I'm currently running a LotFP campaign -- which is going great.

I'm looking for some advice on a simple matter of hex crawls.

I have a campaign map. It has hexes. I'll be rolling for encounters each time the PCs enter a hex. The PCs are looking for a specific item in a 16x24 hex grid map. They don't know where it is. They will probably have a prop-map showing a rough sketch of the valley and major points of interest from before an ongoing war ruined the valley.

Question: When running a hex crawl like this, do those of you who have done something like this:
a. Provide the Players with a blank hex map for them to make their own map?
b. Not provide the hex paper at all, keeping it all in their heads and checking the map based on their decisions. ("We'll keep heading north.")?
c. Provide them with paper (no hexes) for them to sketch out their travels as they go?

What are the plusses and minuses for the methods you use?

Thanks!

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If you want more information or have more questions about the set up, here you go:

The Player Characters are traveling from 17th Century Europe to an alternate, fantasy earth, to explore the Qelong Valley and find a powerful source of magic to prevent the gods of Carcosa from invading their version of earth.

Qelong is a terrific sandbox module from Ken Hite. It's only fifty pages, but it really is a miniature campaign all on its own. (It's dense. If there's a downside to the product, it is that it is really dense. I'm spending some time unfolding some of the information right now.)

Qelong is a fantasy-horror Cambodia, where the warring magic between two arch-mages on the other side of the mountains has spilled into the water and has poisoned the land.

The Player Characters are on a quest to find one of the magical weapons that has fallen into the valley. The weapon is packed with a terribly powerful, magical substance called Aakom. This is what the player characters are seeking. It is also the source of the poison in the valley.

The map of the Qelong Valley included in the module is scaled 6 miles to a hex. Every time you enter a hex you roll for an encounter.

The players have no idea at first where the weapon is, though over time they can find clues. There are also several factions at war in the valley, as well as tons of strange encounters. They will be arriving in a port town. The item is up river, near the edge of the valley by the mountains.

The players will most likely end up with a rough prop-map while searching for rumors when they first arrive in the port town. (They are clever, and will think of having someone sketch the valley for them.) The prop-map shows the valley from before the war, so it a) is a little out of date; b) doesn't show where the magical weapon is.

Really depends on what presentation you want. Players with (more or less) accurate hex maps? Or players with guesswork?

Since they have to search hex by hex Id strongly suggest giving them a blank map and let them fill it out as they go. That way they know where theyve been and where they may need to be.

Quote from: Omega;934755Since they have to search hex by hex I'd strongly suggest giving them a blank map and let them fill it out as they go. That way they know where theyve been and where they may need to be.

That's my thought as well. As you state, having hex map that they fill in offers them the chance to track where they've been.

I do want to avoid the sessions feeling like looking down at a board game map, however. I try to put the players "in the scene" as much as possible. I'd rather not have them focusing on everything at the "hex level" of the game.

I usually give the players a map of the area they are exploring.  Having the players map as they go does not provide enough bang-for-the-buck in my experience.

Quote from: Old One Eye;934765Having the players map as they go does not provide enough bang-for-the-buck in my experience.

Could you talk more about this, please?
Thanks!

One thing I'm thinking of doing is building a hex-map for the Players based off the prop-map they'll be getting. I'll highlight certain geographical points that they have on the prop-map (which in this case is based off the map from before the war). Then lots and lots of blank spots for them to explore and discover.

Quote from: ChristopherKubasik;934768Could you talk more about this, please?
Thanks!

One thing I'm thinking of doing is building a hex-map for the Players based off the prop-map they'll be getting. I'll highlight certain geographical points that they have on the prop-map (which in this case is based off the map from before the war). Then lots and lots of blank spots for them to explore and discover.

It takes time at the table for players to fill in their own map which has an impact on pacing.  While I like the fog of war aspect, I don't think it is worth slowing the game over.  

I also have more luck getting the players into a pretty map I prepared beforehand than a whatever handscrawled thing is produced in play.

Even the last dungeon I ran, the PCs had reason to know the layout, so I gave them the dungeon map.  

Having the map simply does not harm gameplay much if any, in my experience.  They do not know the map key or secret places omitted from the map.

Quote from: Old One Eye;934775It takes time at the table for players to fill in their own map which has an impact on pacing.  While I like the fog of war aspect, I don't think it is worth slowing the game over.  

I also have more luck getting the players into a pretty map I prepared beforehand than a whatever handscrawled thing is produced in play.

Even the last dungeon I ran, the PCs had reason to know the layout, so I gave them the dungeon map.  

Having the map simply does not harm gameplay much if any, in my experience.  They do not know the map key or secret places omitted from the map.

This is my general feeling. A map with details omitted is an invitation to explore.

Filling in a blank map can work, but you should never make the whole map blank. Look back to X1, the Isle of Dread. Players start with a map of the coast and can move inwards to explore.

Along the same line, you could give the players a loose but attractive map of the setting, then sometimes have them fill in hex maps detailing smaller areas with that setting, maybe with some well-known landmarks already filled in.

Quote from: Baulderstone;934777This is my general feeling. A map with details omitted is an invitation to explore.

Along the same line, you could give the players a loose but attractive map of the setting, then sometimes have them fill in hex maps detailing smaller areas with that setting, maybe with some well-known landmarks already filled in.

Guys, thanks so much. This was the kind of point of view and thinking I was hoping to find.

Here's what I'm going to do.

This is the prop-map that comes with Qelong:


I'm sure that by the time the PCs have spent time scrounging for information, they'll have come across the map.

I'll create a hex map at 1" per hex for the Players. I'll mark the landmarks noted on the prop-map above the Players' map. They'll have reference points, and be able to see landmarks, but they'll also see lots of area to explore.

Moreover, since the war has ruined the valley, as the move through the hex-map, they'll mark corrections -- canals that have been shattered, bridges that no longer exist, cities that are gone. The theme of the valley being ruined by decades of war is a major part of the setting, and I think it will come through really wonderfully if they expect things to be one way, and come across the ruins.

I had already planned on placing the coastline, but now I really love marking up the mountains, the the rivers, the canals, and so on. Anything that is on the Referee's map (which is gorgeous, by the way) except for secret stuff, ends up on the larger, Player-owned hex map, giving them context and a starting place for exploration. Here's a sample of the Referee's map:


It'll take some work, but I've paused the campaign so I can a) hit a heavy deadline on a lot of work; and b) prep the game. I think it'l be well worth it. Get some colored Sharpies, do up the map nice.

Again, thanks!

The fog of war is in the details not the map. For example you can see a mountain range several miles away but you don't know who lives there or what is there. I would just present a map without any point location and start with that.

If you feel that too generous then you can do this like I did with my Points of Light map.

The referee map
[ATTACH=CONFIG]603[/ATTACH]

The player map.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]604[/ATTACH]

I found that exploration of hexes for the terrain itself is pretty boring for players. However exploring through unknown territory is interesting.  You have them starting in the port town and so they can, among other things, start asking about what where. If this was really happening then the locals would soon draw a mental picture of where the major stuff is. Basically the map without point locations. The local in the port town wouldn't know to tell the players where all the lairs, villages, and ruins are. For that they will have to explore.

I hired an artist to make custom hex tiles for me game, so I can quickly create the map as I go. My game has some weird terrain types - crystal forest, mechanical island, etc. I figured if a spell changes a terrain type it's as easy as changing the tile.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]605[/ATTACH]

Quote from: Ashakyre;934822I hired an artist to make custom hex tiles for me game, so I can quickly create the map as I go. My game has some weird terrain types - crystal forest, mechanical island, etc. I figured if a spell changes a terrain type it's as easy as changing the tile.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]605[/ATTACH]

Dude, that's awesome and amazing. And kind of overwhelming!

Quote from: estar;934780The fog of war is in the details not the map. For example you can see a mountain range several miles away but you don't know who lives there or what is there. I would just present a map without any point location and start with that.

If you feel that too generous then you can do this like I did with my Points of Light map.

The referee map
[ATTACH=CONFIG]603[/ATTACH]

The player map.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]604[/ATTACH]

I found that exploration of hexes for the terrain itself is pretty boring for players. However exploring through unknown territory is interesting.  You have them starting in the port town and so they can, among other things, start asking about what where. If this was really happening then the locals would soon draw a mental picture of where the major stuff is. Basically the map without point locations. The local in the port town wouldn't know to tell the players where all the lairs, villages, and ruins are. For that they will have to explore.

Estar, thanks so much of this. What you've illustrated is, I think, how I'll be approaching this. Again, I'll take the Player Character "prop-map" (shown in my post above), and lay out the marked details from that map: Town, mountains, rivers, canals, the royal road, and other significant landmarks.

As with the Player Character's map you provided, there is a lovely sense of unexplored spaces revealed between the marked areas. Without any context, it is just white. But when this whiteness is revealed between marked areas, it becomes the promise of adventure.

Quote from: ChristopherKubasik;934828Estar, thanks so much of this.

Glad to help. One thing I forgot to mention is that the reason players find exploring terrain for the sake of terrain boring because it feel like a random crapshot. So what you can pick one of several empty hexes, they are just meaningless white blobs. Using a partial map, or a map without any point location details in my experience eliminates this issue for most players. Because the shape of the terrain combined whatever rumors they learned is enough to make the players feel they are making a legit choice.

So the key thing is to make sure that the players feel like a legit choice. My suggestion is only ONE of many ways to make that happen. So whatever you come up with makes sure that what it result in.

One of the things I like to do is prep for the players a regional map of what is know. Especially if the area is settled or near settled lands.

So theyd get a map with all the surrounding adjacent hexes noted and any roads, those roads leading to known towns, ruins or other features. General knowledge points. EG: Theres hills right north of Wereskalot. "About a days travel north is part of the long mountain range that stretches far to the east and west. and a swamp to the southeast about a days travel. Past the swamp about 3 days travel more to the southeast is Lulin." And so on. With known parts allready noted on the players map.

Quote from: ChristopherKubasik;934779

It'll take some work, but I've paused the campaign so I can a) hit a heavy deadline on a lot of work; and b) prep the game. I think it'l be well worth it. Get some colored Sharpies, do up the map nice.

Again, thanks!

What did you make that tile map with? I want to make something similar.

As for giving the players a hex map, what happens if they get lost? Then they think they are going to hex X, but really, they are in hex Y. Now suppose they travel a few hexes, not realizing they are lost. They just filled up the map with misinformation.

What happens when they find out they're lost? It seems like it would be very confusing and kill pacing to try and figure out how to fix the map.