Symmetry and Space
When making maps for encounters, there are a number of things that can be done to optimize them for a fun and dynamic experience. After all, an empty chamber or a series of identical rooms make for a boring scenario. You got to get creative with the surroundings for your adventures. What I'd like to do here is break down some of the most important aspects and elements that lend themselves to a great map design for an encounter.
Symmetrical maps are okay occasionally, but it is easy to get into the habit of overdoing it. If you're somebody like me, your first instinct in map drawing is to put something in the center of the map, or matching patterns on either side. It just feels right when I'm putting it on paper. But I have found that it leads to really boring battles in which the flow of movement becomes predictable and there is no reason to traverse the map. Asymmetry is better, maps in which the obstacles and terrain are spaced out to the left or right without necessarily having something on the opposite side to 'balance' things out.
This doesn't mean you have to design terrain that is randomly placed, but a less predictable pattern that isn't evenly weighted on either side will direct the players to think more tactically and push the confrontation in new directions. Here's an example from some older Dungeons and Dragons maps:
I greatly prefer the tavern map on the right. The left hand map is just too neat and tidy. The chairs and tables are spaced in neat geometric patterns and there's really no difference between the right and left sides of the main area. Whereas the right hand map features stairs in one corner, the bar in another, furniture in some corners, and a couple of enclosed booths. If you're standing on a table you may be close to a neighboring chair but farther from another. The basement level features a bar on one side, and a fighting pit on another. Each side of the room is distinct with its own traits and features. Much better for adventuring than something so neatly organized and coordinated.
Another thing I would recommend is to space things out a bit. Give the players enough elbow room to let their move actions matter. In many RPGs, most rooms can be traversed in a move or two. So don't worry about adding some distance between things in these chambers. Avoid 10'/10' rooms and embrace the idea that dungeons can be spacious. These are caves and temples of wonder and industry, so they could be huge, with vaulted ceilings and echoing corridors! When your players have room to move about, it encourages them to move around more to use terrain to their advantage. It also prevents bottlenecks and keeps the players from obstructing one another's actions!
Of course, don't make maps too widely spaced out either. Maps with large empty spaces will cause the players to stay in one place to avoid wasting a whole turn trying to relocate. Use this rule of thumb: if the players can't reach a new prop, terrain type, or special item in one movement, they are probably not going to go for it. Enticing map areas might convince a player to spend an extra turn sprinting, but that's it. Make it so that any single round of movement can bring the player up to a new hazard or terrain, and it will encourage such tactics when the encounter gets intense.
Use The Environment
Finally, remember to include hazards and environmental elements that actually matter. Make sure there are things in the scene that the players can interact with, like a roaring furnace, cryogenic tubes, an automatic elevator... the scenery itself can be an adversary or ally to your players, so use it to its best potential. Think about the setting of your scene, where it takes place. Build upon the theme of the current setting, like an abandoned mine or a frosty tundra. Include appropriate hazards and terrains based on this information. What would be the most fun for your players? What will make things challenging and memorable? As long as these questions are foremost on your mind, you are certainly on the right track to building a great map for your next encounter.
Happy ventures!
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