Maps that Make Sense

[eris404]

The thread about the maps on Wizards' site made me wonder if anyone has done a detailed discussion/instructions/suggestions on making maps that make sense. For many DMs, when they create a "dungeon" or other adventure setting, they might find a map somewhere or draw out some boxes on grid paper and figure out later what each area is used for. Sometimes this works just fine, other times, you get something illogical that has players scratching their heads.

So, any articles on mapping? Any tricks or special techniques you use? How do you design a system of natural caves versus humanoid-made ones, for example?

 

[BiggusGeekus]

The only thing I try to avoid is what I call "map-sized-maps". Islands, dungeons, worlds, forest clearings, etc that are just the same shape as a standard sheet of paper. They aren't believeable and it isn't like you'll have to draw it out on a battlemat anyway.

One of the best maps I saw was a buddy's game where he had a castle that was built in the astral plane. Since he didn't have to worry so much about gravity, he got really wacky and he basically had to stick small pieces of paper around the main sheet. There were coridors that just stuck out from the main body of the castle and ended in a room. It was pretty cool.

For caverns the only real way to do them is to assume that they are a combination of natural caves and some excavation. I toured the Mammoth Caves once and the caverns ranged from being freaky tight to incredibly huge but none of the "rooms" was really good for a melee fight. You'd have to be making DEX checks the entire time.


Just my two cents.

 

[Crothian]

For realistic world design there is:

http://www.enworld.org/reviews/index.php?sub=yes&where=currentprod&which=AMSEaC

 

[moticon]

It's definitely something that is learned

I recently went back and looked at some adventures I'd designed 25 years ago. I was both horrified at what I'd done back then, and pleased that what I do now is better.

When I first started It was basically random rooms with little more than "there's a wizard who built this place and a bunch of monsters moved in".

Later after seeing some other peoples work (TSR, Wizards, etc) I learned to think more about the story and let the story guide the map. Asking "why" alot made it more interesting to everyone. It's more work, and sometimes you hvae to drop something you thought was really cool on the map but really didn't fit.

In the long run though the maps and adventures are much much better.

I think people just need to look at the maps done and then think "why did they do that", and they'll get better over time.

 

[eris404]

The only thing I try to avoid is what I call "map-sized-maps". Islands, dungeons, worlds, forest clearings, etc that are just the same shape as a standard sheet of paper. They aren't believeable and it isn't like you'll have to draw it out on a battlemat anyway.

Well, you could always change the scale so that a map does fit, but then you get the maps like some of the ones in Dungeon - you need a magnifying glass to read 'em.

One of the best maps I saw was a buddy's game where he had a castle that was built in the astral plane. Since he didn't have to worry so much about gravity, he got really wacky and he basically had to stick small pieces of paper around the main sheet. There were coridors that just stuck out from the main body of the castle and ended in a room. It was pretty cool.

That is cool - and it's exactly the sort of thing I was thinking of when I started this thread. The DM picks a theme, a plot, monsters, etc. and the map should serve all of that. You really have to think about the spaces you're designing and how they are used and why they look the way they do.

As an aside, it's funny that a being the DM requires one to know about so many things: history, government, physics, metallurgy, architecture. You don't have to be an expert, but you have to know enough to make something seem believable (and god help you if one of the players is an expert).

For caverns the only real way to do them is to assume that they are a combination of natural caves and some excavation. I toured the Mammoth Caves once and the caverns ranged from being freaky tight to incredibly huge but none of the "rooms" was really good for a melee fight. You'd have to be making DEX checks the entire time.

Monte Cook did a great a article on his web site about caves (and real castles), too. Having never been inside a real cave myself, details like this help a lot when designing and describing areas to a party. Can you imagine actually trying to stand in corridors designed and created by kobolds or other small creatures? Most people would be crawling along on their hands and knees and it would be claustrophic and outright deadly.

 

[eris404]

For realistic world design there is:

http://www.enworld.org/reviews/index.php?sub=yes&where=currentprod&which=AMSEaC

I love that book. It made me really want to design a world from scratch and really do it "right" this time. I'm not currently DMing and probably won't for a long while, so I have a lot of time to plan and think about these things. (or maybe, would be more appropriate)

I suppose I should have been more specific though - I was thinking more about designing specific adventure locales, dungeons or whatever. I can make some crude buildings and cave complexes or whatever, but I wanted to create (or steal someone else's) system/guidelines for making more or less realistic spaces that creatures could actually use for whatever purpose. There are great sources for maps, but I'd still be working around someone else's space. And since other people have mentioned a dissatisfaction with some of the available map sources, I guessed it might be a useful resource for other people, too.

 

[Henry]

Can you imagine actually trying to stand in corridors designed and created by kobolds or other small creatures? Most people would be crawling along on their hands and knees and it would be claustrophic and outright deadly.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Thread in the OT forum...

THE WIELICZKA SALT MINES

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=93746


MAP OF THE MINES
http://www.kopalnia-wieliczka.pl/english/trasa.htm