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BoneMonkey80
2009-01-08, 08:42 PM
I'm new so please bare with me hopefully this is in the right forum.

I just got into D&D and I love it I have been using 4th edition but I have no one to play with anymore in real life. I have only done a few encounters and thats about it.

Then I stumbled across this site and see that people are playing post by post and thought this is a great idea!

But they seem to be only roleplaying and not using maps to play the game.

My question is this for D&D 4e how do you handle maps in forums? I was thinking of using photoshop to make maps and a grid system ppl can use like this one I made this in photoshop.

http://img374.imageshack.us/img374/4351/22267506el1.th.jpg (http://img374.imageshack.us/my.php?image=22267506el1.jpg)

Also we can use photoshop for all our other needs like marking creatures, traps etc. I left a white space on the bottom of the map for info.

Here is a example of play,

Player "John" will post what he wants to do his turn.

"John" - I move my Dragonborn Fighter 3 spaces to 16 - G and I use Reaping Strike.

(Now the player can roll real dice at home or use a dice program and using the honor system tell us the results or we can use the forum dice roller)

"John" - I rolled a natural 1 and missed and I end my turn.

Then the DM will photoshop what happened and post the new pic and the next player will go like this.

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/9339/11947763pb8.th.jpg (http://img135.imageshack.us/my.php?image=11947763pb8.jpg)

Here is another example with status effects.

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/6350/27813730wh3.th.jpg (http://img293.imageshack.us/my.php?image=27813730wh3.jpg)

What do you guys think any feedback?


Is there a better way to do this? I really want to play D&D 4E online.

RTGoodman
2009-01-08, 08:53 PM
If you've got Excel and can figure out how to change the background color of cells, it's probably THE easiest way to actually MAKE the maps. Photoshop looks like it's working fine for you, though, so unless it takes you a REALLY long time to make them using it, I think you're alright.

Otherwise, I think you've got the basic idea. I HIGHLY suggest using the forum roller or some other means of tracking rolls (Invisible Castle or something), and I'd also suggest that you don't need to update the map EVERY time a player acts. Maybe once or twice per turn should be good. Also, have players post their current HP, bloodied status, defenses, and stuff like that in a spoiler with each post, for your reference and so Leaders and Defenders know who they need to help out most.

Tequila Sunrise
2009-01-08, 09:00 PM
I use photoshop too, and upload the jpegs onto photobucket.com for my players to see. Players keep records of their own hp and other stuff, and I keep records of PC and monster hp/other stuff. The hardest part about play-by-post games is keeping them going. I suggest keeping the plots simple and the details minimal, unless you have players really dedicated to subtleties.

Good luck,
TS

BoneMonkey80
2009-01-08, 09:16 PM
That took me like 5 minutes to make i wasn't even trying these are examples i'm making better quality ones now

I plan to keep it to small encounters.

I just finished making a better map and all the tokens for the encounter.

Anyone wanna play?

Mando Knight
2009-01-08, 11:51 PM
Photoshop/GIMP is probably the way you want to go, actually: use Layers to represent the different characters, auras, zones, etc. It's a big time-saver, all the maps in this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98226) were done by using the same prototype file and just shifting and adding in layers. I didn't do anything special for the terrain or anything because the field's an infinite featureless plane, and I don't have pics of the characters or the Spelljammer...

BoneMonkey80
2009-01-09, 12:12 AM
awesome thanks for the helps and tips guys! thats what im doing using layers and transparant images for stuff

ok i opened up a recruiting thread!

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5612827#post5612827