How to get maps in D&D
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- Опубліковано 22 жов 2024
- Some Map Resources
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While I can see where stuff like "Donjon" is REALLY useful and handy in a pinch, I prefer to draw my own.....I'm a lousy artist but it is something I truly enjoy doing.
This is why I buy Adventures lol. Mainly for Doug Kovacs maps
For sure
@@midnightgreen8319 If I had a tenth of his artistic ability.....
I like using Donjon for oneshot minidungeons within a larger campaign while I design the megadungeon
@@stevefugatt7075 You almost certainly have 10 times the artistic ability that I do!
We're a group of 5 and 3 of us takes turn DMing various oneshots while I dm the main campaign, and all take place in our homebrewed world. The single best thing that happened to this campaign was one of my friend introducing us to your channel. Thanks a lot. Your content really helps us step the game.
Thanks for the kind words!
Another thing that is out there, if you like the card methods Daniel was talking about, is dungeon-morphs and geo-morphs. they are essentially cards with rooms and caves respectively that have off shoots from the center to the sides of the cards that are the entrances to the other cards so you can make a random dungeon or cave system. they come in different forms not just rectilinear but also hexagonal
Yes!
Don't know who needs to hear this but recently discovered Milby's Maps and they are without a doubt the best I've ever seen. About to draw some Milby-inspired maps right now in fact. Highly recommended.
These maps are very cool, thanks for the recommendation
Back in the old days, some of the best maps came from Judges Guild.
Besides having wonderful campaign maps they also had "The Book of" maps for Treasure Maps, Islands, Temples, Cities, Castles and I believe that there was also a Dungeon Maps book.
For post Apocalypse games we used things like Squad Leader maps. I also found architecture books with general layouts of homes. And if you have access to city maps, they can be used for several types of campaigns.
Nowadays with the internet and a printer you can have maps for all occasions.
I have a trick that I use for mapping towns and cities. I take an old map of 14th century Bath, or a small village in Germany or wherever and use that to build my map. Google is your friend.
My problem is that cities grow organically. They have no rhyme, reason, or plan. I'm not that random. My cities always have straight, orderly streets and it's not realistic.
As an old Grognard, I have a big drawer of old National Geographic maps especially their Archeology ones of ancient cities. Oh and the National Parks system has great site maps of their parks.
Ah yes, I guess modern development has those perfect lines so maybe older cities is the way to go
Great video! Never let the map keep you from making an adventure that excites you!
For sure
Just to add to the survey, I only use modules and their maps. On the rare occasion I have to create something I use the old Holmes geomorphs. Personally, I think the map is less important than the adventure it contains. There can be a lot of fun in just one room!
I am really enjoying this channel and hope it grows more.
True, I’ve had great fun with simple spaces and cool ideas
For dungeon maps I usually determine how many rooms there will be, the theme of the dungeon, and what will be in the non-empty rooms first, then draw the dungeon to accommodate those idea. I used to do the map first, but found it was harder to fit idea onto it than to draw the map to fit the idea. For a world map I generated it with some software I made (basically the same generator I used for my Clamatic Biome mod I made for Minecraft) -- then zoomed in progressively, with most of it being undescribed and tentative except for the small area right around the PCs home town.
Nice
Similar to your deck idea, I like to use One Page Dungeon Generator by Watabou. It creates small to medium sized rooms and connections, some small features and the like, but you can hit F5 to refresh and just connect it to what's come before. I've had some pretty insane dungeons doing that.
Nice!
This is a great set of resources, Daniel (much like your channel!!). Thank you for consolidating them into one place.
You nailed a bunch of stuff -- re-using maps (I used to buy modules just for the maps and then use it 3 or 4 times simply by flipping and re-orienting it) and using real-world maps were two mainstays for me until I began to feel comfortable making my own.
Back then our "google" was the local library but the concept is exactly the same. Try googling "ancient egyptian temple layout" VOILA! :)
As yes the library- what’s nice about that is sometimes you stumble across something you were not looking for initially
After 40 plus years of playing AD&D, almost all of my maps made as a player have ended up as maps in my world. Most with minor modification, just new content. One of my best resources. Dysons is an incredible source of maps as well. Flipping, rotating, or mirroring is a great way to make multiple dungeons from the same plan. I looked at a pair of maps for years before I actually put one on top of the other and held them to a light. Low and behold! My friend had "cheated" and just mirrored the same map. Do what works best for you and make the session memorable. Maps help make it better.
For sure
Colossal Cavern aka Adventure.
Ah yes!
I spend a lot of time drawing my maps, its my preffered method of prep. The more detailed I can be on the art, the less i have to write down (most of the time i dont write antything down).
Still somehow caught up with dungeon 23, not worrying too much on writing and making it an art project i think has helped greatly with burnout.
I always make myself a map, even if its just circles or boxes connected by lines to only show relationships with notes, especially hidden things or secret doors, it keeps my straight and you can always recycle them better if you have the details fixed. You may not need a map for players but I suggest you as GM do!
Makes sense
FYI -- Donjon - uses the AD&D random dungeon tables as the generator
I did not realize that!
TSR Dungeon Geomorphs
Yes!
Very well done. As usual.
Thank You!
Sources of maps: Travel resources, especially tour companies. National Parks, State and Local Historical Site location maps, National Geographic maps, especially their archeology or historical series. As mentioned below Google Maps and Snip tools.
National park maps, that’s awesome!
I do mostly theater of the mind and point crawl. But I always make a regional map showing important cities, towns, landmarks, etc.
That makes sense
Another fantastic video Daniel! Was just about to make my map making video as part of my zine making series, haha, I actually was going to go through just making a map from scratch, but this gives me some additional ideas to suggest as alternatives!
Personally, I make all my maps from scratch - there's just something super meditative about making maps. Usually I'd detail it all myself, but sometimes I use the map template that I released recently, it really depends on how artistic I'm feeling!
Awesome, I’m loving your zine series!
@@BanditsKeep Thank you! 😃
My state/continental/world scale maps are all drawn freehand. I don't even set a scale; short of x days travel until, I get down to the state level. I try and make the rivers flow downhill and to the coast. But if I feel like putting in; a few bends and forks, then I just do it.
Cities/towns and dungeons are a different story. I am a profligate looter. Smash, grab and run like hell. From anywhere, anytime. I put up the five room, or feature dungeons freehand and free thought. But I have *ahem* borrowed maps; from any and every edition, mostly classic AD&D modules. Updated and ported into my 3/3.5 & 5th edition games.
The last was my homage to 'Against the Cult of the Reptile God'. The town of Orlane; was a random coloured fan-made map, that I grabbed from Google Image search. The dungeon areas were screen shots, stored on my phone from web reviews of the module itself (shoutouts to RPG Modsfan and Seth Skorkowsky). I have set the final boss up, in a forgotten ziggurat in the Highmoor. The swamplands to the north of town. It's a combo dungeon, of freehand elements and the Hidden temple of Tamoachan, from the Tales from the Yawning Portal.
The party have broken the cults hold on the town and destroyed the Temple of Merrika. I have made it; so their actions have driven the cult, deep into the swamp. For all intentions and purpose, the good guys prevailed.
The old 2 level dungeon from the module, remains the home of the tribe of Troglodytes and a zombie factory now run by Gareth Primo. The Ziggurat is the new home and base of operations for the 'Great and Glorious, Explicitica Defilus' She is now contemplating, setting up a new franchise in the Protectorate of Hochoch. A 60k population, neighbouring state across the river on the further northern side of the swamplands.
That’s awesome!
I always hand make my maps, usually for combat encounters or home bases. I do use Donjon for solo games, it’s a godsend.
Cool, yes, I agree
Thank you for your information video
Thanks for watching
I'm working on some personal notes for how to make maps.
I get kind of caught up on little things, and it let it annoy me. Right now I'm annoyed by the size of things. Trying to make it realisticly sized, kinda. Anyway I'm finna infodump some notes right here. Maybe youtube won't be too pissed. This is for grids or hexes, and the sizes are rough and taken from online recources, duh.
Map scales;
----------------------------
1 Square equals 5 feet. Dungeon scale. (Local Area)
1 Square equals 1 mile. In City scale. (1s)
1 Square equals 6 miles. Wilderness scale. (6s) (Overworld Map)
1 Square equals 60 miles. Continent scale. (60s)
City Scales;
----------------------------
Mega City 1x1 in 60s. (This is ridiculously huge. A city that is 60 miles wide, and long.)
Bigger City, 2-4 tiles in 6s.
City, 1x1 in 6s. (One map tile that is in the 6 miles per map tile scale.)
Sprawling Villiage 1x1 in 6s.
Town Center, 1x1 in 1s. (One map tile that is in the 1 mile per map tile scale.)
Villiage, 1x1 in 1s.
Continent Scales;
-----------------------------------
69x69 in 60s (Asia)
30x30 in 60s (Austraulia)
Islands Scales;
--------------------------------
15x15 in 60s (Greenland)
1x1 in 60s
Small Islands Scales;
----------------------------------------
5x5 in 6s
3x3 in 6s (Mornington)
Planets Scales;
--------------------------------
Jupiter 2,566x2,566 in 60s (Don't bother)
Earth 233x233 in 60s
Mars 124x124 in 60s
Pluto 42x42 in 60s (This would actually almost fit on a single page of graph paper.)
The formula for generating these numbers;
-------------------------------------------------------------------
-(1.)Look up the surface area or the planet, continent, or island.
-(2.)Get the square root of that area.
-(3.)Divide that by 60. (This step gets you the (number x number in 60s).
-(4.)Multiply that number by itself.
Example;
------------
Pluto 6,427,806 mi2, 2535x2535, 42x42 in 60s, (1,764 in 60s surface area)
-(1.)6,427,806 Square miles, surface area of planet. (I looked this number up.)
-(2.)2535x2535 Sides of a map making up the surface area of the planet.
-(3.)42x42 in 60s Sides of a map making up the surface area of the planet, in 60 mile square tiles.
-(4.)1,764 in 60s The entire surface area of a map for the planet in 60 mile square tiles.
Scraps;
---------
9x9 is about how big Baltimore is. Which has 600,000 people in it. So honestly it seems like a plain old 6x6 tile would hold any city I could possibly want. Unless I just wanted it to sprawl, or to be huge like extra big scifi.
A character can walk about 24 miles of road in 8 hours. Just call it leisurely walk idk. That is 4, 6m tiles. So put a little villiage every 4 or so tiles on the road. Maybe even fewer tiles, or more tiles.
Continent sizes in 60 miles square tiles.
These measurements are pretty close, but yeah whatever.
Asia is 17.2 million square miles. 4147x4147square miles, 69x69 in 60s.
Africa is 11.6 million square miles. 3405x3405square miles, 56x56 in 60s
North America is 9.4 million square miles. 3065x3065square miles, 51x51 in 60s.
South America is 6.9 million square miles. 2626x2626square miles, 43x43 in 60s
Antarctica is 5.5 million square miles. 2350x2350square miles, 39x39 in 60s.
Europe is 3.8 million square miles. 1950x1950square miles, 32.5x32.5 in60squaremiletiles.
Austraulia is 3 million square miles. 1800x1800square miles, 30x30 in60squaremilestiles.
Islands
Greenland 822,700 square miles. 907x907 miles. 15x15 in 60s.
Mornington 387, 19x19, would be 3x3 tiles in the 6 category.
Planets Scales;
--------------------------------
Jupiter 23,713,907,537 mi2, 153,993x153,993, 2,566x2,566 in 60s, (6,584,356 in 60s)
Earth 196,936,994 mi2, 14,033x14,033, 233x233 in 60s, (54,289 in 60s surface area)
Mars 55,742,106 mi2, 7,466x7,466, 124x124 in 60s, (15,376 in 60s surface area)
Pluto 6,427,806 mi2, 2535x2535, 42x42 in 60s, (1,764 in 60s surface area)
Thanks for making videos.
I like to draw the maps since its one of the few things im ok at drawing, and besides specific locations I like having a few variants for encounters, basically Forest 1, forest 2, forest 3, graveyard, cemetary, desert tomb, ect.
Nice
Have you seen the document on how to make dungeon layouts using a cyclic planning method?
I have not
Hey, does anyone know what the source on the thumbnail image is? I love the colors.
It’s made with Ai
Loves me some maps!
Indeed
A nice geomorph deck can be fun.
For sure
I'm surprised you didnt mention dungeondraft for one of the battle map making resources. Its oike $15 but its sooooo worth the price for what you could do with it and also how easy it is to work with. (Not to mention there are free asset packs for it made by some people)
I have it, I don’t care for it. That being said KR over at D&D Homebrew uses it quite a bit
Where did you get the thumbnail pic?
Ai
I was hoping this video was actually about PCs finding maps within the campaign world. Or how PCs can map out the world in character/in game. Video idea? 😅
Interesting!
Mapmaking...isn't that what study hall was/is for?
Ha ha, yes!
The river is running the wrong way...? Ever heard of Magic? No but... Oh wait.... you're a Flat Earther? Then you must understand magic!
Seriously though you can also steal maps or dungeons from video games... Like the maps from Resident Evils Police station or the Mansion for example.
Magic is definitely a thing!