Ghen
2018-04-20, 03:35 AM
The Problem
So, in the DMG under the section "Getting Lost" (page 86, if you're following along) basically says that having a map of the area you're travelling through reduces the DC of your survival check to avoid getting lost by 4. That sounds pretty useful, right? Sounds like every adventuring party would want one of these maps for areas they are traveling through. Let's go buy one.
But wait! In the equipment section of the PHB, there is absolutely no mention of a map, or how much it costs (though we do acknowledge the existence of the map case, bravo). That is... a stumper for me.
Looking through the craft skill description isn't much help, as it requires a price for the final item. It does state that the DM can set a price for the item to be created, but creating a fair, accurate price for a map is a monumental task (the reasons for which are explained below, under "map considerations")
So maybe it's a profession, right? I thought that it would be made with a craft skill, since you're making something (a map), but perhaps it should truly be considered a profession. I'm often confused between the two anyway. But checking that section out doesn't really yield results at first glance. Profession doesn't allow for the making of stuff. I thought an architect or an engineer might use it to make blueprints and wotnot, but maybe I'm mistaken...
So you see, I'm kind of lost. All I know to do is set a price for a map, as the DM, and go from there. We also need some good DCs to make maps properly. So here's what we need, in list form (my favorite kind of form):
Map Considerations
-The bigger the scale of the map, the more it should cost. A map of Rhode Island should be a lot less work to make than an accurate map of the United States.
-The more accurate and detailed the map is, the more it should cost. I could ask my 8 year old cousin to make a map of his hometown, and it's not going to be as accurate as a map made by a professional cartographer.
-How do specialized maps affect the price? Elevation maps are a much different story that a standard, 2-D map, after all.
Bonus Points
-The DMG saying that a map making the DC to get lost 4 points easier is all well and good, but surely there are some standards for this thing, right? A map drawn on a napkin by a blind commoner probably shouldn't qualify, but a map painstakingly created by an epic level druid of the forest he grew up in should probably be ok. What standards are we going to have for the detail in this map to qualify for the -4 DC?
-Scale for that -4 DC should matter too. I can't whip out a standard world map and tell how to navigate the streets of Chicago. The scale is simply too large. I need a lower scale to show such detail. So getting through the westernmost tip of the Mournlands shouldn't really be helped much by a map showing the rough layout of Khorvaire, right?
If there is something I absolutely missed, and it's all spelled out in RAW, and I need to put my foot in my mouth, nothing would make me happier. If however, this is as much a problem as I think it is, then let's figure it out! I believe in you guys ;D
So, in the DMG under the section "Getting Lost" (page 86, if you're following along) basically says that having a map of the area you're travelling through reduces the DC of your survival check to avoid getting lost by 4. That sounds pretty useful, right? Sounds like every adventuring party would want one of these maps for areas they are traveling through. Let's go buy one.
But wait! In the equipment section of the PHB, there is absolutely no mention of a map, or how much it costs (though we do acknowledge the existence of the map case, bravo). That is... a stumper for me.
Looking through the craft skill description isn't much help, as it requires a price for the final item. It does state that the DM can set a price for the item to be created, but creating a fair, accurate price for a map is a monumental task (the reasons for which are explained below, under "map considerations")
So maybe it's a profession, right? I thought that it would be made with a craft skill, since you're making something (a map), but perhaps it should truly be considered a profession. I'm often confused between the two anyway. But checking that section out doesn't really yield results at first glance. Profession doesn't allow for the making of stuff. I thought an architect or an engineer might use it to make blueprints and wotnot, but maybe I'm mistaken...
So you see, I'm kind of lost. All I know to do is set a price for a map, as the DM, and go from there. We also need some good DCs to make maps properly. So here's what we need, in list form (my favorite kind of form):
Map Considerations
-The bigger the scale of the map, the more it should cost. A map of Rhode Island should be a lot less work to make than an accurate map of the United States.
-The more accurate and detailed the map is, the more it should cost. I could ask my 8 year old cousin to make a map of his hometown, and it's not going to be as accurate as a map made by a professional cartographer.
-How do specialized maps affect the price? Elevation maps are a much different story that a standard, 2-D map, after all.
Bonus Points
-The DMG saying that a map making the DC to get lost 4 points easier is all well and good, but surely there are some standards for this thing, right? A map drawn on a napkin by a blind commoner probably shouldn't qualify, but a map painstakingly created by an epic level druid of the forest he grew up in should probably be ok. What standards are we going to have for the detail in this map to qualify for the -4 DC?
-Scale for that -4 DC should matter too. I can't whip out a standard world map and tell how to navigate the streets of Chicago. The scale is simply too large. I need a lower scale to show such detail. So getting through the westernmost tip of the Mournlands shouldn't really be helped much by a map showing the rough layout of Khorvaire, right?
If there is something I absolutely missed, and it's all spelled out in RAW, and I need to put my foot in my mouth, nothing would make me happier. If however, this is as much a problem as I think it is, then let's figure it out! I believe in you guys ;D