DMs: do you make your players draw their own maps?

[runtime]

As a DM, I have been describing and drawing maps for my players. Since I know what the "real" map looks like, it just easier. Unfortunately, this allows the players to meta-game. Depending on how and where I draw rooms on the paper, the players can deduce that secret doors might exist between two adjacent rooms on the map. If I draw a room near the edge of the paper (in order to fit the future rooms on the same paper), the players can deduce that nothing of interest lies off the page.

The alternative of describing the room and its inter-connections in such detail that the players can draw it accurately (if that is even important!) just sounds too painstaking..

 

[Crothian]

No, it just doesn't add anyting to the game and takes away froim it too much. I don't want the focus of the game to be the map.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I tend to be the party cartographer when it becomes important (generally is when playing D&D, not so much when playing Star Wars).

My most recent maps tend to be rather ... sketchy ... because that's the way the character would have drawn them. They also have all kinds of notes about how I defeated a vile beast in this room, triumphed over a particularly devious trap in that room ... whether or not they actually existed.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Sometimes, but not often. Is it a maze? Grab your pencils folks! Otherwise I do not insist on it.

The Auld Grump

 

[diaglo]

i'll draw it out on the battlemap for them
they can copy it if they have paper and ink listed on their character sheet.

otherwise it is all by memory.

 

[buzzard]

While I voted for the first option it isn't quite what I actually think. When I play I find maping to be painfuly tedious and have no desire to inflict it anyone else when I DM. As I see it, the PCs can map, while the players don't have to. I don't make the players roleplay other tediums (cooking, cleaning, privvy breaks), so I don't see why maping would have to be done either.

buzzard

 

[Faradon]

For the most part I draw as they go on the battlemap, after 2-3 rooms I generally wipe it off and start over so as to avoid the "there has to be a secret door here" syndrome. Also, for dungeon crawls I've created a modular 3-D tileset using the hirstarts / castle molds stuff which I use the same way as the battle map, usually only keeping out the previous 1-2 rooms at a time as they move through.

What's really fun to do is to have the PC's trying to run away from an encounter when they are pretty deep in and then removing all the visual aids so that if they didn't take notes they are making split second decisions on left right or straight which could put them in a dead end... or run them through a trap they previously avoided, etc.

 

[carpedavid]

I draw the maps out on the battlemat for the players for a couple of reasons. One, having them do it often leads to confusion. Two, my group likes a lot of tactical battles, and having an accurate map of the area actually adds to their enjoyment. Three, I often tend to wing it when it comes to maps, so I'm seeing for the first time as I draw it, too!

 

[was]

They draw them. If they're totally off, I help them out after they wander around aimlessly for a while.

 

[runtime]

i'll draw it out on the battlemap for them
they can copy it if they have paper and ink listed on their character sheet.

otherwise it is all by memory.

man, you are brutal!!