How do you like to handle dungeon mapping?

[iserith]

Spatial awareness isn't a strong suit for all people.

Regardless, while there could be some merit to the hypothesis, I felt precise player mapping was a chore long before the advent of GPS and smart phones. Applying discrete distances and precise measurements relative to imaginary elements that are wholly reliant upon the consistent degree of the DM's ability to deliver clear, concise, and accurate descriptions while staying constantly mindful of the mapper's ability to correctly translate that verbal information to paper is not how I want to spend my time at the table.

Same here. We didn't like player mapping long before GPS and smart phones. And with current game mechanics I just don't think it's necessary.

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

We used to map them out but these days, unless the objective is to map the dungeon, I simply hand them sections of the map.

I make them with Adobe Illustrator and use the Windows Snipping tool to select the areas I wish to share, hiding information such as monster location or traps by hiding the appropriate layer.

 

[Wiseblood]

I have a terrible sense of direction. It's gotten to the point where my car just lets out an exasperated sigh when I screw up following its explicit driving directions.

Cars are fast. On foot,
lost is something I can't find.
Try dead reckoning.

 

[the Jester]

Dungeon mapping can be a challenge (relevant comic for reference). I've taken to handing players cut up bits of map as they go, allowing them to piece it back together with tape. It has the added advantage that they can draw out dungeon rooms while I prep the other parts of combat, but you lose that old school hand-drawn feeling of mapping.

How do you guys handle in-game cartography?

Smart players draw maps based on my descriptions, at least when they're in big dungeons. Most of the rest of them learn valuable lessons and smarten up, or they die.

But no, I don't do the work for the players. Rarely, they might find an old map or old set of maps as treasure, but most of the time, they are on their own when it comes to figuring out where to go. Also, I use "right" and "left" instead of "west" and "east" when describing things, so it's easy for pcs to get turned around if they aren't paying attention. You want cardinal directions, bring a compass or take the Keen Mind feat. Likewise, don't ask me if you've been there before- if you do, your answer is almost certainly going to be, "You're not sure," unless something there is a dead giveaway ("Oh, it's my wizard mark from earlier").

 

[Saleem Aslan]

Hiya!

You guys are...mostly...a rather odd bunch!

I can't imagine NOT having the players make a map...usually on graph paper with 5' or 10' squares. There is, to me, something just so, well, satisfying seeing a map get made and seeing the players staring at it trying to make decisions.

I've always encouraged players make a map. Yes, even a line map. Those adventuring without a map are...well, lets just say that frequently they become the "dungeon dressing" that the back of the 1e DMG has listed on various 1d100 tables.

The key thing is to develop, as a DM, a method of description. I've been doing this DM thing for a LONG time now (longer than a lot of folks playing have been alive). It took me a good year or so to develop the best way for me to describe stuff to my players. It's consistent, and it's fast. Every DM needs to do this. Then stick to it. Your players will learn what you mean when you say "You see a standard corridor heading east for about 40' where it turns into a Y intersection with 5' corridors".

How I do it, is "...it goes X distance...and then...". Meaning the player draws X distance. Stop. THEN continues with the next bit.

Example: [assuming 10' squares] "The corridor goes North for 60' and then you see a side passage, 10' wide, heading off East. The main passage you are on continues North for another 20' and looks like it turns into a curve to the North-West". The player would draw a 60' corridor. Simple. The next 10' (the "70th feet square") would be a corridor going east. Simple. The player then continues the main corridor (the "80th feet square") for 20' more. Still simple. Then (in the "100th feet square"), the player would lightly draw the corridor curving to the NW.

Rooms and chambers are handled the same way. A distinction between "room" and "chamber"; A Room is enclosed via portals that open/close (doors, typically). A Chamber is much the same, but has at least one portal that is not blocked (a hallway, for example).

Example: "The door opens into a room, 40' west-east, and 50' north south. The door you entered is in the south room, 10' away from the south-west corner. There are two other doors in the room. One on the west wall, in the center, and one in the north wall, 10' away from the north-east corner. Evenly spaced columns, about 10' apart, starting 10' away from the south wall, run down the center of the room".

Should be easy to understand, right? The key to my "mapping descriptions" is the use of "...away from..." and "...go's for...and then...". This makes it much easier than trying to describe each wall. The only time I describe specific wall lengths and angles is when you get one of those really odd-shaped rooms (Temple of Elemental Evil has quite a few!). So "Starting at the west side of the door you entered...west 20', north 20', north-west at 45 degree angle for 20', north 10' (in that 10' is a door), then north-east 20', east 30', south 70', to the door".

When things get REALLY weird...angled walls that are not at 45 degrees for example... I use a "count up/over" method. Basically the player stops drawing and then "counts" a distance up/over to place a dot; draw a line between that dot and the last 'wall' the player drew. I'll usually describe it as "an odd angle" so the player knows what's going on there.

Anyway, as I said, the key thing is consistency. Once you and your players understand the same "mapping language", mapping is surprisingly easy and fast. It also lets multiple players make a map (which happens on occasion; when one player wants a map for himself for his character's portfolio). My players are so good at it now that if there is a "trick" in the dungeon (like rotating walls, or a non-obvious teleporting area), they go back over the area and I describe it. They know I am describing it the 'same way', so when they see a 50' corridor where there should be an 80' corridor, they know that something is up (usually...they do second-guess themselves sometimes and this is quite amusing to the sadistic DM side of me! ).

^_^

Paul L. Ming

How do you describe a room that is not fully visible?
If the characters enter a large hall, or a long corridor, the torch will only light the first 30ft, not the entire room

 

[GrimCo]

Well, we are lucky, since one friend is architect, so drawing buildings and floor plans is what he does professionally. He is the guy that usually maps things. Sure, scale might be off, but he is darn good at approximating things. I'm no slouch myself when it comes to drawing maps ( 75 hours of technical drawing and freehand sketching plus 60 hours of 2d/3d cad is standard 1st year subject for mechanical engineers). So we got it covered.

We also pretty regularly use donjon for generating random floor plans. It's not perfect but it's quick and easy.

 

[Lanefan]

I don't. Either I hand the players a map. Or assume mapping and time to map is taking place. I once had two people mapping and I was drawing out rooms as they entered. Neither of the maps were close to the real map.

Which is realistic, if nothing else, as the maps the characters would draw in the fiction would likely contain errors as well.

EDIT: just realized I'm replying to a post from 7 years ago. Oh well...

 

[Lanefan]

It's up to the players whether they keep a map or not, but if they don't they might end up lost at inconvenient moments.

 

[TheSword]

We’ve been running Undermountain on VTT and we have set it so the players only see what they can currently see.

One player is taking a great little map on a side screen as he goes to stop them getting lost. I think it’s a great way of playing the dungeon crawl that keep it feeling like the labyrinth that it is.

Spoiler: Sample map

 

[Azzy]

When playing online, I use Foundry VTT and it takes care of obviates manual mapping with its fog of war.

When playing in person, I use my Chessex wet-erase grid map. If a player wants to make a map to keep track of things, they can, but I'm not terribly fussed about mapping.