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Use Dyson's Maps

by Mike on 9 October 2023

DMs often overprepare. Drawing our own maps is typically one such activity. You may be tempted to draw out your dungeon maps and, if you enjoy it and have the time, go with the gods. But if time is tight or you feel like your time may be best spent elsewhere, use existing maps instead.

Dyson Logos Maps

Dyson Logos, the cartographer responsible for numerous maps in published Wizards of the Coast adventures, has more than a thousand maps available on Dysonlogos.blog. Instead of drawing a map, grab one from there. I've used Dyson maps for all sorts of locations in all sorts of worlds whether it was Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Shadowdark, or Numenera.

If you have an idea for a location, keep the general location in mind and scroll through Dyson's maps. When you find one that fits your needs, stop, download it, and stick it in your notes.

Dyson's maps are easy to use in a VTT, easy to replicate on a hand-drawn battle map, and cheap to print large-scale as blueprint maps at your local printer. They follow the best practices of Jaquays-style maps including multiple entrances, multiple paths, loop-backs, asymmetric designs, elevation changes, and secret passages.

Tips for Using Dyson Maps

Here's a handful of other tips for making the most of Dyson maps:

Dyson's maps often have gridded and gridless versions. Try the gridless version in your VTT of choice, adding the VTT's grid on top of it if needed.
Resize Dyson's maps to suit the size you want for rooms and hallways. Make sure there's plenty of room for those fire giants.
Aim for maps that fit the size you need. Dyson maps can go from five rooms to dozens (even hundreds) of rooms. Choose the size that best fits the length of the delve you have in mind.
Collapse halls to shrink down larger dungeons if needed.
Write down evocative names for major chambers. Keep descriptions short – just a word or two – enough to give you what you need to improvise it during the game.
Write room descriptions in a list moving clockwise around the map if you don't want to annotate individual rooms.
If needed, print and draw in room numbers. Take a picture and put it in your digital notes. It's often faster than annotating it with an image editor.
Keep a handful of your favorite Dyson maps downloaded locally in your notes so you have general-purpose maps handy when you need them.

An Invaluable Tool for Lazy DMs

The next time you're tempted to draw out a map, grab a Dyson map and put your prep time into other high-impact areas like building encounters around the characters, making interesting or unique treasure, or thinking through the eyes of your villains.

Dyson's work is funded through Patreon. Dyson's maps are an incredible resource for the TTRPG hobby. Please give Dyson your support.

More Sly Flourish Stuff

This week I posted a couple of YouTube videos on my Uncharted Journeys Spotlight and Drusilla's Hut – Shadowdark Gloaming Session 6 Lazy GM Prep.

Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

Each week I record an episode of the Lazy RPG Talk Show (also available as a podcast) in which I talk about all things in tabletop RPGs. Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video:

Patreon Questions and Answers

Also on the Talk Show, I answer questions from Sly Flourish Patrons. Here are last week's questions and answers:

RPG Tips

Each week I think about what I learned in my last RPG session and write them up as D&D tips. Here are this week's tips:

Keep the characters at the center of your prep.
What hooks do you have for each character in your next session?
Cut the boring middle.
Use spells as interesting rewards on single or daily use magic items.
Draw out and show players the layout of the location for a heist-style adventure.
Design magic items around the characters.
Let monsters get crowd controlled. Have enough that it doesn't completely remove the threat.