Ah that’s brilliant to hear! Yes, I added the arrows for the sea currents, then realised it can also be used for different sorts of information- the directions of rivers, gradients, movements between floors even.
"These don’t just have to be dungeons. They don’t even just have to be structures or buildings. They can be maps of whole areas or worlds"
This is a very well timed post for me as I'm trying to figure out if I can design a Vaesen mystery as if it were a dungeon (dungeons feel easy to bring to the table, mysteries feel overwhelming somehow). I stalled on the project a few weeks ago but this has got me scribbling in my notebook again, thank you!
I love how ideas in RPGs evolve! My adaptations and use at the table of the Eco Mofo maps led me to the map system in Whiskers and Wastelands. This 'conversation' about maps as prompts, maps as theme builders , maps as a narrative guide or nudge is one of the things that gets me so excited about game design!
Good piece. The only thing that never resonated with my table personally was the idea that 5 to 6 rooms in a dungeon was enough for an entire session.
My folks will chew through a lot more than that!
That said - if dungeons provide meaningful choices between rooms, alternate routes, resource management, time management, and all the rest of that kind of stuff it certainly makes what you’ve got last longer and a whole lot more fun to play
I've really enjoyed the new hex format, especially with the addition of arrows. It's given me a bunch of inspiration for overland travel.
Ah that’s brilliant to hear! Yes, I added the arrows for the sea currents, then realised it can also be used for different sorts of information- the directions of rivers, gradients, movements between floors even.
"These don’t just have to be dungeons. They don’t even just have to be structures or buildings. They can be maps of whole areas or worlds"
This is a very well timed post for me as I'm trying to figure out if I can design a Vaesen mystery as if it were a dungeon (dungeons feel easy to bring to the table, mysteries feel overwhelming somehow). I stalled on the project a few weeks ago but this has got me scribbling in my notebook again, thank you!
Ah that’s great to hear it’s got you writing again. That’s what I love about blogs, little spurs for creativity.
I love how ideas in RPGs evolve! My adaptations and use at the table of the Eco Mofo maps led me to the map system in Whiskers and Wastelands. This 'conversation' about maps as prompts, maps as theme builders , maps as a narrative guide or nudge is one of the things that gets me so excited about game design!
I love the idea of a "quantum ogre" lol. This is wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
Good piece. The only thing that never resonated with my table personally was the idea that 5 to 6 rooms in a dungeon was enough for an entire session.
My folks will chew through a lot more than that!
That said - if dungeons provide meaningful choices between rooms, alternate routes, resource management, time management, and all the rest of that kind of stuff it certainly makes what you’ve got last longer and a whole lot more fun to play
Oh sure- I think of them as units that can be linked together, either in prep or in play, to delve deeper if it makes sense in the fiction.