Mapping Overland Journeys

If the PCs are traveling through unexplored territo-
ry, the players may wish to keep a large-scale map. The
GM may make it automatic if they are following rivers,
canyons, and the like. If they are trekking through fea-
tureless wastes, or trying to map a specific tiny inlet of
a great river, making a map good enough for others to
follow requires a Cartography roll. This defaults to IQ-
5, Geography-2, Mathematics (Surveying)-2, or
Navigation-4. Absolute Direction is good for +3 to the
roll.
This can be an adventure in itself: the party is sent
to explore and map the trackless waste, virgin planet,
mysterious dungeon, steaming jungle, dead city, or
whatever.
smaller scale. Use this scale to map an
entire building, dungeon, arena, etc.,
and use a different sheet for each floor
or level, indicating shafts and stair-
ways. Mark each room (or other point
of interest) with a letter or number for
use with a map key.
For each room, the map key should
give:
• Its size (although this might be
clear from the area map).
• A general description.
• A description of the people or
creatures in the room, if any. This may
be as simple as “Two ordinary wolves,”
or as complex as “This room is empty
except between midnight and 9 a.m.,
when two guards are there. There is a
50% chance that each one is asleep.
They are ordinary guards from the
Character List, but one of them also
has a gold ring worth $200. They will
surrender if outnumbered more than
2 to 1, but will not cooperate, even if
threatened with death.”
• If necessary, any special notes
about the room, and descriptions of
anything that might be found if the
room were examined carefully.
• If necessary, a room map (see
below) to show the precise location of
furniture, characters, etc.
The GM should keep this sort of
map secret from the players –
although they can try to make their
own map. He may wish to place a
marker on the area map to show
where the party is at any given
moment.