tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post7750761901392790005..comments2024-03-28T15:30:09.903-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Random Roll: PHB, p. 101James Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-72142821729963290292021-07-31T20:29:36.656-04:002021-07-31T20:29:36.656-04:00I guess I find the idea of showing players the GM&...I guess I find the idea of showing players the GM's map to be heretical; certainly in the context of an old-school D+D adventure (or any other similar genre game, like TFT). I will display to the players what they actively see in the moment, as that can be more time efficient and direct than sticking with totally verbal information. But I feel like anything you can't actively see you need to either hold the map in your head (some people have better spatial memory than others) or draw one as you go. And I don't let people mark their maps while they are running or fighting - if you can remember enough to recreate it later when you have a minute to rest fine, but pencils down while you run! JohnEilerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18288185520072519535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-15641436234641437182021-07-31T12:44:31.443-04:002021-07-31T12:44:31.443-04:00It doesn't make sense to map while running bec...It doesn't make sense to map while running because mapping in AD&D involves pacing everything out; hence the slow movement associated with mapping.<br /><br />If the party remembers what the DM drew on the battlemat, or the twists and turns as they flee, good for them, but I won't draw out the whole dungeon for them as they flee (I will, quickly describe what they see).Corathonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15453135801686019143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-64820178742956208502021-07-31T10:05:54.735-04:002021-07-31T10:05:54.735-04:00Hmm. Cursory research informs me "urban"...Hmm. Cursory research informs me "urban" encounters have never been part of the Basic line rules sets. I suspect that's part of the demarcation zone ... Basic can follow precedents from OD&D but can't step into topics created for Advanced. Alas.Bob Portnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563075580066984380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-35468778488165314292021-07-31T09:08:19.011-04:002021-07-31T09:08:19.011-04:00When it comes to maps they are important for a few...When it comes to maps they are important for a few things to work.<br />A RAW issue would be that it doesn't make any sense to say mapping is impossible when fleeing an encounter. If the DM just point to the open map and say "you are here now" what's the big trouble?<br />A teleporter trap that the party will not even know teleportet them will be revealed instantly by the DM when he tells them they are somewhere else now.<br />There are many other issues if exploration is a feature in the game being run.<br />And players don't have to make presise maps at all. They just need to make maps that work. Are the PCs really measuring it all? Don't give them a squared paper. That's for the DM. Janichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08721807584724013590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-2021830537262872732021-07-31T01:48:03.715-04:002021-07-31T01:48:03.715-04:00Personally, I’ve almost always showed players the ...Personally, I’ve almost always showed players the maps, mostly because I like drawing maps! And in a grid-based version of D&D like 5e it’s helpful to have premade maps ready. Tho it can lead to some ‘meta’ frictions… I remember once I had set the PCs up for this very deadly encounter, and after I unrolled the big prepared sheet of illustrated graph paper most of the party decided to run away.. but one guy (nicely) said “c’mon guys! He drew this whole map!” XD<br /><br />I did run one maze game (The God That Crawls for Lotfp) where the whole point was getting lost so I didn’t draw a map for the players. But mostly, I draw them,<br /><br />FWIW I also think that fhe existence of super easy to use automated illustrated maps on things like Roll20 contributes to the why-bother-mapping thing.Jason & Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08382538007150266805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-21548186860382121082021-07-30T18:16:05.077-04:002021-07-30T18:16:05.077-04:00We always had a mapper (and in the retro B/X campa...We always had a mapper (and in the retro B/X campaign I am intermittently running, still do).<br /><br />It takes a common set of terms between the DM and the players to quickly and accurately communicate what they are seeing, but the rewards are great.<br /><br />For the players, keeping an accurate map can reveal the location of likely secret doors and can be a great help in understand the shape of the dungeon.<br /><br />'If we go down that hallway and turn left I reckon it will link up here.'<br /><br />For the DM, the chaos that ensues if a map turns out to be wrong -- or is lost -- makes for memorable, memorable gaming.Sir Harrokhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11064391207365006286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-77571273220345094312021-07-30T16:29:55.059-04:002021-07-30T16:29:55.059-04:00I was going to post about that, but figured Geoffr...I was going to post about that, but figured Geoffrey would himself as he had on the other post. It's a brilliant strategy for developing a campaign setting, and works wonderfully with Mike's World. James Mishlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03510782553325944558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-91686713452287204072021-07-30T14:30:11.283-04:002021-07-30T14:30:11.283-04:00Yep, I was just thinking about "Mike's Wo...Yep, I was just thinking about "Mike's World" when I read that quote. Your concentric circles of danger is pretty great.<br />: )JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-828386453417840612021-07-30T12:01:12.175-04:002021-07-30T12:01:12.175-04:00I am right with you on town encounters being a pro...I am right with you on town encounters being a proper part of the game. It is vexing to me that most of the B/X retro-clones decline to address this ... even BFRPG doensn't go there.Bob Portnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563075580066984380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-24675036918655854432021-07-30T10:47:18.774-04:002021-07-30T10:47:18.774-04:00'One "problem" with D&D, it'...'One "problem" with D&D, it's that the wilderness surrounding a dungeon is frequently far more dangerous than the dungeon itself, given the lack of an artificial level-based framework for assessing threat to the characters.'<br /><br />To address that in my campaign (centered on B2's Keep, to the west of which is civilization, and to the north, south, and east is howling wilderness), I have made it that the farther one pushes into the wilderness, the more dangerous are the monsters. Like this:<br /><br />deeper into the dungeons = the more dangerous the monsters<br />farther into the wilderness = the more dangerous the monstersGeoffrey McKinneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00042661843714609025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-2518324945602265932021-07-30T10:45:54.992-04:002021-07-30T10:45:54.992-04:00Though we had mapping on occasion in my group of 5...Though we had mapping on occasion in my group of 5 players/DMs, it really depended on what type of dungeons we were in. We didn't do the megadungeon thing, and the dungeons we did design ourselves were usually small: A Wizards Tower, Ruined Keep, Island Temple, a level underneath a graveyard, etc. The "map" we made as players was never elaborate, just lines and boxes with some notes scribbled on regular lined paper. The only times I recall anyone doing serious mapping was when we would play a published module because the dungeons were much bigger than our own. But I think most of us hated that aspect (I know for my own part, I often dissected published adventures to small chunks or areas, and eliminated what I would call "filler"..)<br /><br />I did know of some groups who played bigger dungeons all the time and needed someone to map and who used graph paper, but I only usually played those types of games as a fill-in player or such at the afterschool or library club games. Large dungeons and roaming around them for session after session bored me to tears (still does). Strangely enough, I am fascinated reading about gameplay of those original big dungeons.<br /><br /> JEFFBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862106711059104379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-17268472635544063982021-07-30T04:44:24.412-04:002021-07-30T04:44:24.412-04:00“Do RPG campaigns regularly include a mapper anymo...“Do RPG campaigns regularly include a mapper anymore?”<br /><br />The last year or two I’ve ONLY been running games for my family (a son, daughter, and…occasionally…my non-gamer wife). When entering a dungeon, they ALL are inclined to grab a piece of paper and start scratching out a map. For them (I think) it’s akin to note taking, helping their memory and their visualization of the environment/scenario. It’s not something I’ve asked/told them to do…it’s something that they’ve chosen and that makes THEM feel safer (I suppose).<br /><br />So…yeah.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.com