Tips & Tricks (CSC)

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==Consistency==
Whenever possible, keep the scale of related maps, such as multiple levels of a dungeon, at the same scale. It can be quite confusing to have the map of one dungeon level drawn at eight feet per inch and the map of the next level at eleven feet per inch.
==Making Handouts==
Map handouts are useful and fun game play aids. They can be used for maps found by players or as a graphic depiction of information that the characters should already know. Handouts can be made by several methods. The first method is to trace the necessary parts of the map on a sheet of tracing paper. The second method is to just hand draw a separate map, based (somewhat loosely) on the DM's map. The third method is to use a photocopy of the DM's map that was made before he put any of his notes on it or to edit a photocopy of his map, removing secret information, and then recopying the cutup map to clean it up.
A nice touch is to "age" the map. If the map is on bond paper and made by photocopier or with indelible ink, tear the edges of the paper slightly to give it a rough edge, then n soak the paper in a tray filled with tea or coffee for several minutes. Carefully take the damp (and easily shredded) paper from the tray and let it dry overnight. The result will have the look of parchment.
==Superimposing grids on Maps==
If access to a plain paper photocopier is available, try the following tricks. Draw the desired map freehand, sketching in boundaries and placing map features as desired. Use a dark pencil or pen. Keep map proportions in mind, but don't worry about scale. Position the map properly on the photocopier, then insert a piece of graph or hex paper into the single sheet feed slot. The map will then be copied onto a grid for ease of play. Assign a scale to the map grid and finish it by drawing and coloring in additional details. If the photocopier has enlarging or reducing features, the final size of the map need not be the size that it was drawn at.