I wrote a post about keying, and how it’s weird that we don’t have a name for all the various styles!
Note: this post is not about the best kind of keying (though my preference does exist). It’s more about naming the thing so we can discuss the thing.
This is timely in that I keep revisiting the style guide for my projects and am currently hashing out one of the adventure sites in the starting area. It will likely prove useful at some point to have a term to describe the approach I’m taking. At this point, I can say it fits in the Object Oriented approach with Landmark/Hidden/Secret (LHS) detailing.
Now, I’m also looking to key the approaches to areas. Let’s say a room has three different hallways approaching it. The map key will include info for each of those approaches, providing any sensory info that the PCs can readily discern as they approach.
I’m also looking at the map for each space showing how much is lit by a carried torch or other common light source, or the area lit by a light source in the space. I expect this at-a-glance reference to lighting will help GMs with what details can be determined without the PCs moving further into a space.
I’ve been impressed with the adventures I’ve picked up with the OOK approach, so that’s what I’m working up for my stuff.
[Edit: Lessee if I can link to an initial sketch of my planned layout: https://osrpgtalk.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/IMG_4587.jpg ]
