The Art of Mapping
Maps are an often overlooked aspect of any tabletop game that are important for a number of reasons. For instance, they provide visual interest at your game table. Eye catching maps are the visual effects of the game table, providing aesthetic charm and illustration like the graphics of a video game or motion picture. While it is not usually practical to have a really beautiful map for every session and encounter, the occasional richly designed set piece is a rewarding effort for players and DMs. Check out some of these amazing models:
Your maps don't even need to be as fancy as these professional designs to hold appeal, but one can plainly see that the look of a map can add style zest to a game session.
Another use of the maps is practicality. Though distance and location between characters could often be described abstractly, the process is often confusing and hectic. Having a map gives players a practical record of relative positions and approximate locations of characters and objects in the game world. It eliminates the strain of having to memorize everything of relevancy in the encounter and provides a public record of everything the player characters can clearly see. The players won't ever forget there is a ladder that can be climbed when it is drawn out on the table before them. They won't need to ask if they are in reach of the goblin king if they can clearly see where he stands on his throne.
Maps also serve a special purpose as a DM tool. A map produced ahead of time helps a game runner plan a high quality session by providing a framework for the session. Improvised maps are okay in a pinch, but they just don't compare to a well-thought floor plan. Drawing out your maps allows you to plan out crossroads and paths that allow players options that you have already prepared for. It also allows you to plan out terrain layouts that would provide interesting tactical advantages (more on that later.) And of course, it lets your maps end up neater and more refined as you reveal them to your party.
The tactile quality of a physical map is another great feature. A map and miniatures on the table gives players something to interact with and something to do with their hands when they aren't rolling dice. It also forces players to commit to their place on the board. You can have have the player show the exact route they choose to take with a movement, and determine which traps they might have tripped along the way. Establishing marching order (the formation the group travels in) is much easier when you can set it up clearly on the tabletop.
Tactical Maps
One of the most important map tips of all: avoid enclosed spaces and linear map design. A narrow hallway is a DM's nightmare, as there is often nothing to do except move forward and attack in order to progress. This is why it is always important not to have the enemies charge and trap players in a doorway, or vice versa. If this happens it will greatly diminish the tactical quality of your game and could bore the players into frustration. Movement is a vital part of the flow of combat, and you want to make use of terrain on your maps whenever possible. If you can find ways to lure or push the combatants into other parts of the room or terrain, all the better. Try not to let the action get limited to one corner of the map.
Large, expansive rooms or areas are ideal for major encounters. They should also be more than an empty room. Your terrain should be built for several purposes... to provide something tactical for the players and enemies to play off, to provide something atmospheric to set the scene, and act as basic window dressing so that the world seems real and organic. If a room is missing any of these features it is not going to make for a very interesting encounter. The details matter, so don't be too stingy with them.
In the same vein, remember that crossroads and forks in the road are important as well. You can make the alternate avenues lead to the same destination, but if your maps are all straight lines it will feel like the players are being railroaded, limited to playing out the events in a sequence they have no control over. Maps that give the players choice over their course of action are great. And remember that there should be some kind of information to define that choice beyond 'left or right?' Present them with clues like sounds of running water from behind one door, or a sign that says 'armory' beside another. This will give them a feeling of control and practical decision-making even if they don't exactly know what they will run into next.
Travelling and World Maps
On the macro level of mapping, you have the maps and atlases that are used to represent the larger expanses of the campaign setting. If you are using an official setting, these can be printed out or purchased from a local game shop or online dealer. If you are playing in your own setting, some of these locations might even be defined by the players themselves, such as the homelands or points of interest of their player characters.
One of the benefits of maps that cover large expanses like this is that they can be used for tracking long distance travel and exploration. If your players enjoy playing as trailblazing pioneers, there are a number of ways this can be fun. The game can become a broader challenge of resource management and discovery as the party treks across long distances. You could include weather events and short encounters to represent the unpredictable nature of overland travel. This style of gameplay isn't for everyone, and don't recommend forcing it upon disinterested groups. But if your group likes that sort of thing, you will want to have a detailed map and notes ready.
A benefit of having a world map is that you get the bigger picture of a more expansive world beyond the bounds of the city or dungeon of the moment. This can be used as a set-up for the overall campaign, as you visit and explore each location. Alternately, it can be used to define some parts of the setting that indirectly affect your campaign. For instance, knowing where the Lost Continent is in the East will help to describe how people relate to its denizens, and what its political and cultural climate might be. Overall, it is immersive and appealing to players to have a wider view of the setting they exist in and enhances the role playing experience.
Mapping for a Game Session
I usually recommend having at least two maps for a standard game session, whether simple or complex. This enables you to do a map change partway through the session that makes for a good act break in which you can refresh your players attention, take a breath and let everybody get acclimated to the new setup. A world map and a dungeon map, or the floorplans of two stories of a building are examples of paired maps that can be switched out at leisure.
You can find a lot of pre-made maps in adventure modules which can be adapted to fit your own game running agenda. For making your own simple layouts, I like using glossy posterboard from local hobby shops and a set of wet erase markers. Battle-mats are special gridded maps that are also compatible with wet erase markers. And of course there are lots of RPG maps that can be found and printed online from sites like RPGmapshare Finally, even props like building blocks, LEGOs, or toy store trinkets can be used to add a third dimension to any kind of map. If you don't have access to minis, then you want to stock up on bottlecaps or some colored tokens from a local hobby shop to represent characters and enemies.
I will cover more details about tactical maps in future articles, laying out some of the best techniques for map design and use of terrain. Happy ventures!
