Journey to becoming a DM/Mapping for DnD
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Oh hi, Darkspawn! (Loved Dragon Age btw!)Originally Posted by Darkspawn28
First of all I'd like to welcome you, readers of this text.
I am new in this community, and I haven't even made my introduction Thread yet. That of course will follow but before that happens I'd like to show you why I am here:
My friends and me have decided to play DnD Pen & Paper and I am planning to be a DM in the future. We are starting off with a friend of mine being the DM (she has alot of experience in being just that). So that leaves me time to prepare for my first adventure. In planning this I decided to start off with World Building. Where will the game take place? I wanted to make Maps just for that. So good old me being a traditionalist I got out my Pencils, my rulers and some sheet of paper, and I started off drawing a map:
It was the very first town map I ever started to draw. I was okay with it, it wasn't a master piece. But while I was satisfied for the beginning I wanted it to look much better than it does. Thus I looked for mapping tools online and acquired Campaign Cartographer 3 + City Designer 3 & Dungeon Designer 3.
That was yesterday and I started working on my map.
That is how far I got in about an hour. I feel like I have alot to learn for Mapping with this tool tho. I also was kinda disappointed to barely find any stylepacks for Download (for free). Before I bought it I thought there would be a Community with free Resources like with the RPG Maker Community. Perhaps I am wrong tho, if anyone of you has an answer, where I can find more mapping styles (particulary for Cities) for free, I would be happy to hear it. Same goes for free symbols (like more trees etc.). I want to make the best Map possible after all.
Or perhaps anyone of you knows a tutorial how to make those things myself?
I also would like to hear any constructive critic and help you could offer me. I will be updating this thread with my progress, so you can follow my progress in becoming a DM.
Looking forward to hear from you guys.
All the best to you
Good on you for taking on this challenge.
I have to say I don't own CC3, so I do all my mapping on GIMP which is a free alternative to Photoshop. If you ever try that program out, I make brushes(can be translated as symbols.) for things left right and centre for it. It is quite easy if you know how.
But I will say this about making brushes or symbols. If you learn how to do it, it helps to make different versions of it, a bigger pool to choose from, for example, a tree or a building. It breaks the repitition and is easier on the eyes. Though there are exceptions where if you feel it need a different touch then awesome.But be free to ask questions and discuss things that you are wondering about, it helps greatly in the process.
Now for the maps you posted. Maybe try and look at google earth photos of how houses are placed together. It will start you thinking.
Like for example. Where I live in South Africa, each house is more likely to have a yard. Then in England, where I worked for two years, you are more likely to see rows of buildings built together in a row, as space is more limited(though there are exceptions). In Europe I've seen a lot of places where buildings are built in box shapes with a central courtyard in the middle.(People like their gathering places, it would seem. Hehe
It's part of the reason why I feel some of your houses are placed together strangely(at places! Not all are strangely placed.
One tip I've learned when creating maps for DnD type stuff. Adventure hooks ARE IMPORTANT. "Oh there is an abandoned building there, wonder what is inside?" "Oh there is a completely dried up well there, do you think there is a secret behind it?" or the like.
I hope this brought some insight. Just one thing though, a lot of the advice on this guild, is just that, advice.
Goodluck and have fun,
Omri
(P.S. It gets easier to post on this site once you've gone over 5 posts.
