How do you do maps?

[Chimaera]

Hey guys! I'm in a game where we have been through soe problems with the maps and so I decided to make a thread to know how you do maps in the forums?

We are currently using a site called pyromancers, but its unstable and sometimes some players cant see the maps. So... How do you do maps? Any help is appreciated!

[Malimar]

I do them roguelike-style, because I'm old-school.



#####
≈≈▼#
#≈▼#
##▼▼##
#╪##### #▼▼▼▼#
#..-pp# #▼▼▼▼###########################
#..--p# #####▼▼▼▼##......back to Stank Cave
#..---# #.M.#▼▼▼▼##.#######################
#....*#╪#.#.#▼▼▼###.#
##╪## #....*#.LC#T.+++....#
#...####..g..#.#*###▼▼####.###
|.∩.|.|......|N..#..▼▼.......#
#...###....##########▼▼######.#
##╪## #....#>>.....#▼▼# #.#
#╪####>>.....#▼#######|#
#.......#▼#.......#
#.......###.......#
#..▄...*|.........#
###|#####.......#|#
#.........#.#
#.Ω.......#.#
#.........#.#
#######.......#.#
#---# #.......#.#
##╪#### #---###.Ω.#.Ω.#.#
#.....# #-----#...#...#.#
#|#.....#|###---#########.#
#.........# #-----....$...#
#.........###-----....##|##
|.....................#...#
###.........#...........|.∩.#
#...........#...........#...#
#.o.#.......#...........#####
#...#,,,,,..#...#.....###
######%%%####...#.....#
###|#╪#####

# = worked stone wall
% = partially collapsed wall
. = worked stone floor
, = rubble (difficult terrain)
- = 5' raised worked stone floor
╪ = closed, locked, or jammed iron door
$ = secret door
| = open, broken, or slightly ajar iron door
▼ = bottomless chasm
≈ = waterfall into chasm
+ = rope over chasm
Ω = statue
> = spiral staircase down
▄ = spiked pit
∩ = archway
o = hole in ceiling
g = gong
* = defeated foe

T = Taric
M = Matters
N = Dacianne
C = Cerise
L = Doltan
p = pumpkinman


Do I recommend this method? I dunno. It's way quicker and easier than updating an image file every round, but it can easily get confusing (especially to players who've never played a roguelike).

[Chimaera]

Seems a bit confusing for this game. There are 8 players and as much as it works for you, it probably wont work here.
But thanks for the input!

[Vitruviansquid]

I don't run sandbox campaigns, and this probably wouldn't work if you were:

I don't make maps. I think of each location as simply connected to another. For example, a wizard's tower has an alchemy lab connected to a library. The library has connections to a summoning chamber, and a storage room for inactive golems. And so on.

If there is a situation where we need a map, like say a combat gets initiated in one of these rooms, my group uses a shared google drawing and I quickly paint in the walls, obstacles, and special terrains.

This wouldn't work in some games that are more strict about dealing with spaces, like D&D 4e.

[Chimaera]

Ah yes, I forgot to add in the OP that it was battle maps as the worldview map works pretty much like you described: vague knowledge of where things are and how far (in day count) etc.

I'm rtying googledocs in a game I'm doing, but wondering if there are a better and reliable tool out there.

Thanks!

[Grod_The_Giant]

Roll20's virtual tabletop works pretty well, even if all you do is doodle on the grid like it's a whiteboard. The voice/video chat was wonky when I used it, but the tabletop was top-notch.

The DM screen-sharing a map in their preferred image software can work decently well too.

[Chimaera]

Roll20's virtual tabletop works pretty well, even if all you do is doodle on the grid like it's a whiteboard. The voice/video chat was wonky when I used it, but the tabletop was top-notch.

The DM screen-sharing a map in their preferred image software can work decently well too.

Might take a look at that, but we usualy do PbP as tabletop is kinda problematic (too many diferent time zones in the party). Thanks!

[Mr Blobby]

As a fellow pbp DM, I'll chip in.

Mine is simple. Outline maps drawn in MSPaint, uploaded to an image hosting site, link provided in appropriate thread. Fairly quick and simple and as far as I can tell *easy to load on phones* [highly important for pbp'ers!]

[Chimaera]

As a fellow pbp DM, I'll chip in.

Mine is simple. Outline maps drawn in MSPaint, uploaded to an image hosting site, link provided in appropriate thread. Fairly quick and simple and as far as I can tell *easy to load on phones* [highly important for pbp'ers!]

Oh, interesting. I'll take a look into it as well.
Thank you!

[Altair_the_Vexed]

Thus:
https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/t/pencil-26012816.jpg

Plus a scanner.

#ProperOldSchool

[EccentricCircle]

I'll second Roll20. If you are playing PbP then you won't need to find an alternative to their somewhat sub par audio settings, and as a virtual tabletop it is excellent. There is no reason that everyone needs to be logged in at once, so long as the GM leaves the players on the correct map.

[Professor Chimp]

I use Adobe Illustrator to draw the maps we use for battles. They're nothing special, just simple geometrical shapes on grid to represent the layout of a place, then decorated with simple prefab objects (found online or self-made) for stuff like chests, furniture, doors and such. The end results is similar to an architectural drawing. Pretty barebones, but the simplicity and consistent nature helps my players to quickly understand the map and they themselves have indicated preferring to fill in the details using their own imaginations.

World and city maps, on the other hand, are all hand-drawn in a style that emulates medieval maps.

[Chimaera]

Thus:
https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/t/pencil-26012816.jpg

Plus a scanner.

#ProperOldSchool

This might actually be fun. Will give it a try.


I'll second Roll20. If you are playing PbP then you won't need to find an alternative to their somewhat sub par audio settings, and as a virtual tabletop it is excellent. There is no reason that everyone needs to be logged in at once, so long as the GM leaves the players on the correct map.

I'll take a look as well in this.


I use Adobe Illustrator to draw the maps we use for battles. They're nothing special, just simple geometrical shapes on grid to represent the layout of a place, then decorated with simple prefab objects (found online or self-made) for stuff like chests, furniture, doors and such. The end results is similar to an architectural drawing. Pretty barebones, but the simplicity and consistent nature helps my players to quickly understand the map and they themselves have indicated preferring to fill in the details using their own imaginations.

World and city maps, on the other hand, are all hand-drawn in a style that emulates medieval maps.

And this as well.

Thanks a lot guys!

[Garimeth]

Hey guys! I'm in a game where we have been through soe problems with the maps and so I decided to make a thread to know how you do maps in the forums?

We are currently using a site called pyromancers, but its unstable and sometimes some players cant see the maps. So... How do you do maps? Any help is appreciated!

I second Roll20, it also has a place for you to hang character sheets and the like.

I also have drawn maps, scanned them, and hung them on roll20, as well as used Campaign Cartographer to create my own. There is also a place called Cartographer's Guild, and it is a website devoted to people who make maps, many of which are fantasy, and let me tell you that site is a gold mine.

[Mr Blobby]

If I remember right, don't you have to be a member of Roll20?

[Anxe]

Yeah, you need to make an account, but the basic mapping features are free. Subscriptions get you extra stuff and you can also buy map tiles which would make your maps look better.

[Mr Blobby]

Perhaps I'm old fashioned, but I'm not a fan of stuff 'looking better' for the sake of it. Plus: pretty, large maps are harder to load on say phones [which is an issue for pbp games, which is the type this question was asked about].

[Anxe]

I completely understand. The flashier stuff can easily get annoying under a variety of circumstances and doesn't necessarily add to the enjoyment of the game.

Good news, if you don't want the extra map tiles, you don't have to buy them. A free Roll20 account gives you a grid and the ability to draw on it. You don't need much else for a functional battle map. (It is garbage to view on your phone either way though).

[Mr Blobby]

Which would make it unusable for say my current game; for at least half of my players post mainly / solely from phones. And remember, some of your players might be on limited data plans - so easy period on the pictures, video clips etc...

Plus: would my players have to be register with Roll20 to see said maps too?

[Chimaera]

Which would make it unusable for say my current game; for at least half of my players post mainly / solely from phones. And remember, some of your players might be on limited data plans - so easy period on the pictures, video clips etc...

Plus: would my players have to be register with Roll20 to see said maps too?

I believe they do have to register as well.

[Mr Blobby]

Which is another minus in my book.

As my game is on a standalone forum anyway, the idea that my players would have to register to another site simply to see a map which half wouldn't be able to see properly anyway... well, I think you can see the conclusion I'm getting to..

[Chimaera]

Which is another minus in my book.

As my game is on a standalone forum anyway, the idea that my players would have to register to another site simply to see a map which half wouldn't be able to see properly anyway... well, I think you can see the conclusion I'm getting to..

Tottally get you, as I also find it might be meeeh.
Sadly there are no map tools in these forums.

[Knaight]

I use a sheet of paper - preferably stuff a little nicer than just printer paper (nothing too fancy, just the sort of stuff you'll see in artist notebooks). Then, I draw the map, put dots in significant locations, and label them with letters. The number of significant locations determines the lettering scheme - it might be a-z then A-Z, it might be A-Z followed by greek letters, it might be Aa-Zz, which covers almost 700 places and as such is always sufficient.