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View Full Version : making maps for custum campains



savorn
2012-05-21, 03:26 PM
hey everyone i just became a member but all you dms out there come post your map ideas and or if you need mapping help ask me :smallamused:

An Enemy Spy
2012-05-21, 11:45 PM
hey everyone i just became a member but all you dms out there come post your map ideas and or if you need mapping help ask me :smallamused:

Hey everyone! I just became a member, but all you DMs out there come post your map ideas and/or if you need mapping help, ask me. :smallamused:

An Enemy Spy
2012-05-21, 11:46 PM
I'm just having fun with you.:smalltongue:

savorn
2012-05-23, 10:59 AM
I'm just having fun with you.:smalltongue:

haha lol thnx im just happy someone posted

Notreallyhere77
2012-05-23, 04:30 PM
So, do you want me to describe my campaign world, and then you'll make a map based on how it's described? Or do I need to make sketches, scan them, upload them to a host, post them, and then you'll make them pretty?

savorn
2012-05-23, 05:46 PM
So, do you want me to describe my campaign world, and then you'll make a map based on how it's described? Or do I need to make sketches, scan them, upload them to a host, post them, and then you'll make them pretty?

well you could do either but was going to scan and upload some of my custom maps but really i was just hoping to help some people who are new at map making and need help getting generic builds or maps to model after probably the best one i ever made was based of the build of the map in the amulet books and some generic maps built for the campaigns i was using them for

Dr Bwaa
2012-05-23, 05:58 PM
You may find that more people will respond constructively to your thread if you make at least a little effort to use proper spelling/grammar/punctuation. I can barely make out what you're trying to say.

On topic, what kind of maps are you talking about? Hand-drawn? Digital? If the latter, I'm always interested in learning new mapmaking tools.

Notreallyhere77
2012-05-24, 06:21 PM
I'm pretty bad at map-drawing, as far as I can perceive. I can draw a person or a dungeon, but not a good continent. Also, I'm having inspiration problems.

TheThan
2012-05-24, 09:04 PM
I've been using maptools, which has built in drawing tools as well as the ability to upload custom made tokens. So that's a good option if you're playing online.
if not you can always pilfer the internets for maps. I'm trying to work out a good way to use Google earth for RPGs also.

Ninjadeadbeard
2012-05-24, 10:38 PM
I generally use Photoshop for maps, and (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13231233&postcount=52) they (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13202752&postcount=45) usually (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13111181&postcount=1) come (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13116306&postcount=11) out (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13116943&postcount=13) alright (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13253935&postcount=60).

[/shameless plug]

Doc_Pippin
2012-05-24, 10:53 PM
I generally use Photoshop for maps, and (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13231233&postcount=52) they (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13202752&postcount=45) usually (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13111181&postcount=1) come (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13116306&postcount=11) out (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13116943&postcount=13) alright (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13253935&postcount=60).

[/shameless plug]


Just going to be the first to say your maps are B@d @$$ like a mustache... A mustache with Tittie$. And I would except a mustache ride from you anyday.

Ninjadeadbeard
2012-05-24, 11:05 PM
Just going to be the first to say your maps are B@d @$$ like a mustache... A mustache with Tittie$. And I would except a mustache ride from you anyday.

Come away with me Doc_Pippin, on a magic mustache ride... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UZ8ruZNqD8) :smalltongue:

Can I sig that?

savorn
2012-05-24, 11:13 PM
mm thank you all for posting, like i said i just started on the forums so don't bug me to much ,thank you all for your input and to answer most of your questions i hand draw maps with a legend and sometimes a language to go along with it

savorn
2012-05-24, 11:16 PM
well I hand draw maps or use a dungeon generator for dungeons but if in need of inspiration most good fantasy books will have maps to base shape and landmarks on :smallbiggrin:

Doc_Pippin
2012-05-24, 11:50 PM
Come away with me Doc_Pippin, on a magic mustache ride... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UZ8ruZNqD8) :smalltongue:

Can I sig that?

Why of course my mustachioed master map maker!

NichG
2012-05-25, 02:09 AM
I just started on a map for a new campaign using Sculptris and Blender to make a 3d landscape map, followed by post-processing in GIMP. I think it looks decent but I still need to detail bits, blend the coastlines into the water so they're less abrupt, etc. The features are meant to be exaggerated since this is for a bit of a Mana-Khemia themed campaign with a lot of weird gathering locations:


http://gildedflask.wikispaces.com/file/view/land2.png/339399144/800x375/land2.png


The flat areas also need elaboration right now, and I kind of think I should have made the mountains less realistic. Ah well, first time doing a map of this sort.

savorn
2012-05-25, 08:58 PM
the moustache thing i have no idea. but if you want to make a good campain map remember to blend the landscape so that mountains lead to hills and hills lead to plains and plains lead to more plains,hills or swamp :smallcool::smallsigh:

savorn
2012-05-25, 09:25 PM
and that map is amazing could you post a link to the programs you used?

TheThan
2012-05-25, 10:18 PM
I generally use Photoshop for maps, and (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13231233&postcount=52) they (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13202752&postcount=45) usually (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13111181&postcount=1) come (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13116306&postcount=11) out (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13116943&postcount=13) alright (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13253935&postcount=60).

[/shameless plug]

That's badass. how did you make the mountain texture? (need to know so i can make my own badass maps).

Ninjadeadbeard
2012-05-25, 11:19 PM
I just started on a map for a new campaign using Sculptris and Blender to make a 3d landscape map, followed by post-processing in GIMP. I think it looks decent but I still need to detail bits, blend the coastlines into the water so they're less abrupt, etc. The features are meant to be exaggerated since this is for a bit of a Mana-Khemia themed campaign with a lot of weird gathering locations:

That's really cool! I've never found a satisfactory way of hand-crafted mountains, so big props to you sir.


That's badass. how did you make the mountain texture? (need to know so i can make my own badass maps).

Photoshop.

New Layer with standard colors Black and White
Filter>Render>Clouds>
Duplicate Layer>Name new layer BASE>Set Layer Style to Hard Mix
Use Brush to paint your map (soft tip). White is land, Black is sea.
When satisfied, Select>Color Range>Black 200>Delete>Deselect


New Layer with standard colors Black and White

Filter>Render>Clouds>
Filter>Render>difference Clouds>Ctrl+f
Filter>Render>Lighting Effects>

Lighting Settings as follows:

Spotlight
25 Intensity
100 Focus
-100 Gloss
100 Material
0 Exposure
8 Ambiance
Texture Channel: Red
White is High
100 Height



Select>Color Range>Black 200>Delete>Deselect
Open Mountains Layer>Add Bevel and Emboss (inner bevel, chisel soft, size 11, Light Angle -35)
Right Click BASE's little icon window>Select>Modify>Contract 20
Select>Modify>Feather 20
Select>Inverse>Delete>Deselect
Set Mountain Layer Style to Soft Light


After that, use a brush eraser to remove mountains you don't want (feather it 10x or more) and use the Lasso tool to move them.

This will get you the textures. After that, mix and match and experiment til it looks right to you. Let me know if I was clear enough (I hope I didn't drop a step).

NichG
2012-05-25, 11:51 PM
The trick to the mountains was to use the Crease tool inverted and to make a sort of branching tree structure. Then I basically used the Draw tool (not the Clay tool, mind you) with a very big, soft brush to raise the terrain under the mountains. I then went over the valleys with the Crease tool on normal mode to create rivers/streams.

For texturing, you can use the Heightmask with a large brush and a small brush to paint the areas with no greenery and the areas with snow respectively. You can use the Heightmask with Cavity set to paint rivers pretty quickly.

TheThan
2012-05-26, 01:47 PM
That's really cool! I've never found a satisfactory way of hand-crafted mountains, so big props to you sir.



Photoshop.

New Layer with standard colors Black and White
Filter>Render>Clouds>
Duplicate Layer>Name new layer BASE>Set Layer Style to Hard Mix
Use Brush to paint your map (soft tip). White is land, Black is sea.
When satisfied, Select>Color Range>Black 200>Delete>Deselect


New Layer with standard colors Black and White

Filter>Render>Clouds>
Filter>Render>difference Clouds>Ctrl+f
Filter>Render>Lighting Effects>

Lighting Settings as follows:

Spotlight
25 Intensity
100 Focus
-100 Gloss
100 Material
0 Exposure
8 Ambiance
Texture Channel: Red
White is High
100 Height



Select>Color Range>Black 200>Delete>Deselect
Open Mountains Layer>Add Bevel and Emboss (inner bevel, chisel soft, size 11, Light Angle -35)
Right Click BASE's little icon window>Select>Modify>Contract 20
Select>Modify>Feather 20
Select>Inverse>Delete>Deselect
Set Mountain Layer Style to Soft Light


After that, use a brush eraser to remove mountains you don't want (feather it 10x or more) and use the Lasso tool to move them.

This will get you the textures. After that, mix and match and experiment til it looks right to you. Let me know if I was clear enough (I hope I didn't drop a step).

yeah I follow you. I'm using an older version of Photoshop (Photoshop 7), so I had to hunt around for some of those options, as they've been moved around. But they're more or less there. So I got it down. Thanks for the protip. now I'm off to make my own badass maps.

savorn
2012-05-27, 10:48 PM
cool I have been making a new map and I Finnish it tomoro I will scan it and post a picture :smallbiggrin:

NichG
2012-05-28, 09:30 PM
Currently I'm trying to map a tiered city, and I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out the best way to both get the building layout to be visible and to emphasize the tiered topography. Basically, there's a gorge with a river/waterfall into the ocean, with the city being cut into the side of the shallower slope (facing the ocean), with a few buildings up on top of the steep cliff area (with a lift down to docks at water level and a sea cave). Basically, I'd like to draw it overhead to get the best clarity in building placements, but the 3d nature of the city means that its hard to tell what is cut flat and what is gradual slope. Any suggestions?

savorn
2012-05-28, 11:37 PM
try making it from above but ascent the slopes that are important or label them cause it is only to help the player imagine the world in your head so describe the parts that are difficult to include or non important really that's all I can say ,or make a legend for the different parts ill think about a way to help you out more, i have a map build i will post soon that can be used for a map program or printed and added to.:smallsmile:

Morph Bark
2012-05-29, 05:04 PM
I like making maps, always have.

However, I never got far with PhotoShop and it is too expensive for me now, so I just draw them by hand, usually as the campaign progresses. So far, only two of my settings have actually seen maps being drawn, and the first was abandoned pretty quickly when the PCs accidentally left the continent they were on that I had mapped out.

The second one has seen use in multiple campaigns and has prettymuch become a standard setting for us when we are playing 3.5 every two weeks. I haven't gotten so far that I've actually mapped the entire continent yet though...

NichG
2012-05-30, 12:23 AM
This is what I ended up with. I'm not sure it really gets the idea across, but its certainly usable. Stuff on the west side maybe doesn't make as much sense as it could given the terrain, like why they'd bother to put the docks on a cliff-face instead of that nice grade they have there.


http://gildedflask.wikispaces.com/file/view/selhan.png/340822540/800x381/selhan.png

Ninjadeadbeard
2012-05-30, 01:49 AM
This is what I ended up with. I'm not sure it really gets the idea across, but its certainly usable. Stuff on the west side maybe doesn't make as much sense as it could given the terrain, like why they'd bother to put the docks on a cliff-face instead of that nice grade they have there.

That is a very nice city map! I only wonder where the road is that requires a bridge to be built (looks like one side of the bridge is just a wall). But other than that it's pretty sweet. And you don't have any perspective problems like I had when I first did a city map:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s231/sithlord7/IcarusCity1.jpg

Seriously, awesomesauce abounds.

NichG
2012-05-30, 12:14 PM
The idea was that there's a path circling the one cliff, with the big castle overlooking. From an organizational standpoint, its a bit awkward (since it means a long walk for anyone going between the two cities). I'm thinking of adding caves or something coming out of the cliff near the bridge as an alternate path between the city centers.

savorn
2012-06-01, 06:18 PM
nick you should make a kind of catacomb dungeon if you make caves and incorporate it into your campaign or make a kind of underground tranportation

NichG
2012-06-04, 11:41 AM
So there is intended to be a sea cave at the base of the cliffs there, though it'd be very well-known by the city (as would the tunnel bypass). Likely what it'd be would be that the tunnel bypass would be very public, well lit, and kept free of infestation, but the sea cave would be a bit more wild. There might be areas where the walls between them are somewhat thin, where someone could use explosives or digging tools to break into the city during a siege.

savorn
2012-06-15, 02:11 PM
make a war be started or maybe a group of rebels want to overthrow the ruler for something he did and incorperate them in a siege

Jimbob
2012-06-29, 01:45 AM
@ Ninjadeadbeard, savorn and anyone else interested.

If you are interested in putting pen to papper or hand to mouse then I have a few maps that I would like made up please.

1) river enterence with wrecked small boats with a small village that is partly in the water and on land, for lizard people to live.

2) tower 4 levels high and a basement with a small underground complex, so I can chuck in a few monsters.

3) front side of a keep with gate house, towers, pallisade for my keep siege adventrue.

4) tree top hide out for bandits, can be over multipul levels and spanning more then 1 tree.

These need to be a birds eye view so I can draw them out on the game table normal 1" sqaure.

If ya need more info then just let me know.

cheers

NichG
2012-07-06, 04:13 PM
I did another city map, this one of the inner part of a city called Samidare in my setting, which is the point of origin for all the Tome of Battle schools. It's high up in the mountain, and each school has its own flattened peak.


http://gildedflask.wikispaces.com/file/view/samidare_town.png/350961016/800x600/samidare_town.png


Slightly different style than the last.