and as a visual aid for your players, but there're no match for personal experience, IMHO.

 

[CarlZog]

Get out and stay out!

I'll strongly second this. When it comes to seeing something in the mind's eye, nothing helps like real-life reference. Most of my best game locales have been inspired by real places I've been to.

Besides, fresh air and exercise is good for you.

 

[Nellisir]

I'd like to borrow (and eventually get) a digital camera, and start snapping & posting pictures for possible use in a fantasy campaign. The New England countryside isn't as rugged as the West Coast, but there's still some great stuff in just about every corner.

And looking at the picture you posted, I'd put an ambush around the little kink in the road that's just about dead center. Put bandits on either side and above, and they can fire down from three directions. They'd have to be well concealed, though -- not alot of natural cover apparent.

Cheers
Nell.

 

[Stalker0]

As they say a picture can be worth 1000 words. Show your players pictures like the one you showed us...as they arrive on the scene. That will help them imagine the setting themselves and get more into it.

 

[LordMelquiades]

I'm not sure if you want to use props, but I find that second-hand bookstores often have back-issues of National Geographic very cheap. Even better, on the spine they have the locations featured in the issue, so you can simply scan across until you see something that looks like a good fit.

 

[Tinner]

For some game related inspiration, check out the Campaign book for the Warhammer Quest board game. Specifically the section on travelling back to town.
There are a load of interesting environmental challenges detailed therein. In fact, 9 times out of 10 travelling the countryside was more hazardous than fighting in the dungeon! Flash floods, forest fires, tornados, earthquakes, snow, etc.
Horrible, horrible stuff.