Searching for cartographer(s) for Heretical DnD5 project

[Douglas Cole]

I'll be looking for a fantasy cartographer or cartographers to help me make the world, continent, nation, and perhaps a few cities.

I'm in the sketching-out phase right now, so there's tremendous room for influencing the style and even the contents of the world.

I think that a decent sketch-map, with a more polished version to appear in the actual book, would very much help me and my playtesting team (and everyone that works on the project is invited to join that team as well to contribute to whatever extent they wish) visualize the history and present of the sandbox that we'll be gaming in.

While publication is some nebulous time in the future, the initial work on the map(s) would start immediately.

Interested parties should comment on the blog with links to prior work, and we can exchange private notes over Google+, leading to email so we can discuss compensation expectations.

For more information on the project, check out Heretical DnD over on Gaming Ballistic

For some sketches of my original map and a general idea of where the sandbox started, check out Krail's Folly. The maps there were contributions, not the final product. The playtesters and I have worked things out more, but you can see where we started at least.

If you want to email me directly, please hit me up at Gaming Ballistic's dedicated email address.


*********

Let's blow this out with the template.

Commission

Paid?: This will be a paid project, but the pay is negotiable in that you can either provide me with a standard rate, which I will either accept or decline, or you can provide me with a standard rate, and I will pay you some percentage up front, "plus fifteen thousand when we reach Alderaan." Meaning that this project will Kickstart, and if the kickstarter does well, we can both profit from its success.

I believe in payment milestones in either case. An initial small amount on agreeing to the work (to show I'm serious), a larger amount when we agree on the full scope of work when I see a sketch (not a full map!) and we agree on how we'll develop it to final copy, and a final payment when work is complete.


Subject

My immediate needs would be for:

1 map of the entire world, so GMs can put adventures wherever they'd like
1 map of the local region showing the Kingdom that adventuring will take place from and the sandbox that it will take place in.
1 map of just the sandbox

You can find some very, very crude sketches of the "sandbox" for the campaign at the Krail's Folly link above. If I accept you as part of the project, you will also have access to the playtest board, the draft (currently 130,000 words), and the playtester pool. And creative input on the evolving world.

Style

My preference will be for stylized full-color maps for the world, the continent, and maybe the kingdom.

Parchment-style maps for the play area would be pretty cool too.

I expect the artists to help define the look and style for the world; If I were an expert artist I wouldn't be outsourcing. :-) I will not force you to work in a style you don't like, so bring your favorite look to the project, and if it works for the book, so be it. I also don't mind having a few different looks, so if I get someone that (for example) does amazing city/castle maps, and someone else who's brilliant at terrain and geographical/political maps, that's fine too.


Quality & Size


I'd like these to be high-quality maps, that could be expected to be at home in a large hardcover RPG product with high production value.

The medium will be full-color and black-and-white (or monochrome and white if we get funky) print, though of course PDF copies (color and B/W) will be offered as well

Most maps will be full-page, but cities or castles that might come up will be half-page or quarter page.

Time Constraints

What time limits (if any) are you working to?

I'm trying to work to a 100% complete, laid-out draft in the next 2-3 months. For the maps that will guide setting-building, I'd like to start sooner, perhaps in June.

Copyright


I would like reproduction rights to the map
The artist will retain copyright of the map, with an option for me to purchase copyright at a later date.
I will have the right to repeated use of the images for commercial purposes, the artist will have the right to exhibit the image as part of his portfolio but not to exploit it for commercial gain.


Contact Details

See above

[SteffenBrand]

Welcome to CG!

Is it paid or isn't it? I'm not asking for myself, but it will come up at some point.
Since this seems a lot of work (with intent of publication) I'd guess yes. =)

[Douglas Cole]

There will be compensation, yes. Whether it's up-front, part up front and part after some sort of sales figures come in, or "for exposure" (which I'm not wild about, because you can't eat exposure, but you surely can die of it) is up to the artist in question to work out with me.

[Wired]

Douglas, you've got mail.

A few questions remains, though. You say your immediate needs are for

1 map of the entire world, so GMs can put adventures wherever they'd like
1 map of the local region showing the Kingdom that adventuring will take place from and the sandbox that it will take place in.
1 map of just the sandbox

, meaning three maps, but then you say

My preference will be for stylized full-color maps for the world, the continent, and maybe the kingdom.

which makes it four maps, but you also add that

Parchment-style maps for the play area would be pretty cool too.

, which means you'll want additional (more localized, I presume) maps for the sandbox, too? Could you please clarify how many maps exactly you're looking for? I'd like to offer my services for this project, but this is dependant on being able to know just what exactly you're looking for so that I can give you a good estimate on the time I'd presumably need to finish it, and to give you a quote on what I would charge for the job.

Best regards,
Sebastian

[jwbjerk]

Sounds interesting.

Email sent.

[Douglas Cole]

This commission has been filled for the topographical maps. The City and Keep maps will be deferred until the geographical maps are done, which will give them context.