A Map - but not the one you want

I jest, a reader asked for some maps related to my ongoing HMS APOLLYON
project - but I don't feel like publishing those, so here's a map of a twelve sided
folded unnatural space.

I am keying it up as a combination of the ruins of the folded city of an ancient
Carcosa imposed upon by the last bastion and hidden bunkers of the Iron King,
Hawberk I, who was deposed by its current Ragged King.

It's a bad place where refugees from Carcosa find themselves scavenging.

The project contains rooms like this:

Gongburg Solitudes

So there's this thing where people post hex maps up on Google Plus and then others come along and fill in various Hexes to create a complex hex map.  Of late Save vs. Total Party Kill has put together a nice little script that prepares these hex collections for display and use in a nice online format. The other night I ended up drawing this hex map below for kicks and posted it.  Apparently it didn't inspire, so I ended up filling in most of the hexes and creating the "Gongburg Solitudes" a Fallen Empire sort of small region.   

Gongburg and Environs

"The Gongburg Solitudes are are forsaken hinterland somewhere West of the Capital, South of the Pine Hells and East of the Black Shoals. Forgotten by men a place between others along the decaying Imperial Highway, the Solitudes are officially ungoverned and without significant military force or even patrols. Given their own forgotten and moribund condition, the Solitudes are a fine place to hide from revenge or justice, but like most abandoned baronies of the Empire they are haunted by their past, and secretly rich in once discarded wealth. Marble and wool could make the Solitudes a productive demesne, if they were governed by men and women of sense and vision - something utterly lacking in these fallen times."

Maps maps maps.

So I haven't stopped making stuff for Table top games, I'm working on a few projects these days, and thought I'd share some of the map art I've made for them, and for other purposes of late.

First, A map I drew of the local region the "Master's of Carcosa" game I play in occasionally takes place in.  Run by my friend over at Save Vs. Total Party Kill, it's a pretty fun game.  A very open sandbox, that is becoming the most pro-social and optimistic game I've seen in a while.  Despite, or perhaps because, the GM has given the players a great deal of leeway, and  the setting is so amoral - filled with casual genocide, violence, theft and cartoonish depravity, the characters (a troupe of actors/con artists) have a become heroic civilizing force for peace.  Currently we are operating out of Invak, a Boneman lizard herding village that grudgingly accepts non-Bonemen refugees.  Jahar to the South, a Brownman trading city is on the verge of making an alliance with Invak due to player actions.  Much of the Southern map remains to be explored.

The Second Map here is an unlabelled map of a Fallen Empire river town.  The town (Mire? Rivertown? Tradefork? - Fallen Empire names are descriptive, not fantastical) is built up on sunken Imperial barge hulls, and pilings.  It's all recent wooden construction, wealthy and well protected thanks to the swamp and the grounded hulk of an old monitor which still has some working arcane weapons aboard.  I think this place may be the "point of light" in an adventure I've had brewing in the back of my head for some time. 

A very detailed map - in need of some shading

Also sort of incomplete - needs shading and actual maps.

The last item here is a map illustration/elevation/isometric projection/blah blah/whatever for a location map.  The location being the 'ruins' of a late Imperial era hunting lodge deep within a corrupted wood.  The lodge should be 3-4 levels and present an interesting set of challenges. I still need to draw out the interior maps and key most locations, but the project is going fairly quickly, though I am unsure if I'll PDF it or maybe even publish it somewhere.

Revoca Canton Map

Of late I've been playing in a Hill Canton's game run by Kris of the blog and Hydra Collective fame.  It's a fun setting, quite solidly fantasy, but with a similar level of gonzo as ASE, though obviously without the science fantasy.  As a long established setting there's a lot of accumulated fluff, which is both good and bad, but, thankfully my character, an Eld exile named Tizzird (yes that's a terrible joke) isn't expected to understand things like human religions and political factions.  By the time Tizzird dies from his companion's dislike, his door obsession (all but one of my spell came up door related: hold portal, knock and wizard lock), the hard bigotry against murderous space elves, or his own dangerously violent philosophy (the True Eldish Hedonics (or T.E.H. - he needs to start offering TEH talks)

Hill Cantons has been providing these perfectly functional hex maps of the Revoca Canton, where the current game is being played.  I kind of hate hex maps as player aides, though they are quite useful in there way.  Anyway starting last game and finishing yesterday I drew up this map as a better looking player map for the Revoca Canton.

Revoca Map

As my maps go, it's a simple one and it hasn't had the various post scanning treatments that I usually add, because I think it's rather incomplete (I only have the information provided to the players for this "superdense" sandbox).  I've left a lot of open space and easy to erase lines so I can modify the map in the future.

The Livid Fens - Color Maps

THE LIVID FENS

The Livid Fens, a land of trackless swamp, shifting channels and rotten mangroves filled with uncanny reddish and purple growth. The lands are firmly in the clutching hands of the Fen Witch and her coven of lesser witches who allow neither rival Wizards or worship of the orbital religion within her swamp domain.  The people of the fens are a tribal lot, generally peaceable, living in small villages, and paying a yearly tax of corpses to their necromancer god-queen.

Despite harsh conditions, wretched heat and the unnatural fecundity of the bruise hued alien flora, treasure seekers are drawn to the fens rich stores of unique furs, hides, drugs, spices and gems.  In addition to these prosaic sources of wealth the fens are dotted with ruins: fallen plantations, crumbled towers, shattered temples and strange underground fortifications from an ancient war.  In addition to these ruins, countless wrecks sink slowly into the pools and bogs of the fens – wrecked trade ships, side wheeled steamers and ancient warmachines of rust red and glassy black offer lost cargos and magical artifacts.

The Fens in Hideous Color

KEY LOCATIONS  

The Lichthrone – A twisted tower, also called the Tower of Flints, marks the gateway to the Livid Fens.  A few hours from the water, the tower was once the lair of a decadent wizard who tried to stand aloof from the Fen Witch.  Rivermen claim that his tortured screams can still be heard from atop the tower.

Rendermarche – A city of spice traders, froghemoth hunters, and the factory workers that convert the catch into oil, bone, meat and hide.  A detachment of the Unyielding Fist from Denethix and a larger force of elite tribal warriors loyal to the Witch Queen hold Rendermarche as a joint outpost of Denethix and the Queen.  The city is also protected by a small squadron of river leviathans (crude steam powered skiffs armored in riveted steel plate and armed with cannon or heavy machine guns).  Rendermarche serves as a base of operation for Northern Traders and is the first major port on the trade route between Denethix and Druid Hill deep in the Emerald Jungles further South.

Bone – The capitol of the Witch Queen, set amongst poppy fields and rice paddies in the most solid area of the fens.  Bone is a strange place, the huge corpse drums, each stretched with the skin of a hundred wizards boom out from atop the Queen’s great palace tower to give vigor to the myriad of undead who work the surrounding fields and man the walls. Marble temples to the Fen Witch cluster around her palace, and the rest of the city is only sparsely inhabited, with many of its grand old mansions falling into ruin and home to undead scavengers.

Grave Ancien – A deep crater around a bore that descends into the earth, surrounded by the melted and warped ruins of the Fall.  The bore itself seems to breath a miasma that reeks of death.  Even the warriors Fen Witch, used to the creatures of undeath and disease fear to enter the grave.

Wight Bog – The Wight Bog is an expanse of mudflats around a pair of odd stone spires.  The bog itself is a deep mire teaming with the restless dead below its surface.  While the Fen Witch’s servants can easily control these feral wights, and the locals travel on giant transparent shelled crustaceans whose long spindly legs fail to stir up the dead.  To facilitate travel the locals have also created paths of white tree trunks, sunk into the mud, but to discourage trespassers these routes are often trapped to drop into the mud, or lead into dead ends. Protected by the bog itself the sleepy blue and white town of Teacup winds up the side of one of the stone spires and is home to a community of skilled potters.  

The Fens Brown and Grey

A Set of Regional Maps

I've been taking it easy with creating game content this week, but I did draw up these maps for Sorcerer's Skull.  I don't know what his plans are for them exactly, but it was nice to draw a sea monster.

First one is hand done with minimal treatment, the one below has been messed with via some filters.

Also I'm kinda trying to figure out what the next project should be.  I've got a couple of plans, but not sure what I want to do.  First, finish Tomb of the Rocketmen, and put it out as a bare-bones PDF (it's similar in scope to Dread Machine) and then maybe put it together in with rewrites of the other ASE Denethix Marches projects (perhaps including a redone Obelisk and Red Demon).  Second, finish up another ASE adventure that I wrote 80% of and dropped - the Old Brewery as the basis of a few ASE urban adventures (Old Brewery, The Grunky Escapade and Tower Adventure I wrote up with a zombie version of He-Man's Two-Bad.  Lastly abandon these old projects and jump full bore into A big Fallen Empire project - I'll call it "The Verdant Vaults" and it's an experiment in building a dungeon that changes (specifically becomes more alive and overgrown) as the players explore it.  It starts a desolate space almost empty of encounters, but the longer it's explored the more it wakes up, and grows.  I like the idea of the project, but I'm not sure if it's viable.  Any of these three would likely end up on RPGnow - despite my dislike for charging for hobby products, I think I need a bit more exposure on these things, and that seems to be that way.  Plus I might be able to hire someone else to do art that way, and I rather hate drawing.

HMS Apollyon Maps & Other Things

Some doodling that's gone on in the past few days.  First I got some nice new pens, a very good deal on 24 grey (though several of them tend towards sepia) first rate art markers and need to try them out.

This is an elevation map of the HMS Apollyon, my nautical mega dungeon.  Each square is about 350 feet, so the whole think is approximately 3 miles long.  Decks are broken into hundred foot sections, though there is plenty of space taken up by architectural elements and ship systems between those decks so it's not an exact thing.

Deep Carbon Observatory - Maps

DEEP CARBON OBSERVATORY MAPS

A few posts ago I lamented the fact that the excellent adventure Deep Carbon Observatory (link to purchase on RPGNOW) lacked classic top down maps, because it was hard for me to visualize running a couple of its areas using only the elevation or isometric maps provided.  Since I like the adventure, like drawing maps, like the author, like the artist and especially like the strange and evocative environment that the adventure manages to create without departing too far from a standard fantasy world, I have decided to draft maps for the Deep Carbon Observatory.

I chose the adventure’s ultimate destination and location because it seemed the most complex and most in need of reference.  This becomes especially true as there’s a good chance that the observatory will end up being run as a chase.  The map is nicely set up for this, with only a few dead ends and many loops.

I was not able to replicate the measurements described in the  adventure itself, as these would make some areas very very small and others oddly huge.  Instead I tried to keep my scale in line with that of the elevation map.  

 

DCO - Lvl 1

 Level 1 – AREAS 1,2 , 26 and 39 – 44

DCO - Lvl 2

Level 2 AREAS 3-12, 26 – 28

DCO - Lvl 3

 Level 3 RIGHT STALACTITE, AREAS 13 -17

DCO - Lvl 4

Level 4 RIGHT STALACTITE, AREAS 18 -21

DCO lvl 5

 Level 5 AREAS 22 – 25, 29

DCO - Lvl 6

Level 6 LEFT STALACTITE, AREAS 30 -32

 

DCO - Lvl 6

Level 7 LEFT STALACTITE, AREAS 33 -34

DCO - Level 8

Level 8 LEFT STALACTITE, AREAS 35-37

DCO - Lvl 9

Level 9 LEFT STALACTITE, AREA 38

Play Report - fairytale reskin of B3

I recently ran a game of the re-skinned B3-Palace of the Silver Princess setting it in a fairy tale land, with anthropomorphic animals and whimsical elves.  It went well, and the adventure proved a couple things. First, those 80’s modules loved their combat, second that a story with hints to discover motivates players to explore and third, re-skinned goblins can be really scary.  I redrew the map of the first level of the dungeon, because the original is very linear and lacks any organic sense – including things like putting the Princesses’ dressing chamber next to a butcher shop and placing military style traps in a school room.  I based my reskin on the ideas in this review: B3 - Palace of the Silver Princess

B-3's first level, redrawn for sense.

A WEDDING RUINED

The berry wines and honey-mead have been flowing for a week now, and even the lowliest hired labor from the terrestrial sphere and the less respectable outlying villages have been basking in the absurd plenty that the impending wedding of the fey Queen Azure to the mysterious Scarlet Dragon Knight trails in its wake.  Azure in her typical grandiose way, only to be expected from a self-proclaimed “Daughter of the Earth Goddess”, “Ever Truthful Oracle” and “Czarina of the Peaceable Forest Peoples” has invited every being with even the slightest connection to the fey courts.  The small hamlet of Bobble, in the lee of her great castle is overflowing with intelligent animals, gnomes, lesser fey, dwarves, the more civilized goblin folk and even occasional humans.  Every low roofed toadstool hut has been crammed to its musty rafters as the more enterprising crofters take in guests, or rent their homes to traveling artisans while they camp in the woods.

The eve of the wedding finally sees the tiny town at rest, though late night preparations continue in the castle, with the windows of its towers and enchanted bowers ablaze with multicolored light and the sounds of revelry.  Yet not long after midnight this relative peace is disturbed when a huge explosion, and cacophony of unearthly howls, rumbling earth and cracking rock tears through the night.  Man, elf, dwarf, gnome, boggin, sprite, badgerman, rabbitwife and mushroom people dash into the small fountain square at the center of Bobble and stare up at the castle bluff where the towers have shifted and a sulfurous light creeps downward like slowly dripping oil from the tangled bows of the castle’s living woods. An enormous tower of black smoke fills the sky coming from the collapsed central dome of the castle, it’s silver filigreed roof fallen.

Isometric maps - So pretty, So annoying

So I've been trying to draw cool maps again.  Trying is the operative word.  Let's just say these are for something I want to look cool, so I figured I'd draw the coolest maps I could think of.  Now I really love an isometric map, so I figured that's the way to go, but isometric maps are a problem.  Sure a well drawn isometric map can look amazing, but they are ultimately very simple.  That is to say, one can draw an isometric map of a single flattish level or maybe some levels separated by a some very long stairways.  Maps with huge vertical also spaces work pretty good, but there are several problem, and the question becomes: is dealing with the limited amount of topographical information and complete lack of verticality worth it?  Personally I don't find isometric maps especially useful, obvious isometric maps have a place, for example when drawing small tunnel networks with a limited number of levels.  Now an isometric map looks pretty cool, but I find it next to impossible to maintain any kind of naturalistic map design while trying to fit a lower or higher level into the areas with minimal overlap.  In their defense isometric maps really do have more space for neat little bits of art (no only because things look better for 3/4 view) because they offer a lot more space if the incredibly annoying grid lines don't make it impossible to draw stuff out.

That said, isometric maps look pretty cool - so here's my solution.

edifice 1 - full map

It's a little small, but that's the format and it's all part of my plan is to use it in something with limited space.

Yeah it's an isometric exterior for looks with an interior of map for sense.  Sure it won't work too well on a map of a subterranean environment, but those are easier to use actual isometric maps for.   Here's a few more exteriors for the same project.  I'm starting to enjoy this thing - a means of filing several maps with a few tables.

Edifices 1 and 2

Edifices 3 -5

Cliff Dwelling Map

Another Map - Playing with Isometric paper.  The hard part with isometric maps is putting rooms on top of each other.  I think they can be good for small locations or really spread out spindly ones, but I feel like a lot of information is lost and the limitations outweigh the coolness factor.

A Map, a Short Project

Perhaps it's not really wise to start a new project right now, but I have.

The Pretender's Device

Here's the map of the place, well the dungeon map.  It's a sequel to Prison of Hated Pretender of sorts 2nd - 4th level I think - that sweet spot of adventuring where one can be a bit the badass - but still doesn't have access to world shaking powers.

It's generic fantasy world, but still a bit weirder then a vanilla fantasy module (I hope).  I decided to write it based on the fun I had writing Seas of Love - which it'll likely be similar to in scope (though it's a 21 room dungeon - which is fairly big for me because I don't believe in empty rooms). 

The idea behind the location is a hidden canyon, once used as the site of rituals that aided the Hated Pretender's (An ancient despot long removed from power) Empire by resurrecting his slain champions and generals.  The "dungeon" itself is a giant machine (the map) that contains the secret of life, and unlife, and mutation, and horrible pacts with soulless Machine Entities.

Officially now a long project.

Map design thoughts.

I haven't been drawing many maps lately, at least not ones worth putting up anywhere at least. but I've been trying to think about how to use maps better.  Maps are central to almost any tabletop role-playing game, and one of the few non-verbal elements of play.  The issue is how to make maps useful, which means what levers one can use on a map to make certain kind of game. Below are the basic questions I've been asking myself about maps. 

1)      Does the map ‘fit’

The key here is making the map itself interesting? There are really a few basic kinds of maps I suspect – some sort of morphology that could be laid together like geomorphs (caves, temple, tower etc.) but that's not what I'm aiming at here.  Here I’m comparing, a traditional free for all of rooms and corridors and more ‘realistic’ maps that have internal logic. Nothing wrong with a classic style map, but I tend toward a more organic map designed with a visable logic.  To me it’s easier to write a place if the rooms are laid out sensibly with a use in mind.  This is what I mean by fit.  Does a room work with the rest of the map?  Is the kitchen near the barracks? Is the armory?  Is there a random room full of unhinged horrors between the guards and the food stores (because if so the guards aren’t eating much). This isn’t just a matter of taste and GM seeking ‘realism’ (which is more trouble than it’s worth) – it’s a way to allow the players a game of “what should be near here”.  Like if the party wants to find the temple, finding some acolyte quarters, and meditation rooms  should be a sign they are on the right track – the temple is not right after the rotgrub filled trash compactor (unless it’s a very special temple).

Consider the maps below.  Both are good maps – the first is one of the levels of the Temple of Elemental Evil (map 1) the second some kind of buried factory in Drakelow England for WWII production. The dungeon map has bizarre shaped rooms, and weird corridors going off in odd directions.  It’s designed as if it was drawn from above by someone trying to confuse a mapper.  Yet, the map of Drakelow(map 2) is boring and repetitive, predictable because it’s room after room of barracks and factories designed with real world construction and ergonomic limitations.  So the question isn’t “which kind of map to use” it’s “How far towards weird can I push my dungeon map and still retain internal logic”. 

Map 2 - Bunker Complex

Map 1 - Classic Dungeon

One Page Dungeon Contest - Brittlestone Parapets

Hey look the One Page Dungeon Contest just ended!  My submission, the Brittlestone Parapets, is linked below.

Honestly I'm not especially happy with it, even though it has Owlbears and killer swamp hillbillies.  It might provide a few hours of non-setting specific fun though.

Above is the Map, a overland sort of thing, showing the broken trench of the Brittlestone Parapets, where lich and wizard once battled for petty reasons. It's theoretically a land ripped by strange sorcery with looming pillars of crystal and piles of moldering bones - but the limitations of the one page format didn't let me get the level of detail I like into it. I like the idea though, exploring old battlefields torn by the mad wars of missing warlocks/gods has a certain appeal.

Link to "Adventure"

Tomb of the Rocketmen - Overland Map.

Really who needs hexes?

Labels will be added later - with science.

Contest Winners! - Tomb of the Rocketmen

My Tombs of Rocketmen contest is done and I was so pleasantly surprised by the outpouring of maps from the internet RPG community - I will not say the OSR community, because it looks like some of the best maps are from folks outside that/my particular circus.

Since I got such a good response I've decided to provide two prizes.  First, one for "Overall Best Map," and second one for "Best Classic Map".  This was a close contest, there's plenty of maps I would have really enjoyed stocking, and I can see a level of excitement and craft in all the entries, so please, even if your map isn't a winner, consider keying it (some folks already did and great ideas are contained within) because a Necropolis of the Rocketmen is better than a single tomb!

Without further delay - below is the winning submission, whose fungus infested verticality and amzing detail got me really excited about designing a Tomb largely submerged beneath a fen and filled with all manner of alien infestations, bizarre archeo-tech (matter transmitters! commune-ication crystals!) and ornate chambers.

 

 Logan Knight's Winning Map

Tombs of the Rocket Men! Contest!

There's one week - 7 days left in Dungeon of Signs contest.  A map, nothing more nothing less, of the TOMBS OF THE ROCKET MEN is all I ask.  Delivered to me in a form I can use to key and write it up by April 1, 2013 midnight. Win prizes of sorts.

Adrian Villar Rojas - Look him up - It'll give you inspiration

More details here .... CONTEST

Paper & Pencils - Produced this lovely map for me ... which is to say don't feel like because this is mostly an OSR blog I will hold it against Pathfinder players or any other variety of map drawer.  The contest is wide open, victory is not yet in anyone's grasp (I haven't really examined the entries in detail yet to keep everything fresh).

I've been mapping out a big chunk of the Starboard side of The Apollyon's Deck 9 and keying it in preparation for a game tomorrow.  I like where it's going.

MAP CONTEST - Tomb of the Rocket Men!

Dungeon of Signs will be hosting its FIRST CONTEST! There will be prizes, there will be glory, there will be maps!

WHAT? WHEN? While I do spend a large majority of my time guzzling cheap Scotch and shouting about cat memes on the internet, I think it's time to leverage this blog (approaching a year old) into getting other people to generate my game content, so that I have more time for the above mentioned Scotch and cat .gifs. Starting March 15, 2013 and running until April 1, 2013 I will be accepting maps for a CONTEST!.  Stop cheering, it's not a big contest and I won't be asking a lot of you contestants.

FABULOUS PRIZE! The fabulous prize is a hardcopy of ASE 1 or 2 as selected by the winner, which I will have mailed anywhere you want by Lulu.  If you already own ASE, well maybe I'll send you a drawing of a scientist and a moktar arm wrestling - but you'll still get another copy of ASE.

It doesn't sound like much, but ASE is still the best mega-dungeon in the OSR today (by my estimation) and I'm not asking much.  As an additional prize you will also get is me turning your map into an adventure locale PDF with at least two pieces of art (this may take a few months).  You'll also receive the right to ask me to map anything you want of a similar size.

WHAT DO I DO? You draw a map.  That's it, all I want is a .jpeg, .png or .bmp of a map.  Not even a big map, somewhere under 20 keyed areas. However you do maps, however you draw them or otherwise prepare them, that's what I want.  I don't even want your original art.

WHAT'S THE CATCH? The map is of the locale described below.  I've left a lot to the imagination, but you can't just send me a crudely redrawn version of the caves of chaos.

WHAT IF I CAN'T DRAW?  It's a map, on graph paper. They're really not that hard.  Additionally, I'm not just looking for a pretty bit of cartography, I'm looking for something I can hang a richly described environment on that is also a playable adventure.  The greatest isometric beauty will not win if it's a linear snooze-fest.  I am promising to write this thing up after all.

OK YOU'VE CONVINCED ME, I WANT ALL THE FAME AND FORTUNE DUNGEON OF SIGNS CAN BRING ME! (Warning: It's not much fame and blogger carries only $5.00 in change).

WHERE DO I SEND MY MAP?
oldmanlaru (at) gmail (dot) com

ARE YOU STEALING MY MAP? No, you can do whatever you want with your map besides sending it to me.  Put it on your blog (mention this contest though perhaps), key it and turn it into a PDF of your own, roll it up in a bottle and cast it out to sea, sell it to WOTC - I just want the darn thing for my contest.  All I ask is that you don't steal anyone else's map or use one that you've generated in the past - that could be embarrassing.

Without further hedging - here's the subject of the contest.

Mysterious Map of Writing Desk Themed Location

Very hush hush, very on the sneak sneak.

Haven't been writing or playing much lately due to the intrusion of real life upon the fantastical.  I've been drawing a lot though - this one is for a project though.

This one isn't, it's a furred snake - one of the infamous predators
 of Pahvelorn's Crystal Forest. 

Megadungeon IV - Nodal Dungeon Tourist Map

Every Megadungeon needs a novelty tourist map.  Here's an attempt at one for Keith's "Nodal Megadungeon" which I've spoken about recently.  I'm not sure the map is helpful, but it took a while to doodle and while it lacks useful information it gives some feel and a sense of location at least - not that Keith's flowcharts didn't do an equally good or better job, but this has a doodles involved.  It's the least I can do to support Keith's great project.

Ultimately it ended up a tourist map like the ones you get for major cities which at best give a vague idea of where neighborhoods are located. I'm tempted to do one for the Apollyon and ASE...