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<blockquote data-quote="T. Foster" data-source="post: 1911420" data-attributes="member: 16574">The idea that if characters are exploring a dungeon that the players must be keeping an accurate map on graph paper is an unfortunate cultural meme carried over from the earliest rulesets which seemed to assume that players would want to do this (even though the practice was far from universal, even among the best players in Lake Geneva -- while Ernie Gygax apparently mapped obsessively, Rob Kuntz never mapped). In fact, except in very rare circumstances (e.g. characters hired to draw an accurate map (as mentioned above), characters trying to deduce locations of secret rooms, etc.), there's no reason the players should ever feel the need to make anything more than a rough 'trailing' map -- exact dimensions of rooms, widths and angles of passageways, etc. are almost always irrelevent as long as the characters can find their way back to the entrance (and/or find their way back to the last unexplored area on a return visit). The players should only be allowed to map as much as their characters do -- i.e. only if the characters are carrying appropriate equipment and taking the time to make accurate measurements, etc. Otherwise the DM should describe things only in general terms -- a narrow passage, a somewhat wider passage, a pretty large rectangular room with doors in the middle of the left and right walls -- and only give more precise descriptions if the players specifically ask for them (and their characters are able to discern and record the details).That said, I absolutely HATE the idea of the DM simply setting the map down in front of the players, or drawing the map for them. IMO that's the worst of both worlds.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="T. Foster, post: 1911420, member: 16574"] The idea that if characters are exploring a dungeon that the players must be keeping an accurate map on graph paper is an unfortunate cultural meme carried over from the earliest rulesets which seemed to assume that players would [i]want[/i] to do this (even though the practice was far from universal, even among the best players in Lake Geneva -- while Ernie Gygax apparently mapped obsessively, Rob Kuntz [i]never[/i] mapped). In fact, except in very rare circumstances (e.g. characters hired to draw an accurate map (as mentioned above), characters trying to deduce locations of secret rooms, etc.), there's no reason the players should ever feel the need to make anything more than a rough 'trailing' map -- exact dimensions of rooms, widths and angles of passageways, etc. are almost always irrelevent as long as the characters can find their way back to the entrance (and/or find their way back to the last unexplored area on a return visit). The players should only be allowed to map as much as their characters do -- i.e. only if the characters are carrying appropriate equipment and taking the time to make accurate measurements, etc. Otherwise the DM should describe things only in general terms -- a narrow passage, a somewhat wider passage, a pretty large rectangular room with doors in the middle of the left and right walls -- and only give more precise descriptions if the players specifically ask for them (and their characters are able to discern and record the details). That said, I absolutely HATE the idea of the DM simply setting the map down in front of the players, or drawing the map for them. IMO that's the worst of both worlds. [/QUOTE]

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