So, how do you guys manage mapping when exploring cave systems?

[Intrope]

Print the map, stick it to a piece of stiff, but reasonably thin card, then cut it into sections. As the players move through it, plonk the appropriate section on the table. Voila, dungeon jigsaw, and most of these headaches go away

This is a great idea (I still have a 15 year old con module a friend [Rendarkin] made for 1st edition that was done this way. Vastly superior to any other technique!)

However, if you want to do this, buy some letter-sized cardstock (Wal-mart seems to carry this in stock these days); most printers can print on it, at least one sheet at time. This way, you don't need to stick the printouts to something stiff--they're already pretty stiff! (this works well for cheatsheats, too).

My group has found an even better way though: Gridded Index Cards (also found this at Wal-mart). They're cheap, 3x5 cards with a 1/4" grid. Our DM just draws the current room and hands it over; we go through a fair number of these per session, but it's well worth it (for battle, we enlarge said map onto the battlemap).

 

[Trainz]

I use paintshop, open the picture of the map (that you can redraw or scan), add a layer which I fill with black. As the players explore the cave, I use the eraser tool with the size of the player's light source, and slowly erase the black layer as they advance, revealing the map under it.

Or I use Interactive Dungeon, and my cave complexes are somewhat "square".

I never use graph paper anymore.

 

[uffinf]

My group has found an even better way though: Gridded Index Cards (also found this at Wal-mart). They're cheap, 3x5 cards with a 1/4" grid. Our DM just draws the current room and hands it over; we go through a fair number of these per session, but it's well worth it (for battle, we enlarge said map onto the battlemap).[/

I see lots of good ideas for mapping here, but the index card idea is outstanding.

 

[Shadowdancer]

The DM usually prepares the various chambers and passegeways on sheets of paper with a grid beforehand. This way, we can use them with miniatures if needed.

For the players' map, we just use an abstract, flow-chart type rendition. Just enough so that we know which passages lead to which chambers, so we can find our way back out.

 

[hong]

I was looking through Phineas Crow's map thread, with the cool cavern maps and whatnot, when I was reminded how annoying it can be to run an adventure in such a place.

As a player, mapping it out is virtually impossible. If the DM can't describe the nooks and crannies, and has to resort to "an irregular room somewhere around 30'x40'" then what's the point? Why not just have it on the DM's map as a 30'x40' room, describe it as cave-like, and move on?

As a DM, I have to draw the room on the battle-mat. There's no way a rough cavern room will look anything like it does on my map after I transcribe it. And again, if it can't be duplicated accurately, why bother drawing it so cavey-like on my map in the first place?

The passageways twist and turn unpredictably, which wouldn't matter, except that there's a cavern in another part of the complex that fits precisely on the other side of it and without those specific, unmapable curves it wouldn't fit.

I just haven't found any practical way of dealing with cave systems without slowing down the pace of the game (compared to the pace of the game in "manufactured" dungeons/buildings).

Screw the map. Nobody cares about it except the guy who did the module. Certainly nobody is going to care to the extent of actually wanting to recreate it by hand.

Instead, use a "virtual map" approach, as I do:

1) Have a number of set-piece encounters: underground waterfall, dragon's cave, tombs, green slime pool, climactic fight with BBEG, etc.

2) Connect these set-piece encounters with lines. This shows how you get from one encounter to the next, and is as elaborate as the "map" gets.

3) Have your PCs roll Survival, Spot and/or Listen checks at regular intervals. Success indicates they get a clue as to which direction they should be heading, or what lies in front of them. So if they're wanting to escape from Moria, and the wizard gets a 35 on the Survival roll (wotta munchkin), you can tell them that the air in the left passage smells less foul, indicating that they should go that way.

4) Fill in the gaps with flowery descriptive language, as well as the odd random encounter.

 

[thullgrim]

I just draw a reasonable facsimile of the cave on the battlemat. I make sure I get the important features, exits, areas where there might be cover, major impediments, things like that. As for an actual player's map, I let them worry about it. They want an accurate map, they agonize over it, they want to use a cirlce and straight lines, away they go. As long as my map is accurate, and the battlemap is also reasonably accurate I go with it. I have though about e-tiles though, that seems like it might not be a bad idea, especially if I laminate them and then I can draw all over them too....hmmm...

link to the Phineas Crow thread in my sig.

Thullgrim

 

[Painfully]

Sticks and hoops.

If I'm a player, I only need the important info, and that means taking a blank sheet of paper, and drawing sticks and hoops.

Room A: hoop. Passageways left, forward left, and back right: sticks. Knowing the compass directions is tricky, but usually not that important once you're underground.

It gets the job done, and unless you have somebody in the party with profession (cartography), you shouldn't be handing out perfect copies of the dungeon map IMO.

 

[Altalazar]

I always just sketch out the caves roughly, on a small piece of paper and give it to the players, expanding it as they go, or I draw it out on the mat. I tend not to like to waste too much time on mapping issues in game.

 

[Mac Callum]

Hong & Painfully beat me to my method - just use a flow chart with line connecting the major rooms and encounters.

"Hoops" should have a notations for monsters, unique qualities (mineral water pool), etc. "Lines" should have a notation for rough distance and description of any obstacles. Neither should attempt to be accurate. If you're in a fight, it's on the battlemap, but if you're not it probably doesn't matter. Gross dimensions (roughtly 30 * 40 with 15-20' ceilings) are all you need.

Be sure to mark branchings. I use a small "hoop" - smaller than a room, but it marks that the passage diverges there. Draw a dot on the edge of the hoop for each passageway not followed.

If you have a Dwarf in your group remember that Dwarves know how far underground the are as easily as you and I know which way is up. The way I see it, that doesn't need a check. They ask if they're higher or lower than "the room with the waterfall" and you tell them. When we're mapping we always ask the dwarf how far down we are and note it on the "hoop".

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Do you really need to draw the nooks and crannies? The answer is "no". Just draw the general shape of the passageways and rooms as smooth lines but let your players know that there are all sorts of nooks and crannies along the walls and that if they are up against a wall they can easily claim the cover bonus to AC and Saves and put a token next to their mini (assuming you are using minis) to keep track of the fact that they are claiming cover.