Why are most dungeon entrances on the south?

[Shroomy]

I think that its because most adventures are printed on a vertical page instead of in a landscape format.

 

[jdrakeh]

For many people, North is up on a map (I assume this is probably not true for our southern hemisphere friends).

Whuh? On a two-dimensional map, North will always be 'up' as a general rule. Regardless of where you live. Unless the physical geometry of planet Earth changes accordingly.

 

[FATDRAGONGAMES]

Everyone knows that fantasy winds always blow from the south, and this way an intruder's scent is automatically blown directly into the dungeon to forewarn the inhabitants.

 

[Gez]

Whuh? On a two-dimensional map, North will always be 'up' as a general rule. Regardless of where you live. Unless the physical geometry of planet Earth changes accordingly.

Nope, it's just a convention. The north can be anywhere on a map. I've seen world maps from Australia that put the South on top, so that Australia was in a center-top position rather than in the bottom-right corner as is the case on the "standard" world map.

This site brings a bit of perspective on this topic. I especially like the bit about very old map putting the East on top. (Made sense, too: that's the direction of the rising sun, so it's easy to find.)

 

[jmucchiello]

Dungeon Feng Shui?

Oy, your water feature is in the East? You will have a lot conflict in your dungeon if you don't move that underground river to the western side, preferably next to something red.*

[size=-2]* not actual feng shui advice[/size]

 

[chitzk0i]

.....

 

[VirgilCaine]

Oy, your water feature is in the East? You will have a lot conflict in your dungeon if you don't move that underground river to the western side, preferably next to something red.*

[size=-2]* not actual feng shui advice[/size]

Of course not, since when do Jews know anything about Feng Shui?

Which, of course, is a hilarious idea.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

*Blink*

I don't think I put the door in the south very often - more likely in the east, with the paper laid out landscape rather than portrait. More often still I have an arrow pointing north that has little bearing on the orientation of the squares, pointing off in a generally upish (oooh! an new word! ) direction. Been doing it long enough that I don't even remember why I started doing so.

The Auld Grump

 

[jdrakeh]

Nope, it's just a convention. The north can be anywhere on a map. I've seen world maps from Australia that put the South on top, so that Australia was in a center-top position rather than in the bottom-right corner as is the case on the "standard" world map.

This site brings a bit of perspective on this topic. I especially like the bit about very old map putting the East on top. (Made sense, too: that's the direction of the rising sun, so it's easy to find.)

I'm sure that it happens, though IME, it's a rarity. And I've been around (both above and below the equator).

 

[Hussar]

Think about when you were a little kid and the teacher asked you to draw a house on a piece of paper. Where was the door? Pretty near the bottom of the page, regardless of how you oriented the paper.

We're still just little kids drawing houses and stick figures.