# Mapmaking Discussion & Philosophy (WIP/Critique) > Building/Structure Mapping >  Rat Children of Mullbury Hill

## BlackLotus

Here is my first map that i did for my Module. It was initially hand-drawn, then it was scanned in and colored inside Photoshop CS 2. The Village is named Wyrmshire, and it is initial village that the adventurers will begin their campaign in.

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## BlackLotus

When you travel through Wrymshire, you discover that a wizard named Naxxus was the one responsible for the disappearance of the children of the village. The Party explores the wizard tower to discover what clues that they could find.

 The texture maps were created in photoshop and the Tower cellar was rendered in Imagine 3D.

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## BlackLotus

When you explore the cellar of the wizard tower, you discover a hidden passage that into an underground area to explore.

Everything that you see is done in Photoshop here.

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## Steel General

these are quite nice.

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## BlackLotus

You learn that the missing children were last seen at an old Cleric house located on top of Mullbury hill.

The first map was done in Dundjinni and the second map was render in Imagine 3D. Texture maps were downloaded from a royalty free 3D gaming programmers site and some were created in photoshop. The image in the stainglass window was hand-drawn and scanned into the computer.

 The map in Dundjinni is going to be redone with more dramatic lighting. I could use a dynamic lighting tutorial if someone could point me in the right direction.

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## BlackLotus

Here is a new image of the cleric house done in Dungeon Designer. It is still a work in progress though, but I'm already happy with the results.

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## Gandwarf

Have some rep, as I like the things I am seeing here  :Smile: 
The map for the module and the tower cellar are my favorites I think.

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## BlackLotus

> Have some rep, as I like the things I am seeing here 
> The map for the module and the tower cellar are my favorites I think.


Thankyou! Your comments are most welcomed!

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## Gandwarf

So the body in the closet... who does it belong to?  :Very Happy:

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## Sigurd

It has an M beside it ... Must be "Matrill"

"I found Ma-tril-l in Mullbury Hi-ill"


Sigurd

With apologies to BlackLotus and Fats Domino.

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## Blaidd Drwg

This really great stuff. I like the map of Wyrmshire best. It's just, well... different! You should take that as a compliment  :Wink: 

Repped (for what it's worth, coming from me).

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## BlackLotus

> So the body in the closet... who does it belong to?


It belongs to the real wizard Naxxsus. Craven the were-rat had killed Naxxsus and drank his blood so that he can assume the shape of the wizard, to lure the children to the house on Mullbury hill. Once there, the children were to be transformed into humanoid rat like creatures, known as ratlings.

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## BlackLotus

Young children from near by towns and villages are being captured and brought to Craven so that they maybe transformed into ratlings. I personally like this map.

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## Redrobes

Great stuff. And Imagine 3D... theres a program thats long in the tooth. Played about with that on the Amiga. Used to crash for a pastime then tho. I hear its better these days.

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## BlackLotus

Thx Redrobes, I hope that you like the story also, because that is what I'm trying to sell. On June 27 I'll be pitching my ideas to some publishers down a the Origins convention.

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## BlackLotus

I have currently stopped writing my Adventure Module and now I'm back to map creation. I have made my first texture for the rat maze and it's called Colorful_Cobblestone. This texture was made for a large scale battle map that will be included with my adventure as soon as I have it for sale. Please drop me a line and let me know what you think about this texture map. Your comments are much appreciated.

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## NeonKnight

I like the texture. Would love to see your module as a PDF though  :Wink:

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## Steel General

The texture is nice, looking forward to seeing it in use.

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## BlackLotus

> I like the texture. Would love to see your module as a PDF though


 I needed a little time to think about what to say, before I was able to respond to your request. Right now, Rat Children of Mullbury Hill, is still a work in progress. Right now, I don't have any plans to release it on PDF, I prefer the published book format over the digital format. 

Now as for my previous my, The Temple of Ka Mon Ra, I'm willing to donate the PDF file to you, if you want it. Since it is written for the 3.5 Dungeons and Dragons rules system, I am no longer able to sell it. Anyone who donates money to your website will be able to download the module without any additional cost involved. The file is 600 megs in size, due to the high resolution images included with this PDF format. Please send me a PM if you are interested in this proposal. :Wink:

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## NeonKnight

Ahhhh...wasn't aware this was a 'business' thing. Thought it was a personal mod for Home Group. Hence the PDF. I do my stuff in word and then save to PDF for those who are interested in looking at it.

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## BlackLotus

> Ahhhh...wasn't aware this was a 'business' thing. Thought it was a personal mod for Home Group. Hence the PDF. I do my stuff in word and then save to PDF for those who are interested in looking at it.


I would really like to look at your modules to see what you have done. Also, I really don't have a problem showing you some of my work in progress. I consider myself an amateur writer and input on my work is very important to me.

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## NeonKnight

> I would really like to look at your modules to see what you have done. Also, I really don't have a problem showing you some of my work in progress. I consider myself an amateur writer and input on my work is very important to me.


your wish, my command

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## msa

I don't know how I missed so many of these maps, but I really enjoyed this thread. I'm working on documenting the adventures of my new 4e group, and I'll compile them into a module. Its great to see some of the process, as well as Neon's fabulous example.

Of the maps here, my favorite is the cleric's house. I appreciate the 3d maps, but I think I'm just a little old-fashioned so they don't strike me as well as they probably should. My only other feedback is that the colors on the secret passage maps are a little similar in my eyes.

If you haven't already, you should look into the Pathfinder system, which is an update to the 3.5 rules. They may be interested in publishing your module. If you look through threads by GamerPrinter on this site you will see some of the work he is doing for a module he is publishing for his Kaiden world.

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## BlackLotus

Thankyou for posting your adventure module, I have looked at it and I was impressed with the work that you have done. I'll need sometime to go through it before I'm able to critique it further. As far as I can tell it module appears to be a hack-n-slash type of adventure where the players enter different areas and battle the nasty monsters that are there. I'm trying to do something radically different, but yet it has an old school Dungeons and Dragons feeling about it. Is there a way that I can send my work to you without posting it online?

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## NeonKnight

Yeah, Myself and most of my groups prefers the 'Hack-n-Slash'. Because we often only meet every 2 to maybe 4 weeks, it works better for us than more RP Intensive mods. Also, the mod was written to replace the Pyramid of Shadows as a 'between mod' of Thunderspire and Trollhaunt Warrens.

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## BlackLotus

Here is the background  story that I have done. This is the only writing that I'll post that is going to be in the actual module once it has been published.
 :Cool: 




> Evil in the form of a Rat!
>  Bartholomew with the holy book in his arms had just wished his two brothers, Dominic and Petras, a goodnight. The two brothers left the Cathedral and went to the Estate located on top of Mullbury Hill to rest for the night. Bartholomew wanted to join his brothers, but he had just remembered to return the holy book back onto the altar in the hall of worship.
>  The priest enters the main hall where the people come to worship the true god. He notices that the chamber has a sinister aura about it whenever nightfall comes. Brother Bartholomew always has an unsettling feeling when he enters the hall of worship during the hours of darkness. The pews where the people sit during the day cast eerie elongated shadows at night. The silhouettes of rats can be seen running across the windowsills, backlit by the moonlight shining through the stain glass. But some how this night was to be different, Bartholomew can sense it; something evil is lurking within the shadows.
>  As Brother Bartholomew places the holy book upon the altar, he notices a rat staring at him from the aisle way between the two rows of pews.
>  Shooo go away rodent. Ill have nothing to do with you this night, whimpered the young priest.
>  Unfortunately for Brother Bartholomew, the rat just stood there and stared, instead this time it had a human-like grin on its face. Suddenly the fiendish rat lunged at the priest with a vicious attack. It bit into Brother Bartholomews skin repeatedly until the young priests robes were soaked with his own blood. Now visibly scarred by the rodents relentless attack, Bartholomews body falls to the floor. The body of priest spasms as it begins its transformation into a monstrous humanoid rat-like creature. The Were-rat, Craven, has been reborn. 
> 
>  The Were-rat Craven woke from his eternal sleep, only to see a fiendish apparition appear before him. He sees the Devil Lord Hexxis standing over him and realizes that this infernal entity was the one who had resurrected him back to life. The Devil Lord Hexxis speaks, Craven, this is the temple of the forbidden god. If Knowledge of this god spreads throughout the lands then the control that we have over this world will be lost. The monsters and mythical creatures, which were born from the Dreamtime Mists will cease to exist. You, Craven, will also cease to exist along with them if you fail in your mission.
> 
> ...

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## BlackLotus

> I don't know how I missed so many of these maps, but I really enjoyed this thread. I'm working on documenting the adventures of my new 4e group, and I'll compile them into a module. Its great to see some of the process, as well as Neon's fabulous example.
> 
> Of the maps here, my favorite is the cleric's house. I appreciate the 3d maps, but I think I'm just a little old-fashioned so they don't strike me as well as they probably should. My only other feedback is that the colors on the secret passage maps are a little similar in my eyes.
> 
> If you haven't already, you should look into the Pathfinder system, which is an update to the 3.5 rules. They may be interested in publishing your module. If you look through threads by GamerPrinter on this site you will see some of the work he is doing for a module he is publishing for his Kaiden world.


Thank you for your comment, what do you think about the story?

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## BlackLotus

Okay, I have spend a lot of time creating this map object. It's a bronze statue of a ratman holding a red crystal. By placing the silver rat's head amulet into the impression on the crystal the adventurer will be able to activate a teleporter plateform. The teleporter will immediately transport the PCs to the Cathedral of the One God. I hope that you enjoy this image.

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## BlackLotus

Since I have copyrighted my material, I would like to share with you the final 2 maps that have been completed for my module.

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## tilt

Hi BlackLotus, those look really good - if I should come with a little critique it would be that you only need one triangle pr rough terrain square, and that the counters could be a little smaller as they "distracts" from the map  :Smile:  ... but looking great, nice and clear colors  :Smile:

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## BlackLotus

> Hi BlackLotus, those look really good - if I should come with a little critique it would be that you only need one triangle pr rough terrain square, and that the counters could be a little smaller as they "distracts" from the map  ... but looking great, nice and clear colors


Thankyou for the nice comment, Tilt.

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