# Mapmaking Discussion & Philosophy (WIP/Critique) > Dungeon/Subterranean Mapping >  My Dungeon Maps

## Turgenev

Greetings all,


I've been having loads of fun lately creating many old school inspired dungeon maps and I thought I would share my latest creation (click for larger version).



Room 5 has a deep pit. Room 7 has a revolving door. Room 19 has a small pool/fountain.

I should mention that at this point in time, my maps are low resolution and my style tends towards an old school look with a little extra touches to the maps (but nothing too crazy because I try to keep things printer friendly). I have many other maps on my mapping site:

http://paratime.ca/cartography/

----------


## NeonKnight

It's nice to see another 'old school' mapper. I like the look of them, even though the newer styles are nice, the old school charm has for an old fogie like me a certain charm.

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks NeonKnight. I prefer the old school look (with some embellishments here & there for variety). I want something to spark my imagination and I want something that is relatively printer friendly.  :Wink:  The newer RPG maps tend to be over-rendered for my tastes (they don't spark my imagination). Each to their own.

With that said, I'm sure I will be experimenting with various textures and appearances (because it is fun and one doesn't know what works until one tries it).

----------


## Sigurd

Very Pretty map.

What did you make it in? What did you do to get the pleasing ripple in the walls?

Sigurd

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks Sigurd. I created the map witrh an older version of Photoshop (6.0 or 7.0 - I can't remember which). As for the ripple effect, it is just that.  :Wink:  It is a Filter called Ripple (Filter --> Distort --> Ripple). There are three choices for the type of ripples: small, medium and large. There is also a sliding scale that determines how strong these ripples are rendered. I often use medium ripples with a value between 60 to 100%. It depends on what look I'm going for. For caverns I might use large ripples with a value of over 100% (or below -100%).

----------


## Turgenev

Here's the map that I used in last weekend's rpg game...

----------


## delgondahntelius

Tim, love the map, love the style and love the feel. Did you use a scanned graph paper or just create a grid.. i like the .. how do you put it... gritty, fuzzy, etched feel of the grid... 

I love the site as well... the whole thing.. tho I found it hard to get back to the cartography section from the paratime home site... in fact... i had to use the link here to get to it .... dunno if that was intentional... I say you should add it to the portfolio of graphics  :Smile:  unless I missed it. 
A lover of GH too  :Smile:  (3 thumbs up) I absolutely love all of the additional gh files you've done.. tho it reads it on there I thought I'd ask if I could use the calendar and other GH related material for my own personal use/games.. ? 
and a final note.. loved the town maps, handdrawn is what I kin too and you've done it well my friend  :Smile: 

Del

----------


## Turgenev

> Tim, love the map, love the style and love the feel. Did you use a scanned graph paper or just create a grid.. i like the .. how do you put it... gritty, fuzzy, etched feel of the grid...


In these maps, I am using a map grid  (a good old fashion piece of graph paper) that I scanned. I have also created my own map grid pattern that I use from time to time.




> I love the site as well... the whole thing.. tho I found it hard to get back to the cartography section from the paratime home site... in fact... i had to use the link here to get to it .... dunno if that was intentional... I say you should add it to the portfolio of graphics  unless I missed it.


You didn't miss it. I just haven't put it on my main site yet. I'm still revamping my portfolio because I have many more sites to add and more examples of my graphic design work (including the cartography). I just been busy working on other peoples' sites that I haven't had time to finish my own update. The last couple of weeks have been very hectic for me so I haven't had much time to work on my maps.




> A lover of GH too  (3 thumbs up) I absolutely love all of the additional gh files you've done.. tho it reads it on there I thought I'd ask if I could use the calendar and other GH related material for my own personal use/games.. ?


Feel free to use any of my gaming files for personal use. Actually, I have the Greyhawk Calendar set up on its own page here:

http://paratime.ca/d20/d_and_d/campa...-calendar.html




> and a final note.. loved the town maps, handdrawn is what I kin too and you've done it well my friend 
> 
> Del


Thanks for all the great comments Del. BTW, I love your avatar. If my reading is correct (I'm still new to kanji), doesn't your avatar say 'shukugou' aka 'karma' (a literal transliteration of the kanji is 'lodging karma')? That's the Japanese reading of the kanji. The Chinese reading may (actually will) produce something a bit different.  :Wink:

----------


## delgondahntelius

Great link ... that calander page works great for me  :Smile:  always loved the gh calander  :Smile: 

as for the avatar... well... I don't pretend to be smart in any language... you are correct in the japanese translation of shukugou and i'm sure your translation is correct .. but it is the mandarin chinese reading that was my intent ... sù yè >> This is the Buddhist concept of Past Karma. To put it simply, it's the sum of all the good and bad from all previous lives (and perhaps earlier in your current life). This term is not commonly used outside of the Buddhist faith (you'll have a tough time finding a non-Buddhist Asian person that knows this word)  

Other ways to translate this: "The karma of previous existence", "The karma remaining from prior existences", or simply "Former karma"

But other than a few other symbols... that's about my limit on asian languages...  :Smile:

----------


## Turgenev

> Great link ... that calander page works great for me  always loved the gh calander


Thanks Del. I have to admit I was happy with the way that calendar turned out. I use it in my games to help my players to get into the right mindset. It is one thing to say, "It is Waterday, the 5th of Flocktime." But it is another thing for my players to see the calendar. That way they get the impression that it is a "real" date. I use the calendar to track time in my campaigns and characters' b-days should the need arise.




> as for the avatar... well... I don't pretend to be smart in any language... you are correct in the japanese translation of shukugou and i'm sure your translation is correct .. but it is the mandarin chinese reading that was my intent ... sù yè >>


I am currently studying Japanese so now when I see kanji I end up reading it as Japanese. I'm weird, I'm enjoying my kanji studies. For me, kanji is like an artistic puzzle... actually a hard artistic puzzle in some cases but I'm slowly expanding my vocabulary and written knowledge. LOL! Only about 1900 kanji to go before I can be considered to be literate.  :Very Happy: 

I have noticed that some of the Japanese readings of the kanji have stayed the same as the original Chinese readings but obviously the pronunciation of the character has changed drastically. 




> This is the Buddhist concept of Past Karma. To put it simply, it's the sum of all the good and bad from all previous lives (and perhaps earlier in your current life). This term is not commonly used outside of the Buddhist faith (you'll have a tough time finding a non-Buddhist Asian person that knows this word)  
> 
> Other ways to translate this: "The karma of previous existence", "The karma remaining from prior existences", or simply "Former karma"
> 
> But other than a few other symbols... that's about my limit on asian languages...


Cool. You learn something new everyday. There's a Japanese Buddhist temple near where I live in Toronto (I know it is Japanese because it used Japanese writing called Katakana to spell Toronto on its sign). I've been by it many times but haven't checked it out... one of these days I might just do that.

I better make another dungeon map soon so I can bring this thread back on topic (after I derailed it so well). *grin*

----------


## delgondahntelius

That is so cool... I wish I had the time to learn japanese or mandarin characters and the language ... I'm far to old and senile to start something of that magnitude... 

And I think I might have started the derailment... you just went ahead and pushed it off the tracks  :Very Happy: 

I say YES ... do another map  :Smile:  maps maps maps.. I love maps!!!  :Smile:

----------


## Turgenev

> That is so cool... I wish I had the time to learn japanese or mandarin characters and the language ... I'm far to old and senile to start something of that magnitude...


Well, I've always wanted to learn Japanese and I figured if I didn't try it now I would never learn it. I'm learning on my own time so it is slow going but I have made a start of it. So far I know enough to get myself into trouble.  :Wink: 




> And I think I might have started the derailment... you just went ahead and pushed it off the tracks


LOL! That's a good description of what happened. Not that I mind.  :Wink: 




> I say YES ... do another map  maps maps maps.. I love maps!!!


Well this isn't a dungeon per se, but it does lead to one of my dungeon maps in my AD&D game. I needed a set of ruins for my game so I came up with this... the plans for an ancient ruins located on the Northern border of the Dreadwood Forest. 

This is the Player's Map:

The structure of the buildings range from solid to falling apart. Doors are noted on buildings. Windows are up to DM discretion. The ground inside the ruins' area is overlaid with stone cobbles. In some places, the stonework has been reclaimed by the forest. The ground stonework is uneven and may be dangerous in patches 9chances of falling/stumbling). 

Here's the DM's Map:

The Northeast corner is inhabited by Huge Spiders and is full of webs. The Humanoid bandits (in pay from foreign powers to the South) have control of the Southeast corner. In the Southwest corner is a Harpy lair and a group of Wererats have taken up residence in the centre of the ruins. These wererats have allegiances to the Plague of the Blackhand (a cult of Incabulos) and are actively working against the Bandits. Some of the houses hold clues to the ruins' past (including its ancient name of Tharenthjia).

Unknown to the Bandits, they now occupy the area that once belonged to the Cult of Incabulos. The Cult wishes to reclaim the area at any cost. Why they were forced to leave the area in the first place hasn't been decided yet.

The players are sort of screwed either way. Should they rout the bandits then the Cult will grow in strength and vice versa. Course this is all background info while we do a few dungeon crawls. The circular house (#39) leads to the dungeon back in post #6 of this thread.

The black & white maps can be found here:
http://paratime.ca/images/fantasy/ruins001bw_PCMap.jpg
http://paratime.ca/images/fantasy/ruins001bw_DMMap.jpg

----------


## RPMiller

If you had versions of these maps without the grids on them, they would be perfect for a VTT. Do you have such a version?

----------


## Turgenev

> If you had versions of these maps without the grids on them, they would be perfect for a VTT. Do you have such a version?


I do my work in photoshop and all the major features of the image are on their own layers and that includes the map grid. I could easily turn it off and then save the altered file as a new image. 

Pardon my ignorance but what is a VTT?

----------


## RPMiller

Oh sweet!! Since you have it in PS already that is even better! If you could set the resolution so that 50 or 100 pixels equaled 5' we would be smoking!

VTT = Virtual TableTop. Also sometimes referred to as VGT (Virtual Gaming Table). It is an application that simulates the table battlemaps that we are all familiar with and includes chat, dice rolling, initiative tracking, etc. If you do a search on the forums for VTT, MapTool, Battlegrounds, VGT, etc. you'll find more descriptions and such.

I personally use MapTool, and there are several folks here that do as well, but there are others such as Battlegrounds and ORPG that some of our members use. If you follow the link in my sig below you'll see what MapTool is all about.  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks for the link. Let me look into this and I'll have to get back to you. I need to do some reading to learn more about this (hopefully I will have time this weekend to explore VVT a bit further). Cool.

----------


## RPMiller

Definitely! I would recommend that you join the MapTools forums as well. There are a lot of great people over there, many of them are now members here as well.  :Wink: 

Here is a link to all the VTT goodness you could hope for:
http://www.battlegroundsgames.com/links.html#anchor6

Note that there is a lot of stuff on that page not just VTT stuff.

----------


## delgondahntelius

Great map ... and I second RP in that it would make an excellent vtt map... he however did it with much more enthusiasm and fervor ... VTT was never really an option before I got high(er)speed interenet... dialup and vtt (or any type of realtime anything) usually cause more frustration and aggravation than enjoyment... But I've since thought it might be a viable way to pass my time  :Wink:  ...

RedRobes software ViewingDale which I bought recently for my own world mapping is also a VTT... I haven't checked out any other VTT's but will be scooting over to RP's suggestion soon to check it out... I personally would rather play than run anything at this point .. ya know .. to feel out the vtt experience... if you plan on running something in vtt let me know ...  :Smile:  love GH  :Smile:  I've a Suel Cleric named FIST of KORD that you would just love to meet  :Smile:  

Love the setup you have for the ruins... Incabulos is one of my favorite cult-ish gods... pestilence and disease always strike fear into PC's ... especially at the lower levels...

----------


## torstan

It makes a lovely VTT map. Here's a screenshot after importing it into maptool with some basic tokens. The one on the right is what the players see (note the camouflaged spiders!), the one on the left is the GM view. I've also attached the campaign file if anyone wants to play with it (using the dev build 1.3b28 ). Before loading it up, rename it to spiders.cmpgn. Then it will load just fine.

 

spiders.zip

----------


## RPMiller

Thanks torstan! I still want to see the non square grid version since I use hexes, but the campaign file will definitely save some time.

----------


## Turgenev

> Thanks torstan! I still want to see the non square grid version since I use hexes, but the campaign file will definitely save some time.


While I haven't been able to read up on VTT yet, I can offer the ruin maps without a grid for others to convert if they so wish.  :Wink: 

*PC Map* (Click to Enlarge)


*DM Map* (Click to Enlarge)


Does this help?

----------


## RPMiller

> Does this help?


Indeed it does! REPPED!!

----------


## Turgenev

Glad to have been of help, RPMiller. I have to admit that my interest in VTT has definitely been peaked.  :Wink: 

As for my dungeon maps, I should have a new map ready soon. Before I was mainly making web friendly maps so they were at a low resolution. I've decided to scale my resolution up to print standard (300 dpi) for my next dungeon map (after all, it is easier to lower an image's resolution than it is to scale up).

----------


## Turgenev

> ... love GH  I've a Suel Cleric named FIST of KORD that you would just love to meet  
> 
> Love the setup you have for the ruins... Incabulos is one of my favorite cult-ish gods... pestilence and disease always strike fear into PC's ... especially at the lower levels...


I was going to use the Cult of the Hopping Prophet (Wastri) but I decided I wanted to go with the pestilence route and decided on Incabulos instead. I like to set up my campaigns with several NPC factions and then drop the PCs into the middle of the mix and see how things turn out. 

In this case, I have the 'Plague of the Blackhand' Incabulos Cult, Humanoid/Human Bandits (sponsored by several Noble families from the Hold of the Sea Princes - these bandits are basically slavers raiding Keoland), and any other ideas that come to me as I flesh out the campaign (I still have a lot of work to do on the local geography of the campaign). I also have to finish writing up the adventure before my (face-to-face) game tomorrow night.  :Wink:

----------


## RPMiller

If you are interested in seeing what a VTT looks like in action I made a YouTube video a while back using GamerPrinter's map.

This is MapTool in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giLeonpfwKE

----------


## Turgenev

New dungeon map (click for a much larger hi-res version). 

The Colour Floor Version:


The Black & White Floor Version:


Notes: Areas 2 & 29 could have a shallow pool of blood, or lava, or maybe they are colourful mosaic floor tiles. Areas 11, the corridor to 27, and area 39 all are open to a vast chasm. Brown doors are normal wooden doors and grey/silver doors are either metal doors or reinforced wooden doors.

----------


## delgondahntelius

Great map.. I like the colored doors you put in and both the colored floor and the plain one look great .... 

Have you thought about putting in some drop lines to similute a perilous drop for those rooms? ... just a thought  :Very Happy:

----------


## Torq

Turgenev you are nailing that style beautifully. It really looks good. Old school but with a touch of class and panache. I love your work.

Torq

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks for the nice comments guys. That last map came to me in a dream. I'm tempted to use it for one of my own games.

----------


## Chgowiz

> Thanks for the nice comments guys. That last map came to me in a dream. I'm tempted to use it for one of my own games.


I'm not sure I want to play in one of your dreams...  :Wink: 

(Unless there are really cute bar wenches...)

(... then I might not want to know what you were dreaming about...)

Neurowiz

----------


## Turgenev

> I'm not sure I want to play in one of your dreams... 
> 
> (Unless there are really cute bar wenches...)
> 
> (... then I might not want to know what you were dreaming about...)


LOL! Actually the main area and the top parts of the side sections of the map flashed before my eyes when I was sleeping (with stairs and all). The bar wenches in my dreams either look like Scarlet Johansson, Hamasaki Ayumi, Minako Kudo, and Famke Janssen. If I am really lucky they are all together in my dream at once. *grin*

I often get ideas from my dreams. I'm lucky that I have a vast imagination. Except when I have nightmares... those are downright nasty but even then I usually write them down because you never know when a good nightmare will inspire a good horror story or RPG adventure.  :Wink:

----------


## Chgowiz

> LOL! Actually the main area and the top parts of the side sections of the map flashed before my eyes when I was sleeping (with stairs and all). The bar wenches in my dreams either look like Scarlet Johansson, Hamasaki Ayumi, Minako Kudo, and Famke Janssen. If I am really lucky they are all together in my dream at once. *grin*
> 
> I often get ideas from my dreams. I'm lucky that I have a vast imagination. Except when I have nightmares... those are downright nasty but even then I usually write them down because you never know when a good nightmare will inspire a good horror story or RPG adventure.


I'm one of those people who don't remember my dreams so much, probably a good thing for my budding writing career. 

Nice bar wenches, though! I would prefer Marisa Tomei, Tricia Helfer, Jolene Blalock ... yea, that'd do for starters, although I'd hate to be in a bar brawl with them around...

Neurowiz

----------


## Turgenev

Okay, time for a new dungeon map (click for a much larger hi-res version). 

The Colour Floor Version:


The Black & White Floor Version:

----------


## torstan

That's lovely. Any chance of one without labels for VTT play?

----------


## delgondahntelius

Can I be in your fan club?? 
Great map... love both the color and the b/w...  Your style is great, so much so that I'm now going to go and try and mimic it for myself....  :Very Happy: 

keep up the great work!!

----------


## Turgenev

> That's lovely. Any chance of one without labels for VTT play?


You mean like this (click to enlarge):


You'll have to resize the map to get the right scale.  :Wink:

----------


## Turgenev

> Can I be in your fan club?? 
> Great map... love both the color and the b/w...  Your style is great, so much so that I'm now going to go and try and mimic it for myself.... 
> 
> keep up the great work!!


Thanks delgondahntelius. That last map came out of a doodle I made while talking on the phone (I always doodle when on the phone). I drew the basic layout with a bunch of circles and squares and then I realized I had a map in the making.  :Wink:

----------


## torstan

Thanks. That's really handy.

----------


## Turgenev

No problem. Glad to helped. Besides, it only took mere moments to turn off the grid and the room numbers.  :Wink:

----------


## RPMiller

The rooms are "convexing" due to the shadow. Can you reverse the direction of the shadow or remove it altogether?

----------


## delgondahntelius

any chance of a tutorial on your process??  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turgenev

> The rooms are "convexing" due to the shadow. Can you reverse the direction of the shadow or remove it altogether?


I see no problem with the shadow (especially in the larger hi-res version of the image) - it is an effect I have used from time to time (with mixed reactions). But since I'm in a good mood  :Wink: , so how about this (I took the liberty of removing the grid as well)...

----------


## Turgenev

> any chance of a tutorial on your process??


Here's a quick tutorial I have posted elsewhere but I've updated since...

Obviously I am using Photoshop to do my maps so it is a requirement (or something similar like GIMP). Here's a quick outline of what I do... I have my map grid on one layer. I then add a new layer above it that is coloured black. I then make the black layer transparent so I can see the grid underneath it. With the select tool, I mark the area I want to be a room or corridor. I then delete the selected area from the black area. Voila I now have a room where the grid underneath it is visible. I repeat this process until I get the look I want. I add the doors, stairs, statues, etc to their own layers (usually between the black layer and the map grid). I turn the black layer's transparency back to 100% so you can't see through it. Now the map grid is only visible where the rooms/hallways are. Then I select the empty space of the dungeon rooms with the magic wand tool. I inverse the selection so it wraps itself around the walls instead (that's a handy trick). This is easier than trying to select every little area on the walls (especially when sections of the walls aren't connected to each other). Obviously you may want to do this on a duplicated version of the layer (saving the original in case you need it at a later date). Once the wall area is selected, I then add the texture (Fill option under Edit), then I add a black outline to help show the rooms better (Stroke option under Layers --> Layer Style) and then I add the Ripple effect (Filter --> Distort --> Ripple). There are three choices for the type of ripples: small, medium and large. There is also a sliding scale that determines how strong these ripples are rendered. I often use medium ripples with a value between 60 to 100%. It depends on what look I'm going for. For caverns I might use large ripples with a value of over 100%. I add the numbers to the rooms. On a new layer above the dungeon textured layer, I draw a area around the dungeon with the lasso tool. This has made a squiggly line around the dungeon. I then inverse the selected area so it selects the area outside the dungeon and not the dungeon itself. I sometimes add a feather effect to this selected area (not much when I'm drawing it freehand with the lasso tool). I add white the the selected area. While this area is still selected, I add a ripple effect and that's how I do the white cloudy area that surrounds the dungeon. I save this whole process as a photoshop file (psd file) so I can preserve the layers and various effects. When the map is ready, I do a 'Save for Web' to get the large JPG version (for a low res version). Then I merge all the visible layers into one layer, change the size to 600 pixels wide (usually) and do another 'Save for Web' but this is the small version. Once I have my two jpg files, I undo the size change & layer merge and resave the file as a psd file (just in case).
*Edited to Add:* The reason I merge all the layers before I make the smaller jpg file is if you just resize the image, then all of the Stroke sizes will be out of wack. The image size changes but the Stroke sizes do not change in relation to the image size. Course you could just merge individual layers that have the Stroke Effect but I find it much easier to do a Merge Visible and then undo it when I want my layers back.  :Wink: That's my usual process. I hope this makes sense. This doesn't count the tweaking I do here & there to get the right look. I hope I haven't forgotten anything or left a step out here & there.  :Wink:  Feel free to ask any questions.

----------


## delgondahntelius

what version of PS ...?

----------


## GlennZilla

I've used most of these shortcuts since Photoshop 4. Yeah I'm that old.

Thanks for collecting them all together and putting into context for a cartographer!

Repped!

----------


## Turgenev

LOL, Glenzilla. I know how you feel. To answer delgondahntelius' question, I am using Photoshop 6 or 7 (depending on which computer I am using). For the most part it is Photoshop 6. I have Photoshop CS on my laptop but I always find myself going back to PS 6 instead.  :Wink:

----------


## RPMiller

> I see no problem with the shadow (especially in the larger hi-res version of the image) - it is an effect I have used from time to time (with mixed reactions). But since I'm in a good mood , so how about this (I took the liberty of removing the grid as well)...


That works. Thanks! Although it flattened it a bit too much. This is a problem you'll see elsewhere in the forums with high contrast maps that have lighter floors and darker surrounding earth.

The problem is that we generally interpret lighter colors as being higher. Consider elevation maps with the white peaks. So when I look at this map my mind immediately thinks the lighter gray is higher than the darker gray and then when the shadow is added it makes it convex because of that. I think Torq struggled with it on one of his maps as well. Even an inner glow on the passages/rooms didn't seem to help. I forget what the end solution was though.

It is a nicely textured map though so it is definitely aesthetically pleasing.

----------


## Turgenev

> That works. Thanks! Although it flattened it a bit too much. This is a problem you'll see elsewhere in the forums with high contrast maps that have lighter floors and darker surrounding earth.
> 
> The problem is that we generally interpret lighter colors as being higher. Consider elevation maps with the white peaks. So when I look at this map my mind immediately thinks the lighter gray is higher than the darker gray and then when the shadow is added it makes it convex because of that. I think Torq struggled with it on one of his maps as well. Even an inner glow on the passages/rooms didn't seem to help. I forget what the end solution was though.
> 
> It is a nicely textured map though so it is definitely aesthetically pleasing.


That's a good point about the light vs dark issue. Course I didn't see it because I knew the lighter area was suppose to be the ground (I'm too close to the work). I looked at it again and I see what you mean. What about this?



I added an outer glow instead of a drop shadow. Hmmm... that doesn't work either. Oh well, I'll have to think this over.

----------


## Turgenev

I was in an "Old School" mood and came up with this...

----------


## delgondahntelius

Once again.. Love the map... I dunno why but it actually reminds me of the old dungeon out of the first editio DMG ... I loved that adventure  :Very Happy:  .. well.. the first couple rooms.. after that it was up to you to fill in the rest

----------


## Turgenev

> Once again.. Love the map... I dunno why but it actually reminds me of the old dungeon out of the first editio DMG ... I loved that adventure  .. well.. the first couple rooms.. after that it was up to you to fill in the rest


Thanks delgondahntelius. It isn't the first time someone has compared one of my maps to the one in the DMG. As far as I'm concerned, that's one of the best compliments someone can give me.  :Very Happy:  The map I'm working on now (that I will post soon) personally reminds me of the DMG map. What can I say? I definitely an "Old School" mapping type of guy.

----------


## Turgenev

Another Old School map (click to enlarge)...



Area #9 has a circular pillar/floor in the middle of a deep chasm.

----------


## Turgenev

Here's my latest cavern map (click to enlarge)...

Colour Background:


White Background:

----------


## Doirche

Great stuff as usual Turgenev. I really like your style on the old school maps you make. /thumbs up

----------


## Turgenev

> Great stuff as usual Turgenev. I really like your style on the old school maps you make. /thumbs up


Thanks Doirche. I always have a great time making these maps. It helps me unwind.  :Wink:

----------


## Turgenev

Another cavern map (click to enlarge)... 

Colour Background:


White Background:

----------


## Turgenev

Here's an old School map (as always, click to enlarge) inspired by... the Tokyo Subway system (I kid you not!):



Areas 14 and 23 have large 10 ft by 10 ft wells that lead to the lower level. Same with the secret trap door in Area 11.

----------


## ravells

You should put them all together and make a mega map!

----------


## Turgenev

> You should put them all together and make a mega map!


You're reading my mind.  :Smile:  The first map is based on the Roppongi-Akasaka line (of course I embellished it a bit). A dungeon inspired by the Aoyama-Shibuya is next (it spins off from the well/open pit in Area 14 on the last map).

----------


## Turgenev

This dungeon map (click to enlarge) branches from the well/open pit of Area 14 on the previous map:



This map is inspired by the Aoyama-Shibuya line of the Tokyo Subway line. Obviously I've changed things here & there to make it more suitable for a dungeon map (a straight copy just isn't kosher).  :Wink:

----------


## Turgenev

This dungeon map (click to enlarge) branches from the well/open pit of Area 23 on the first "subway" dungeon map (Dungeon-041.jpg):



This map was inspired by the Hiroo-Daikanyama line of the Tokyo Subway system. Area 14 has a large ominous pit in the centre of the chamber.

----------


## Turgenev

This dungeon map continues from the secret trap door in the floor of Area 11 (this is a deep 40 ft climb down) on the first "subway" dungeon map (Dungeon-041.jpg):



This map was inspired by the Shinjuku-Yotsuya line of the Tokyo Subway system. The shaded area of the map (see rooms 18 & 19) is at a lower elevation than the rest of the map.

----------


## Turgenev

This dungeon map continues from Area 17 of the previous "subway" dungeon map (Dungeon-044.jpg):



This map was inspired by the Ochanomizu-Kanda line of the Tokyo Subway system.

----------


## Turgenev

In case people were interested, here is the original map for the Shinjuku-Yotsuya subway line:



That inspired the following map:


As you can see my dungeon map isn't a direct copy but the original map certainly had its influence in the design. It just goes to prove you never know where the inspiration can come from for one's maps.  :Smile:

----------


## Turgenev

This dungeon map continues from the top/north stairway of Area 17 of the 2nd last "subway" dungeon map (Post #62: Dungeon-044.jpg):



This map was inspired by the Ginza-Nihonbashi line of the Tokyo Subway system.

----------


## Turgenev

I put the subway maps together (so far) to help illustrate their position to one another.

The red star on Level 1 is the entrance from ground level. The red lines to the left show how the sub-levels connect. The red X represents the secret trap door in the floor to level 2.


Entrance to level 2 is from the secret trap door in the ceiling (red X). The red arrows show where the maps continue to Level 3A & Level 3B and beyond.

Elevation wise, the shaded area of Level 2 is in between the main floor of level 2 and the area of Level 3A.

Only six more maps to go.  :Smile:

----------


## Doirche

Looks like Turgenev has a "megadungeon" in the making  :Wink: 

I really really like how you shaded the lower area in the map. The way you draw the rubble is also slick... 

Let's see more  :Smile:

----------


## Turgenev

> Looks like Turgenev has a "megadungeon" in the making


Yup and you can thank the following book for the inspiration behind these maps.

 :Very Happy: 




> I really really like how you shaded the lower area in the map. The way you draw the rubble is also slick...


On a new layer (under the main dungeon wall layer), I selected the area that I wanted to colour with the select tool (polygonal lasso in this case). I then subtracted the bit from the selection where the above corridor went over it. I then used the paint bucket tool to fill the selected area with a grey colour. I turned the layer's blending options to 'multiply' so you can see the grid underneath it. I made sure that the layers that had the doors and pit traps were above the grey layer. That's all I did to get that effect. I use the same technique to create water layers (but use blue instead of grey). Not much to it.  :Wink: 




> Let's see more


I'm working on it.  :Smile:

----------


## torstan

I love it. This is a classic 1st Edition style map. Good work. Are you using this for your own games or is this one just for fun?

----------


## Turgenev

> I love it. This is a classic 1st Edition style map. Good work. Are you using this for your own games or is this one just for fun?


At this point, the subway maps are mostly for fun but that doesn't mean I won't be using them for my 1st edition AD&D game in the future.  :Wink:  My players are still exploring this map and the ruins above it:



 :Very Happy:

----------


## RPMiller

> Another cavern map (click to enlarge)...


Love the cavern maps!

----------


## RPMiller

> Yup and you can thank the following book for the inspiration behind these maps.
> 
> On a new layer (under the main dungeon wall layer), I selected the area that I wanted to colour with the select tool (polygonal lasso in this case). I then subtracted the bit from the selection where the above corridor went over it. I then used the paint bucket tool to fill the selected area with a grey colour. I turned the layer's blending options to 'multiply' so you can see the grid underneath it. I made sure that the layers that had the doors and pit traps were above the grey layer. That's all I did to get that effect. I use the same technique to create water layers (but use blue instead of grey). Not much to it. 
> 
> I'm working on it.


Very cool idea! I love how you made the connection and leap to dungeon. That is a great thing to consider when we are stumped on ideas. Thank you. Repped.

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks for the rep, RPMiller. I'll be doing more cavern maps in the future once I get done with this mega-dungeon. As for the book I'm using as my inspiration, it has maps of the various areas of Tokyo and when I first looked at the book, I remember thinking that some of those maps would make excellent fantasy town maps (another I want to try in the near future). 

When I first saw this book at the library, I instantly had the idea of making fantasy based maps from it but I ended up putting the book back on the shelf (I already had my limit of books I was checking out). I ended up thinking about that book all week so when I went back to the library I grabbed it and the rest is history.  :Wink:

----------


## Turgenev

This dungeon map continues from the stairway of Area 11 of the "Level 3A" map (Dungeon-045.jpg):



This map was inspired by the Ueno-Asakusa line of the Tokyo Subway system. The blue represents water. I envision the pit trap in Area 21 to be a collapsing bridge trap or perhaps a covered pit trap that locks the victim inside and then floods. The dotted line between rooms 17 & 18 represents an illusionary wall.

----------


## Turgenev

I've expanded the layout map with the latest finished level. It would look like this...



Level 4B would start its own layout map.

----------


## Turgenev

This map continues from the stairway of Area 13 of "Level 3B" dungeon map (Dungeon-046.jpg):



This map was inspired by the Ikebukuro-Arakawa line of the Tokyo Subway system.

----------


## Turgenev

This map continues from the stairway of Area 21 of the last map (Dungeon-048.jpg):



This map was inspired by the Meguro-Shinagawa line of the Tokyo Subway system.

----------


## delgondahntelius

Wow... you've been busy  :Very Happy: 

I love it ... False doors... I think false doors should be used more often by dungeon designers  :Laughing:  Its fun watching a party try to get one open .... they figure since it won't open it has to be important! ..  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turgenev

> Wow... you've been busy 
> 
> I love it ... False doors... I think false doors should be used more often by dungeon designers  Its fun watching a party try to get one open .... they figure since it won't open it has to be important! ..


Heh heh, one of my favourite tricks is to have the "false" door be a real door that is locked and when it gets open, there is a stone/brick wall behind it with some sort of trap built in it (spear trap/acid trap/fireball tap/etc).  :Evil: 

I'm about half way through my map book so I have many more maps on the way.

----------


## delgondahntelius

I like that fill you used for the stone.... is that from playing around with filter effects?

----------


## Turgenev

> I like that fill you used for the stone.... is that from playing around with filter effects?


Yup. I start with a pure black background (#000000). I then add a Noise filter effect (around 37% Amount; Gaussian Distribution; Monochromatic effect). That gives me the base effect. Then when I add the Ripple filter, that tones down the white of the Noise filter to give me the final look.

----------


## Turgenev

I've finally got around to making another layout map & dungeon map.

Here's the layout map of my last two dungeon maps:


In the above layout map, X marks the entrance from the last layout map. The red arrow leads to the following map (click to enlarge):

This map is inspired by the Bay Area line of the Tokyo Subway Line. I see the rough area that leads to Area #2 as a rough crawl space. I also see the black area of Area #29 as a permanent area of Darkness.

----------


## torstan

Does the permanent area of darkness correspond to a particular part of the Tokyo subway line?

I love your inspiration for these. Great maps.

----------


## Turgenev

> Does the permanent area of darkness correspond to a particular part of the Tokyo subway line?


Heh heh, not that I am aware of (not counting power outages).  :Razz:  I wanted to fill the circular area with something I haven't used before and I came up with the idea of a sphere of darkness. Imagine walking into a large underground chamber only to see a wall of darkness ahead of you. If I was really evil, I would have put an open pit in the area where the darkness is. 




> I love your inspiration for these. Great maps.


Thanks torstan. I better finish up this mega-dungeon because I have to return the book back to the library next week. Then it will be time for something different.

----------


## RPMiller

A series of randomly placed pits would be even more evil.  :Twisted:

----------


## delgondahntelius

pits should never be random!!! they should immediately be placed directly in front of the nearest annoying PC!!!  :Very Happy:  or... Directly under works well too  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turgenev

LOL! That gives me an idea... what about a room with a rotating (revolving) floor with covered pit traps. Perhaps the floor is triggered by special pressure plates that can be located throughout the dungeon). That way the PCs never know where the pits will be unless they take the precaution of marking the floor.

Hmmmm... I just had an idea for a deep dungeon level that has covered pits in the ceiling that randomly open and dump things (water, sewage, green slime, etc) onto the level (or PCs as the case may be). In this case the PCs wouldn't worry about falling into something but something falling unto them.  :Wink:

----------


## delgondahntelius

You could always have a trigger that randomly 'teleports' several pits around a floor.... perhaps shifting intermittently every x amount of rounds as the move through ... perhaps... even teleporting with a previous unfortunate PC as it resets when it teleports.... providing a challenging encounter as he and his friends try to locate and retrieve him and most likely offering you the GM quite a fun evilly enjoyable time  :Very Happy:

----------


## Ascension

Remind me not to play with you guys, I always play a paladin (character flaw on my part) and the idea of falling into random pits lined with stakes makes me itchy.

----------


## Turgenev

Don't worry, Ascension. I'm not an Evil DM as I sound... I'm only quasi-Evil.  :Razz:

----------


## delgondahntelius

I on the other hand.... am Evil... and would readily do this to PC's including Paladins... which are my favorite class to DM ... my players who play Paladin's get handed a small 10 page explination of their God (Baldur, Blind god of Justice) and the organization of the White Circle including all of its rites, edicts, code of ethics and conduct, and all the other good stuff that comes with playing a paladin.  :Very Happy: 

I'd let them fall in a pit same as the others however.... I have no such code...  :Very Happy:

----------


## Ghalev

Lovely stuff. Makes me think "If Charles M. Schulz had been born a couple of decades later and been a Dungeon Master instead of a world-famous cartoonist ..." in the best possible way. Lots of warmth in the rippled lines, casual font, etc.

----------


## Turgenev

> Lovely stuff. Makes me think "If Charles M. Schulz had been born a couple of decades later and been a Dungeon Master instead of a world-famous cartoonist ..." in the best possible way. Lots of warmth in the rippled lines, casual font, etc.


Wow, I think that's one of the best compliments I have ever received. Thanks Ghalev.

----------


## Turgenev

This dungeon continues from the stairway of Area 32 of the last map (Dungeon-050.jpg).



This map was inspired by the Chuo line of the Tokyo Subway system. The secret door to Area 7 is at the bottom of the pit (hence why the room is grey to show it is at a different level than the rest of the corridor). Area 8 has an old and crumbling bridge that covers a deep chasm. Perhaps there is a chance that the bridge will crumble if too much weight is placed on it.

----------


## Turgenev

This dungeon continues from the stairway of Area 30 of the 2nd last map (Dungeon-050.jpg).



This map was inspired by the Keio line of the Tokyo Subway system. The steps leading to Area 12 render properly in the full sized version. 

Happy Canada Day everyone!   :Cool:

----------


## Turgenev

Here's the layout map for the last couple of posts...

----------


## Turgenev

This is the final map (Level 8 ) for the "Subway" Mega-Dungeon. This map continues from the stairway of Area 34 of Level 7B (Dungeon-051.jpg).



Technically this map wasn't inspired by the subway map book (I returned it to the library earlier today) but it was inspired by a light fixture in the waiting room at the Doctor's (what can I say, I was bored because I forgot my book).  :Razz:

----------


## ravells

If ever there was a 'Dungeon Master' it would have to be you!

----------


## Turgenev

> If ever there was a 'Dungeon Master' it would have to be you!


LOL! Does that mean I have to change my profile image to this?



 :Razz:

----------


## torstan

YES! Definitely.  :Very Happy:

----------


## delgondahntelius

Omg Yes!!!!!

You Have To Change It Now!!!!

----------


## Turgenev

LOL! I actually did change it.  :Wink:  It is a switch for me because for the longest time I was known in some circles as the _Villains & Vigilantes guy_ because of my V&V RPG Page. *grin*

----------


## delgondahntelius

geez.. I laughed so hard when I saw that.... I actually had vanilla coke shoot out my nose.... fortunately ... the keyboard and the tablet are ok...  :Very Happy:

----------


## delgondahntelius

Does that mean I get to be 



The evil guy?? 

Man, I loved this series  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turgenev

> Does that mean I get to be 
> 
> 
> 
> The evil guy??


Did you know that Venger was Dungeon Master's son? If you enjoy this series, I highly recommend the DVD box set. Fun stuff.

Happy Independence Day to my American friends!

----------


## delgondahntelius

Ya.... I actually did know that... how sad are we?

----------


## Turgenev

LOL! That's nothing. You should see the D&D cartoon and Gatchaman (aka G-Force) avatars that I have created.  :Razz:

----------


## Ascension

Ooh ooh wasn't their ship named something like Fiery Phoenix?  Of course I'd like to see that one.

----------


## Turgenev

> Ooh ooh wasn't their ship named something like Fiery Phoenix?  Of course I'd like to see that one.


Yup that's the one. 'Gatchaman' aka 'Battle of the Planets' aka 'G-Force, Guardians of the Galaxy' aka 'Eagle Riders'. The original cartoon (Gatchaman) is way better than any of the English versions (and a lot for more violent than you would expect for a kid's cartoon from 1972). The various incarnations of the series get worse and worse as you go along (IMNSHO). I don't want to get too off topic on this thread but here is a humour site I've created dedicated to Gatchaman and its incarnations (some of the jokes should be obvious to non-fans and some are more for the fans of the series): http://paratime.ca/gatcha_funnies.html

----------


## Turgenev

Time for a new map...



Area 2 is suppose to represent the whole maze and the pit traps within it. I originally was toying with the idea that this whole area would be one giant room (340 ft x 110 ft) and when the PCs step into it, they would set off a trap that would make the whole area shake and suddenly stone walls would raise up from the floor creating the maze. Maybe I'll save that idea for another map.

----------


## delgondahntelius

> Yup that's the one. 'Gatchaman' aka 'Battle of the Planets' aka 'G-Force, Guardians of the Galaxy' aka 'Eagle Riders'. The original cartoon (Gatchaman) is way better than any of the English versions (and a lot for more violent than you would expect for a kid's cartoon from 1972). The various incarnations of the series get worse and worse as you go along (IMNSHO). I don't want to get too off topic on this thread but here is a humour site I've created dedicated to Gatchaman and its incarnations (some of the jokes should be obvious to non-fans and some are more for the fans of the series): http://paratime.ca/gatcha_funnies.html


I actually remember seeing that in my youth ... tho only briefly .... I grew up on Johnny Quest, Thundarr the Barbarian... Space Ghost... (Wonder Twin Powers --- ACTIVATE!!!).. the Justice League right on into He-Man, GI Joe, M.A.S.K., and Thundercats .... (Mumm-Ra rocked... _Ancient spirits of evil, transform this decayed form to Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living!) ...._ 

Oh... and Scooby of course... which I've become a collector of in the last decade or so... people just keep buying me scooby doo stuff...I never actually decided to collect it ... but someone somwhere decided for me.. lol  :Very Happy: 

sorry for the the off topic...

Great map (man I say that a lot), I think you may be addicted tho... huh? .. admit it.. its a driving compulsion you really can't help...  :Very Happy:  I know... I do it too... map map map

heh

----------


## Turgenev

> I actually remember seeing that in my youth ... tho only briefly .... I grew up on Johnny Quest, Thundarr the Barbarian... Space Ghost... (Wonder Twin Powers --- ACTIVATE!!!).. the Justice League right on into He-Man, GI Joe, M.A.S.K., and Thundercats .... (Mumm-Ra rocked... _Ancient spirits of evil, transform this decayed form to Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living!) ...._


Battle of the Planets is what got me hooked on anime and cartoons in general. It wasn't until after university I discovered Gatchaman and I was hooked ever since. BTW, Johnny Quest and Thundarr the Barbarian rule! same with Space Ghost, Galaxy Trio, Herculoids, Superfriends, Hong Kong Phooey and many more. I never got into He-Man, GI Joe, M.A.S.K. or Thundercats. I'm more of a 60s/70s cartoon fan than the 80s (there are a few exceptions like Bionic Six, Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, Robotech, to name a few).




> Oh... and Scooby of course... which I've become a collector of in the last decade or so... people just keep buying me scooby doo stuff...I never actually decided to collect it ... but someone somwhere decided for me.. lol


I'm a Scooby Doo fan (especially the classic series). My wife is a huge fan of Scooby Doo but we only buy the DVDs.




> sorry for the the off topic...


I don't mind talking about my fav cartoons.  :Wink: 




> Great map (man I say that a lot), I think you may be addicted tho... huh? .. admit it.. its a driving compulsion you really can't help...  I know... I do it too... map map map
> 
> heh


LOL! I think it is more accurate to say I'm addicted to Photoshop. Maps, avatars, PDF covers, RPG Character Sheets, image manipulations... they are all just symptoms of my addiction.  :Cool:

----------


## delgondahntelius

I love my photoshop and my maps... but... PDF covers?? you mean.. just any ol' random PDF cover? ... I thought my interests delved a little into the 'quirky' but I can't say I've ever heard of having an itch for PDF covers... 

Character sheets on the other hand.. I do understand... myself... I collect Dice rollers, excel sheets and ... random generation programs and websites... I dunno, I never use them for anything.. but I have these things tucked away in zip files all over the place... my favorite being Tablesmith ... Though I have somewhat of a Knack for coming up with good solid fantasy names... in a pinch the name generators come in handy ... and I love playing with the town generators as well...  can ya tell I like random generators??

----------


## Turgenev

> I love my photoshop and my maps... but... PDF covers?? you mean.. just any ol' random PDF cover? ... I thought my interests delved a little into the 'quirky' but I can't say I've ever heard of having an itch for PDF covers...


PDF covers as in when I make my own gaming PDFs, I make fancy covers for them. Here's is the cover for the upcoming PDF write-up of my current campaign:





> Character sheets on the other hand.. I do understand... myself... I collect Dice rollers, excel sheets and ... random generation programs and websites... I dunno, I never use them for anything.. but I have these things tucked away in zip files all over the place... my favorite being Tablesmith ... Though I have somewhat of a Knack for coming up with good solid fantasy names... in a pinch the name generators come in handy ... and I love playing with the town generators as well...  can ya tell I like random generators??


I've used Tablesmith before, not not recently. I have it somewhere on one of my external hard drives.  :Wink:  I use various web name generators that I have bookmarked for the most part. I sometimes use the various other randon generators that are on the Seventh Sanctum site.

----------


## delgondahntelius

OHHH.. that's right, I forgot yer in the publishing market as well... as well as graphic design and website creation.... and probably doing much better at it ... lol... <sigh> 

Nice cover tho, looks legit to me  :Very Happy: ... 


I like Seventh Sanctum, I used it last week for a couple of my players trying to come up with names for background contacts...  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turgenev

I don't publish (not yet at least - I am looking at lulu.com though as an option). My RPG PDFs are for personal use for the most part because I'm usually using other people's IP (game systems & setting material). I've been thinking of putting together a PDF (or series of PDFs) of my various maps actually.

----------


## delgondahntelius

That would certainly make it convenient and handy .... A themed set perhaps...  :Very Happy: 

heh... I'm watching Du&Dr cartoon... episode 5....  was I the only one that thought they could have just chopped off the chevalier's head and what would have made me the saddest was the fact that I didn't get to do it....  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turgenev

> That would certainly make it convenient and handy .... A themed set perhaps... 
> 
> heh... I'm watching Du&Dr cartoon... episode 5....  was I the only one that thought they could have just chopped off the chevalier's head and what would have made me the saddest was the fact that I didn't get to do it....


LOL! I can't be much of a D&D cartoon fan because I had to google that episode to know which one you were talking about.  :Wink:  Ah yes, the Warduke episode. I have some nice screen caps from that episode.

As for the PDFs, I think themed PDFs are the way to go. I hope to put something together when I can find the time. I'm too busy enjoying the summer at the moment.

----------


## Turgenev

I thought I would try something a bit different. 



This one is a big one (large version is 2000 pixels by 1980 px). The bridge in Area 60 rotates to gain access to the different sections of this dungeon. Here's a weird idea, perhaps the bridge is stationary and it is the dungeon that rotates.  :Laughing:

----------


## Steel General

That is one honking big dungeon!  :Very Happy: 

I like the idea of the rotating bridge.

----------


## ravells

I like the fact that all four quarters of the dungeon do not connect so the bridge becomes extra important!

----------


## Turgenev

I had originally thought about putting secret passages between the different sections but then nixed that idea because I wanted the bridge to play a significant role. As for how the bridge rotates is up to the DM. It could be a puzzle on the pivot on the bridge (images of Obiwan Kenobi in the Death Star  :Razz: ), or maybe some sort of switch/puzzle elsewhere that needs to be solved before the bridge will give access to the rest of the dungeon. I like the idea of using a deadman's switch (the bridge will move when the switch is thrown but if it isn't held in place, the bridge returns to its N-S orientation).

----------


## waldronate

A cruel person might add two (or more) other bridge-type things to connect other parts that all change at the same time or a subset that changes in accordance with some code. A pain to keep track of but disconcerting to players, especially if there is more than one agent moving around and adjusting control points.

----------


## Turgenev

I was thinking of calling this the _Dungeon of the Four Winds_ and have each section named after the Anemoi of Greek Mythology: Boreas (North Section), Notus (South Section), Zephyrus (West Section) and Eurus (East Section). Or perhaps I should use the appropriate Greyhawk Deity reference: Telchur (North Wind), Sotillion (South Wind), Wenta (West Wind) and Atroa (East Wind).

----------


## Turgenev

This dungeon level can be used by itself or with my Castle Ruins Dungeon. The trap door in the ceiling (Area 1) could easily be located in the pit or well of the castle ruins' dungeon.

----------


## Turgenev

Here's a Cavern Map located on a mountain cliff that I've been working on. I've included two versions of the map.

----------


## Steel General

Cool! I like the dimension they have, I think I prefer the 'brown' one over the other, be nice to see one in some kind of mossy green stone maybe (just for fun).

----------


## Turgenev

> Cool! I like the dimension they have, I think I prefer the 'brown' one over the other, be nice to see one in some kind of mossy green stone maybe (just for fun).


I prefer the textured one as well but if I didn't produce a map that was more old school some people would be disappointed (maybe not here but probably at the Dragonsfoot Forums  :Razz: ). That reminds me, I still need to make a b&w map version.

I really need to make more cavern maps. They are fun to make and always useful for D&D as well (no matter what edition one plays).

----------


## Turgenev

Just to let people know, I was using a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivatives 2.5 Canada License but have changed it to a *Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License*. This way people can now fine tune the maps on my cartography site for their own games and post them on their sites (what-have-you) as long as the CC conditions are met. So far, only my Wizard's Ring maps don't fall under the CC license (as of yet). Now there is no need to contact me for every little change.  :Wink:

----------


## Turgenev

I haven't done a small dungeon in a while. I figured this would be good for an evening's adventuring or for a side trek. That's a slide trap that leads to the pit in Room #8.

----------


## Tancread

Classic. I love old school dungeons. Now I want to go grab some graph paper..

----------


## Turgenev

Here's another small '_old school_' dungeon...

----------


## Turgenev

I'm on a roll. Here's a small crypt/tomb. I had fun creating the skull compass.  :Wink:

----------


## Turgenev

Another dungeon... The left side passage is labeled 7a to 7i. The cave area has stalactites hanging from the ceiling. The secret temple (Room 32) is submerged.

----------


## loydb

You've got some really nice work in here!

----------


## crackerjake

I like this piece quite a bit  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks guys. I was thinking that the last map would make a great Kuo-Toa base with the water in Room 6 (and perhaps Room 31) leading to an underground ocean/sea.

----------


## The Cartographist

Turgs - I don't believe that I've commented in this thread yet, but I really like your work.  And the fact that you can pump them out as fast as you can is pretty impressive.  Keep it up!

----------


## Turgenev

> Turgs - I don't believe that I've commented in this thread yet, but I really like your work.  And the fact that you can pump them out as fast as you can is pretty impressive.  Keep it up!


Thanks Cartographist. It is amazing what one can accomplish when one doesn't watch a lot of TV. (just/kidding) In many ways, designing these maps is a creative outlet for me so I find it relaxing to work on a map when I have a spare moment. I have several maps in various states of completion to work on when the mood strikes me.

----------


## crackerjake

that underground ocean idea sounds really cool!

----------


## Wraithman168

Wow Turgenev,  Thanks for all of the nice maps for broke DM's like myself!  You have a real talent for that.

----------


## thebax2k

I remember stumbling across your map thread on Dragonsfoot when you had only posted about 12 maps or so Turgenev, you've only gotten better since.

I think the undersea dungeon would be really cool.  I remember stumbling across an adventure in Dungeon Magazine several years back that consisted of an underwater mages lair--several domes with rooms linked by tunnels (unlike a kuo-toa lair it was air tight).  Now that I think about it, a kuo-toa lair would have to have some places to breathe normally as the kuo-toa always struck me as amphibious.

----------


## Turgenev

> Wow Turgenev,  Thanks for all of the nice maps for broke DM's like myself!  You have a real talent for that.


No problem. I'm glad you've enjoyed the maps so far.




> I remember stumbling across your map thread on Dragonsfoot when you had only posted about 12 maps or so Turgenev, you've only gotten better since.


Thanks for the kind words. I've learned a lot since I first started. I'm always tinkering around with Photoshop and there is always something new to learn. 




> I think the undersea dungeon would be really cool.  I remember stumbling across an adventure in Dungeon Magazine several years back that consisted of an underwater mages lair--several domes with rooms linked by tunnels (unlike a kuo-toa lair it was air tight).  Now that I think about it, a kuo-toa lair would have to have some places to breathe normally as the kuo-toa always struck me as amphibious.


I'm not sure if you've seen this (probably have but just in case) but I did do this dungeon with the idea that is was submerged with either air pockets in it or with raised area above the water (DM's choice). I have a few more ideas for such a dungeon including an idea for a lizardman lair.

----------


## RPMiller

You know what would be utterly evil? Figure out how long your players' characters can hold their breath and how fast they can swim and then make a passage that requires them to not stop along the way to make it to the other side. Then either put some beasties at the halfway mark that won't attack them unless they are attacked or put some heavy treasure there that will slow them down. Then see if which is more important to them, their PC's life, treasure/killing stuff.  :Twisted:

----------


## Turgenev

That is evil, RPMiller. I like it.  :Very Happy:  That's why I put so many dead ends in my above map - if the characters get lost, they run the chance of using up their oxygen and drowning. 

One of my original ideas for the map was this... the whole dungeon is submerged and the dry areas are kept that way by some enchantment. So when the PCs enter room #1, they see a wall of water in front of them. The magic holds the water back but it doesn't prevent movement through it (ie the PCs/monsters can walk/swim through and interact).

Here's the catch, on the dais in Room #4 is a large jewelled chalice with water in it (obviously worth lots of GPs - there's nothing like tempting the players' greed). Should the water spill out of the chalice, the enchantment is broken and the surrounding water comes crashing in with great fury flooding the whole dungeon.

----------


## Turgenev

I was working on a few action scripts and so I started with a test dungeon that ended up becoming a "real" dungeon.  :Wink:  So here it is...

----------


## The Cartographist

The Chalice idea is really nice.  Mind if I steal it?

Like the newest dungeon, too.

----------


## Turgenev

> The Chalice idea is really nice.  Mind if I steal it?
> 
> Like the newest dungeon, too.


Feel free to use the chalice idea. I doubt I will get around to using it.  :Wink:

----------


## RPMiller

> The Chalice idea is really nice.  Mind if I steal it?
> 
> Like the newest dungeon, too.


I concur. On both counts.

----------


## shadowkhai

I wanted to add my many thanks for sharing your work with us.  I have a campaign that I've worked in your whole subway inspired series of dungeons and I'm really excited about it.  

So kudos to you and please continue your excellent work.

----------


## Turgenev

> I wanted to add my many thanks for sharing your work with us.  I have a campaign that I've worked in your whole subway inspired series of dungeons and I'm really excited about it.  
> 
> So kudos to you and please continue your excellent work.


Thanks shadowkhai. I have to admit, when I first started making these maps, I had no idea that people would actually be interested in them, let alone use them. It still surprises me that people are interested in them. Best of luck on your campaign.

----------


## Turgenev

I'm thinking that this map would make a good Lizardman lair.

----------


## Turgenev

Okay, I thought I would try something a bit different. I took this picture:



And turned it into this (click to enlarge):

----------


## Steel General

Cool stuff... you could probably take a whole book of kids mazes and make some pretty cool dungeons out of them.

----------


## Turgenev

Here's my latest dungeon. Room #45 is some sort of temple/shrine with an altar and a deep sacrificial pit.

----------


## Turgenev

Here is a cavern map (click to enlarge) I drew for a module that I'm currently writing. More about that once I finish it. This map is the first of three total. I plan on doing two more cavern maps for this adventure.

Area 7 has three 8 ft tall pillars made from fortified (petrified?) wood with potential prisoners still tied to them. Area 11 has a wooden bridge and two 4 ft posts (for tying rafts/boats to). Area 16 has two pillars (exactly the same as those in Area 7).

----------


## Steel General

Very cool!

----------


## delgondahntelius

Excellent work Turg!! tried to rep but man .... I guess it thinks i'm just stingy and give it you all the time or something.... so... i'm off to go hit some more people so I can get back here and give ya some of that well earned REP  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks SG and Del (thanks for the rep as well). I'm working on the next cavern map and hope to have it done soon.

----------


## Turgenev

Here is the next cavern map. I'm thinking that a part of this cavern is a Troglodyte lair. Area 8 is a giant fungi cavern. Areas 10 and 16 have open lava flows. Area 17 has some sort of giant insect lair (perhaps cultivated, or at least raided by the Troglodytes). Areas 18 - 21 would be the main living quarters. Area 22 is either a secret chamber or an access to even deeper caverns.

----------


## delgondahntelius

I'm not sure about area 17 .... they look like giant breasts to me...  :Very Happy:

----------


## RPMiller

Did you mean for that to be out loud?  :Wink:

----------


## delgondahntelius

No, I was thinking it... why?  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turgenev

LOL! If they are giant breasts then they would be giant troglodyte breasts. Eeewwwww...  :Laughing: 

And here's the final cave system for the adventure I'm writing. Entrance to this cave system is through the hole in the ceiling at Area #1. The black circle in the centre is a column of stone that rises to the ceiling (see Room 9 of the 2nd attached map). Area 14 has a sinkhole and Area 15 has an ancient temple. 

The second attached file is the dungeon map I'm using for this adventure. Cavern 8 leads to the other cavern maps I already posted.

----------


## Turgenev

Life has been a bit crazy on my end of things but I have been able to get one more dungeon map finished at least.

----------


## Steel General

You are a regular dungeon assembly line my friend.

----------


## Turgenev

LOL! I find map making a useful way to rejuvenate my energies after a hard day and/or evening.  :Wink:

----------


## Turgenev

I had my hobgoblin overseers crack their whips and thus I present a new map from the dungeon assembly line. Those gnome designers certainly can work when motivated.  :Laughing: 

Edited to add a printer friendly version of the map.  :Wink:

----------


## Turgenev

Here's another smaller dungeon. Room 5 has a sigil painted on the floor.  :Wink:

----------


## Turgenev

Here's another smaller sized dungeon. The secret chamber (Room 6A) has a pit with a ladder. Naturally, what's in this pit and the state of the ladder is up to the DM.  :Wink:

----------


## mathuwm

I like the skull on map 64  did you draw it youself

also is that a scarab altar i see?

----------


## Turgenev

The skull image is from some clip art or copyright free images from Wikicommons (I can't remember which). I tweaked it a little bit (adjusting levels and adding a black stroke effect). As for the scarab, the idea that I had is it is painted/etched on the floor in front of a hidden pit trap. The wings are a subconscious reminder to the inhabitants to stick to the side of the chamber to avoid the trap.  :Wink:

----------


## Turgenev

Here's something a bit different - An ancient City Block based on the city of Olynthos in northern Greece. This ancient city had grid planning with avenues running north and south, intersected at regular intervals by west-east streets. A typical Olynthian house faced inward with an unobtrusive entrance from the street. In this plan, the rooms can be a combination of residences and shops. This plan could be used for an underground city, or a Mediterranean style city block, or anything else the DM's imagination can come up with.  :Wink:

----------


## Turgenev

Here's a mega-dungeon level. The stairs from Room 4 lead to the the corridor to Room 78. Room 76 has a balcony that overlooks the lower area. The skulls on the Compass are originally from Hallowe'en tattoo images from Dover Publications. I'm on their mailing list where they offer free clip art and design samples on a weekly basis.

----------


## Steel General

More cool stuff Turgenev!

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks SG. That map kinda came out of nowhere and wouldn't let me go until I finished it.  :Wink:

----------


## Ascension

Oh I love mega dungeons.  Way back in '85 I made a dungeon just to put 1 of every monster and treasure in.  It had 27 levels and needless to say I never ran that one but it was fun to make.  Keep 'em comin.

----------


## Turgenev

It has been a while since I've posted a dungeon map so here I go.  :Smile: 

I've included the primary map and a printer-friendly (B&W) map. I have also turned the map into a PDF that can be downloaded from here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/8195562/Dungeon-Maps-Vol-1

----------


## Turgenev

This latest map can either continue from the last dungeon map posted or can stand alone.

I've also turned this dungeon map into its own PDF (5009 KB):

----------


## Steel General

I hear that machine running again  :Very Happy: 

*plays intro to Welcome to the Machine*

----------


## Turgenev

_Welcome to the machine, my son..._  :Wink:  Same deal as the last map. This one can either continue from the last dungeon map posted or can stand alone.

I've also turned this dungeon map into its own PDF (5226 KB):

----------


## Turgenev

Another map. I seem to be on a roll...  :Wink: 

I've also turned this dungeon map into its own PDF (5756 KB):

----------


## ravells

Not just the the maps, but the covers look really smart! Great work, Turg!!

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks ravells. I'm having fun producing the pdfs (and the dungeon maps of course  :Razz: ). I'm already working on vol 5 of the series and I have a few more ideas that I want to try out in the near future..  :Wink:

----------


## ravells

My apologies...I meant to say 'not just the maps' instead of 'not the maps'.....last post edited!

----------


## Turgenev

Here's the latest map. I'm thinking of calling areas 44 to 49, "The Ice Caves."

----------


## Turgenev

Here's the latest *Dungeon Maps Vol 6 PDF* (5453 KB):

----------


## Turgenev

I'm working on a flooded dungeon/city concept and I wanted a few geomorphs of the main levels, corridors, junctions, etc. The idea is the GM can take the various pieces and arrange them into whatever order the GM wishes. I'll be turning this project into a PDF that will have numbered and unnumbered maps (like I have been doing).

I was wondering, for the multiple sections like the corridors (see attached map) does this numbering system work? Or should I use a A1, A2, A3, etc for the first corridor, B1, B2, B3, etc for the second and so on? Please note that the attached map is still a work in progress. Naturally, any comments are always welcomed.

----------


## RPMiller

I think the A1, B1 style is easier to handle personally. Makes writing up encounters a lot easier for sure.

----------


## Steel General

I agree with RP... Map A1-Room 3... very simple to keep track of.

----------


## RPMiller

Actually it would be room A3, but I think we are thinking the same thing still where the map is 'A' and it is room 3.

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks guys. That's the route I will probably go with. Personally, I think the unnumbered option works best (that way the DM can assign their own notations) but I want to present both options. 

This project keeps growing. First it was just one map, then I decided to make the corridors, then the junctions. Last night I added another main level. Once I get things worked out, I will post the WIP maps.

----------


## RPMiller

I prefer the unnumbered option if that is an option. That does double duty for me allowing me to use it in a VT if I want, or print it out and have a GM version to refer to.

----------


## Turgenev

Yup, the first corridor would have the annotations of Room A1, A2, A3 etc. The second corridor will have B1, B2, B3, etc. Where it could be confusing where I have a room assigned one number but split into a and b. In that case, it will be easier just to give the sections of the room their own numbers.

----------


## Turgenev

> I prefer the unnumbered option if that is an option. That does double duty for me allowing me to use it in a VT if I want, or print it out and have a GM version to refer to.


For my PDFs, there will be numbered & unnumbered colour maps and the same but in black & white. That way the DM can print whatever version they prefer (and not the whole document). That is why I put the legend on its own page as well. The DM can use it or create one of their own (for example, perhaps the DM wants the symbol for open pits to represent a chute/vent instead).

----------


## Steel General

The machine just keeps ka-chunkin' along...  :Smile:

----------


## torstan

These are really impressive. I keep enjoying this thread but rarely comment. Certainly one I look forward to each day.

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks for the kind words, torstan. I appreciate it. To show how much I appreciate it, here the map that started my flooded underground city idea.  :Razz:  This is a WIP and I'll probably be adding a few more details here & there (like altars, statues, that sort of thing). The corridor map that I posted previously runs off from the sides of this map. I also have a map with two 4-way junctions on it and another map with a main floor layout in the works.

----------


## RPMiller

So just because I'm curious, did the builders of this dungeon intend to flood it? I ask because it appears to have been built to be flooded with a lower elevation main hallway running through out, and a very symmetrical layout with doorways at higher elevations.

Is there perhaps an aquatic monster that roams the flooded areas as a guardian or some such?

----------


## Turgenev

> So just because I'm curious, did the builders of this dungeon intend to flood it? I ask because it appears to have been built to be flooded with a lower elevation main hallway running through out, and a very symmetrical layout with doorways at higher elevations.
> 
> Is there perhaps an aquatic monster that roams the flooded areas as a guardian or some such?


To be honest, the maps came first and now I need to rationalize them.  :Laughing:  At this point I'm leaning towards the idea that the dungeons were flooded on purpose. Some of the later maps have rooms that have access to the water. I picture travel along the waterways are done via small boats/gondolas. Or perhaps the inhabitants are amphibian (semi-aquatic) in nature. 

One idea I had was the complex was a Dwarven outpost first but an evil Aquatic race (Kua-Toa? Deep Ones?) slew the Dwarves and then used their own skills/magic/gods (or all three) to turn the streets into canals and flood the place. Perhaps the original inhabitants had mined their way into a flooded chamber that released the aquatic horrors on them.

Here's the rough draft for the junction chambers:

----------


## RPMiller

> To be honest, the maps came first and now I need to rationalize them.  At this point I'm leaning towards the idea that the dungeons were flooded on purpose. Some of the later maps have rooms that have access to the water. I picture travel along the waterways are done via small boats/gondolas. Or perhaps the inhabitants are amphibian (semi-aquatic) in nature.


Oo... both ideas work.




> One idea I had was the complex was a Dwarven outpost first but an evil Aquatic race (Kua-Toa? Deep Ones?) slew the Dwarves and then used their own skills/magic/gods (or all three) to turn the streets into canals and flood the place. Perhaps the original inhabitants had mined their way into a flooded chamber that released the aquatic horrors on them.
> 
> Here's the rough draft for the junction chambers:


That could work as well.

----------


## Robbie

I gotta tell ya turgenev, you're maps helped me a LOT this weekend...didn't have much time to plan, but needed a dungeon...pulled one from here and customized it to meet my needs, and the players are having a ball!

----------


## Turgenev

I'm glad my maps were able to help you out, Arcana. The way my luck has been going lately, this bit of news made my day.  :Laughing:

----------


## Robbie

Since most of your smaller dungeon maps have two branches that aren't connected, I made one side a gnoll hideout, and the other is a passageway to a shadow crossing.  Yay!

----------


## Turgenev

What's a shadow crossing? Is that a school crossing for baby shadows? Just Kidding.  :Razz: 

I like to set up various factions in my dungeons that are often competing against each other. Throw the Player Characters into the mix and stir. Smart players will pick up on this and  use it to their advantage.

----------


## Turgenev

I was able to get some Photoshop time in and I took advantage of it to finish a dungeon that I started before my computer woes. Here's the full colour version:


And here is a printer-friendly, black & white version:


I really can't wait to get my new computer. I have so much work to catch up on.

----------


## Steel General

Looking forward to hearing 'The Machine' roar back to life!  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turgenev

> Looking forward to hearing 'The Machine' roar back to life!


So am I.  :Very Happy:  Hopefully I will be back in the swing of things by next weekend (fingers and toes are crossed for luck).

----------


## The Good Doctor

Well, I've been impressed.  Great maps and great designs!  The PDF format is really well done, too.

----------


## Turgenev

My wife was kind enough to let me use her computer so I could get some mapping done. I think she could see I was getting fidgety from my Photoshop withdraw.  :Laughing:  I did a quick and simple dungeon. I've included the colour version and the printer-friendly version.

----------


## Turgenev

I took one of the cavern maps that I drew by hand and threw it into Photoshop and came up with the following:


I also did the a printer-friendly, black & white version:


*Note:* I noticed I forgot to include a white circle behind the number 6 so I changed the map to correct this. I also turned this map into a PDF (5487 KB):

----------


## Hoel

Nice and easy. Shows that you really can make a useful map without all that mucking about..

----------


## Steel General

Ahh yes, the dulcet tones to Turgenev's Dungeon Making Machine - makes me feel all warm inside  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turgenev

I got another cave system done. Here's the textured version.


And the black & white version:


I have at least two more cave maps scanned and a couple more to be scanned.

----------


## Turgenev

I created the PDF (5410 KB) for the last batch of cavern maps:

----------


## Turgenev

I did a quick & dirty dungeon map.

----------


## RPMiller

> I did a quick & dirty dungeon map.


Hm... it looks pretty clean to me. Are you sure its dirty?  :Wink:   :Evil:

----------


## Turgenev

> Hm... it looks pretty clean to me. Are you sure its dirty?


It was dirty but I guess someone let lose a Gelatinous Cube and it cleaned things up in its own unusual way.  :Razz:

----------


## Steel General

I think there's a clock-work Rhumba robot vacuum wandering the halls  :Smile:

----------


## Turgenev

Another quick dungeon.

----------


## Turgenev

Another quick dungeon. Here's the textured version:


And here's the black & white (printer friendly) version:

----------


## Turgenev

I got the itch to do a mega-dungeon level (after doing those smaller dungeons). Here is what I came up with...

*The Textured Version:*


*The Printer Friendly Version:*


I've also created a PDF version (5668 KB):

----------


## Steel General

ka-chunk, ka-chunk, ka-chunk... I can hear the machine chugging along.  :Smile:

----------


## Turgenev

Aye, full steam ahead with cartography gnomes stoking the boilers.  :Razz:

----------


## Turgenev

This is my 75th dungeon map (not counting any of the caverns, buildings, or special designs like my Wizard's Ring maps, etc.) so I decided to go all out and go a truly mega-dungeon level.

Colour Version:


Black & White Version:


I would hate to be the one to stat out this dungeon.  :Laughing:

----------


## Steel General

Holy mega-dungeon Batman!  :Very Happy:

----------


## Ascension

Mega indeed  :Smile:

----------


## Hoel

umm.. our GM just dumped us in a large-ish dungeon.... I'm warming up to th idea of dungeons as a concept. Never thought of them as serious rpg locations before. How do you explain a gelationous cube living next door to 1d10 goblins?

----------


## Turgenev

> umm.. our GM just dumped us in a large-ish dungeon.... I'm warming up to th idea of dungeons as a concept. Never thought of them as serious rpg locations before. How do you explain a gelationous cube living next door to 1d10 goblins?


It obviously depends on your DM, but I like to think of dungeons as a living environment. That means its inhabitants interact with each other and not always on friendly terms. Perhaps those goblins give the gelatinous cube a wide berth because they know it moves around and cleans up the crap in the corridors (perhaps they like to follow it and pick up the odd trinket that falls out of it - the odd unfortunate goblin gets too close and gets eaten by the cube). Perhaps the goblins might have various defenses (barricades made from cast away furniture?) in place to protect their lair from the cube's midnight raids. A DM will have to take the dungeon ecology into consideration when making a place that seems plausible.

I also like to have various political/racial/power factions within the dungeons that smart players might take advantage of. Players might learn that the gnolls that inhabit one section of the dungeon have a grudge against the nearby orcs. A party might be able to take advantage of this and play the two groups against each other - at least for a little while until some other power comes into play. 

My dungeons are never static. When the players leave to regroup at the local town, some things will probably change. New inhabitants will show up or old ones will gain in strength (from new arrivals) or perhaps the power structure will change completely - i.e. the players wiped out the goblins so the nearby gnolls have claimed their territory.

----------


## Turgenev

Here's a quick dungeon. The shaded area of 7a is a weak floor that might/will collapse should anyone walk over it. In areas 2 a - 2c, T stands for Trap.

Colour Version:


Black & White (Printer Friendly) Version:

----------


## Turgenev

Old School Blue is in the air. I went with a less neon blue (it was easier on my eyes).

----------


## torstan

That really does bring back memories. Very nice indeed.

----------


## Turgenev

I did another Old School Blue map.

----------


## wormspeaker

> here the map that started my flooded underground city idea.  This is a WIP and I'll probably be adding a few more details here & there (like altars, statues, that sort of thing). The corridor map that I posted previously runs off from the sides of this map. I also have a map with two 4-way junctions on it and another map with a main floor layout in the works.


I love it! So many good ideas here.

I have been really busy at work the last few (6) months and normally I don't have much preparation time before I run a game on Sunday. So I tend to just shoot from the hip and make up stuff as I go along. It helps to have a nice map to focus on and get ideas from. All the maps in this thread have given me months of adventures to pull out of my butt at the last minute. =)

----------


## Turgenev

Glad to been of service, wormspeaker. I really have to go back and finish those underground water city maps one of these days. Same with my latest town map. I have a few things keeping me busy at the moment.

I should use part of your post for my tagline: "_Paratime Design cartography - making maps so you can pull adventures out of your butt at the last minute._"  :Laughing:  :Laughing:  :Laughing:  (just kidding)

----------


## jaerdaph

Blue is the new black.  :Smile: 




> I went with a less neon blue (it was easier on my eyes).


Heh - in CC3, I've been using a darker color to work in too, then changing everything to the old school neon blue when the map is done!

----------


## Turgenev

> Blue is the new black.


It seems that way doesn't it.  :Wink:  I know the blue maps were a hit at the Dragonsfoot boards (where Old school is King).




> Heh - in CC3, I've been using a darker color to work in too, then changing everything to the old school neon blue when the map is done!


I have to admit that at first I was not really interested in blue maps since they don't hold any appeal to me either way (I find some blues are hard on my eyes). Once I drew a few, I had so much fun that I became a convert. I plan on doing a few more blue maps to help fill out the folder on my cartography site and then I will mix things up here & there.  :Wink:

----------


## Turgenev

Here's a maze done in Old School Blue:


Yes, there is no exit.  If you want to be really evil, the exit could be via an underground stream that feeds the pool or some sort of teleporter (to a new location even more dangerous?). Or it could just be a place with no exit where the condemn are sent to be killed by the occupants.  :Razz: 

Okay, back to work for me.

----------


## Turgenev

Another Old School Blue map:

----------


## mathuwm

My word but you are a prolific little Gnome.

good stuff as always

----------


## Steel General

He has a magical machine that does it all for him, but shush...don't tell anyone  :Razz:

----------


## Turgenev

Actually I built the first dungeon myself and then I filled it with enslaved Cartography Gnomes who now do all the work for me. Delegation of responsibilities is an important skill for all evil overlords to learn.  :Laughing: 

*Mundane Explanation:* I did the maze last week but didn't get around to posting it until a few days ago. Stockpiling work and posting them in succession gives a great illusion of speed.  :Wink:  I did the last map during a night when I couldn't sleep. I have a ongoing insomnia problem due to the pain in my feet (from my neuropathy). Those times I can't sleep, I usually spend fooling around with Photoshop. It distracts my mind and helps me forget about the discomfort. That and I don't watch much TV. It is amazing what you can get done when you're not watching TV.*  :Razz: 

* Unless there is new Doctor Who on. I'll gladly give up time to watch that. Can't wait for the next Special!

----------


## Turgenev

I had this dungeon sitting on my computer for a while now so I finally got around to finishing it so here it is.

----------


## Turgenev

I cracked the whip and my gnome cartographers were able to create another dungeon map.  :Razz:

----------


## ravells

At the rate these maps come out I'm surprised your gnomes have any fingers left!!!

----------


## Steel General

They have a really good health-insurance plan  :Smile:

----------


## RPMiller

> They have a really good health-insurance plan


Yea, do it or die.  :Wink:

----------


## Turgenev

LOL! My gnomes have good incentive to work. They either draw or get fed to the ettin (you know what they say - two heads are better than one).  :Razz:

----------


## msa

These maps have such a wonderful old-time feel to them. Its been a blast looking through this thread. I particularly like the background effects around the frame of the map.. they give the illusion of weight without having to print a fully-rendered page.

Thanks!

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks for the compliments, msa. Real life has been keeping me busy lately but I hope to get back to mapping soon.

----------


## Turgenev

Okay, here's my latest dungeon design. 





I imagine the Traps at area 15 to be flames/fireballs that shoot across the corridor. The sigil in are 22 could be just a painting or mosaic on the floor or perhaps it is a magical portal to the elemental plane of water, or the location of a water elemental, or even an entrance to an underground river/lake. 

Depending on the DM's mood, the pit trap in area 25b could be easier to detect because the blood has seeped into the cracks of the pit, or it could be harder to detect because the blood is obscuring any evidence of the trap. 

In the lower temple (area 52), I envision the entrance to the side caves (area 53) is obscured (due to a trick of the lighting and/or architecture) until a character goes towards the altar. The entrance could be treated as a concealed door if one was so inclined.

----------


## Turgenev

I whipped up another dungeon map. I picture this one as a tomb or a crypt (obviously the final decision is with the DM). I've included two colour versions (the plain one and a printer-friendly one), plus the standard black & white version.

----------


## Steel General

Very cool...

----------


## Ascension

I really like the white space there...so often people forget that the negative space in an image can serve as much of a function as all of the stuff we put into it...plus it saves ink  :Smile:   Good job my man.

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks guys. To save on ink was my primary reason for the white space but I also like the look of it. BTW nice new avatar there, Ascension.  :Wink:

----------


## Ascension

Thanks, T, same to you (never got around to saying that, sorry).

----------


## Steel General

Yeah I like both of your new ones - might be time to spice mine up a bit. Maybe for the Fourth of July  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turgenev

SG, are you going to put a big firecracker between its steel jaws for the 4th of July?  :Razz:  <j/k>

----------


## Steel General

Anything is possible at this point, but it might look to much like TrapJaw from He-Man if I did that.  :Smile:

----------


## Turgenev

This is a work in progress. I'm experimenting with a new look/technique. I drew the scroll by hand and scanned it into the computer. The colours and affects are still in an experimental stage.

----------


## Ascension

Diggin that very much.

----------


## Steel General

Yuppers, looking mighty tasty there Turgenev...

----------


## Malazek

Yes, I agree with some of the other comments. Nice, clean, "old school," map. I dig it.

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks everyone. I haven't forgotten about this map but I'm a bit busy at the moment. I hope to get back to it soon.

----------


## wghost

Thanks a lot, Turgenev!
You are my new best friend!  :Very Happy:

----------


## Skaryn

Love these old school maps, it really brings back some memories. I checked out your site , lot of good maps on there!

----------


## JPQuinn

I love your dungeon maps. So clean... so old school. Your maps are the reason I joined the Cartographers' Guild.  :Cool:

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks, guys. I appreciate  the comments. Personally, I find Old School maps inspire my imagination more than photo-realistic maps.

----------


## Turgenev

Here's two dungeons that I'm turning into one of my PDFs (it will be Dungeon Maps Vol 9). I'll post the PDF once I have it ready.

 

In the bottom dungeon, the fire symbols of room 4 represent a series of fire traps. I envision it as a series of small fireballs that shoot back & forth. The trick will be to time it right and run through them without getting hit.  :Wink:  The open pit of 11a connects with the underground stream in 11b.

----------


## Steel General

...and the machine keeps chuggin' along  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turgenev

Damn right.  :Smile:

----------


## JPQuinn

Tim,

I love the maps. We really need to get together sometime and put some story, traps, critters, and stats to some of these dungeon maps. I could chug out 2 or 3 years worth adventure modules with just your maps.

Keep up the great work!!!  :Cool:

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks for the complements, JP. I have a few adventures I've been slowly writing that I hope to get around to publishing at some point. Unlike my map making, I'm a much slower writer.  :Wink: 

Here's the PDF file of the last batch of maps.

----------


## wghost

Thanks a lot, Turgenev!  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turgenev

Here's my latest Dungeon Maps.

 

And here's the PDF.

----------


## Steel General

"k-thunk, k-chunk, k-thunk"  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turgenev

Here's a quick dungeon I did as a break from an adventure I've been working on. The grey areas represent lower elevation. The darker the grey area, the lower the elevation.

----------


## Ascension

This one might be fav so far.  I like to put tunnels on my dungeons like that and your elevations look great.

----------


## Turgenev

Thanks Ascension. I've finally pulled my Wacom tablet out from storage and I'm now using it to draw my caverns. That dungeon was a quick drawing exercise to take a break from my current project. I'm working on the 11 pages of maps for my Hex Cavern adventure. I'm currently alternating between touching up the caverns that I drew by hand and writing out the details of the adventure.

----------


## monks

Brings back a lot of pleasant memories this thread Turgenev. Great stuff! Making these places is like time spent in another world. I remember it was a unique kind of fun.

I understand the problem some have with the concept of a gelatinous cube living next door to 1D10 kobolds though. lol But, you've not populated most of these I'm guessing, so you can take them in any direction you like.
 I started out creating floor plans in this style- the inspiration being that classic dungeon from the Dungeon Master's Guide, :-D I moved on to using way more sketchy maps. The implementation of them in a gaming session became more important than the presentation to me. I found I could create equally convincing game experiences with minimal maps.  I just didn't have the time and it seemed like wasted effort to create something that the players were never going to see.
 We played through the G (Against the Giants), D (Descent Into the Depths of the Earth) and Queen of the Demonweb Pits module series. Some of the maps in those are in this style- especially in the D series I recall; Shrine of the Kuo Toa especially -with the submerged areas.. In that series you have the large overview map which details a vast underground realm connecting all of these modules up, subway map style, with the sunless sea, and the illithids, etc. My later maps became more like that.
 I remember the trickery of the demonweb, where the "corridoors" were interlacing (like celtic knotwork) but the rise and fall in the corridoors was not apparent to anyone in them. I remember chuckling to myself as the party map maker became extremely dumbfounded by that place.
 You can check out some of the last dungeon maps I ever did in the Gundabad thread somewhere on here. I'm still with the maps. (see ME-DEM thread). :-D

monks

----------


## Huma

The best maps I have seen in a very long time. You truely have a talent.

----------


## Damodred

Heya guys!  :Smile:  i'm pretty new here, but i gotto say, i LOVE the work that's been put down here - from the enormous dungeons with over 200 rooms to the smaller ones, where each room got its function (rather than just being boxes filled with nothing but limits). Keep up the good job!  :Very Happy:  This was a great inspiration!  :Smile:

----------


## Lukc

I love the elevations as well, nice touch  :Smile: .

----------


## Thomian

First time going through those maps. Great job. Those old school ones brought back a few memories. Thanks for posting those and the ideas they gave me.

----------


## MapGoon

Thanks for posting these, they are really great.

----------


## arentay

OMG OMG I've been making a dungeon crawler game and couldnt figure out how to do it on a PC or have it in million files of text but your image totally opened my eyes you are so awesome thanks for this look out for the hit game Saibadon!

----------


## tnbrewer83

That is a beautiful yet simple map. I love it!

----------


## Waynan7

What an awesome and incredible collection. Wow!

----------

