# Roleplaying equipment, especially maps **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 9, 2009, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roleplaying-equipment-especially-maps/480514 "2009-01-09T11:36:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roleplaying-equipment-especially-maps/480514/1 "2009-01-09T11:36:12Z")
Greetings. I do a lot of roleplaying. šŸ†’ I recently acquired a [ā€˜Dungeons and Dragons Starter Setā€™](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dungeons-Dragons-Miniatures-Player-Starter/dp/B0017KJ206/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys&qid=1231500643&sr=8-2), which had 5 painted figurines, a dice and two large double-sided colour maps. This was great value! 1. Is there more than one ā€˜Dungeons and Dragons Starter Setā€™? (The figurines appear the same in each one Iā€™ve seen advertised.) 2. The maps (e.g. Jungle Temple, Dwarf Fort, Flooded Ruin) will be very popular, especially with my roleplaying pupils. Where can I get more? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roleplaying-equipment-especially-maps/480514/2 "2009-01-09T12:15:11Z")
Iā€™m not familiar with it, what are the maps like ? Or rather, what do you need the maps for ? Props for the players to handle, DMing help to get a sense of whereā€™s what, or as a ā€œgridā€ to put the figurines on and make combat easier to play out ? (BTW, nitpick : dice is the plural. Die is the singular) ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roleplaying-equipment-especially-maps/480514/3 "2009-01-09T12:26:34Z")
If you want free maps, and have access to a big ass printer, there are [plenty](http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/mw) out there. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roleplaying-equipment-especially-maps/480514/4 "2009-01-09T12:38:40Z")
Just so you know: The set you got was the starter for the D&D MINIATURES series, not D&D vanilla (not that the figures and maps canā€™t be recycled for home-brewed adventures), but if you do a lot of roleplaying I suspect you knew that and were just trying to cut your word count. Anyway iirc the miniatures series is a lot like Collectable Card Games, if you have a Game Crazy or other tabletop gaming store they tend to sell booster packs Like these: [http://www.amazon.com/Unhallowed-Dungeons-Dragons-Miniatures-Booster/dp/0786941901](http://www.amazon.com/Unhallowed-Dungeons-Dragons-Miniatures-Booster/dp/0786941901) ). The problem (for the consumer) is that if you need ogres for your adventure you canā€™t just go buy ogres, you have to buy 6 booster packs and hope one of them has an ogre mini for you to use. Even though itā€™s more work I recommend you just buy the diecast (dicast?) minis, or the hard plastic ones you have to glue together, paint them if you wish or just play with them chrome. The paint and such is expensive, but less so in the long run since you get what you need instead of relying on chance. The maps come in D&D adventures,(like [this](http://www.amazon.com/Keep-Shadowfell-Dungeons-Dragons-Adventure/dp/0786948507/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231504380&sr=1-1). Alternatively I know there are map packs you can get (and Wizards of the Coastā€™s website even hosts scans of some of the old ones), but I personally havenā€™t seen them carried anywhere, theyā€™re usually special order since most people either use pre-made adventures with those maps or just make their own with a computer program (there are some good free ones that do it) or hand-draw the area on a wet-erase mat. I think thereā€™s also something called a battle-mat or battle-blocks or something that you can piece together and stack to make 3D battlefields/areas if you want to go the create-your-own route. ---
**Author:** ![Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walker_in_Eternity)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roleplaying-equipment-especially-maps/480514/5 "2009-01-09T12:48:48Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Greetings. > > I do a lot of roleplaying. šŸ†’ > > I recently acquired a [ā€˜Dungeons and Dragons Starter Setā€™](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dungeons-Dragons-Miniatures-Player-Starter/dp/B0017KJ206/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys&qid=1231500643&sr=8-2), which had 5 painted figurines, a dice and two large double-sided colour maps. This was great value! > > 1. Is there more than one ā€˜Dungeons and Dragons Starter Setā€™? (The figurines appear the same in each one Iā€™ve seen advertised.) > > 2. The maps (e.g. Jungle Temple, Dwarf Fort, Flooded Ruin) will be very popular, especially with my roleplaying pupils. Where can I get more? As a former player of RPGs (I donā€™t have the time now) I am pleased to hear that there are still people out there using paper, dice and figurines etc rather than all this online multiplayer stuff that I cnā€™t even be bothered to try. Sorry I canā€™t help with your search, just wanted to congratulate you for still carrying the torch. ---
**Author:** ![Bartman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bartman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bartman)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roleplaying-equipment-especially-maps/480514/6 "2009-01-09T15:20:48Z")
WotC has a product you might like called Dungeon Tiles: [http://www.amazon.com/Dungeon-Tiles-Dungeons-Dragons-Accessory/dp/0786943483](http://www.amazon.com/Dungeon-Tiles-Dungeons-Dragons-Accessory/dp/0786943483). I think they are up to a dozen or so sets now. $10 for a half dozen double-sided cardstock ā€œmapsā€ You can also try and find the previous versions of the D&D Minatures starter sets. They generally came with larger heavy paper maps. Some of those can also be downloaded here: [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mi/20041007b](http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mi/20041007b). WotC also produces (produced) a series called fantastic locations that included a shor adventure and several (2?) 20"+ per side maps. There are also a number of 3rd party products mostly pdf dowload and prit kind of stuff: E-Z Tiles, E-Adventure Tiles, Battle Tiles. But there are also vendors like rackham that sell preprinted cardstock tiles. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roleplaying-equipment-especially-maps/480514/7 "2009-01-09T17:21:34Z")
If you want to roll your own, [Profantasy](http://www.profantasy.com/) has a line of cartography products that will enable you to turn out handsome maps, city plans, and dungeon floor plans. Needless to say, it costs money to buy, and itā€™s best if you got access to **Tapioca** ā€™s big-ass printer, but if youā€™re a map-head, like me, itā€™s worth it. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roleplaying-equipment-especially-maps/480514/8 "2009-01-09T18:06:07Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Iā€™m not familiar with it, what are the maps like ? Or rather, what do you need the maps for ? Props for the players to handle, DMing help to get a sense of whereā€™s what, or as a ā€œgridā€ to put the figurines on and make combat easier to play out ? > > (BTW, nitpick : dice is the plural. Die is the singular) Well I teach roleplaying at my school, so having a glossy colour map (even without gridlines) helps my pupils visualise the situation. Some of the more experienced ones are designing mini-adventures, so they will benefit from these simple maps too. > [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > If you want free maps, and have access to a big ass printer, there are [plenty](http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/mw) out there. I do have access to an A3 colour printer as it happens. šŸ™‚ > [@Jragon](#): > > Just so you know: > > The set you got was the starter for the D&D MINIATURES series, not D&D vanilla (not that the figures and maps canā€™t be recycled for home-brewed adventures), but if you do a lot of roleplaying I suspect you knew that and were just trying to cut your word count. > > ā€¦ > > The maps come in D&D adventures,(like [this](http://www.amazon.com/Keep-Shadowfell-Dungeons-Dragons-Adventure/dp/0786948507/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231504380&sr=1-1). Alternatively I know there are map packs you can get (and Wizards of the Coastā€™s website even hosts scans of some of the old ones), but I personally havenā€™t seen them carried anywhere, theyā€™re usually special order since most people either use pre-made adventures with those maps or just make their own with a computer program (there are some good free ones that do it) or hand-draw the area on a wet-erase mat. I think thereā€™s also something called a battle-mat or battle-blocks or something that you can piece together and stack to make 3D battlefields/areas if you want to go the create-your-own route. Yes, sorry - I should have said ā€˜Minaturesā€™. I have got a lot of dungeon maps (and design my own), but these were glossy colour, which added some glamour. I also have over 500 painted figurines šŸ†’ - it was only the maps I was interested in. > [@Walker\_in\_Eternity](#): > > As a former player of RPGs (I donā€™t have the time now) I am pleased to hear that there are still people out there using paper, dice and figurines etc rather than all this online multiplayer stuff that I cnā€™t even be bothered to try. > > Sorry I canā€™t help with your search, just wanted to congratulate you for still carrying the torch. Hey, Iā€™m still playing 1st Edition after 30 years. :eek: But I do enjoy some computer games (ā€˜Temple of Elemental Evilā€™ was a sentimental journey for me, since I still use ā€˜The Village of Hommletā€™ as my introduction for all players). > [@Bartman](#): > > WotC has a product you might like called Dungeon Tiles: [http://www.amazon.com/Dungeon-Tiles-Dungeons-Dragons-Accessory/dp/0786943483](http://www.amazon.com/Dungeon-Tiles-Dungeons-Dragons-Accessory/dp/0786943483). I think they are up to a dozen or so sets now. $10 for a half dozen double-sided cardstock ā€œmapsā€ You can also try and find the previous versions of the D&D Minatures starter sets. They generally came with larger heavy paper maps. Some of those can also be downloaded here: [Wizards of the Coast](http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mi/20041007b). WotC also produces (produced) a series called fantastic locations that included a shor adventure and several (2?) 20"+ per side maps. > > There are also a number of 3rd party products mostly pdf dowload and prit kind of stuff: E-Z Tiles, E-Adventure Tiles, Battle Tiles. But there are also vendors like rackham that sell preprinted cardstock tiles. Thanks, Iā€™ll look into that. > [@DesertDog](#): > > If you want to roll your own, [Profantasy](http://www.profantasy.com/) has a line of cartography products that will enable you to turn out handsome maps, city plans, and dungeon floor plans. Needless to say, it costs money to buy, and itā€™s best if you got access to **Tapioca** ā€™s big-ass printer, but if youā€™re a map-head, like me, itā€™s worth it. Ah, I agree that if I design a city this is the way to go. Perhaps when I retire, Iā€™ll have the time to do it. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roleplaying-equipment-especially-maps/480514/9 "2009-01-09T19:15:50Z")
> **[Home of the Pathfinder and Starfinder RPGs. The Golemā€™s Got It! | Paizo](https://paizo.com/)** > > Join the Pathfinder and Starfinder roleplaying game community. From dice, maps, and subscriptions to the latest hardcover, youā€™ll find it all at paizo.com. Vinyl mats that you use water soluble pens to draw out floor plans (aka dungeons), once you get into designing your own adventures. (You can also used the ā€œhexā€ based vinyl mats for other games, like Battletech. šŸ™‚ )