Linear mapping

A couple of posts ago I talked about Regional mapping. Regional mapping is usually when you're making a large playground to game in. There's a different kind of mapping. Linear mapping. You can use linear mapping almost like a flow chart. Grab a handful of sheets of blank paper (10) and we'll draw a map out. Let's use The Hobbit as an example. In the book The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein, Bilbo Baggins goes on an adventure. That adventure takes him far to the East of his little Shire. In almost a straight line.

If you've never read the story of The Hobbit, stop reading this post right now and go to your Public Library or local bookstore and get a copy.

It's almost required reading for playing D&D.

Go ahead. This post will still be here when you're done.

If you're through reading The Hobbit...

You can spread your blank sheets across a table, one right next to the other, left to right. Horizontal or landscape would be best. You can draw a little picture or whatever next to each, if you like. Here's the setup:

Map 1

Start: Bilbo starts his adventure at Bag End (put that on the left side of the first sheet)

Stop: And comes to the edge of civilization at the Green Dragon Inn (put that on the right side of the first sheet)

Map 2

Start: After travelling for a bit, Bilbo, Gandalf, and the Dwarfs encounter some Trolls (put that on the left side of the second sheet)

Stop: Then when they get away from the Trolls, they make it to Rivendell (put that on the right side of the second sheet)

I'll stop there to explain a few things. You'll notice each map has a start point and stop point. The first map's starting point is Hobbitton at Bag End and stops at the Green Dragon Inn in Bywater. And the second map's starting point has the Hobbit, Gandalf, and Thorin and Company travelling for a bit before they encounter the Trolls and then off to stop at the Last Homely House in Rivendell. You could easily have the first map go all the way to just before the Troll camp. I wouldn't think it could make too much of a difference. But the Green Dragon Inn is a nice stopping point. Then Bilbo's adventure begins. And it makes a good spot for each "encounter" the Company has.

Also, you can draw a line between the Start and Stop points if you'd like.

Let's move on to the rest of the maps:

Map 3

Start: Bilbo, Gandalf, and Thorin and Company leave Rivendell and up to the mountain pass where they see Stone Giants in the lightning and encounter the secret Goblin entrance (Left side)

Stop: After the Company is caught by the Goblins, they are taken to the Great Goblin (Right side)

This one is like Map 2 above. There's a space where they travel after Rivendell that could be put at the end of Map 2 instead. It's up to you.

Map 4

Start: The Company escapes the Goblins but Bilbo falls and meets Gollum (Left side)

Stop: Bilbo gets away from Gollum and finds the back door (Right side)

Map 5

Start: Bilbo catches up with the rest of the Company and are attacked by Wargs and Goblins (Left side)

Stop: The Company is flown by Eagles to the Aerie (Right side)

Map 6

Start: Eagles fly the Company to the Carrock and then meet Beorn (Left side)

Stop: Beorn gets the Company to the edge of Mirkwood (Right side)

Map 7

Start: After travelling a ways through Mirkwood, the Company encounters Spiders (Left side)

Stop: The Company is caught by Wood-Elves (Right side)

Map 8

Start: The Company is imprisoned by the Elvenking (Left side)

Stop: Bilbo helps the Company escape and float down the Forest River in barrels (Right side)

Map 9

Start: The Company (in barrels) is gathered by raft men and pulled ashore (Left side)

Stop: The Company enters Lake-town (Right side)

Map 10 - turn this sheet vertical and start at the bottom

Start: The Company leaves Lake-town traveling North and they find the secret entrance of the Lonely Mountain, Bilbo goes inside and Smaug flies to Lake-town (Bottom side)

Stop: The Dwarfs go inside the Lonely Mountain, find the treasure of the Dwarfs, and the Battle of Five Armies occurs outside the Lonely Mountain. (Top side)

Here on 10 sheets, you've just mapped out the 20+ major locations and encounters of The Hobbit. And did it without having to map out the whole region or world.

And you can do the same for your adventures and campaigns. You can make notes on the back of each sheet or make separate pages with stats for encounters and descriptions of each area.

Now go grab some paper and map out an adventure or two or 20.