Hello! So I am newbie-ish to Pathfinder in general and very much new to GMing, and I was wondering if y'all might help me work out a problem I'm having with designing my next map.
Some background - I've been running with 3 PCs for the first time a campaign of my own making, with my own lore and such. Each adventure has been split into 2 maps, which I draw on one of those hard-cardboard folding two-sided maps, and I generally try to keep to that format, at least for each of the adventures in this campaign.
So adventure-wise, my PCs have just gotten on a boat to navigate a perilous marshland, home to an old but vicious dragon turtle. My plan is to have them roll to advance the ship or attack, and they have to navigate the waters and make it safely to the other side. I've pretty much got this part figured out.
What I need help on is Map 2 - on the other side of the marsh, the PCs are going to find themselves back in the starting town, but everything seems... off. Indeed, by this point the starting town is many miles and an ocean away from where they are. They've actually entered a decrepit, haunted village where some old, nasty experiments once took place. Deep in the basement of one of the houses is an imprisoned djinn, tortured beyond the threshold of sanity, whose consciousness is being used to create the illusion. My PCs need to investigate the town and resist the temptations and trials in order to uncover the djinn and release it from its bonds, breaking the spell.
So my issue is - how the heck do I set up map 2? I have the layout of the original town - I can just use my original map - but any advice on how I could hint at the reality of the situation would be appreciated. My current idea is to just be quick with some dry-erase markers, but that sounds like it would grind the session to a halt while I drew the differences onto the town.
Thanks!
What about transparencies, like us geezers used to use on overhead projectors? Draw the town layout on map 2, trace it onto the transparency, then erase map 2 and draw the haunted village instead. Lay down paper to conceal map 2, lay the transparency over it, and have the PCs navigate the illusion.
Since you're using a transparency, you can embellish details on the starting town to make it look creepy; add wavy lines, fracture building edges, add a tree where there isn't one, etc. As the players begin to notice these changes, discuss them aloud, that prompts a save to see through the illusion.
Once the PCs finally make their save you can pull away the paper and leave the transparency if you want. This represents the shadowy, illusory overlay of the djinn's mad dreaming. Of course if that hinders game play you can just remove the transparency all together.
Solid advice. If you don't have access to the overlay transparency, you can draw the creepy additions on your original town map, unless they are actually going to go back and you will need the original map again. When they break the illusion, have the actual town they are in drawn up on a separate map. Switch everyone to the actual town map in the same position they were in. But if you aren't otherwise going to reuse the original town map, just draw your creepy additions to the original, and draw a new map for the actual town they are in without the illusion magic.
It seems to me that most, if not all, of the differences wouldn't be something that a map would show.
The Tavern is in the same place, and is the same size, but instead of it being the "Happy Maid Inn" with a laughing girl on the sign it is the "Weeping Mother Inn" with a woman crying holding a dead child on the sign. Stuff like that. If you preferred, the difference could be more subtle, more like "Happy Maid" becomes "Weeping Maid" but unless one looks close the sign seems quite similar.
Presumably your PCs will know something is 'off' right away, since their hometown shouldn't be here, so as they examine things you can tell them what seems different.
What to do with a map?
Scan it. Then make one or more alternate versions with Paint (or preferably any better drawing software). Print, and you're golden!
If you're worried that the photocopy won't be durable enough, slip it in a plastic sheet protector or glue it to cardboard backing.
I usually use Dwarven Forge decors, but in my RotRL campaign I used several full-color tactical maps available on the RotRL forum that wer just wonderful - painted up in exquisite (and often gory) detail by some very talented artists.
Most of the interesting stuff about this illusionary village setup won't involve the map at all, of course, as Dave Justus points out.
But regarding the map, is it a tactical map with 5-foot squares that you place figures on? Or is it more like a one-page aerial view of the town with buildings, streets and other notable features?
Solid advice. If you don't have access to the overlay transparency, you can draw the creepy additions on your original town map, unless they are actually going to go back and you will need the original map again. When they break the illusion, have the actual town they are in drawn up on a separate map. Switch everyone to the actual town map in the same position they were in. But if you aren't otherwise going to reuse the original town map, just draw your creepy additions to the original, and draw a new map for the actual town they are in without the illusion magic.What about transparencies, like us geezers used to use on overhead projectors? Draw the town layout on map 2, trace it onto the transparency, then erase map 2 and draw the haunted village instead. Lay down paper to conceal map 2, lay the transparency over it, and have the PCs navigate the illusion.
Since you're using a transparency, you can embellish details on the starting town to make it look creepy; add wavy lines, fracture building edges, add a tree where there isn't one, etc. As the players begin to notice these changes, discuss them aloud, that prompts a save to see through the illusion.
Once the PCs finally make their save you can pull away the paper and leave the transparency if you want. This represents the shadowy, illusory overlay of the djinn's mad dreaming. Of course if that hinders game play you can just remove the transparency all together.
Transparencies are PERFECT. THANK you! I can draw the original town on the map itself, then use the transparencies to add in those darker details. Thanks again!
What to do with a map?
Scan it. Then make one or more alternate versions with Paint (or preferably any better drawing software). Print, and you're golden!
If you're worried that the photocopy won't be durable enough, slip it in a plastic sheet protector or glue it to cardboard backing.
I usually use Dwarven Forge decors, but in my RotRL campaign I used several full-color tactical maps available on the RotRL forum that wer just wonderful - painted up in exquisite (and often gory) detail by some very talented artists.
Most of the interesting stuff about this illusionary village setup won't involve the map at all, of course, as Dave Justus points out.
But regarding the map, is it a tactical map with 5-foot squares that you place figures on? Or is it more like a one-page aerial view of the town with buildings, streets and other notable features?
It's a tactical map, which is giving me some of the headache. But I think as mentioned above that transparencies would help a lot - I can draw the additions of the 'real' world on top and when it gets perceived I can place it down, which means I can do it piecemeal if needed.
I think I'm going to take your advice for individual buildings, though. My regular map has tiny houses that make up only a few squares - I can expand on the inside and make an 'illusion' version and a 'real' version that suits both my needs. Thanks for the tip!
It seems to me that most, if not all, of the differences wouldn't be something that a map would show.
The Tavern is in the same place, and is the same size, but instead of it being the "Happy Maid Inn" with a laughing girl on the sign it is the "Weeping Mother Inn" with a woman crying holding a dead child on the sign. Stuff like that. If you preferred, the difference could be more subtle, more like "Happy Maid" becomes "Weeping Maid" but unless one looks close the sign seems quite similar.
Presumably your PCs will know something is 'off' right away, since their hometown shouldn't be here, so as they examine things you can tell them what seems different.
Sound advice. That might be helpful if trying out transparencies isn't working. Thanks!