In modern, 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons products, dungeon maps tend to employ 90 degree angles and straight-edges for rooms and tunnels. This design choice is encouraged by the four-sided, one-inch grids that are the basis of rules-as-written, miniatures-based combat.
I have found this artifact of miniatures game-play restrictive and immersion-killing. I would much prefer dungeon maps that are free-form in structure with hallways and adjoining rooms running at variant angles from one another.
At the same time, I also appreciate the simplicity and ease of grid-based miniatures movement.
While some turn to hexes as an improvement over squares, and others do away with any kind of grid at all (using measurement instead) I thought I would experiment with something different: Curved grids -- grid lines that literally bend around corners.
My goal with the curved grid is to allow both the hallway and the grid that comprises its floor structure, to twist and turn through the dungeon environment. Using this system, passageways may snake through underground caverns and yet, if desired, always terminate in a room where the grid lines run parallel and perpendicular to the tunnel exit.
The results of my first experiments with curved grids can be downloaded here:
http://www.applied-epistemology.com/portfolio/tunstone_track_curve1.pdf
http://www.applied-epistemology.com/portfolio/tunstone_track_curve2.pdf
http://www.applied-epistemology.com/portfolio/tunstone_track.pdf
http://www.applied-epistemology.com/portfolio/tunstone_bridge.pdf
The grids are bent around by shortening, just slightly, the length of squares on the inside of the tunnel while broadening, by the same measure, the length of squares on the outside of the tunnel. The amount of foreshortening should still leave plenty of room for multiple miniatures to stand side-by-side.
The tunnel I have illustrated here is a very wide hallway, 25 feet across. It is designed for the adventure I am running currently (a top-to-bottom re-write of Keep on the Shadowfell). It represents only my first experiment with this system. I believe future efforts will produce even better results – and sharper turns.
You will notice that the curved hallway also features red and green lines. These lines are for use with the optional rules outlined below.
Optional Rules for Curved Grids:
In a single turn (and during any movement action):
- Every second corner-to-corner move counts as two squares
When moving corner to corner for the second, fourth, sixth or eighth occasion (and so on) in a single turn, an extra movement point is expended for moving into the adjoining square. (This is a rule my own campaign group uses for all movement, not just that within a curving tunnel. We use the rule also for calculating range and blast damage.) - Every second red line crossed in a single turn counts as two squares.
When crossing a red line on the second, fourth, sixth or eighth occasion (and so on) in a single turn, an extra movement point is expended for moving into the adjoining square. Note that creatures moving along the outside of a track will soon lag behind those in the center and on the inside. - Every second green line crossed in a single turn counts as zero squares.
When crossing a green line on second, fourth, sixth or eighth occasion (and so on) in a single turn, no movement points are expended for moving into the adjoining square. Note that creatures moving along the inside of a track will soon out pace those in the center and on the outside.
Notes about these specific maps:
The maps you see here represent a 25-foot wide tunnel carved through a special kind of rock I call “tunstone”. Tunstone (in my game world) is a semi-precious marble often used to erect mausoleums or to construct sarcophagi. It has special properties useful for binding and locking rituals, allowing those attuned to divine powers to seal the dead within impregnable tombs and coffins, safe from grave robbers. The rock has a pinkish hue and is lined with red and green veins, resembling those found in flesh.
Down the centerline of the tunnel is an eight-foot wide track of stone rollers. The rollers are spaced two and a half feet apart. Each roller has a nine inch diameter. The rollers count as difficult terrain and creatures that traverse the rollers without walking, risk tripping.
One of the maps shows a ruined bridge. The bridge, crossing a 20 foot wide chasm, was once paired with two wood-covered, railed walkways but the wood has now fallen away. The central span is bridged by rollers and may be crossed by crawling at a maximum movement speed of 1 square per turn. The bridge "attacks" d20 vs. Will, once per turn, any creature attempting to crawl across across the rollers. Hit: Acrobatics check vs. DC 10 or slip through rollers; Creature must retreat or move toward closest edge on next turn.
The rollers are used to transport...ahh... well...
I must keep some secrets.
And if you are wondering what type of monster might be fought in this tunnel, have a look here:
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1128030
You do know it's a game right? Why over think it. A square is a square.
Why the complicated movement rules? Realism?
You do know it's a game right? Why over think it. A square is a square.
I labeled them "Recomended Rules" for a reason (though I suppose I should have said "optional" -- I've edited the post now to read "Optional Rules"). So why be boorish and ask me to justify them to you? You are obviously not interested regardless of my justification so please do us all a favor and ignore them.
Asking me if I know it's a game. Indeed! What an outragous comment. And this the first I get. typical.
Thank you.
Shame I use large size graph-paper and dry erase grid paper so I will not be able to institute it, but it's still a fantastic idea!
The optional rules I would probably opt out of, but are good. Though I recommend taking out the 1/4 and 3/4 red lines as with those rules it take 2-2.5 turns to walk on the outside circle while taking 1 turn to walk along the inside circle. I can see it taking 1.5 turns on the outside but it shouldn't slow them that much. For the optional rules you might want to specify if you can move across a green square when you have no move left (you get to a green line with your last move, can you then move across it since it costs 0 move?)
The optional rules I would probably opt out of, but are good. Though I recommend taking out the 1/4 and 3/4 red lines as with those rules it take 2-2.5 turns to walk on the outside circle while taking 1 turn to walk along the inside circle.
I am not certain but I think your math is incorrect. Remember: You gain or lose a movement point only for every second colored line you pass through.
I have made no attempt to make the distances gained and lost conform mathematically with scientific laws. I simply eye-balled the effect by running some minatures around the grid. The results I produced appeared to be a reasonable aproximation real-world physics.
Depending on start positions, two competitors of Movement 6, running at a pace of 8 (6+2) will finish their first double move between 5 and 7 squares apart, if one runner hugs the inside of the curve while the other keeps to the outer wall. Worst case scenario: The outside runner lags less than one additional move action behind the inside runner.
...you get to a green line with your last move, can you then move across it since it costs 0 move?
According to me, the answer is no. It really comes down to wording the rule correctly to make this explicit. 1 movement point is needed to make a move from one square to another, even when the move cost is free. In future, I will improve the written language for the rule to clarify this point and any others raised as these are play-tested.
Again. Not telling anyone they should use this rules. I just want to make certain I've explained it accurately so those who wish to try it will understand the terms.
To those who wonder why anyone would wish to complicate matters in this way, I make no appeal to the easily dismissed, and now-derogatory term of "realism". The point is two-fold:
- To ensure that the game world responds to character actions in a way that players expect it to respond, based upon their experience of our own world.
- To afford added dimension to battles and chase sequences which may occur in the context of such a curved space.
I like these, very nice work. As for your optional riles I like rules 2 and 3.
Be sure to play-test before introducing them to a group. I have only tested use of all three rules together.
You can always use the grids without the optional rules, in which case they will function exactly like straight hallways; the curve will make for a monotony-breaking visual and it will alow you to arrange rooms at different angles.
While using a grid in play really helps with battles, it does make very little sense (the hypotenus of a 13x13 triangle, as per raw, is... 13. Yeah, that's only around 5 off).
However, my first question is, why not just put cruved corridors over a square grid? Is it because the movements will be blocky rather than circular? Or is it to help create independent grids for each area (so that one can have a path branching into two separate ones at 37 and 102 degreee angles without having funcky square orientation).
Second question is, why not redraw the squares themselves instead of having additional rules? The rules look nice, but even though they're optional, it will be rare for anyone to want to use them. On the other hand, if you redrew 8 outside squares to be 9, and redrew 8 inside squares to be 7, you'd get the same effect as the rules you provide.
Just a few thoughts.
Your maps are of professional quality, your additional movement rules are solid, and you've addressed (nay, solved!) a nagging question I've been thinking about since the game began.
I've been using hexes, but they're not entirely problem free either. I think tomorrow I'm going to give your idea a try! It'll take some vigous mathing, but I'll get this thing done.
So I agree with what lulzapalooza said, this is a fresh idea that's been nicely implemented.
The optional rules are also pretty cool and add a little more depth for those who do like an extra drop of realism (nothing wrong with that), but if people want simplicity, they can always just not use them (mechanically, it just makes the hallway the same as a straight one in terms of distance and movement for the most part if you opt not to use them).
I like the idea.
Thank you very much. And thank you to the others who have offered encouraging words.
While using a grid in play really helps with battles, it does make very little sense (the hypotenus of a 13x13 triangle, as per raw, is... 13. Yeah, that's only around 5 off).
This is why my group plays with the "every second corner-to-corner move per turn counts as two squares" rule. The hypotneuse of a 13x13 grid is thus 18, which is 5 squares more than the length of either side. A fair aprxoimation of Pythagoras and it's really quite easy to count out. Most times, you only move at speed 6 anyway; if all of that move is corner-to-corner, you tap out at 5 squares. Pretty simple.
But that's just the way we choose to play. Not trying to argue with anyone.
why not just put curved corridors over a square grid?
Have a look at the track running down the center of the corridor. Imagine there is a cart on that track barreling along at a double move of 8. Imagine trying to calculate that move as the track slices through 1/8th of one square and 4/17th of another square and so on...
The same applies for creature movement as well of course. PCs and monsters that run along the corridor maintain their relationships with the walls. They don't jiggy from side-to-side, looking for that next grid into which they must step, like little girls playing hop-scotch.
Bending the grid with the dominant axis makes it simpler to calculate movement during combat and you don't end up with walls or floor elements that are partially in one square and partially in another (unless you want that - and sometimes you do!).
...is it to help create independent grids for each area (so that one can have a path branching into two separate ones at 37 and 102 degreee angles without having funcky square orientation).
This is the other reason. Yes. A curving grid can terminate in a room where the grid lines align with the primary axis of that room -- with grid lines parallel with the four walls. The rooms don't have to be lined up in perfect north-south orientations all squared off in relation to one another.
Why not redraw the squares themselves instead of having additional rules? The rules look nice, but even though they're optional, it will be rare for anyone to want to use them. On the other hand, if you redrew 8 outside squares to be 9, and redrew 8 inside squares to be 7, you'd get the same effect as the rules you provide.
Yup. And that's the direction in which I am headed with the concept. However, I imagine it will only work for steeper angles. The thing is, there has to be room within a square for a miniature base (so I can't just squeeze in extra grids on the outer track). Furthermore, one can't monkey too much with the checkerboard pattern or it could lead to game mechanic problems (think about blast damage, for example).
Nevertheless, I plan to continue steepening the curve and, to do that, I believe I will have no choice but to add and remove squares. We'll see how it works.
Now if I really wanted to impress you, I'd come up with some novel way to address circular rooms!
Shame I use large size graph-paper and dry erase grid paper so I will not be able to institute it, but it's still a fantastic idea!
Here is an idea for you Keiichi.
Draw a normal square corridor on your dry-erase board. Now draw some red lines on the left side and some green lines on the inside. Apply my optional rules.
Your perfectly square corridor illustration now behaves exactly like a curved corridor. You need only tell your group that the map is an abstraction and that they should imagine they are fighting in a curved environment.
You can determine how steeply your corridor bends simply by lengthening the red and green lines and by adding more of them. The only tricky bit is tracking line-of-sight: Knowing what can't be seen because it is literally "around the bend".
Just thought I'd share the idea.
I have to say these are the most professional looking maps I've ever seen on these boards.
I have to say these are the most professional looking maps I've ever seen on these boards.
Thank you so much!
But you will see much better this from me in future. These were just experiments.
Thank you so much!
But you will see much better this from me in future. These were just experiments.
I look forward to it.