# Mapmaking Discussion & Philosophy (WIP/Critique) > Virtual Tabletop/Battlemap Mapping >  My Encounter maps and the Odd Asset. WIP and finished. ;)

## XCali

Hi everyone! 

Just a few notes before I start:
->*I'll keep on posting maps I made in this thread as I go along. So, remember to check the other pages.*  :Wink:  

-> *Most if not all of the maps and assets in this thread of mine will be free to use personally and with friends when an RPG is involved.*
->If you enjoy the maps, it would be nice to hear what you liked about them, and if you want, tell me what kind of cool stories came out of them.  :Very Happy: 



Today I thought I'd go in the direction in making a thread specifically for RPG maps_ collection_, be it encounter maps, overview maps or something in that line. This includes sometimes when I go on a WIP streak to get one just right, or just want to post add a almost finished one to the thread. This was MOSTLY created for you all to find something that can be used in your RPG games with your friends.
Also, I do create assets for these maps, so I will often post some of them as I go along.

Also, if there is something specific that is rare out in the wild, you could always compel me to try such a map.  :Wink: 

And for those that really like my style of maps, I do take commissions for maps from low budget battlemaps, encounter maps, overview maps, concept art all the way up to the more epic maps. Just throw a line my way if you are interested.  :Smile: 

That said! Down to business. The first map was one that came together yesterday, of a Desert Cliff map bordering a body of water, an encounter map. The grid version is 1 square for 5 feet.

This is a small piece from my Twin Bridges map





A jungle map for use. I added further maps to the jungle set further on in this thread


((EDIT: Since creating this thread a while back, I have had the chance to play DnD for the first time, yays.  :Razz:   )



EDIT 2: This is from quite a bit later in the thread, but I wanted to add it to the first page. Free to use.


Edit 3 (J 2020) : The Floating Caravan has a Jungle Set further in the thread
EDIT 4(J 2022): I added the Night version of my *Nessa'Mor* city map. But as said in the thread later on, I wish to hear about play test feedback on your campaign if you decide to pick it up.

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## XCali

As I said in the title. This thread will be for my encounter maps or other maps. But also for some free assets.  :Smile: 

This is a .PNG file with my free mountain brush set.  :Wink: 

For my gimp files head here.

Sometimes I add my stuff to a Mapping Elements Thread. Check it out for ones I didn't put in here.

Included so far:
Mountains
Tower
Enchanted Mechanism
MOOOOAR MOUNTAINS added
MOAR! I want buildings!!!!  :Razz: 
And there were trees.  :Smile:

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## Tenia

Hi Omri, nice stuff here  :Wink: 
You could also add smaller versions of encounter maps for virtual tabletop playing... I would say something like grids of 70x70 (px) for Roll20 and 100x100 for FG, and two versions of each : One with grid visible and one without, as these softwares can add their own grid. For the one without grid, just let one square visible (in a place that doesn't interfere with the game, near a corner for instance) so that the game master can align his grid.
Looking forward to seeing more maps !

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## XCali

> Hi Omri, nice stuff here 
> You could also add smaller versions of encounter maps for virtual tabletop playing... I would say something like grids of 70x70 (px) for Roll20 and 100x100 for FG, and two versions of each : One with grid visible and one without, as these softwares can add their own grid. For the one without grid, just let one square visible (in a place that doesn't interfere with the game, near a corner for instance) so that the game master can align his grid.
> Looking forward to seeing more maps !


That is useful. Thanks  :Wink: 

I do wish to refine how I present my maps for use. But, I'll have to do that when I get a break from my current big project.  :Wink:

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## XCali

These are two city maps for use as mentioned above and two encounters.



Have fun  :Wink:

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## XCali

Helloooo!

Okay, so I was talking with someone, and I thought I REALLY REALLY wish to learn what format my jpegs need to be for the Virtual side, like Roll20 and the sort. Can anybody point me in the right direction? I have not played on there myself, so I have no clue.
The size
the grid (Still don't get it for Roll20)

Any tips towards those ends are much appreciated.

On to the map.  :Very Happy: 
I was feeling in the mood so I started this one.  :Razz: 

I still think I can add more to the map as an encounter or overview map. But, I would really appreciate some thoughts from you all before I tackle that little conundrum. 
So, while this is a work in progress map. Like all the maps in THIS thread, you are free to use these for personal use and with friends with tabletop.

@Tenia, I am not sure at all how to add a 70x70 grid to a map this big?(I know this is a perspective map, so it doesn't mean FOR this map) How would you go about it? (I know how to create a grid. But being specific is where I get stuck.)

### Latest WIP ###

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## Tenia

Hi,
What matters for VTT is the file size (the bigger the more time it takes to load) and playability. Grids are placed to interact with the the game mechanics of the software and are useful for battlemaps, to compute how many squares a player or NPC can move in a turn/round, distances, blast areas of spells for instance. The scale is usualy 5' for a square, so the token of a human size character will occupy a square. I don't know for other softwares, but here is how it works in FG :
1. The GM load a map (your Terror from the deep map for instance)
2. He/she then defines the software grid position and size as here (if the map is already "gridded" he/she have to place it in accordance) :

3. The software grid appears (thin lines over the map) :

4. Now, the software can calculate distances, so if a player can move 30' in a round, his/her token will be able to move only 6 squares, and a blast area of a 25' square will be shown as here :

5. The GM share the map with the players (map is downloaded from the GM to the players computers, this is what can take time depending on the size.
So your maps do not necessarily have to have a grid on the whole map, a square somewhere near a corner is enough for the GM to be able to place the software grid.
For the grid dimension, I think 50px per square is enough (speaking FG here, 70px for Roll20), but, as in some situations players and GMs may have to zoom in, if your map is too pixelated at 200%, you may consider to produce a 100px/square grid.
Playability : For encounters maps, a player/NPC token will occupy a square, so verify that they can freely move on your map. Your Terror from the deep is good here, as the tokens can move even in the narrow passages (there are squares to put the tokens in)
For the dimension, it really depends on the type of encounter : It is not necessary to have a 100*100 squares map for a encounter between 5 adventurers and 6 goblins for example, unless the GM has planned some pursuits/racing around the map perhaps.
To resume: Choose the number of squares according to the encounter type and number of tokens, remember that a square=5', choose the grid size (50, 70, 100) depending of the map and the size of the file (it is perhaps better to work with 100px and to shrink after, although I know that 7/10 is not a round number), save your final map at the lowest jpeg quality you can afford.
Hope this helps,
Regards

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## XCali

> Hi,
> What matters for VTT is the file size (the bigger the more time it takes to load) and playability. Grids are placed to interact with the the game mechanics of the software and are useful for battlemaps, to compute how many squares a player or NPC can move in a turn/round, distances, blast areas of spells for instance. The scale is usualy 5' for a square, so the token of a human size character will occupy a square. I don't know for other softwares, but here is how it works in FG :
> 1. The GM load a map (your Terror from the deep map for instance)
> 2. He/she then defines the software grid position and size as here (if the map is already "gridded" he/she have to place it in accordance) :
> 
> 3. The software grid appears (thin lines over the map) :
> 
> 4. Now, the software can calculate distances, so if a player can move 30' in a round, his/her token will be able to move only 6 squares, and a blast area of a 25' square will be shown as here :
> 
> ...



Ah! Thanks a bunch. That is very helpful!  :Very Happy: 

So, depending on which program I make it available for, I need to resize the square in the corner for the map.  But, question then,

1. what is preferred? The square in the corner, a gridless map or a map with a grid beforehand? Or do I add all three types in a zip for those purposes?

2. What quality do you export out at on _average_?  

3. Now it also makes me think about my Thunder Rock city map I am gearing up to sell a set FULL of different versions, labelled, unlabelled, day and night ect. those sorts of things. If I go lower quality, the small houses doesn't take long to become very pixellated. I'm just a bit confused to what to do in scenarios like those. 

THANK YOU SO MUCH that you took the time to respond. It really helps structure my process with making maps available, free or paid going forward.  :Smile:

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## Tenia

You're welcome Omri  :Wink: 
1. You can submit all three of course, just a square to show grid dimension is enough for me as a GM, although grid lines can be a part of the drawing and/or may be helpful depending of the map (light lines over a dark background for example)
2. Usually 70-75% jpeg quality is a good compromise. for an encounter map loaded in a middle of a game session, keeping up the map around or under 1mb is good I think, the loading has to be fast enough to avoid loosing player's attention. Maintaining a good tempo, having a fair playing time between players without too much down time is important in a (virtual or not) tabletop RPG.
3. As this is a background map which will be loaded once in the beginning of the session and then keeped in players computer cache, rule #2 is less important here. I think around 2mb would be OK, here 75% quality again seems nice.

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## XCali

> You're welcome Omri 
> 1. You can submit all three of course, just a square to show grid dimension is enough for me as a GM, although grid lines can be a part of the drawing and/or may be helpful depending of the map (light lines over a dark background for example)
> 2. Usually 70-75% jpeg quality is a good compromise. for an encounter map loaded in a middle of a game session, keeping up the map around or under 1mb is good I think, the loading has to be fast enough to avoid loosing player's attention. Maintaining a good tempo, having a fair playing time between players without too much down time is important in a (virtual or not) tabletop RPG.
> 3. As this is a background map which will be loaded once in the beginning of the session and then keeped in players computer cache, rule #2 is less important here. I think around 2mb would be OK, here 75% quality again seems nice.


That is is EXACTLY the points I had been wondering about. You are awesome. *High Five*  :Very Happy:

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## XCali

Hi!



I was busy playing around on my maps yesterday and a few variations came out of it.
Also, I'm busy creating one for a story I am writing. This one. Here is a small sneak peek of it.  :Razz: 
But, do feel free to use this sneak peek for personal use. 






Hope the maps are useful  :Wink:

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## XCali

Hi!!!

I have been meaning to revisit this map. It was my first attempt at some sort of battlemap. The revisit I redid the cast and core shadows, threw a few filters on it and now it is much more to my liking.  :Very Happy:  (Btw, this map LITERALLY came from a photo of an archaeological dig of ancient animal bones I took years ago. Fun little titbit.  :Very Happy: )

*Valley of Ancient Bones*

Below is:
Night and day

The version with a small 70 x 70 pixel block for aligning a grid. (Tx for all the feedback!!)


This version is with a grid, also 70 x 70 px.



As with everything in this thread. Free for personal use or with friends when an RPG is involved.  :Very Happy:  So, enjoy!

(Optional) If you want you can point people to this thread.  :Razz: 

If anybody use this map for one of your campaigns, pleeeeeeease let me know how it played. I am super curious.  :Smile:  Also, I am keen to know if this works for Roll20.
Anyway, it just if you want to. But, I would really love to hear how it went.

And remember, you are welcome to discuss this map with me.
Have a wonderful week,
Omri

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## XCali

Ahoi!  :Smile: 

Hope you all have been well? 

I decided to start tackling a additional area for the Valley of Ancient Bones map for free use. This is more an overview one. But if I should add stuff to it, please let me know what. I'm scratching my head about it at the moment. 

### Latest WIP ###   Bone Garden


This one is completely free:



Also, here is two more Assets for use.

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## Phergus

Good stuff!  All potentially useful in a VTT.  Your brushes could be clipped out into individual stamps and used to make campaign maps directly in VTTs.

I'm going to offer a slightly different VTT perspective from that of Tenia.  Been using VTTs for both online and face-to-face gaming for 12 years or so and primarily with MapTool.

Not all games use squares.  Some use hex grids.  Offering non-gridded versions is important to support those gamers.  As was mentioned, all of the current VTT apps that I'm aware of can overlay grids on images so baked in grids are rarely necessary.   A scale on the map in some out-of-the-way location is sufficient in most cases.

Most current VTTs can support maps of any grid resolution.   So producing them at multiple resolutions isn't really needed.  Maps are easily resized either outside the VTT app or inside.  What helps is if your map is made at, for example, 100 pixels/grid then the resulting image is 800 x 1000 pixels for a map that is 8 x 10 grid squares.  If someone wants to use it at 70 pixels the math is easy.  Multiply by 8 x 70 and 10 x 70 and the new image is 560x700 pixels.

Don't diminish your art by using low quality JPEG settings.  Save at a high setting and don't try to push for any specific MB file size.  Yes, larger files take longer to transfer to clients but the difference between 1MB and 3MB isn't worth the quality loss.

More comments in general on making maps that are usable for VTTs can be find in my blog post here: https://dqmusings.blogspot.com/2017/05/usable-maps.html

Thanks for sharing your work!

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## XCali

> Good stuff!  All potentially useful in a VTT.  Your brushes could be clipped out into individual stamps and used to make campaign maps directly in VTTs.
> 
> I'm going to offer a slightly different VTT perspective from that of Tenia.  Been using VTTs for both online and face-to-face gaming for 12 years or so and primarily with MapTool.
> 
> Not all games use squares.  Some use hex grids.  Offering non-gridded versions is important to support those gamers.  As was mentioned, all of the current VTT apps that I'm aware of can overlay grids on images so baked in grids are rarely necessary.   A scale on the map in some out-of-the-way location is sufficient in most cases.
> 
> Most current VTTs can support maps of any grid resolution.   So producing them at multiple resolutions isn't really needed.  Maps are easily resized either outside the VTT app or inside.  What helps is if your map is made at, for example, 100 pixels/grid then the resulting image is 800 x 1000 pixels for a map that is 8 x 10 grid squares.  If someone wants to use it at 70 pixels the math is easy.  Multiply by 8 x 70 and 10 x 70 and the new image is 560x700 pixels.
> 
> Don't diminish your art by using low quality JPEG settings.  Save at a high setting and don't try to push for any specific MB file size.  Yes, larger files take longer to transfer to clients but the difference between 1MB and 3MB isn't worth the quality loss.
> ...


Thank you! All these brushes are free for use.  :Wink: 

Your viewpoint on how to set up for VTT is very interesting.  
I normally do my maps at A3, 300dpi. So, I am not too sure how that would translate to the grids, other than me adding 100px grid to a map that size. (Something in the line of 3508 x 4960 _flipped more often than not) So, I do have to lower quality a bit to get down to around the 3mb.

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## aeshnidae

I love love LOVE the building asset posted just above!  :Smile:

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## XCali

> I love love LOVE the building asset posted just above!


 :Very Happy:  Thank you. I'm flattered.  :Blush: 

It was just chilling on my computer. So, why not make it available for free?  :Razz:   :Razz:  Enjoy them. (P.S. Absolutely optional, but I would actually like seeing what you do with them. It is just me being super curious as per usual.  :Very Happy:  :Very Happy:  :Very Happy:

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## Phergus

> I normally do my maps at A3, 300dpi. So, I am not too sure how that would translate to the grids, other than me adding 100px grid to a map that size. (Something in the line of 3508 x 4960 _flipped more often than not) So, I do have to lower quality a bit to get down to around the 3mb.


I wouldn't bother lowering the quality down.  Let those that want/need smaller file sizes do so themselves.

Thanks again for sharing your work with us!

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## XCali

Misty Cove, a concept art map to use.

Enjoy.  :Wink: 

### Latest WIP ###


Sample Adventure hook

#1 A deep mist envelopes the cove, one that doesn't go away. Something is going on in this mysterious little town, or is it something more sinister with its sights on Misty Cove... investigate.


#2 Your ship has struck ashore and is in need of repairs, the closest option is a light that leads to a small beach nearby a town. Head there to find supplies to fix the ship. It might take a few days, but something feels off, the towns people are afraid of something. While work is being done on the ship you take a look around in this mist covered cove.

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## MapMappingMapped

Fun! That's some cool work there. I really like the waves! The whole thing looks a bit acrylic/oil painting...

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## XCali

Thank you.  :Very Happy:  
In the end this thing has a lot of filters and several layer masks to get it like this.

I wanted to take a break from my main commission and a other project to play around with a map.  :Smile:

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## Bogie

Very cool, I can almost feel the waves moving.

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## XCali

While I am busy with the challenge map, this one popped out to show something. 
So apart from the main map, this one I thought I'd post in this thread for something to feed a story from for you guys.

Free for personal use, and with friends when an RPG is involved.

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## XCali

Another free for personal use, or with friends at an RPG. Have fun.

By the way, let me know if these kind of posts are useful to you all, it would inspire me to add more of my concept art on this thread.




EDIT:
This one can be a party on their way to a mountain top city or town, when suddenly a mysterious beam of light shoots up into the cloudy skies.

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## XCali

Hi,  :Smile: 

I thought about adding more smaller pieces of my city map Thunder Rock here for use. (Tara Skeir in the local dialect. Pointing to the bigger waves sounding like thunder against the cliffs.)
So without further ado:

Day


Night


Night with Labels


I'll add a couple of Adventure hooks I wrote for the city here.  :Smile: 

_
#4
    In the storm drains, the party finds a place that hasn’t seen the touch of people for many decades. It looks old. Upon exploring, it opens up into a larger area that is filled with water. As they venture forward, the water gets deeper. What is more, something stirs under the surface. 


  #6 
An invitation is issued to the party to become students at prestigious College Emberhold, with many schools for many different types of students, magical or fighters. The party walks into the rune engraved walls Emberhold, past instructors teaching students to wield enchanted blades, and others who are flinging spells around. So, their studies start. But a week into their stay, a mysterious stranger arrives and with that arrival, the air changes in the College. There is something afoot. Is there a danger to the College? Or is there a plot against the city itself? Is there lost mysteries hidden under the ancient College grounds? Investigate._


I hope you enjoy taking your parties through the streets of this city.  :Very Happy:   (Optional. It would be amazing to hear what kind of stories came off of this.)

Anyway, I wanted to make those three available to freely use with friends regardless of a full version being available, because I wanted to gift it to you all. BUT, if you really do like this city, the full version Day and Night _and Adventure Hooks_ lay waiting down below on my Thunder Rock product page at the DriveThruRPG.  :Wink:

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## XCali

Hi!  :Very Happy: 

I just went through an older folder and saw a illustration and a pet project that I could post to this thread, to inspire a setting.

A abandoned ancient city and the entrance to an ancient vault plus its top down version.
Like previous, everything in this thread is free to use. Have fun.

If you enjoyed it or found use for it, please let me know. It is always helpful to get feedback on maps.  :Smile:

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## XCali

Some free to use assets. 

(Optional) Let me know if you find them useful and if you would like more like them.

Enjoy

P.S. I know I already added those round assets before, I kinda forgot. Still, here is a little different version of those as well.

 1b

Texture                                                   

Texture with Moss patches



EDIT: Added interiors for use.  :Wink:

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## bkh1914

That is a really nice stone floor texture!

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## Bogie

Yeah, I like the stone floor!

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## XCali

> That is a really nice stone floor texture!


And




> Yeah, I like the stone floor!


I am glad you like it!  :Very Happy:  
I threw together those ones to use as a base to create an encounter map as a commission for DnD player and wanted to find a happy medium between just using a photograph for the texture to get that detail and doing a total cartoony texture. All said, I was happy with how it came out in the end.  :Smile:

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## XCali

Seeing as Wizards of the Coast is gearing up for a Nautical adventure release, I thought I'd add this for you all to use.  :Wink: 

*Four Fang Isles and the ancient whirlpool that hold the gates to the islands.*

Free for use with friends. Enjoy



Sitting at a table at the Frontiers Tavern, you over hear sailors talking. One with a big scar running down his arm slams his fist on the table. "How many moar of our lot do we need to lose to that infernal whirlpool?! He can't be serious of risking that run!" From the side another sailor pats his shoulder and says, "The same reason any of us would risk that run."
"Ha! Mysteries and folk tales, that is what it is about. Nothing ever came from those isles to prove otherwise." An old sailor spits at the table. "Let's forget about stories and enjoy da ale."
"Stories you say?" A deep voice says from the door. "Me brother sailed to those shores and came back with extraordinary things. Best respect them that has the brass to take up that voyage."
He smirks at the glares from the table before disappearing out of the portal. 
"Bah! He does not know what he is talking about."
"Still... I hear it is not only treasures people are making that run. There are stories of Ruins and a strange peoples actually living there. Or something me thinks."
A slapping sound fills the air. 
"Enough! Dangers be there! Not just the twice be damned whirlpool! I'm going to find me a better place to drink." With that, several sailors leave the Tavern.




(P.S. This came from an idea I had for one of my stories.)


*EDIT: Just a question; I have been wondering, do you like when I write adventure hooks for this thread?*

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## XCali

Updated it a little bit, and chose somewhat of a bigger part surrounding the maelstrom.  :Wink: 

Free for personal use, or with friends alongside a RPG.

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## XCali

I thought to create the Landmass of the islands in a much bigger canvas. 
For those world builders who wish to hack away at it to set up the layout on the islands, go for it. 

I will see if I can do the islands too. Though, it might be a while before I can. I do have a commission map on my hands. 

Free for use. (For commercial, just check in with me.  :Wink:  )

2700 x 3372px  (300dpi)

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## XCali

Just a_ little_ touch up of my previous Terror of the Deep map. I wanted to make deep waters look better and add some shadows. I've also been wondering about what kind of Objects would you want me to add to the map? 

Free

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## Bogie

The deep water looks good.

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## XCali

> The deep water looks good.


Thanks  :Wink: 

Is there anything you'd like to see added to this map?

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## XCali

This is something I created for a glacier encounter map. I played around with the bottom image that showed a dragon skeleton under the ice and thought to make it available here for anyone to use for creating something for their campaign.

Personal use, and with friends involving an RPG. Enjoy.


If you like this kind of thing and want more of these kind of things that I am posting to this thread,  throw a comment my way.  :Smile:

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## XCali

Hi everyone!  :Wink: 

I was testing out a way to do highlights and shading on mountains today and made something interesting. 

Free to use. Have fun. 



As always, if these types of things are of use, please let me know. It helps in figuring out what DMs/GMs are looking for. And by all means tell me what you are actually looking, so that I can start figuring out how to make it available.  :Smile: 

Have a nice day,
Omri
(Hope Maps)

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## XCali

Helloooe.  :Razz: 

Here is my Frozen Treasures map. Free to use personally or with friends when an RPG is involved.  :Wink:

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## XCali

This was my challenge map (Can't remember if it was the lite or the regular.  :Smile:  ) 

Anyway, feel free to use this one for your RPGs.  :Wink: 
If you like this kind of map and would like to see more of it, please let me know. 

Cheers,
Omri

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## Kellerica

The map part itself looks pretty nice (lovely floor pattern!) but I think the surrounding area is a bit weaker. The background texture seems pretty low in quality, and I think in terms of layout there is a bit of an unbalance between large chunks of empty space and the text hugging the map really closely.

Loving the glow on that... thing on the bridge, whatever it is  :Very Happy:  It looks pretty cool.

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## XCali

> The map part itself looks pretty nice (lovely floor pattern!) but I think the surrounding area is a bit weaker. The background texture seems pretty low in quality, and I think in terms of layout there is a bit of an unbalance between large chunks of empty space and the text hugging the map really closely.
> 
> Loving the glow on that... thing on the bridge, whatever it is  It looks pretty cool.


Hahaha, yeah there is quite a bit that can be tweaked on this one. I threw it together relatively quickly to get it into the challenge. Looking at it, I definitely agree with you. The back texture didn't work and the imbalance in empty space was a bit jarring. 

Still, I had fun.  :Razz:  Thanks for the compliments on the areas where I took some more time. I appreciate it.  :Smile: 
Btw, what did you think of the mini representation of the area? I was trying some new things there.

P.S. That thing on the bridge, well I don't know what it is either. I just wanted to write a mystery into the map and thing came to be.  :Very Happy:  I guess it is some type of large crystal with strange reflections, and with it, it comes with a secret.

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## XCali

Ahoi!

With my latest push to better my jungles on my maps, I thought it would be good to give a run by an old companion(map) of mine.  :Razz: 

So here for use with friends is:


Night without lights


This is the map based on Whitestone from Critical role.

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## XCali

Hi! Everyone. This was a fun project of mine. I had ideas for it, but it will take time to flesh it out. I hope someone can have some fun campaign on this jungle canyon set.

*Free for personal use and with friends and an RPG. * 
(Optional, I reeeeeally would like to hear if the maps worked well in an RPG with friends. Please leave a comment if you have some time. It helps in creating more of these things.)

Maps included:
The forest geysers
The tide pool
The Guardian's path (The test of trials for those who wish to enter the Pyramid)
The Floating Caravan (Note: This can be something the player characters acquire to help on their journey.)
*(Overview) Jungle Canyon*

DM maps included

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## XCali

2 more for the jungle set.

As before, free for personal use and with friends with an RPG. Have fun.

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## XCali

Hi all.  :Smile: 

This was the map I made for my first DnD session back a few years ago, I finally found a group and the DM sent me his map and I was like I want to expand it a LOT and make it prettier. So this is it. It is still in simple style, but it does open up many possibilities in adventures. 

So, this is *free for personal use and with friends with an RPG. Have fun adventuring!*
(Again, I would really enjoy your thoughts on my maps and if it is of some use to you all.  :Wink:  )

It starts


The party finds a huge mushroom forest with strange mysteries in its murky depths


Or they venture North and a mission on a ship takes them to islands filled with blue crystals and secrets of an ancient time.


The great shroud has lifted, but there is a darkness that seeps into the lands from the Arclight Monolith that gives off an ever increasing aura of unease.


*Question, would you all enjoy a 'region' map in a mushroom forest?*

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## XCali

Hey hey. I wanted to add my Sunken Pyramid set. 

Deep in the jungle, there is a Pyramid beneath deep waters. What is more baffling is the giant dial on the banks of the cliffs. The many strange carvings on its face speak of many a mystery.

Free for personal use, or with friends when an RPG is involved. Have fun, and as always it would really be nice to hear what stories you all run on these.  :Razz: 

This one is AFTER the water is drained, but the ones below are how the players would find it, filled with water.




Like with my Thunder Rock city map. If you want to support me and get quite a few extra types of versions of this map, like night with lights, with or without grid, only the pyramid, and a short story and adventure hooks to get you started. Then you can pop in to my DriveThruRPG page. (Down in my signature)

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## XCali

Hi!

How are you all. Okay, so I was thinking. I REALLY want my map to feature in a campaign, but it won't help if it lies around on my comp and nobody can try and run something on it.
Anyway, so firstly this map is from the world that I started revealing in my web novel, Nights of Sambria. *So to make things clear. THIS map is for personal use and with friends when an RPG is involved ONLY.* Anything above that I will ask that you contact me for clarity. (Meaning if you want to create something from it that becomes commercial, contact me.)

Further than that. Have fun running your campaign on the continents! I would asbolutely love to hear the stories form you and your friends.  :Very Happy: 

EDIT: Here is the *starter* with minimal 'Names' for the players:
 

For those that want a hook for the *Four Fang Isles* area:
The wind howled and the wood creaked like it would split apart any second. Lightnings and thunder revealed the grisly old captain for a brief moment, his grey beard wet with sea water yet his gaze remained unwavering. His resolve was as stone. I just hoped our party held the same... But we were the ones that wanted to risk these waters, no needed to. A shout ripped away my attention.
"Secure them sails! We are entering dangerous waters now!"
A gasp left my lungs, twice the boat had barely made the crest of a wave and the captain did not say it then...
I rushed forward, gripping the rope for dear life as the sail strained against the high winds. The boat started pulling to the side as if dragged by a giant hand. It had begun. We had entered into the grip of that monstrous whirlpool. Another flash of light revealed the worry on everyone's face. Then a wall of water struck me, salt stung my eyes as I got flung free of the rope. Chaos swirled in the waters and I frantically clung to my only breath, in a matter of moments I lost track of time and place.
Grogginess lapped at my face, or was it water? My hands pressed into the sand before a push from water sent me tumbling a few times before the sand met my face in an unwelcome slap. I turned on my back and opened my eyes. There was no ship in sight. Just jagged rocks and a beach. I sat up and saw several crates laying halfway into the water before a groan drew my attention. Off to my left, there was one of my party members. A question marked my lips. "Where are we?"
I wondered for the briefest of moments if we had somehow made it to those dangerous islands that lay in the grip of the Maw. Whatever the situation, we took the risk for a reason. There is a mystery on these isles that might shine light on our quest, the greatest danger to have come into our simple lives.

--
So I decided to add the day time of the map, only to better show the contrast of the different biomes. The main stories still lie on what happens at night, with the mysterious morning trees carrying many secrets, how man monsters fear the light and what exciting treasures players can find by discovering the more rare colored morning trees in the world.  :Smile:

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## XCali

Helloa! 

For you all, here is a fort situated in a blizzard prone area, where on their way the party is caught up in a blizzard and has to seek shelter. They find a fort, and head inside. But this place has many mysteries.

For personal use, or with friends when an RPG is involved. It is something I wanted to map for use in an RPG.
If you enjoyed it in a campaign, it would be nice to hear what story unfolded  :Smile: 

(Note: For the time being it is just the bottom floor. The towers and Main building sports more than one floor.)





When the blizzard finally clears up.

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## XCali

Hi there.  :Smile: 

Here is an adventure to help the time go by.

Free for personal use, and with friends.

The party discovers an old keep being slowly devoured by an icy glacier over the last hundreds of years. The ice is slow, and thus secrets have been buried there.

The dm version


Frozen lair, with a giant skeleton trapped under the ice.


Enjoy!

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## XCali

This is a blast from the past. I wanted to try my hand at a bamboo forest map back then. Just to say, drawing bamboo is a bit complicated.  :Very Happy:  But, it came out well. 

Free to use for personal use and with friends when an RPG is involved. Though, for this one I would add, that you are welcome to add it as a supplement to a bigger project. Just ask.  :Wink:

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## XCali

Hi all,

Okay, so I am busy with quite a big dungeon overview map. But I have some questions regarding it.
One, does a map where a village is inside these large caverns with multiple zones intrigue you as TTRPG players?

This is the one corner of the map. The whole map is like a 1.5 kilometres across with a village, a river, a canyon, an ancient city and several side caverns completing it.
If you like the idea, please let me know your thoughts on what you would like to have present on the overview.

Glow Tree Cavern

Free for personal use, and with friends when an RPG is involved. This on is a piece of the map that is going to become part of a larger set I wish to release on DriveThruRPG.

EDIT:

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## rdanhenry

So... it says those are 105 foot squares. That's a very odd choice, and that would make those flowers really huge, even by fantasy giant flower standards, so I'm guessing that's probably a mistake?

This section is mostly underwater, right? It looks underwater to me.

Putting a village into a cavern complex is cool. What you show here is both dark and spookily glowing, so I think it would help put players a bit on edge wondering about those odd cracks of light in the stone and those strange glowing flowers and _is there something down there at the bottom of that depression!_

If you have a canyon, at least have the option of a precarious rope bridge spanning it.

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## rdanhenry

If the squares are 105', then those flowers are about 30-35' across... a decent size even by tree standards (fully grown apple-tree size). What I am seeing are not trees, but flowers, which typically have a much lower width-to-height ratio than an apple tree. If they are intended to be trees, you have a lot of work yet to do.

105' still remains an odd and impractical grid increment. I guarantee the vast majority will just round it to a sensible 100' and treat it as such, because that's easier to work with and won't change the scaling that much. Just as most won't bother converting yards to meters or vice versa if using a gridded map in one in a system that uses the other. It'd just be easier if you did it yourself. Some customers may find it off-putting. If you like the size of things as they are, why not just adjust the grid to the scale with a nice round 100' grid? (And I do hope you're offering a gridless variant for virtual tabletop use, which is probably the majority of your market.)

I like that your large map exists in distinctive regions. That should help give a real sense of progress as players move from one area to another and make it easier to find things quickly. If something's in the ruined city, I know i only need to scan the dark area of the map. And while there are a few ambiguities, I think reads very clearly for this style of map. Unlike some that I just get lost in (in a bad way), this seems entirely practical to use in play. It would be sad if a little thing like a strange grid choice made it go overlooked.

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## XCali

> If the squares are 105', then those flowers are about 30-35' across... a decent size even by tree standards (fully grown apple-tree size). What I am seeing are not trees, but flowers, which typically have a much lower width-to-height ratio than an apple tree. If they are intended to be trees, you have a lot of work yet to do.
> 
> 105' still remains an odd and impractical grid increment. I guarantee the vast majority will just round it to a sensible 100' and treat it as such, because that's easier to work with and won't change the scaling that much. Just as most won't bother converting yards to meters or vice versa if using a gridded map in one in a system that uses the other. It'd just be easier if you did it yourself. Some customers may find it off-putting. If you like the size of things as they are, why not just adjust the grid to the scale with a nice round 100' grid? (And I do hope you're offering a gridless variant for virtual tabletop use, which is probably the majority of your market.)
> 
> I like that your large map exists in distinctive regions. That should help give a real sense of progress as players move from one area to another and make it easier to find things quickly. If something's in the ruined city, I know i only need to scan the dark area of the map. And while there are a few ambiguities, I think reads very clearly for this style of map. Unlike some that I just get lost in (in a bad way), this seems entirely practical to use in play. It would be sad if a little thing like a strange grid choice made it go overlooked.


Oh, don't misunderstand, this whole thing is definitely still a work in progress, I still have a few things to do, one of which is to add the village and stuff like that. So, the grid thing was just in the testing part. Also, the flowers, they are giant flowers big as trees, but I'll see what I can do to make it less confusing. 
Question, I have split the map into four also, so that it can be revealed in parts, do you think you would like a feature like that?

What comes next after that, well refining the whole thing and adding more unique things to each biome. I do, however, would like to discuss things about the map going forward too. To make it as attractive as possible.  :Smile:  Tx for the feedback already so far.
### Latest WIP ###

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## rdanhenry

The only vtt I have experience with is Roll20's, and it has built in "fog of war" to control map revelation. I expect that's a pretty basic vtt feature, so I don't think cutting up the map would be useful, especially as it doesn't organically divide into quarters, as more constructed dungeon might. For those printing it out, having it divided into both international and American paper standards ready to print could be useful (a lot of stuff only comes formatted for one or the other, and for what is basically text, having the printer resize to fit isn't too problematic, but for a map, you'd really want to keep original dimensions).

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## XCali

Here is a sarcophagus assets and cogs free to use, personal and commercial.  :Very Happy: 







-No credit needed
-Do not re-sell these assets as is. I gave them for free.
And have fun.  :Wink: 

If you like assets like these, let me know. I can create more.  :Smile: 
-Omri

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## XCali

Hey all!

Hope everything is going well.  :Smile:  Today, I was busy updating some posts in this thread and adding some stuff when I realized I never added this next map to the thread. This was a challenge map a few months ago. I always liked the idea of crystal caverns and stuff like that, but I wanted to make a town where an adventure can start close to a crystal canyon and thus here is this map. 

Free for personal use or with friends alongside an RPG. Enjoy having adventures.  :Wink: 
As always, it would be fun to hear what stories came off of it.  :Very Happy: 

Scarlet Canyons:

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## XCali

Helloa. I wanted revisit one of my previous maps to give it a bit of twist.

Iced over version of the Sunken Pyramid. 




For story the dial, which brought forward the idea of the creators of the Sunken Pyramid wishing to hide the secrets therein and thus they built this elaborate system of fountains and water drainage to manage it all. The dial itself is mysterious in its many different configurations. Whoever happens to finds this place would need to find out what different settings would mean to unlock the secrets of the pyramid. But with it iced over, the dial needs to be approached with a rather different mindset to open up the secrets of the pyramid.


Like I mentioned in a previous post. Alongside my Thunder Rock City map, you can head to my DriveThruRPG page to pick this one up with quite a few variations of it and short story to maybe inspire and finally Adventure Hooks to give ideas to where to start. (The link is in my signature below)

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## Levtrona

Really cool. Will you be writing a little Storyline? Are you working on the inner Pyramid as well? Like a dungeon?

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## XCali

> Really cool. Will you be writing a little Storyline? Are you working on the inner Pyramid as well? Like a dungeon?


Thanks a bunch  :Wink:  I think I will write a story about it. At least to set up a decent adventure hook to go along a possible interior map of it. Though, ideas for the pyramid is definitely also welcome.

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## XCali

This is a much more simple map, setting up a party that found in the back of a town a hidden secret that the corrupted people in charge is holding out on the people of the town. What is more, they are planning something within the old ruins. The party must sneak in avert this crisis at all costs, but they are too outnumbered to just stand and fight, they need to move in and alter the course of this town without fighting.

Free for use


(I based this map on my Frosgard map, if anyone is interested.)(For the permanent ice of frosgard, the secret can be something that the ancient ruins in the mountain is a machine where with the baddies can keep the place frozen over. But it was never intended to be used that way. But the baddies wanted to stay in control.)

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## XCali

Hello!

This map I made available publicly on my Patreon, they are of lower quality to fit more comfortably on something like VTT.
It is a pass through an immense mountain range that goes through several caves and across an underground river.
Enjoy the map.



Grid


If you are interested in the full 300ppi png's of my maps and more variants, head to my patreon.  :Smile:

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## damonjynx

Further to the comments re sizing, I'm doing maps in CC3+ now and unless it's  a commission, I usually work on a printed output size of A1, which is good size for TTRPG or as a poster, so the map size in cc3+ is whatever the grid size is, 5 or 10 ft for dungeon/battlemaps, 20 to 30ft for city maps and generally 20 or 30 miles for overland maps, multiplied by 33 x 22. By doing this the map will print on both A1 and ANSI D paper. I do this because being in a country that uses ISO paper sizes, it makes it easy to print any size from A0 down to A6 as they scall uniformly, A1 is exactly half an A0, A2 half an A1 and so on.

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## XCali

> Further to the comments re sizing, I'm doing maps in CC3+ now and unless it's  a commission, I usually work on a printed output size of A1, which is good size for TTRPG or as a poster, so the map size in cc3+ is whatever the grid size is, 5 or 10 ft for dungeon/battlemaps, 20 to 30ft for city maps and generally 20 or 30 miles for overland maps, multiplied by 33 x 22. By doing this the map will print on both A1 and ANSI D paper. I do this because being in a country that uses ISO paper sizes, it makes it easy to print any size from A0 down to A6 as they scall uniformly, A1 is exactly half an A0, A2 half an A1 and so on.


Thank you. That is useful information.  :Smile:  It is always hard to pick a good canvas size, but doing it A1 does give some leniency. Also thanks for the city to overland distances. Much appreciated.

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## XCali

Hey everyone.

I thought, since I made it available public on the patreon page itself, I could actually post it here as well.

This is a version of the map with no labels. If, however, you are interested in the full 300ppi version with labels and everything, be sure to head to my HOPEMAPS patreon page, where I have the World map Tai Vior, where this region is located and several city maps to start things off like my Tara Skeir and Nessa'Mor with MULTIPLE versions there of to get the mood going for an adventure. Plus short stories, to give some inspiration.

PERSONAL USE, and with friends when an RPG is involved.  :Wink: 



(If any of you decide to have a run in this world, it would make my year to hear what kind of stories came out of it.)
Cheers,
Omri

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## XCali

Hi!

This one is for personal use and with friends with an RPG. Have fun.  :Wink: 

Seeing as Avatar Legends is just around the corner, I thought I'd make some fan art. 

I would love to hear your thoughts. And by all means, I would enjoy hearing what kind of adventures you had on this one.

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## XCali

This map is one I invisioned for a TTRPG where longer sessions plays out or the players has to visit the place multiple times. Maybe sneak in or escape.
Free for personal use, or with friends and an RPG.



This can either play out as a tide or a flash flood. Or something completely different  :Wink: 






Note: I'll add one of these on the first page of the thread

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## XCali

Hi there, decided to release my Nessa'Mor map on this thread to play test for the time being. 

*But I mean it, I actually want feedback on how it went if you pick up this for one of your campaigns.* Just leave a comment or something.

Free for personal use and with friends with a RPG. Have fun.

 

And Nessa'Mor is located in the middle of the Twin Bridges continent map. Which I also would love to hear how it went in your campaign.

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## XCali

Hey peeps. 

Since the current 'Nov-Jan' Light challenge is battlemaps. Here is a stone grid.(Can't remember what size I made the blocks, so you might need to scale them a bit to get to 50 or 70)

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