TNMT 2 Part 2 (Patreon)

I'm a big map guy. I think that's been discussed plenty in this little column. Maps give clarity and orientation, and create story through proximity. My players don't always get to see the map, but a lot of the story gets built through geography. How do I decide what happens next? I don't have to, the geography decides it for me: They're next to the bad guy's hideout, so they're gonna get spotted. Or they notice a general store, so they go in. Being specific with the space you're playing in does so much of the heavy lifting for you.

But there is another options. Let me introduce my new friend the table. I was reluctant at first, but I always knew TMNT2 was going to have to ditch maps for tables. Why? Because of the crime-fighting. Our heroes "go looking" for trouble. And looking is inherently not a point on a map but a series of vectors. Sure I could take them block by block and turn by turn, using their random motions to select a scenario for me, but that would be pretty long-winded and boring. Enter the table. You fill it with as much content as you can (40, 50, 60 scenarios, as many as you can muster, don't spend too much energy on any one, describe it in two sentences in your notes, and give yourself a clear mental picture) and you let the dice decide. It's quick. It's simple. If you arrange encounters by difficulty, it gives an intuitive order to the proceedings.

But don't worry. I wouldn't abandon my good friend the map. Tables and maps should work together. Know where in your geography the encounter is, and so you are always as oriented to the environs as if you were working off a map. That does provide some restrictions, such as that if your heroes go looking in a specific area, it can limit which encounters are available to be found. But that's a good thing. It makes sure that all your scenarios are specific and tied to the space. If the hero is searching in the rich downtown, you should have a different type of encounter than in the slums. If they go off to the woods it should have different things to find than by the lake. Just because you're working off a table does not mean you can get vague with your sense of location.