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How to make a maze work?
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<blockquote data-quote="Ambrus" data-source="post: 3960511" data-attributes="member: 17691"><p>I once inadvertently created a a maze-like experience out of a regular dungeon simply by enlarging a Dungeon Magazine dungeon map (up to 1-in. = 5-ft. scale) and printing the entire thing out of a series of 8.5" x 11" sheets of paper. I believe there were 80 or 90 such sheets. I numbered the backs of all the individual sheets with a simple A,B,C rows and 1,2,3 columns grid system so I could keep them all organized behind my DM screen. Since our gaming table was only large enough for a half-dozen sheets at a time, I'd only lay out as many as were needed to display what was within the PCs' field of vision. If they started exploring down a side corridor or they backtracked we'd sometimes reorient the sheets 90 degrees one way or the other so they'd more easily fit down the center of the table. After a few fights and a few turns all while exploring the dungeon, the players quickly lost track of where they were, where they'd been and which way was out but all the while they could clearly see the dungeon layout as they moved their miniatures around the map in front of them. Inevitably, one of the players started drawing her own complete map based on the areas they moved through. It was the first time (in fifteen years of DMing) that I'd ever seen players acting as one would expect explorers in a maze to act. Since the dungeon had rooms to explore and enemies moving around the map trying to find/outflank them, the mapping and exploring aspect of the maze never got boring or tedious, even if they backtracked. It also allows the entire map to be drawn beforehand; making for a faster and more exciting gaming experience at the table.</p><p></p><p>I'd strongly suggest doing the same section-by-section mapping to illustrate the confusing and disorienting nature of the maze. Rotate the map on the table when necessary to further confuse the issue, but allow the players to map all they want so that their diligence is rewarded when they start using the maze-layout and terrain to their advantage. Pepper your maze with plenty of distinct and colorful areas; trapped areas, a puzzle room, a magic fountain room, a riddling statue room, various monster lairs, etc. Throw in various wandering maze-savvy monsters to waylay the party, to inhabit previously cleared areas or to erase/confound the PCs' attempts to mark their route. Throw in a few neutral or helpful NPCs for the PCs to rescue or from whom to receive help along the way.</p><p></p><p>There are also ways to confound the simple right-hand-wall mazing technique; throw in some disconnected wall "island" sections that they need to pass through to find the exit. The right hand technique will lead them all around such islands, but will never lead them through that part of the maze. Likewise, a few hidden corridors (a great place for ambushers to hide), sliding and or illusionary wall segments are simple ways to keep the maze dynamic. Use the latter sparingly however; if the entire maze regularly changes configuration then mapping becomes entirely pointless and the players will feel like their movement choices are unimportant; a disheartening and tedious exercise.</p><p></p><p>I believe mazes can still be fun to play through, even in this new millennium. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f60e.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":cool:" title="Cool :cool:" data-smilie="6"data-shortname=":cool:" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ambrus, post: 3960511, member: 17691"] I once inadvertently created a a maze-like experience out of a regular dungeon simply by enlarging a Dungeon Magazine dungeon map (up to 1-in. = 5-ft. scale) and printing the entire thing out of a series of 8.5" x 11" sheets of paper. I believe there were 80 or 90 such sheets. I numbered the backs of all the individual sheets with a simple A,B,C rows and 1,2,3 columns grid system so I could keep them all organized behind my DM screen. Since our gaming table was only large enough for a half-dozen sheets at a time, I'd only lay out as many as were needed to display what was within the PCs' field of vision. If they started exploring down a side corridor or they backtracked we'd sometimes reorient the sheets 90 degrees one way or the other so they'd more easily fit down the center of the table. After a few fights and a few turns all while exploring the dungeon, the players quickly lost track of where they were, where they'd been and which way was out but all the while they could clearly see the dungeon layout as they moved their miniatures around the map in front of them. Inevitably, one of the players started drawing her own complete map based on the areas they moved through. It was the first time (in fifteen years of DMing) that I'd ever seen players acting as one would expect explorers in a maze to act. Since the dungeon had rooms to explore and enemies moving around the map trying to find/outflank them, the mapping and exploring aspect of the maze never got boring or tedious, even if they backtracked. It also allows the entire map to be drawn beforehand; making for a faster and more exciting gaming experience at the table. I'd strongly suggest doing the same section-by-section mapping to illustrate the confusing and disorienting nature of the maze. Rotate the map on the table when necessary to further confuse the issue, but allow the players to map all they want so that their diligence is rewarded when they start using the maze-layout and terrain to their advantage. Pepper your maze with plenty of distinct and colorful areas; trapped areas, a puzzle room, a magic fountain room, a riddling statue room, various monster lairs, etc. Throw in various wandering maze-savvy monsters to waylay the party, to inhabit previously cleared areas or to erase/confound the PCs' attempts to mark their route. Throw in a few neutral or helpful NPCs for the PCs to rescue or from whom to receive help along the way. There are also ways to confound the simple right-hand-wall mazing technique; throw in some disconnected wall "island" sections that they need to pass through to find the exit. The right hand technique will lead them all around such islands, but will never lead them through that part of the maze. Likewise, a few hidden corridors (a great place for ambushers to hide), sliding and or illusionary wall segments are simple ways to keep the maze dynamic. Use the latter sparingly however; if the entire maze regularly changes configuration then mapping becomes entirely pointless and the players will feel like their movement choices are unimportant; a disheartening and tedious exercise. I believe mazes can still be fun to play through, even in this new millennium. :cool: [/QUOTE]
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