Tag: treasure map

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DM Resources Friday Favourites

Friday Favourite: The 5 Ws of Treasure Maps

On Friday we comb through our extensive archives to find an older article that we feel deserves another look. From October 10, 2012, Dungeon’s Master once again presents: The 5 Ws of Treasure Maps.

treasue-map“Among the loot is a treasure map.”

This statement never fails to get the players’ attention. Suddenly the magic sword and the rare gems are forgotten at the possibility of even greater riches. I’ve seen players expend more energy arguing over who gets the treasure map while other magical treasures on the floor right in front of them go unclaimed. The idea that someone hid something valuable and you could be the one to find it really hits a nerve with players. Why settle for this lame flaming sword +3 when I could have something even better? Ah, the insatiable greed of players.

Personally I love treasure maps. They’re one of the easiest and best adventure hooks in D&D (or just about any other RPG). The promise of something valuable, the excitement of following the map’s directions, and the thrill of acquiring treasure appeals to an overwhelming majority of players. Knowing this, it’s easy for the DM to lead the PCs anywhere he wants them to go, because who can resist a treasure map?

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Adventure Hooks DM Resources

Greatest Hits 2012: The 5 Ws of Treasure Maps

While the Dungeon’s Master team enjoys some well-deserved vacation time, we’re breaking out the greatest hits and shining a spotlight on a few of our favourite articles from 2012. We’ve searched for hidden gems that our newer readers might have missed and our long-time readers will enjoy reading again. Enjoy a second look at these greatest hits from Dungeon’s Master.

Although all 5 Ws are all important I find that “who” can often be the most interesting. Finding out who drew they map can be a rich part of any adventure. Assuming that the PCs don’t want to the whole world to know they have this map and are searching for information on its origins, it can lead to some very interesting role-playing. No doubt the PCs will want to consult with experts, look up answers for themselves in lost tomes, and likely be secretive about the whole thing. Perhaps they even realize that misdirection can throw others off their trail. The point is that no matter which skills your party is good at, almost every skill can be put to use in some meaningful way when it comes to finding out who drew the map.

As almost an afterthought in the original article I mentioned providing the players with a handout. In retrospect I think this point should have been given more prominence. Players love handouts. As soon as they have something tangible in their hands they’re hooked. Provide them with a rough map, throw on some unlabelled locations, a few cryptic notes in the margins, and maybe some strange symbols that they can’t immediately decipher, and you know that the PCs will stop at nothing to solve the mystery and find the treasure.

The beauty of treasure maps is that they’re equally useful in any role-playing game, any editions, at any level, and in any campaign setting. This is a big reason why I like giving the PCs treasure maps regardless of what game I’m playing.

From October 10, 2012, Dungeon’s Master once again presents: The 5 Ws of Treasure Maps.

Continue reading “Greatest Hits 2012: The 5 Ws of Treasure Maps”
Categories
Adventure Hooks DM Resources

The 5 Ws of Treasure Maps

“Among the loot is a treasure map.”

This statement never fails to get the players’ attention. Suddenly the magic sword and the rare gems are forgotten at the possibility of even greater riches. I’ve seen players expend more energy arguing over who gets the treasure map while other magical treasures on the floor right in front of them go unclaimed. The idea that someone hid something valuable and you could be the one to find it really hits a nerve with players. Why settle for this lame flaming sword +3 when I could have something even better? Ah, the insatiable greed of players.

Personally I love treasure maps. They’re one of the easiest and best adventure hooks in D&D (or just about any other RPG). The promise of something valuable, the excitement of following the map’s directions, and the thrill of acquiring treasure appeals to an overwhelming majority of players. Knowing this, it’s easy for the DM to lead the PCs anywhere he wants them to go, because who can resist a treasure map?

But a treasure map can and should be more than a map with a big X marked on it. It certainly can be this mundane and direct, but if it is then it’s a safe bet when the PCs get there they won’t find anything worthwhile. A good map has a story all its own, a history, a personality if you will. Someone went to a lot of trouble to hide their treasure and then write down the location. The last thing they wanted was for a bunch of idiots (the PCs) to easily find it and steal it just because they got their hands on his map.

Before throwing a treasure map haphazardly into your game you should answer the 5 Ws – who, what, when, where, why (although not necessarily in that order). It may seem like a lot of extra (and unnecessary) work, but believe me it’s time well spent.

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