# Mapmaking Discussion & Philosophy (WIP/Critique) > Building/Structure Mapping >  Ancient Temples

## Turgenev

I've been working on a few ideas for ancient temples. So far my main influence has been from Classical Greece but I'm sure other influences will work their way into my maps as well. 

The first temple is one I did a while back but I've tweaked it recently (I cleaned up some of the structure walls and outer map area). The layout & pillars (ionic columns) were inspired by the Temple of Apollo at Didyma, near Miletos.

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## Turgenev

Here's my latest temple. Rooms 2, 5, 6 & 8 have narrow slits high in the walls for additional light and air flow. The grey area of Rooms 7 - 9 are of a lower elevation than the rest of the temple.

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## RobA

Just remember that the reason for those many columns was that the greeks, though they knew of the arch, chose not to design buildings using arches or domes, instead preferring a post and lintel construction method...

-Rob A>

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## Turgenev

Your right on the money, Rob. The Greeks used the same construction formula as the Minoan and Mycenaean architects did (ie vertical and horizontal construction). Later the Romans would add the arch and concrete to the construction method. For a fantasy setting, these pillars can serve as building support and/or as a decorative item. There's nothing like real world maps to help inspire the imagination.

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## Turgenev

Time for a new map - a temple shrine with a secret lair located underneath it. A secret trap door in the temple reveals a ladder that extends into the dark all the way down to the final level.

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## Turgenev

*The Temple of the Frog* - an underground temple. I've included the regular and printer friendly version. The large circular section of area #2 can be whatever the DM can dream off... perhaps a large swampy section for breeding amphibians, or a pit of green slime, or some non-terrestrial matter, etc.

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## delgondahntelius

oh.. that is just beautiful!!! exquisite !!

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## Steel General

Very nice Turgenev, great job!

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## Turgenev

Thanks guys. That map started as a circle in the centre of my map and then I drew a square over it and the rest sort of fell into place.

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## Turgenev

Here's another Classical inspired temple based on the Temple of Zeus at Olympia.

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## Steel General

*insert sound effects from the beginning of Pink Floyd's - Welcome To The Machine*

The Turgenev Dungeon Making Apparatus or TDMA for short, yours today for only three low monthly payments of $19.95 (10 pounds sterling for those of you across the pond)  :Very Happy:

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## Ascension

Ooo, I gotta get me one of those.

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## Turgenev

_Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
What did you dream?
It's alright we told you what to dream.
You dreamed of a big map,
He devised a mean trap,
He always had Old School on tap.
He loved to draw with his thinking cap.
So welcome to the Machine._*

I was going to rep you SG for making me laugh but I have to spread it around a bit more before I can rep you again. So this is a rep IOU message until I can rep you again.  :Laughing: 


* My apologies to Pink Floyd. BTW, which one is Pink?  :Razz:

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## ravells

Lol! Very good!

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## Steel General

> I was going to rep you SG for making me laugh but I have to spread it around a bit more before I can rep you again. So this is a rep IOU message until I can rep you again. 
> 
> * My apologies to Pink Floyd. BTW, which one is Pink?



No problem... glad I could give you a chuckle or two. Don't know why that popped into my head, all I kept picturing is Ron Popeil or that guy that does the Oxy Clean commercials.

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## Turgenev

Time for a new temple. This one is inspired by the Great Temple of Ammon at Karnak, Egypt.

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## Ascension

Ooo, snagged.

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## NeonKnight

Very good work Turgenev!

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## Turgenev

Here's something a bit different. I couldn't sleep during the wee hours of the morning so I ended up working on my latest map - a Druids' Stone Circle (based on Stonehenge*). 

* Yes, I know Druids are only connected with Stonehenge through folklore but it works for a fantasy based RPG.  :Wink:

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## Ascension

That looks very nice T.  You should do more of these.

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## Steel General

> That looks very nice T.  You should do more of these.


I agree, not that there's anything wrong with your B&W maps, but this is great.

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## Turgenev

Thanks guys. My heart is _Old School_ all the way. I find the black & white maps spark my imagination much more than any detailed map could. I guess I like filling in the details for myself.  :Laughing:  That and in my experience when I show a detailed map to my players, they get caught in the '_What You See Is What There Is_' trap. But with that said, I do like to stretch my style now and then and work outside my comfort zone. 

I've been reading through the various tutorials on this site and been soaking up all of the info that I can. All of the tutorials here are worth their weight in gold. I do plan on doing more detailed maps because I really want to try out a few new ideas that I've learned from the tutorials here.

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## Turgenev

I thought I would do a Classical inspired temple once more as a way to get the creative juices flowing (my forced hiatus has put a bit of a damper on my creative energies). Nothing too complicated but it helped me to get back into the flow of things.  :Wink:

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## Vandy

Hello, Turgenev.

I wanted to let you know how much I've enjoyed reading through your thread and enjoying your work.  You have created some beautiful temples and have opened my eyes to yet another area of interest.

I look forward to your renewed posting and excitedly await your next beautiful creation.

Regards,

Gary

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## Turgenev

Thanks for the kind words, Gary. They're much appreciated, especially coming from some as talented as yourself.

As for the temples, I can't take too much credit since I'm using actual historic locations for my inspiration. That is the wannabe Classicist in me speaking.  :Wink:

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## Steel General

Nothing wrong with using existing images as inspiration, I did the same for my Sapphire Skull temple - mostly just for the basic shape of the building.

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## ravells

These are quite beautiful, Turgenev! Have as much rep as a bash of the stick will give you!

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## Turgenev

Thanks for the rep, ravells. Doing these temple maps allow me to indulge two of my interests at once - cartography and Classical archaeology. Besides, this way allows me to use my old university texts books for something other than collecting dust.  :Razz:

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## Turgenev

Here's my latest temple I'm working on. This is a temple dedicated to a sea/ocean god. I'm still working on the textures. I'm not sure about the water. I still have a lot of work ahead of me.

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## Steel General

I think the water's fine, but you may need some shadowing along the walls, or something to give it a sense of depth (if that makes sense).

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## Turgenev

> I think the water's fine, but you may need some shadowing along the walls, or something to give it a sense of depth (if that makes sense).


I know exactly what you mean. I was thinking of that as well. The map started as a "flat" old school map but it has been growing beyond that.  :Wink:  I'll also should do something with the statues (the stars) and the altars since their style fit the old school approach more that what the map is turning in to (my turn to say, if that makes sense).

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## Steel General

Yup gotcha - taking from just a 2d flat map to what I've decided to call a 2.5D map (a flat (2d) map drawn to give the illusion of something close to 3D).

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## Turgenev

You got it, SG.  :Wink:  I added an Inner Bevel to the walls and columns and came up with this:



Putting the statues/altars to the side for the moment, I need to do something about the trees/garden that run along the sides. Hmmmm...  :Wink:

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## Steel General

I wonder if an inner-shadow on the water would help at all?

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## Ascension

You might want to add shadows for the trees n such, but then you're starting to get more into that whole realism thing...I like the flat one tho  :Smile:

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## Turgenev

This temple wasn't working for me so I decided to go back to basics. Here's the 2D version (so far). I made some minor changes.

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## Steel General

That still looks good Turgenev!

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