Terrainmonkey's Map-A-Day thread

[terrainmonkey]

hey folks--

so every morning before work i've been drawing quick maps that take only about 2 or 3 hours to do, with simple color schemes and text. since i've done my fair share of towns and cities, i'm thinking of taking some time out for dungeons, because you can never have too many of those. should anyone want to use these in a game, feel free, kind of a map of mystery thing. also, if there are any ideas you would like to see, let me know. i'd be happy to try my hand at anything really, since i've jsut gotten the hang of the corel interface. critiques are welcome also. i still have a lot to learn from you pros out there. (since i'm hardly one of those....)


today's entry, Feyrot Caverns. should any of you wish some basic ideas about what i had in mind here, let me know.

[thebax2k]

I've admired your maps since I first discovered your map section on Photobucket a few months ago. I find them sharp, clean, and crisp.

Although I suspect it would take more than 2 or 3 hours to create, something in the vein of Temple of Bahamut Defiled would be appreciated. I don't know why, but there's something evocative about maps of ancient vaults that guard dread secrets man was not meant to know....

[terrainmonkey]

so thanks for the kind words. i sometimes wonder if i will ever be a pro at this whole fantasy map thing. one would think, i've been doing it for over 20 years in my own games. anyway, i appreciate the praise. now, on to the second one. taking your request to heart, i decided on an otherworldly type of map, perhaps a crypt built in the blackness of the negative prime or in the shadow dimension. the blue doors are normal, anything can pass through them. the red doors are flames, and a spell with the fire descriptor has to be cast at them to get through. some clerics of this area carry wands of burning hands. the green doors are green slime, and have to have some kind of necromancy spell cast at them to work. usually ray of enfeeblment wands are carried as well, but only for the higher level priests.

anyway, here's the map. only took a couple of hours.

[RPMiller]

interesting concept. I would have thought the doors would have been laid out in a sort of security/function method. For instance the higher you are in the order the deeper you can go, but first you must be given the "key" to those doors. I guess I need a legend as to what the rooms are.

[pyrandon]

Just a quick interruption to say I can already tell after only two maps that this thread is going to bring me a lot of pleasure over the coming days, weeks, months, and (hopefully) even years! Thank you, Mr. Terrainmonkey, whoever you are!

[ravells]

seconded! I love the 2b pencil effect; I really like the font you have used on the first map too.

[terrainmonkey]

wow. thanks! here's another, just something i've been working on here and there over the past few days. i read a National Geographic article about the Cairns of Sutton Hoo, and was really intrigued. so i did a bit of research, changed a few things and made it more fantasy-esque, and when i was done, this is what i came up with. just the name and the basic idea has been kept. my style on this is more felt pen and doodles than anything else. i wanted it to have sort of a hand drawn look to it and i think it came out okay. anyway, here is the next map.

[Publius]

I really like the Crypt of the Nocrothian. Very nice. I especially like the background, with the wispy look of smoke. I've been trying hard for just such an effect, without much success I'm afraid. I can get crosshatching, but even that has a very "regular" appearance to it that does not look quite as natural.

[terrainmonkey]

hey folks--

for the past couple of days, business has interfered with my map design projects so i've had to take a few days off. probably what's going to happen in the next few days is i will be able to scan some sketches in and work on them, so i'm going to be doing probably 4 maps a week for the next few weeks. here's a preview of the ones i'm working on, which include ideas for a short adventure path incorporating all of them.

1. The town of Knight's Bridge
2. The Tinted Tankard Inn
3. The Rebel Caverns
4. The Keep of The Crimson Despot

if anyone wants a little background on these maps, let me know. or feel free to make up your own. probably on thursday i'll have the town and inn maps done and posted. keep an eye out.

also, thanks for the kudos about my other maps. one of my goals is to maybe one day be a featured map winner, or maybe win that accused monthly challenge that has eluded me these past months.

[ravells]

I'm pretty sure that both will come your way soon enough.

Ravs