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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Janx" data-source="post: 4969743" data-attributes="member: 8835">Getting off of combat, here's some thoughts on describing locations:Describe the obvious stuff first.This means obvious unhidden threats and visible exits first.  It's what a paranoid adventurer will really notice first.By doing this first, you allow for the player to interrupt you with "we attack them" the moment you say "there are some orcs in the room", rather than surprising them with "while you are counting the treasure on the floor, the orcs that were standing in plain sight attack you" which is patently stupid.Basically, don't hide what's obvious to anybody standing at the door of a room.  The person might not get the count of beds in the room, but he'll know the room has beds on the left wall.  He'll see the door on the right.He'll see the beds have some people sleeping in them (orcs) and there's 3 orcs playing cards on the right, near the door.If there is less obvious stuff, be vague about it in the initial description, waiting for the PCs to ask about it (implying that they are searching, or at least actively looking at it the area.The player may notice there's some stuff on the floor by each bed, but not know right away that they are shoes, shirt, and a sword belt, with a money pouch underneath each pillow that has an orc sleeping on it.If you use a battlemat, draw out the room quickly, while describing it.  You can spend less time talking about the visual aspects, especially the technical bits like dimensions which are inherently obvious on a mat.  Instead talk about the extra sense like smell and state of decay or materials used.Its also OK that if for a given facility (dungeon, castle, whatever) that pretty much all the walls and floor are the same, because that would be common.  Only crazy interior decorators change the flooring and walls for every room.If you want to describe the room dimensions, without using numbers (being verbose but not tedious), establish a set of keywords that you use for room types."A narrow but deep room" would describe something that the back wall is far away from where the PCs entered, but not very wide"A wide but shallow room" would be the opposite.Work up standard description for a T, and a branch and a crossing, and you'd be set.In any event avoid relaying room dimensions, its tedious, and unless the PC is using a tape measure, they would only be eyeballing it anyway.  You're not trying to trick them, you trying to help them visualize it and interact with it.</blockquote>

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