Prakriti
Hi, I'm a Mindflayer, but don't let that worry you
For those who don't handwave exploration, what benefits do players get out of drawing a map? (As mentioned in "Other Activities" in Ch. 8 of the PHB.)
Unlike foraging and navigating, drawing a map doesn't seem to have any mechanical benefits mentioned in the core books. In the old days, however, drawing a map meant that the players literally drew a map for themselves on graph paper which they could then refer to throughout the session. But with VTTs, it's pretty much a given these days that players have access to a map. I've considered withholding the map from the players if their characters aren't actively engaged in mapping, but that just leads to the usual TOTM frustrations.
So, what are some benefits of drawing a map?
Unlike foraging and navigating, drawing a map doesn't seem to have any mechanical benefits mentioned in the core books. In the old days, however, drawing a map meant that the players literally drew a map for themselves on graph paper which they could then refer to throughout the session. But with VTTs, it's pretty much a given these days that players have access to a map. I've considered withholding the map from the players if their characters aren't actively engaged in mapping, but that just leads to the usual TOTM frustrations.
So, what are some benefits of drawing a map?