Creating Floorplan Maps
Floorplans include dungeon maps, modern location maps such as bars, hotels, or houses, and futuristic deckplans for starships or space stations.
Keyed floorplan maps provide the basis for creating battle maps.
Visualize each of the spaces from the Adventurer's point of view.
Consider each of the following design possibilities:
Appearance / Senses
What do the Adventurers see?
- Size? Maximum occupants?
- What scale to use?
- Floors?
- Walls?
- Entries? Exits?
- Archways? Doors? Hatchways?
- Windows?
- Ceilings?
- Lighting?
- Furniture?
- Decorations?
- Furnishings such as beds, couches, bookcases, and tables?
- Fixtures such as sinks or showers?
- Fittings like shelves or cabinets?
- Items or objects?
- Plants?
- Animals and their supplies or equipment?
What do the Adventurers hear?
- Life support?
- Devices?
- Animals?
What do the Adventurers feel?
- Gravity?
- Temperature?
- Pressure?
- Humidity?
What do the Adventurers smell?
- Plants?
- Animals?
- Chemicals?
What do the Adventurers taste?
Are there obvious hazards such as open pits, dangerous machinery, or radiation, chemical, or biological threat warnings?
Portrayal
Original purpose or activity which happened here?
Current purpose or activity which takes place here?
Area designed for microgravity or full gravity use?
Locate “north” - can the Adventurers maintain a sense of direction here?
What can Adventurers sense about the atmosphere?
Anything else could the Adventurers sense such as “sixth sense”?
Hooks / Secrets
Are there any hidden features such as entrances? exits? objects? controls? sensors?
Are there discoverable Adventuring clues?
Are there hidden traps?
Floorplan Examples
Medieval / Fantasy
- Castles
- Ruins
- Caves
Modern
- Hotels
- Bars
- Houses
- Computer Rooms
Futuristic
- Space Stations
- Colonies
- Outposts
- Spacecraft