Beat me to the Punch!

For a long time, I've wanted to post a Work-in-Progress of a map.  I thought that it would be cool to show how I go about drawing my maps.  Then I thought, "Wouldn't it be cool if I posted a series of maps that showed the evolution of a cave or dungeon?"  NOT a Work-in-Progress but the actual expansion of a cave system, dungeon, or dwarfhold over time?

I think that that would be really cool.  Haven't done it yet, but I'm going to try to do it one of these days.

But back to the Work-in-Progress idea: Because I haven't done it, of course, others have beaten me to the punch.  Slightly annoying, but then again, it was by two mappers out there who I am sure you are all aware of.  And I can't be upset, because I hold both of them in high regard: Matt Jackson and Dyson Logos.  (Of course, I just realized that the link to Dyson is just his Google+ page so if you want to see specifically what I am referring to, look for 29 Jan 2014 and what he posted at 3:35pm.)

I really dig both of those.  A lot.

A long time ago, there were a lot of people posting One Hour Dungeons.  You know-- post a picture on your blog of a dungeon that you drew in one hour or less.  A lot of people did it, and it was a lot of fun to see what people were up to.

Perhaps with matt and dyson leading the way, there could be a new event where people post WIPs of the maps that they are working on.  It would be great if they were animated, like those above, but it would be cool even if they were a series of pictures.

I'll try to see what I can come up with over the next few days.

Anyone else up for it?

Deluxe Dungeon Design

So Telecanter, he of the Receding Rules, posted two times in the last several days things that caught my eye.  The most recent was what prompted the title of this post.  He calls it a Maximalist Dungeon, but I think Deluxe is a fair approximation of what he is getting at.  I've thought about just about everything that he mentions in his list at one point or another, but I like the fact that he took the time to put them all in one place--something that I have never done.

The second thing that he posted (actually prior to the above) was a small post that included old house blue prints.  I LOVE looking at floor plans of houses, old or new or anything in between.  I thought that this post was pretty cool.

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Yeah, so not much posting lately.  I'm still lurking, reading bunches of blogs--just don't have the time to post right now.  Hopefully, that will change sometime soon.

Map Roundup - 28 Feb 2013

It's been a LONG time since I did a Map Roundup.  But I've seen some things the past few days that absolutely deserved to be mentioned in a post.

Without further ado:

Blue Boxer Rebellion.  What?  CRAZY cool maps.  Go take a look:

31 January 2013.  Really nice city map.  And it comes with a history.

05 February 2013.  Nice interior iso map.  I love the details and the style.

07 February 2013.  Cut-away iso dungeon map.  Fantastic.

11 February 2013: More cut-away iso dungeon maps.  I'm going to get "Welcome to the Plunderdome" for those maps alone.

Now I have to say that I've wandered past Blue Boxer Rebellion in the past.  But I don't remember it being a repository for wonderful maps.  I don't know if something has changed or if it is just me, but rest assured that I'll be popping in over there a whole lot more often now.  I love everything above.

Here are some maps from Fictive Fantasies: 26 February 2013.

So how can you not like a post entitled Demonlord Hex Map?  From People them with Monsters on 27 February 2013.

The Splintered Realm on 27 February 2013.  I've not spent much time on that blog, but there was something about this little map.  I liked it.

For some nice stronghold maps, go take a look at the Hill Cantons and his Pimp Your Own Stonghold Contest (20 February 2013).  I really dig the cut-away Batcave image.  And if your going to be over in the Hill Cantons anyway, you might as well check out this oldie-but-goodie: How to "Awesome Up" Your Fantasy Maps (01 March 2011).  I might have linked to this in the past, but didn't want to spend the time verifying.

I'm going to close this Map Roundup with links to two posts from Oubliette.  These posts are pure greatness, as they combine maps (win), geomorphs (Win), and LEGOs (WIN!).  That pretty much tells you everything that you need to know: 19 February 2013.  27 February 2013.

This was fun to do, so I think that I'll do more Roundups in the near future.

Basic Maps for your Fantasy Needs

Basic Maps is a product that I have for sale at RPGNow.com for $2.30.  It's just what it says it is--basic dungeon maps, 39 to be exact.  For your viewing pleasure, below you can peruse all 39 of them in low res.

The first 30 are cave and cavern complexes.  The last 9, which are hand-drawn and in a different style from the first group, are of an assortment of types of locations.

Personally, I think that 39 maps for $2.30 is a pretty good deal.  Perhaps, you'll agree.

Hand-Drawn Dungeon Map: The Crypt of Clavid Daen

Another hand-drawn map.

Clavid Daen was a warrior who fought as part of the Mailed Fist, whose greatest exploits included vanquishing the Orcrish Overking and breaking the back of his mightiest army and ridding the Keep at Swarren Ford of the foul wyrm Groxodryzaksis.

The common stories say that he died while in battle against the archmage Craeg Na'Raenic the Vile.  And there are a great many people (who should know better than that) that will argue that truth with every breath that they have.  What the common man does not realize, however, is that Daen had actually joined with Craeg Na'Raenic and was fighting against his former compatriots when he was struck down by Garrick the Tall.

Even before that battle reached its end, the body of Clavid Daen was taken from the battlefield.  He was buried in a small crypt in the Dunn Hills.  Those who know the truth about his final hours stay away from the crypt.  Those, however, foolish enough to believe the tales of Daen's heroism continue to pilgrimage to the outer shrine and pay their respects.  Many of them have paid with their lives.

Hand-Drawn Dungeon Map: Secret in the Deep

Another hand-drawn map, a temple and cave complex in (at least) three levels.

Hand-Drawn Dungeon Map: The Columns

I've really enjoyed my map drawings.  This might become a regular feature here.  I present to you The Columns:

The residents of Hargrish Town have long argued whether or not the natural stone columns beneath the granite overhang at Fendinil Rock actually support it.  Whether they do or not would probably best be answered by a dwarf, but the few who have passed through Hargrish recently have shown no interest in settling the argument--perhaps because the rants and counter-rants that can be heard at the Sipping Sow are a great source of amusement for them.

In years past, the semi-sheltered area beneath the Rock served as a way-station for travelers moving between Hargrish and the larger towns to the west.  Recently, however, travelers have reported being driven from the Columns by unsavory men.  Some go so far as to say that bandits have taken up residence in the ancient shrine carved into the stone.

Hand-Drawn Dungeon Map

Did I have something better to do?  Better might not be the right word, but I definitely had other things that I should have done.  But, for whatever reason, the urge to map arose within me.  Too lazy to do something on the computer, I grabbed an 8.5x11" piece of white printer paper and a trusty black gel pen and began doodling.

48 minutes later, I had completed this:

It looks (to me) a lot like Dyson's work--a style that I haven't ever really tried before.  I guess that I shouldn't be surprised: His maps inspire me more than just about anything else that I'm seeing out there right now.

Hopefully, he won't come after me for attempting to use his style.

If I wanted to really emulate him, I would write a little backstory for the map.  Unfortunately, too tired for now.  Perhaps a kind reader will supply me with one in the comments.

Dungeons and I: A Love Affair

Have I ever said that I LOVE dungeons?  Yes, dungeons.  Those strange twisting collection of passageways through the ground, or sometimes even through more sinister realms.  Yes, I know that they are (perhaps) unrealistic.  I know that certain gamers look down their noses at them.

But, come on.  If our suspension of disbelief can accomodate dragons, elves, and dwarves, CERTAINLY it can accomodate huge labyrinthine complexes of caves and passageways carved through the earth.  Well, mine can.

Then there are those gamers who can get past the "idea" of the dungeon, but then get hung up on the unrealistic nature of most dungeons that have been published, or even that haven't been.  There are basically two schools of thought that have attempted to answer this problem.  Of course, there is a third way: Ignore the problem, because it isn't one!

The first school says, "Well, if you think that dungeons are unrealistic, make them more realistic!"  A DM would do this by, for instance, including latrine facilities for the creatures that dwell within, ensure that the sources of food can support populations of a given size, etc, etc.  The DM would attempt to determine why creatures are where they are located in the dungeon and ensure, to the best of his ability, that his reasoning is plausible.

The second school says that there is a reason that the dungeon does not function in a way that makes ecological sense.  This school is best described by Philotomy here.  He sees the dungeon as a 'mythic underworld'.  I have to say I had never thought of this idea, and I like it a lot.  It allows a lot more freedom for the DM, but goes one further than the Third way mentioned above by actually giving a reason for the dungeon to be as it is.

Regardless of your school of thought, I think that there ample real-world examples of dungeons, and if they can exist in the real world, then they can CERTAINLY exist in a world populated by dwarves, and all manner of other subterranean creatures.  And, going further, of one assumes several millenia of history, then these races had generations and generations to craft, expand, and carve out underground locations ripe for "present day" adventure.

I guess my point in all of this is that dungeons are awesome.

And in case you didn't guess it, there is only one thing better than a dungeon, and that is a map of a dungeon!

Did Goodman Games Steal My Idea!?!

Over two years ago, I wrote a post proposing a "One Map Dungeon Contest".  It was an idea I had at the time while thinking about the One Page Dungeon Contests that have been so successful.

Imagine my surprise when I came upon this.  I guess the idea was so good that Goodman Games decided to take it.

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Lest you think that I am out of my rocker, I don't think that they stole my idea.  I'll just choose to believe that great minds think alike.

DIY Dungeon Maps and Some Old Classics

So I'm not a big fan of the WotC website--in fact, I only ever go there if a link leads me to it.  But today, I came across a link that I really enjoyed.

About three weeks ago, WotC had a little dungeon contest at their website.  Draw a cool dungeon map, submit it to them, and they would pick the winner, etc, etc.  I guess there were prizes, although I didn't read far enough to find out.  You see, I only found out about it today, and it is too late to enter.  If I had known about it then, I probably would have.

But the cool thing is this: At the page announcing the contest, down at the very bottom, are pictures of some of the classic dungeon maps from our hobby's beginnings.  Not in a format that you could actually use them (I don't think), but I love looking at them.

More recently, they announced the winning entries.  I enjoyed looking at them, although some are *better* (wholely subjective, I know) than others.  I particularly like the map for the Fortress of Despair.  Good stuff!

Subterranean Design - F#@$ Yeah!

It's included on My Daily Read for a reason.  If you aren't a frequent visitor, you are missing out.  I'm talking about Subterranean Design of course.

This amazing collection of images should serve as fantastic inspiration for anyone who plays D&D, or any fantasy, science fantasy, or even science fiction rpg out there.  Absolutely incredible--I cannot say enough about how good the site is.

And for those gamers who claim that dungeons are unrealistic, outdated, or just plain stupid, taking a look at the real world dungeons presented at SubDes should change your mind.  If it doesn't?  Well, that sounds like a personal problem to me.

Go check it out.  Check it out often.  Check it out every day.  You won't be disappointed.  I promise.

More Dungeons in Fiction

So back here, I asked the question, "Does anyone know of any megadungeons in modern fantasy literature?"  I received a few answers (thanks for those, guys) and that gave me some food for thought.

I have a follow-up question, although it is only slightly different from the original, so the same answers might apply.  Does anyone know of any works of fiction that include a "Campaign Dungeon"?  In case you aren't familiar, the term basically means a dungeon that is the main (perhaps only) adventuring locale for an entire campaign of play.

You may be wondering--or perhaps you aren't--why I'm asking questions about dungeons in fiction.  The short reason is because I am actually in the process of writing a story (goal length 60-75k words) that is basically just that--a big old dungeon with a small group of adventurers going into it looking for riches.  My reason for asking is to help me determine if the idea is as unique (in fiction) as I think it is, or is it trite and old.  I have to admit that I haven't read any fantasy is a LONG time and may not know about something that is out there.

So, if you know of something, please speak up.  Thanks.

Question about Dungeons in Fiction

Or more specifically, megadungeons.  Are there any megadungeons who have played a significant role in fantasy (and/or any of its "offshoots") literature in the last twenty-five years?

The Mines of Moria are perhaps the most well-known example of a megadungeon in fiction.  And while they are important to the Lord of the Rings as an obstacle to be overcome by or as a road to be traversed by the Fellowship or, if I remember correctly, as a means to separate Gandalf from the others, they don't play much of a role in the story.  The time spent in their halls by that adventuring group (in words) isn't all that great compared to the entirety of the trilogy.

But are there any other examples of megadungeons in modern fiction?  I'm interested and would really appreciate any other examples.  Thanks!

Gotta Love those Random Tables

Aeons & Augauries is one of my favorite old school blogs.  I absolutely love JDJarvis' work.  Recently, he has been posting a collection of random tables to help characterize various standard dungeon items (think statue, fountain, etc.).

Well, quickly glancing through those showed all sorts of goodness.  But then I thought, mmmmm, what else has he posted with the same label (random table) that might be of interest?  And this is what you find.

Pure win.

I wonder if he's ever thought about including all of those in a nice pdf...

I'll take a stab at it

So lot's of people have been posting 'One-Hour' Dungeons.  Dungeons that they sat down and drew in one hour.

And I decided that I would take a stab at it.  After all, I love maps, right?

So I gathered all of my supplies: a black Pilot G-1 0.7mm gel pen, a Fine Point black Sharpie, a straight edge, and a sheet of graph paper.  I had (so I thought) set aside one hour of time in which to draw.  Conditions were perfect.

Conditions were perfect.  (Inside joke--anyone know 'Flight of the Concordes'?)

That is, except for the sleeping baby in the other room.  But she was going to sleep for a lot longer than the one hour that I needed, right?

I sat down to start and this is what I came up with in 43 minutes.

(Why did I stop at 43 minutes?  Well, the sleeping baby woke up and started to cry.  Stop, calm the baby, scan the above picture, and put it away.  I put it away, because I felt that it would be inappropriate to look at it until I was ready to finish it.  (It's a one-hour dungeon isn't it?)  Several hours later, I pull it out and draw for the last 17 minutes.)

Here is the finished dungeon:

Overall, I gotta say that I am happy with it.  I really like how it looks visually--aesthetically.  It's also a lot better than I thought that it would turn out considering it is all in ink--no way to make changes, erase, or revise.  Definitely not the normal way to draw a dungeon.  From a dungeon design standpoint, however, I don't really think that it is that good.  I don't particularly like the layout of it all that much.  And frankly, I think that the ample use of caverns was a cop-out.  They are much easier (for me) to draw when hurrying.

One last thought.  In this case, I didn't really have an idea of a 'backstory' for the dungeon.  I just sat down and started drawing, stream of consciousness.  I wonder if it would have turned out any differently if I had any ideas about it before I started.  Something to think about for in the future.