Is mapping a lost art with adventurers?

[Duo Maxwell]

As DM for the Shackled City campaign, I've started mapping out the dungeons for the players between game sessions. In the past, I used to have my players do this during the game, but it only bogged the game down for us.

Since my players spend several sessions in any particular dungeon, I prefer to be the one doing the "auto-mapping" for the group, to allow them to remember where they have traveled since the last game. Besides, I like my drawings more

Other than that, battlemats and dry-erase markers have become our best friends when it came down to things like combat.

 

[BOZ]

Mapping is boring.

indeed. and i'm far too lazy to bother with that. i never really did, either, even back in the day, and even when suggested that i do so.

 

[Gothmog]

I prefer "Ye Olde Quicke and Dirty Methode" of mapping. No need for graph paper, just take a blank sheet and draw lines to be the corridors, approximate shapes and sizes to be the rooms without worrying too much about the scale, and writing notes in as need be e.g. "30x 40 with pit in center" "Sandy cave, maybe stuff buried in sand, wind from north tunnel" Stuff like that.

It's enough to get around in the dungeon, I'll let the DM worry about all the details of scale and position. And this is more realistic of what is possible for the characters to draw.

Heck, while DMing, I've considered banning graph paper and pens for mapping and just giving the players blank paper and a crayon (or charcoal stick).

Yep, this is exactly the way I handle it too. Precises 10'x10' map grids and agonizing over exact distances is a waste of time. But a couple of times I have put all the lights out on the PCs in a place they mapped, and even a rough sketch they made while exploring and the memories of knowing what is where saved their butts. Plus, if an NPC hires them to make a map of an area, or they want to give him a map, then the players have to hand SOMETHING (not necessarily a masterpiece) over to him. I don't do but maybe one dungeon crawl/ruin exploration but once every 20 or so adventures, but the PCs still have occasion to map things (for example a twisty sewer system, how to get to a mountain valley, etc).