<![CDATA[Cartographers' Guild - News]]> http://www.cartographersguild.com/ News posted by site admins, and cartography industry pros. en Wed, 22 May 2013 21:18:47 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.cartographersguild.com/images/cartographer/misc/rss.png <![CDATA[Cartographers' Guild - News]]> http://www.cartographersguild.com/ Crimson Exodus 2nd Ed on Kickstarter http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=23391&goto=newpost Wed, 15 May 2013 14:18:03 GMT Last year I did two simple maps for an RPG, which is now on Kickstarter... Last year I did two simple maps for an RPG, which is now on Kickstarter.
Take a look! ]]> News Sapiento http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=23391 <![CDATA[I'm doing an Atlas - come join in!]]> http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=23247&goto=newpost Fri, 03 May 2013 15:19:00 GMT 11 hours left and this Kickstarter just passed the threshold to produce an Atlas of the Shadowlands - and I'll be mapping it!

If you want to get a copy, jump in on today to get it at the Kickstarter rate:

The Shadowlands Campaign Setting Guidebook for Pathfinder by BlackStar Studios &mdash; Kickstarter ]]> News torstan http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=23247 Storyslingers: Map making Competition - Closing Date: 21 May 2013 http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=23196&goto=newpost Sun, 28 Apr 2013 20:43:00 GMT Storyslingers are a small creative writing group based in picturesque Dorset in the United Kingdom. They are running a fictional world map... Storyslingers are a small creative writing group based in picturesque Dorset in the United Kingdom. They are running a fictional world map competition. You can find out more about the competition at their website here but in brief:

1. Entries must be a map of an original fantasy setting. You cannot send a map of a location that has already been written about, e.g. Middle Earth, Narnia etc. You are not required to write a story to accompany your map - an original RPG setting is fine. You can enter maps you have already drawn.

2. Entries must be sent by midnight 21 May 2013 to: zomzara@googlemail.com

3. Please title your email: Map Competition - your name - Map Title (e.g. Map Competition - Ravi Shankar - Silmencia)

4. Please do not attach your map to the email. Instead please post your map somewhere on the internet (eg at the cartographers' guild) and include a link to your map image. To copy the html link to your map to your clipboard right click the image and click 'Copy Image Location' (or similar depending on what browser you are using).

5. The winning maps will announced on the Storyslingers website in or about June 2013. Storyslingers is currently in discussions with the Slade Centre and Shaftesbury Arts Centre in Dorset to display the winning maps at the galleries. No guarantees that any map, including winning maps will be hosted by the galleries.

6. Storyslingers is well connected to the creative writing community in the UK and elsewhere. If you would like your work to be seen by authors who might want to commission a map for their stories then this is an ideal opportunity.

For further information visit the Storyslingers site here

Given that you can use artwork you have already drawn, all you need to do is to submit a link to that artwork to enter - it's that easy!
 ]]> News ravells http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=23196 New Map Pack - Fantasy Maps: Lighthouse and Dock http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=23105&goto=newpost Sat, 20 Apr 2013 23:15:06 GMT Hey folks, I have been working on a whole bunch of commissions over the past several months, so I kind of went dark for a while, but I finally freed... Hey folks, I have been working on a whole bunch of commissions over the past several months, so I kind of went dark for a while, but I finally freed myself and made a new map pack! As usual, I have print files, full support for VTT programs (versions of the maps with objects removed and all objects in a folder in .png format), and a Maptool campaign file with vision blocking and object layer set up. Feel free to check it out! Here's the cover image and a the text below.

Fantasy Maps: Lighthouse and Dock Map Pack - D20 Cartographer | Fantasy Maps | RPGNow.com





Is the lighthouse a beachhead for the invading band of pirates? Did a roving group of kobolds take shelter in the tower during a storm and now refuse to leave? Has a master marksman barricaded the door, attempting to pick off the party from the upper level without ever letting them get close? Ready for a swashbuckling battle up the spiral staircase in dramatic fashion? With D20 Cartographer, the story is in your hands!

Fantasy Maps are full-featured encounter maps designed to fit any traditional fantasy world. This release, Lighthouse and Dock features a five-story lighthouse, mapped both inside and out, near a small dock on the beach. With cozy furnishings for a resident lighthouse keeper, this can be the site of a information-gathering mission, or a tricky, multi-level combat encounter in close quarters. All maps are in typical 1 inch = 5 feet scale.

Included for your convenience are several different formats:

• Full-color maps in .jpg format
• High-contrast black and white maps in .jpg format
• PDF files with images sliced up over multiple pages for easy home-printing (compatible with both US Letter and A4 International paper)

D20 Cartographer also supports virtual table top (VTT) systems and includes:

• 100 DPI gridless map with objects removed
• A folder with all ‘objects' in .png format for use on this map or reuse on your private maps
• An RPTools MapTool VTT file (.cmpgn) with vision blocking and object layer set up for you

Edit: For some reason I can't reply to my own thread! Regardless:

Jaxilon: I am very pleased to have a window to work on this stuff again! Life gets busy sometimes, you know?! I've been doing pretty well, just working on other projects. Hopefully you'll see several map packs from me in the near future. I keep having this secret hope that I can get my maps making enough money that I can move to Prague and live a modest lifestyle reading, writing, drinking tea in quantities that would kill a lesser man, and of course mapping! We'll see if I ever get there. :)

Arsheesh: definitely feel free to pick my brain any time you want! I can't say I'm fantastically successful, but I've learned a couple things here and there. A lot of the 'big dogs' here have been incredibly helpful to me in the past, too. On the bright side, it costs nothing but time to give selling on the marketplace a try. And I've seen your work: you would definitely have some buyers! And thanks SO much for the very kind words! ]]> News RecklessEnthusiasm http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=23105 <![CDATA[[Rite Publishing] Haiku of Horror: Autumn Moon Bath House]]> http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22988&goto=newpost Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:11:44 GMT *Rite Publishing presents Haiku of Horror: Autumn Moon Bath House... Rite Publishing presents Haiku of Horror: Autumn Moon Bath House

[Rite Publishing] Haiku of Horror: Autumn Moon Bath House-haiku-1-coverart.jpg


Scented waters stir,
unbound strands aching in search
for a lover’s touch.

The Haiku of Horror series depicts iconic mapped locations for use in Kaidan or other Asian based settings with labeled maps with complete descriptions and full-scale maps ready to print and use, plus image files for use with virtual tabletops. The location includes a complete, detailed, complex encounter featuring new monsters, haunts, and all necessary mechanics to run it. The mapped site is designed for ‘plug-in-play’ use ready to insert into any existing module or Asian campaign.

Autumn Moon Bath House serves as the oriental version of the typical fantasy tavern where adventures begin and end. However, rumors persist of a spectral woman with long black hair, who is seeking vengeance against the living and redemption for her soul.

Author and Cartographer Michael K. Tumey
Cover Artist: Mark Hyzer
Pages: 19

This is the first Kaidan release (any publication really) with me as primary author/designer.

I chose to call this series as the Haiku of Horror for 3 reason:

1. Haiku is a recognizable Japanese word and concept by most westerners.

2. I've included an appropriate Haiku that elucidates the mystery of the site.

3. Because a Haiku is a very concise poetry format, this is intended to be a very concise product being a mapped location with a single encounter and associated mechanics. It's a slice of the Kaidan setting of Japanese horror, so calling it Haiku seems fitting.

GP

This product features the Bath House maps from this thread.
Attached Thumbnails
[Rite Publishing] Haiku of Horror: Autumn Moon Bath House-haiku-1-coverart.jpg  
]]> News Gamerprinter http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22988 New Map Pack - The Iconic Town http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22841&goto=newpost Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:51:00 GMT

Today there's a new map pack up on the store - the Iconic Town. The pack details a seaside town in a river valley surrounded by cliffs. The town's income comes from a quarry, with the stone being taken inland by river via a water powered stone elevator to the north.

The pack includes a labeled and unlabeled version of the high resolution jpg map, a printable multipage pdf (33" by 25.5" printed out). It also includes 33 of the buildings as individual png files with transparent backgrounds that can be used for your own personal mapping projects.



Check out the full file over on RPGNow! ]]> News torstan http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22841 One Page Dungeon Contest 2013 http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22829&goto=newpost Tue, 02 Apr 2013 21:55:34 GMT *One Page Dungeon Contest 2013 (http://campaignwiki.org/wiki/DungeonMaps/One_Page_Dungeon_Contest_2013)*! *Dates*: Submission *deadline is April... One Page Dungeon Contest 2013!

Dates: Submission deadline is April 30, 0:00 GMT (Tuesday evening). If you live West of Greenwich, you will have to send in your submission a few hours before the end of the month! Winners will be announced June 1.

Share and help spread the word!

Prizes & Sponsors: Do you have prizes to donate? Let me know → kensanata@gmail.com!

Submissions: Here's how to submit your entry.

  • Create a One Page Dungeon.
  • Submitting a dungeon to the contest releases it under the Creative Common Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license with credit to the contest participant.
  • The submission must have a name, an author, and a link to the license (Creative Commons &mdash; Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported &mdash; CC BY-SA 3.0).
  • The judges and readers play a variety of systems. Don't waste valuable space with a lot of system-specific stats.
  • A link to extra material on your blog such as wandering monsters, random events, adventure background, introduction, descriptions of tricks or traps are welcome for readers but will not be considered part of your submission.
  • One entry per participant. Participants may revise/replace their entries up until the end of contest, with the last revision counting as their official entry.
  • If your font size is too small to read, you will most probably not win.
  • Many people will print your submission as a black and white document. Adding colors is no problem as long as the black and white printed copy is still good enough.
  • Help us keep file size in check. A single page should not take more than an image with 3000x2000 pixels (1-2MB is cool, 5MB still works, 10MB is too much).
  • Submission must be mailed in PDF format to Alex Schroeder → kensanata@gmail.com. Usually we can help you convert your Open Office and Microsoft Word documents to PDF.
  • If you have a blog article talking about your submission, send us the link. We'd love to link to it from the One Page Dungeon Contest page.


Process: Here's how we'll determine the winners.

  • Every judge nominates their favorite entries and proposes a category for each.
  • We try to make sure that every judge has at least three of their nominations in the final list. The idea is to not only reflect popular opinion but to also capture some of the more eclectic entries out there. We'll make sure that every judge is well represented with three entries each.
  • Based on the categories proposed in the first step, we try to assign a category to each entry on the list.
  • Judges gets to check whether their favorites are still on the list.
  • We fix omissions and rename categories until we're happy.
  • We publish our list of winners!
  • We will ask each winner for three items they'd prefer to win and any items they prefer not to win. Then we try to do a best match, giving precedence to those winners that got more nominations in the first step.
  • All the entries and a special PDF with all the winners will be available for download at no cost.



For discussion on this topic please click here ]]> News kensanata http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22829 RIP Dover Bookshop http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22722&goto=newpost Sat, 23 Mar 2013 12:58:00 GMT The Dover Bookshop in Covent Garden, London is one of my favourite little haunts. It sells loads of royalty free reference material in book form,... The Dover Bookshop in Covent Garden, London is one of my favourite little haunts. It sells loads of royalty free reference material in book form, many of which I have used in my maps over years, like Heck's Archive of Art and Architecture and Fairbairn's Heraldic Crests the list goes on and on. I dropped in a couple of days ago after visiting one my other favourite haunts, the SF shop, 'Forbidden Planet', and found a sign up saying that the Bookshop was closing down for good this Sunday. I went in and had a last hurrah buying a few books but was really sad to see the end of an institution. The Dover Online store may still survive, but the proprietor is not yet sure. It's all very sad as Dover specialised in reprinting out of print reference books and I don't think that there is anything else out there that is comparable (in terms of dead tree books).

The reason for its closure is not hard to see:
Quote:
Dover's own output has also declined in recent years, admits Matthews, with a limited range of new titles being published, but its biggest competitor is now the range of cheap (and free) images that can be sourced online.
From here

Doubtless the shop will be turned into yet another coffee bar or clothes shop (as we don't have enough of these already).

]]> News ravells http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22722 Map pack sale! http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22613&goto=newpost Tue, 12 Mar 2013 23:05:00 GMT Last day for my GM's Day Sale - map packs (almost) all $1! RPGNow.com - The Leading Source for Indie RPGs

Includes (but is not limited to):
• Pirate Ships
• Crystalline cave
• Sunken river
• Lave filled dragon's lair
• Customisable pirate isle
• Hill-top keep (thumbnail below)
• A Dragon locked in ice
• Snowbound stockade with subterranean dungeon
• City locations carved into a glacier

The sale runs until 5pm EST tomorrow. Surprising your players has never been so cheap!

Each map pack comes with:
• high res jpg - with and without grid (mostly, there are a couple that are only gridded)
• maptool files
• printable multipage pdf in A4 and Letter size, colour and printer friendly greyscale
• many also have individual .png elements that can be re-used. ]]> News torstan http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22613 Gygax Magazine out. Mapping opportunity? http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22431&goto=newpost Sun, 24 Feb 2013 07:23:19 GMT This news is of secondary cartographic content, but it strikes me as a place where guild members may have a good opportunity to get some of their... This news is of secondary cartographic content, but it strikes me as a place where guild members may have a good opportunity to get some of their work published or to do cartographic work for RPG authors.

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with TSR Inc. (in its new incarnation) or with Gygax Magazine.

The first issue of Gygax Magazine now is available for U.S. $8.95 in the print edition and $4.99 as a PDF download.

For those who don't know what I'm talking about:

For some strange reason, WotC released its hold on the old TSR trademark. Jayson Elliott and the Gygax brothers registered the trademark, creating a new TSR Inc., and under that trademark now publish a new quarterly called "Gygax Magazine." The first issue now is out. The content:

Cover: Still Unlucky by Daniel Horne in the style of AD&D 1E Dragon magazine issues

Articles:
The Cosmology of Role-playing Games by James Carpio, illustrated by Alyssa Faden
Still Playing After All These Years by Tim Kask, illustrated by Barrie James
Leomund's Secure Shelter by Len Lakofka
The Ecology of the Banshee by Ronald Corn, illustrated by Michael Kwiatowski
Bridging Generations by Luke Gygax
Gaming with a Virtual Tabletop by Nevin P. Jones
Keeping Magic Magical by Dennis Sustare, illustrated by Simon Adams
Playing it the Science Fiction Way by James M. Ward, illustrated by Barrie James
DMing for your Toddler by Cory Doctorow, illustrated by Hanae Ko
Great Power for ICONS by Steve Kenson, illustrated by Jeff Dee
The Future of Tabletop Gaming by Ethan Gilsdorf, illustrated by Ryan Downing
The Gygax Family Storyteller by Ernest Gary Gygax Jr.
Talents off the Frontline by Dennis Detwiller, illustrated by Nicola Jane Bradley
D&D Past, Now, and Next by Michael Tresca, illustrated by Diesel

Campaign setting element:
Gnatdamp: A Sanctuary in the Swamp by Michael Curtis, illustrated by Peter Mullen

Kobold's Corner by Wolfgang Baur, including:
Magical Miscellany - new items for AGE by Randall Hurlburt
An AGE of Great Inventions by Rodrigo Garcia Carmona
Scaling Combat Feats for Pathfinder by Marc Radle

Comics:
Marvin the Mage by Jim Wampler
What's New with Phil & Dixie by Phil Foglio
Order of the Stick by Rich Burlew

You can get the PDF version here:

Gygax magazine issue #1 - TSR, Inc. | RPGNow.com

I've just started going through issue No. 1, so I'm not about to write a review, but I will make a few remarks.

Some guild members go back to AD&D 1E gaming days (and earlier!). If you're among them, this magazine should be like going home again.

Issue No. 1 is for the most part a duplicate in style of the Dragon magazines from the good ol' days of AD&D 1E. If you call the RPG Now link above, you'll see the cover. That should make what I mean absolutely clear. Inside, it's the old Dragon too. However, it's by no means a 1E magazine. By and large, it's edition independent. A close look at the contents above should make clear that all editions are included, particularly notable in Michael's Tresca's " D&D Past, Now, and Next" or the Kobold's Corner with Pathfinder emphasis.

The inclusion of Kobold's Corner is particularly encouraging. One thinks of the recent and sad demise of the Kobold's Quarterly. In the first Kobold's Corner, Wolfgang Baur gives us hope that some of the interesting things that had been planned for KQ may now appear in Gygax Magazine.

An encouraging point: Issue No. 1 has great advertiser support. That's needed, of course, is the magazine is to succeed. ]]> News Mark Oliva http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22431 Middle Earth real time 3D world viewer released. http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22322&goto=newpost Sat, 16 Feb 2013 20:53:00 GMT The 3D terrain and real time viewer which is the combination of the MeDEM (http://www.me-dem.me.uk) digital elevation modelling of Middle Earth and... The 3D terrain and real time viewer which is the combination of the MeDEM digital elevation modelling of Middle Earth and the Outerra 3D world rendering viewer have released a FREE version of the data and demo for you to download and enjoy.

This has been for us a 5 year or so on and off effort to recreate the whole of Middle Earth terrain in high resolution 3D mapping so that in time, we hope that we can expand on this and model some of the land marks, cities and other man made features on the top.

So if you've ever dreamed of flying around Middle-Earth, of sitting by the cool lapping shores of Lindon, of strolling through the singing forests of Lorien, or racing over the cruel spires of Mordor ... now's your chance!
Just download and install it.

You can get the downloads from several places. You will need the Outerra (Anteworld) tech demo and a copy of the MeDem data. For the instructions on where to get them I would recommend going over to the outerra forums post:
Middle-Earth World for Outerra released!

To whet your appetite you can watch this video but if you want more information then head to this sites main forum topic about MeDEM.



Cheers, Monks and Robes. ]]> News Redrobes http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22322 DramaScapes First Print on Demand Floor Plans http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22274&goto=newpost Tue, 12 Feb 2013 09:47:44 GMT We have now moved into the Print on Demand market. After working with Onebookshelf for the last few months to get it right, we can now provide our... We have now moved into the Print on Demand market.

After working with Onebookshelf for the last few months to get it right, we can now provide our floor plans pre printed on high quality 12 point card.
The cards have a low gloss UV coating, which means not only do the look good, but the will wipe clean and you can used a dry wipe marker on them.

The come in pre cut, 8 x 10 inch sections, which while in use you can hold together with scotch tape, the coating makes it easy to remove the tape when you have finished.
The 8 x 10 size means that they are easy to store in a normal paper folder when not in use.

The first map in this format is out Ancient Temple Interior, with more maps being converted to this format each week.

At the moment these maps are only being produced in the USA, so postage anywhere else in the world is a little expensive, hopwfully if they do well, they will be made in Europe too.

Ancient Temple Interior - DramaScape | DriveThruRPG.com

]]> News Digger2000 http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22274 New Fantastic Map Pack: Iconic Island http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22064&goto=newpost Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:24:00 GMT There's tell of an island, far to the West, teeming with men the size of yer thumb, and parrots bigger than houses...



This month, I've released an island map. The map comes in three versions:
• No icons or grid - just the base map fit to be customised to your needs.
• Icons but no grid
• Icons and a hex grid - the grid allows for easier distance measurements. The hex scale was loosely chosen to be around 6 miles a hex, but feel free to set it to whatever works best for you. This version is also provided in a light greyscale.



The pack also includes 16 icons for use with this, or any other, map project.

Check out the RPGNow page, or see some larger previews over on the blog: The Iconic Island | Fantastic Maps ]]> News torstan http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22064 Dungeons Daring 3E Complete - 60 New Free Maps http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22054&goto=newpost Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:38:16 GMT Attachment 51704 (http://www.cartographersguild.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=51704) Attachment 51705... Dungeons Daring 3E Complete - 60 New Free Maps-cg_wyvern.jpg Dungeons Daring 3E Complete - 60 New Free Maps-cg_minotaurs.jpg

With the Creature Guide, which is available starting today, one now can download the complete, free, open source and open gaming 3rd Edition of the Dungeons Daring (TM) fantasy RPG.

What's the mapping significance? 60 new raster maps of monster scenarios are available for free personal and commercial use with the Creature Guide. Two of the 60 scenario maps, showing a wyvern and minotaurs, can be seen in the samples above.

All 60 maps are available in three forms:

1. One can print them simply by printing the PDF pages they're on.

2. One can use cut-and-paste operations to snag them as JPGs from the pages of the Creature Guide Reference Document. Most have widths of 1360 pixels with varying heights.

3. One can download the original maps in fmp-format and use, edit or manipulate them in any way desired with Fractal Mapper (TM) 8.

The new Creature Guide offers substantially improved graphics (compared to the 1st and 2nd edition versions), additional "monsters" and more creature templates. That makes it possible for a game master to quickly drop useable versions of new creatures into an adventure.

The 3rd Edition of the Dungeons Daring is a substantial departure from the first two editions. 3rd Edition is:

• An ability-based game.

• A game that is simpler to run and play than the first two editions or OGL 3.5 games.

• An RPG that's just about the opposite of OGL 3.5 games.

3rd Edition is completely ability-and-check based. Characters are made by defining abilities, and the result of actions is determined by ability checks against opposing checks and difficulty levels. Our playtesters found that this system works well, runs smoothly and produces good and credible results with far fewer dice rolls and considerably less math than in most other RPGs that they know.

For more information and downloading go to:

Dungeons Daring™ Fantasy Role-Playing Game

The Vintyri (TM) Project is a non-commercial organization. All of our products are released free as open source material under the Open Game License 1.0a.
Attached Thumbnails
Dungeons Daring 3E Complete - 60 New Free Maps-cg_wyvern.jpg   Dungeons Daring 3E Complete - 60 New Free Maps-cg_minotaurs.jpg  
]]> News Mark Oliva http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=22054