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<blockquote data-quote="Jack Daniel" data-source="post: 4752066" data-attributes="member: 694">I didn't say that I actually have a player map what I describe.&nbsp; I, as DM, actually draw the map on graph paper for the players.&nbsp; It's the quickest and easiest way to get the job done.Other tricks I've picked up from recent campaigns:- Scrabble tiles.&nbsp; They make an astonishingly ideal replacement for miniatures or monster tokens, provided you have at least two sets in different colors.- For those of you playing OD&amp;D or AD&amp;D, I've found that turning a few sacred cow conventions on their heads can really speed up the game and make it more fun for everyone.&nbsp; For finding traps, secret doors, concealed treasures, etc., I just make a &quot;passive search check&quot; (using whichever character, usually the thief or the elf, has the best chance to search) that I roll in secret.&nbsp; That way, players don't have to repeat the old mantra, &quot;Another door?&nbsp; We search it for traps,&quot; ad nauseam as they move through the dungeon.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; But since this does mean more secret die rolls on my part, I check for wandering monsters less frequently than the game suggests.&nbsp; In OD&amp;D, you have a 1-in-6 chance of encountering wandering monsters for every twenty minutes that tick by in the dungeon.&nbsp; Instead of this, I check every hour of game-time at a 1-in-2 chance.&nbsp; To make it more intimidating, I have a big golden novelty pirate coin with a skull and crossbones on one side that I flip onto the table.&nbsp; When the players see that skull come up, they know that random monsters are upon them!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Jack Daniel, post: 4752066, member: 694"] I didn't say that I actually have a player map what I describe. I, as DM, actually draw the map on graph paper for the players. It's the quickest and easiest way to get the job done. Other tricks I've picked up from recent campaigns: - Scrabble tiles. They make an astonishingly ideal replacement for miniatures or monster tokens, provided you have at least two sets in different colors. - For those of you playing OD&D or AD&D, I've found that turning a few sacred cow conventions on their heads can really speed up the game and make it more fun for everyone. For finding traps, secret doors, concealed treasures, etc., I just make a "passive search check" (using whichever character, usually the thief or the elf, has the best chance to search) that I roll in secret. That way, players don't have to repeat the old mantra, "Another door? We search it for traps," ad nauseam as they move through the dungeon. But since this does mean more secret die rolls on my part, I check for wandering monsters less frequently than the game suggests. In OD&D, you have a 1-in-6 chance of encountering wandering monsters for every twenty minutes that tick by in the dungeon. Instead of this, I check every hour of game-time at a 1-in-2 chance. To make it more intimidating, I have a big golden novelty pirate coin with a skull and crossbones on one side that I flip onto the table. When the players see that skull come up, they know that random monsters are upon them! [/QUOTE]

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