Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 29

Thread: Nov/Dec 2020 Challenge - Pyramid Circus

  1. #1
    Professional Artist Tiana's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada!
    Posts
    1,763

    Map Nov/Dec 2020 Challenge - Pyramid Circus

    Bogie and I commissioned each other each to make a relatively simple battlemap location, the sort of layout that could easily come together and be useful for a DM running a game. I gave Bogie a throne room for a palace I drew, and Bogie gave me the following adventure.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogie View Post
    Here is the rough map and info for you Tiana:

    Attachment 126222Attachment 126223Attachment 126224Attachment 126225
    The exterior. Bogie, do let me know the following things to progress on this commission (for the record, this version is completely usable by all who may tarry here but it is 50% of the final size):
    1- I left a couple of slightly more intact ruined buildings because there are numbered labels on the main overland map pointing towards a couple of ruins in moderately better condition, but I can switch them out if you want for fully ruined buildings and rubble. I can also alter the rooftops to be 'burnt out' in places on my next step.

    2- do you like the frequency and style of rubble (Kier's rocks aplenty)

    3- I placed a bit of defined road, but it can be altered to be in less good condition or completely removed. My plan if you liked this underlying texture was to have some parts of it clearly washed out by the dusty land texture, something I can't do until my next step which requires texture commitment.

    4- do you like the pyramid? As far as I can tell the blue and white stripes were intended to be horizontal so that's what I did but it's easy to change to vertical, change the color, etc.

    5- as the GM, would you prefer to be able to remove the pyramid (which would be delivered as a transparent png) and expose the layout as part of the same map, or have the pyramid interior layout separate / its own map?

    6- do you want a baked in grid or will you have the grid added in your VTT?

    ### Latest WIP ###
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	pyramidcircusext.jpg 
Views:	201 
Size:	1.84 MB 
ID:	126232

    Click my banner, behold my art! Fantasy maps for Dungeons and Dragons, RPGS, novels.
    No obligation, free quotes. I also make custom PC / NPC / monster tokens.
    Contact me: calthyechild@gmail.com or _ti_ (Discord) to discuss a map!


  2. #2
    Professional Artist Tiana's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada!
    Posts
    1,763

    Default

    And here's a start on the interior layout... now, the book does say that the entrance is to the 'southeast' but I feel that a diagonal slanted pyramid will be awkward if you do any dynamic lighting, and that it makes more sense on a digital table to scroll down into the entrance instead of going to the bottom of the page for the entrance to the pyramid, so I've adjusted the location of the items I did start blocking in accordingly. I plan to put something where the blank squares are for the circus elements but I'm going to have to see what I can scrounge up for those, and I haven't gone over the other two interior detail pages yet but I know there's several more pieces to work in the surrounds outside of the stadium seating and circus ring. That'll come, assuming you like the underlying structure of what I've created here.

    Basically, yeah, we can either have the two views on the same page but separated, or you can have either this as a png or the pyramid top as a png and delete/add it right onto the same ruined city block, or keep them as two separate JPGs and you move the party from page to page, depends on what works best for your game!

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	pyramidcircusint.jpg 
Views:	200 
Size:	1.26 MB 
ID:	126236

    Click my banner, behold my art! Fantasy maps for Dungeons and Dragons, RPGS, novels.
    No obligation, free quotes. I also make custom PC / NPC / monster tokens.
    Contact me: calthyechild@gmail.com or _ti_ (Discord) to discuss a map!


  3. #3
    Community Leader Bogie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Maine, USA
    Posts
    7,628

    Default

    This is looking great.

    1- I left a couple of slightly more intact ruined buildings because there are numbered labels on the main overland map pointing towards a couple of ruins in moderately better condition, but I can switch them out if you want for fully ruined buildings and rubble. I can also alter the rooftops to be 'burnt out' in places on my next step.
    The original setting and map for the Lost City of Gaxmoor is right after a huge battle that destroys a lot of the city. Our time-frame for this is after some small battles but before the big one. So, I like it just the way you have it.

    2- do you like the frequency and style of rubble (Kier's rocks aplenty)
    Perfect

    3- I placed a bit of defined road, but it can be altered to be in less good condition or completely removed. My plan if you liked this underlying texture was to have some parts of it clearly washed out by the dusty land texture, something I can't do until my next step which requires texture commitment.
    That sounds good.

    4- do you like the pyramid? As far as I can tell the blue and white stripes were intended to be horizontal so that's what I did but it's easy to change to vertical, change the color, etc.
    I like the color of the pyramid just the way it is.

    5- as the GM, would you prefer to be able to remove the pyramid (which would be delivered as a transparent png) and expose the layout as part of the same map, or have the pyramid interior layout separate / its own map?
    From a playability point of view on Roll20, I think it will work best to have the interior as part of the full map and then have the roof as a removable png object.

    6- do you want a baked in grid or will you have the grid added in your VTT?
    Personally, I prefer maps without grids. I think the maps look better without them and I don't use them in the game either. For most people who use grids in their VTTs it is better to have no grid on the map and let the VTT add the grid.

    The interior layout is looking good, and I like the floor texture you are using. One of the reasons I picked this map to have you make it is that even after reading the text a couple times I couldn't visualize the layout. I figured fresh eyes would get a better perspective.

    The author of this mini-adventure, Jeff Talanian, is a friend of mine who will be at the con I will be running this game for. He is also the creator of the Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea game system and co-authored Castle Zagyg with Gary Gygax. ( so, no pressure! )

  4. #4

    Default

    Cool idea! Curious to see it develops.

  5. #5
    Guild Master Facebook Connected - JO -'s Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Geneva, Switzerland
    Posts
    2,796

    Default

    I find it not easy to draw a map from such an adventure, but I think you’re doing good !

  6. #6
    Administrator ChickPea's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Sunny Scotland
    Posts
    6,884

    Default

    Looking good already. Great idea for the challenge.
    "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams"

  7. #7
    Professional Artist Tiana's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada!
    Posts
    1,763

    Default

    Oh dang. (sweats) Sure, no pressure. I hope the writer will be pleased to see the adventure put into illustration.

    Paint and canvases in my asset thread, as well as the preset art studio.

    The pyramid is too high res to do as a png, but I put a black background on the part of it that overhangs instead, I don't know, would that work out all right for you? This way you can delete it once the party enters. It's like, 16mb though as a png, so it's just too big at full res. It's either that or try to line it up seamlessly without the grid baked in... possible but fiddly... or have 2 maps, one with the top and one without.


    ### Latest WIP ###
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	pyramid circus layers.jpg 
Views:	68 
Size:	7.41 MB 
ID:	126573

    Quote Originally Posted by - JO - View Post
    I find it not easy to draw a map from such an adventure, but I think you’re doing good !
    Just some of what I do is reading and interpreting. It might not be 'right' but at least now a visual exists to work from! I've done it many times.

    Thank you Ilanthar and Chickpea.
    Last edited by Tiana; 11-25-2020 at 10:42 AM.

    Click my banner, behold my art! Fantasy maps for Dungeons and Dragons, RPGS, novels.
    No obligation, free quotes. I also make custom PC / NPC / monster tokens.
    Contact me: calthyechild@gmail.com or _ti_ (Discord) to discuss a map!


  8. #8
    Professional Artist Tiana's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada!
    Posts
    1,763

    Default

    (I had to move the pyramid so the bot would stop scraping it as the main choice thumbnail) Click image for larger version. 

Name:	blue pyramid isolated.jpg 
Views:	24 
Size:	1.56 MB 
ID:	126586

    Click my banner, behold my art! Fantasy maps for Dungeons and Dragons, RPGS, novels.
    No obligation, free quotes. I also make custom PC / NPC / monster tokens.
    Contact me: calthyechild@gmail.com or _ti_ (Discord) to discuss a map!


  9. #9
    Community Leader Bogie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Maine, USA
    Posts
    7,628

    Default

    On Roll20, the jpg version of the pyramid roof will work perfectly. It will be easy to drag & drop it onto the base map and delete it when the players go inside.

    I will be letting the author, Jeff, know that I am running his game, but since it is a Virtual Con this year he will only see it if he logs onto my Roll20 game. Also, Alyssa Fadden is the cartographer who made the City of Gaxmoor map that this came from. She was one of the guests of honor at last year's Total Con. I don't know if she will be at the virtual version this year or not. She did a great job with the City map. I can't post the whole map as it is a commercial product of Troll Lord Games & Luke Gygax, but here is a little larger clip to show off more of her work.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Gaxmoor-Clip.JPG 
Views:	48 
Size:	125.8 KB 
ID:	126617

  10. #10

    Default

    Once again, I really like the night-like colour palette you chose.

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •