Post by badger2305 on Apr 12, 2021 11:46:39 GMT -6
So What Do Those Symbols Mean?
In Outdoor Survival, there are a variety of symbols marked on the map, besides the various kinds of terrain:
So, adapting the Outdoor Survival map to the uses of D&D required some re-interpretation:
It is unfortunate that Gary provided no further guidance than that, since it leaves some items undefined or ambiguous. However, we can see some clear patterns emerge from the definitions that Gary does provide. There are:
...which means we have 26 castle locations, some of them quite remote, and nine towns. I think the use of the word "town" in this context is quite important, because it is one of the only clues we have about what Gary intended - these aren't villages, and might be cities. But to the extent that Gary was attempting to leave as much room as possible for the referee to create their own setting, rather than imposing very much from the outside, these are left undefined as to their larger size. But this leaves three symbols relatively undefined or ambiguous: "food sources" and "fords" and "trails". Let's first look at the latter two, since they are a bit more easily dealt with. Given that fords are directly related to rivers as a terrain feature, we can assume they are fords - or possibly bridges, depending on the surrounding context. As for trails, those provide unobstructed passage through the surrounding terrain, so those can be assumed to be trails, or possibly roads of some variety.
However, it's those pesky "food sources" (for the omnivorously-inclined) that are left undefined. A number of commenters have suggested that these are monster "lairs", which is - on a first look - an understandable assumption, i.e. "deer" = "wildlife" = "monster". But I will suggest that this is something of a mistake. Since neither Gary nor Dave used the rules for Outdoor Survival, but adapted the map for their own purposes, we should not get too distracted by what is suggested by the symbol used on the map. After all, there's nothing about "catch basin" that suggests "castle" so what could that "food source" symbol be referring to? A clue can be found on page 24 of The Underworld and Wilderness Adventures:
There are 28 "food source" symbols, providing for a like number of villages, which is only slightly more than the number of castles, but they are not distributed in any sort of linked pattern. Some villages are next to castles, others some distance away, and vice versa. But the vast majority of the map is within 20 miles of a castle or town, providing for a relatively "settled" area - though questions might be raised about when and where to use the wilderness wandering monster tables (we'll come back to that).
In Outdoor Survival, there are a variety of symbols marked on the map, besides the various kinds of terrain:
- Bases
- Catch-basins
- Trails
- Fords
- Food Sources
So, adapting the Outdoor Survival map to the uses of D&D required some re-interpretation:
Outdoor Survival has a playing board perfect for general adventures. Catch basins are castles, buildings are towns, and the balance of the terrain is as indicated.
It is unfortunate that Gary provided no further guidance than that, since it leaves some items undefined or ambiguous. However, we can see some clear patterns emerge from the definitions that Gary does provide. There are:
- 26 catch basins
- 9 bases - five clustered in the center of the map; four at the cardinal points
...which means we have 26 castle locations, some of them quite remote, and nine towns. I think the use of the word "town" in this context is quite important, because it is one of the only clues we have about what Gary intended - these aren't villages, and might be cities. But to the extent that Gary was attempting to leave as much room as possible for the referee to create their own setting, rather than imposing very much from the outside, these are left undefined as to their larger size. But this leaves three symbols relatively undefined or ambiguous: "food sources" and "fords" and "trails". Let's first look at the latter two, since they are a bit more easily dealt with. Given that fords are directly related to rivers as a terrain feature, we can assume they are fords - or possibly bridges, depending on the surrounding context. As for trails, those provide unobstructed passage through the surrounding terrain, so those can be assumed to be trails, or possibly roads of some variety.
However, it's those pesky "food sources" (for the omnivorously-inclined) that are left undefined. A number of commenters have suggested that these are monster "lairs", which is - on a first look - an understandable assumption, i.e. "deer" = "wildlife" = "monster". But I will suggest that this is something of a mistake. Since neither Gary nor Dave used the rules for Outdoor Survival, but adapted the map for their own purposes, we should not get too distracted by what is suggested by the symbol used on the map. After all, there's nothing about "catch basin" that suggests "castle" so what could that "food source" symbol be referring to? A clue can be found on page 24 of The Underworld and Wilderness Adventures:
...Territory up to 20 miles distant from a stronghold may be kept clear of monsters once cleared - the inhabitation of a stronghold being considered as sufficient to maintain the monster-free status....Within each territory there will be 2-8 villages of 100-400 inhabitants each.
There are 28 "food source" symbols, providing for a like number of villages, which is only slightly more than the number of castles, but they are not distributed in any sort of linked pattern. Some villages are next to castles, others some distance away, and vice versa. But the vast majority of the map is within 20 miles of a castle or town, providing for a relatively "settled" area - though questions might be raised about when and where to use the wilderness wandering monster tables (we'll come back to that).
