Dungeon map fog of war...


Advice


I've searched the boards and not found quite what I'm looking for...

I have tried a couple of different things, but have yet to find a satisfactory method of hiding/revealing dungeon maps. I'd really like to have maps drawn and ready to go before the session - for speed and detail - but I want to minimmize metagaming. I've tried Gaming Paper, flipmats, and blank grids. What do YOU use and how does that work out for you?


What I do is I photocopy my dungeon map, then cut up the pieces. As the party goes through the dungeon, I place down another piece. It's kinda like they have their own minimap.


Yar!

Two methods. First, is I use a very large wet-erase grid and simply draw in only what they can see as they explore.

Method two is for use with extra special scenes where I feel like making 3d terrain, and I use a pile of black felt sheets (links of some pics below)

Potential Sperpent's Skull/Smugglers Shiv Spoiler

and a closer view with a mini for scale

~P


I use the tiles from the several sets of tiles/corridors/rooms etc. release by WotC. I have 4 sets and this meets 95% of our group's needs. Plus the doors, furniture, etc. make for fairly realistic locations while still maintaining the fog of war.


I draw the whole thing out on a very large wet erase grid then I cover up what is not being used with the million and one DM screens I have lying around the house.

I've also used cardboard strips (as walls) and lay them down as the players progress. It's a fast and easy way to make hallways and what not on the fly.


My group play over Google+ and are in 3 different states. When I GM I create a map on old fashioned graph paper and don't include any secret doors, chests, etc. However, I number each room so they have a reference point. My maps have letters A-Z down the side and numbers 1-50 on the top. All of us draw out the map on a large battle map so we can all use our minis.

If you are looking for something with more detail use Dwarven Forge (VERY expensive) or you could go with dungeon tiles. I have seen some groups use pre-made terrain, but that seems odd since you don't come across the same terrain in every game.

Sovereign Court

I read something by a guy who took the large Paizo foldout battle mat and cut it up along the edges. It let him draw rooms on individual tiles and reveal them one by one. It does kinda shoehorn you into rooms sized to one "page" of the foldout map though, or wasting space with thick walls.

Personally I'd just go with a complete map behind the GM screen, and drawing it out room-by-room on the dry-erase foldout map. But then I just like the foldout map.

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