Alternative Uses for Stone Map Tokens

[Malcadon]

The Kellar’s Keep quest pack features the four-part Stone Map tiles made specifically for Quest #10: Grin’s Crag. Beyond giving the players a vague layout of the dungeon, it is not that useful.

Years ago, I thought to myself: "Why should the players become invested in finding and keeping these broken tablets?" And the answer was simple: "Each tablet holds a clue to help the heroes find treasure, avoid traps and hazards, and/or to lead them to the quest objectives."

That is, each tablet has a note about a secret in the corresponding corner of the map. For, example, in one corner, it would tell the players to avoid the area due to a Cloud of Chaos/Dread maze; another corner, it warns of an ambush spot and you can find a hidden way around it; then in another, it notes a hidden side-room/passage that holds a long-lost artifact; and finally, the last tablet gives a clue on how to kill a powerful stone guardian in one hit.

You don't need to have the info laid out on the tokens, nor does the image on the token need to look like the dungeon being played. The evil wizard player could just tell each player who holds the tokens what the clue is, or just make some player handouts prepared ahead of time. (Think of the maps used in Advanced HeroQuest or the latter that comes with Rogue Heir of Elethorn) Maybe the Heroes need to make a Mind roll (once per hero, per token) in order to translate it, akin to unlocking the east gate from Kellar's Keep -- Quest #9: The East Gate.

There! Simple as that! But you can go beyond this. You can even use them as tiles you can place on the board. For example…

In one of the quest from Prophecy of Telor, monsters are summoned in a 2x3 area that can be represented by the Stone Map tiles. The evil wizard player could tell the players, when a hero fists enters the room, that part of the ground is covered in tiles or relief with images that give a clue to what is going to get summoned.

Maybe, the tiles looks like normal floor decoration, but it you pull a lever in another room, the slabs move apart revealing a hidden flight of stairs -- the way out!

(Or, if you are playing the new Mage of the Mirror game set were the Even Bow of One-Hit-Kill is given ammo to keep it from being too OP, you can use those map tiles as ammunition tokens akin to the Sky Orb tokens.)

I'm just spit-balling ideas I have for a long while now, but I don't want to monopolize the whole topic with my ideas. If anyone else have any other idea, then by all means, post it.