Rise of the Runelords Maps (and others)

Maps I'm making for RotRL Pathfinder campaign (and possibly some other ones not associated with RotRL when I finish them).

Foxglove Townhouse:

Foxglove Townhouse Main Level


Foxglove Townhouse Second Floor


Foxglove Townhouse Third Floor


Ruins of Wrath


Ruins of Wrath


Ruins of Wrath Second Level

Comments

  • RalfRalf Administrator, ProFantasy 🖼️ 18 images Mapmaker
    Wonderful stuff! Nice to see the John Roberts Dungeon style get some good use!
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    The Ruins look good, but the townhouse looks fantastic! I love how nicely the JR symbols mix with the default DD3 symbols. Beautiful, beautiful maps!

    My only nitpick would be the stairs. I love the landings, but I have a confusing time following the stairs from floor to floor. And I'm afraid I don't have any constructive suggestions at the moment.

    Other than that, though, I absolutely love the maps and the building layout!

    ~Dogtag
  • kalnarenkalnaren Newcomer
    edited October 2015
    Posted By: RalfWonderful stuff! Nice to see the John Roberts Dungeon style get some good use!
    It's a great style. Love it. Very practical for both indoor and small outdoor areas I find and a good jump point for customizing the sheet effects (at least for a n00b like me).
    Posted By: DogtagThe Ruins look good, but the townhouse looks fantastic! I love how nicely the JR symbols mix with the default DD3 symbols. Beautiful, beautiful maps!

    My only nitpick would be the stairs. I love the landings, but I have a confusing time following the stairs from floor to floor. And I'm afraid I don't have any constructive suggestions at the moment.

    Other than that, though, I absolutely love the maps and the building layout!

    ~Dogtag
    Thanks for the comments :)

    I'm not a huge fan of the stairs either. The first maps I did had arrow symbols on them (using the SS2 stair bitmaps) but they didn't look good so I took them out. I'm still pretty inexperienced with the software but I might try and create some custom sheets specifically to do the stairs. Gradient shading or something might help. Either way I think I need to move them off the symbol layer -the shadows don't look right.

    The layout is actually very similar to the one in Rise of the Runelords. I think I swapped the stairs around a bit and made one or two other changes, that's it. I might re-do the interior a bit though to make it more of a "generic" townhouse.
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    It isn't so much the look of the stairs as it is the layout. If I start on the first floor, I have trouble following how I move up to the third along the stairs. I think what's throwing me is that the same landings are shown on all the maps. That probably makes sense it's just throwing me off.

    ~Dogtag
  • Ah I see. The "landing" for the stairs is a common element between the two floors, so that represents the same area on both maps.

    How might you change the layout of the stairs to make that more clear? I'm always up for tips to improve the maps :)
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    As Dogtag ashamedly admitted before:... I'm afraid I don't have any constructive suggestions at the moment.
    I really don't know, sorry. It may be more an issue with how my brain works than with your map. That seems more likely since everything else about the maps is so wonderful.

    However, if something comes to me — most likely as I drift off to sleep, or in the middle of an important meeting while someone drones on — I'll definitely post it.

    Cheers,
    ~Dogtag
  • GatharGathar Traveler
    Hello,

    I really like your maps, but I have a few suggestions that I hope could improve them even more.

    On the first one, the junction between the path and the cellar seems fine, but the junction between the path and the main building looks strange to me, like if the gravel tried very hard not to tough the wall. I think there should be no fading effect between the gravel and the main building. And on it's way to the garden entrance, there is one point where it is really narrow. A little bit too much, I think.

    For the stairs, I think part of the problem is that the stairs seem to project a shadow on the corridor. Maybe you could make the texture on the "landing" of the stairs and on the upper part of the stairs a little bit larger, to help the mind understand that it is closer to us than the rest of the corridor?

    Maybe overlaying a progressively less transparent rectangle on top of the upper part could help understand it is leading to somewhere not on the map?

    What font did you use for the ruins of wrath?


    Now, enough talking, I have to go back to work on my own maps... It is always harder to turn some idea into something that works than to give them to someone else... I wish you luck!
  • Posted By: GatharHello,

    I really like your maps, but I have a few suggestions that I hope could improve them even more.

    On the first one, the junction between the path and the cellar seems fine, but the junction between the path and the main building looks strange to me, like if the gravel tried very hard not to tough the wall. I think there should be no fading effect between the gravel and the main building. And on it's way to the garden entrance, there is one point where it is really narrow. A little bit too much, I think.
    Good thoughts. The path does indeed look a little odd where it meets the house. I think a re-draw of that element would solve most of the issues.


    For the stairs, I think part of the problem is that the stairs seem to project a shadow on the corridor. Maybe you could make the texture on the "landing" of the stairs and on the upper part of the stairs a little bit larger, to help the mind understand that it is closer to us than the rest of the corridor?
    That could work. I'll have to play around with it a bit and see. You're right though where it sits now there's absolutely no distinction between the upper and lower, and without overlays it makes it hard to figure out.

    Maybe overlaying a progressively less transparent rectangle on top of the upper part could help understand it is leading to somewhere not on the map?
    That's a good idea too. I'll try it and see how it looks. It may be enough to just darken the "lower" stair symbol a bit. I'm likely going to move them off the symbol layer too so they don't cast a shadow. It doesn't quite look right.

    What font did you use for the ruins of wrath?
    Sabre Regular

    Now, enough talking, I have to go back to work on my own maps... It is always harder to turn some idea into something that works than to give them to someone else... I wish you luck!
    I appreciate the suggestions. For new map maker like me it's easy to see the "big obvious" stuff but harder to catch the more subtle touches.
  • 4 months later
  • kalnarenkalnaren Newcomer
    A few more.

    This is a series of maps based on Droskar's Crucible, primarily done to give me practice with CC3 layers. I changed the map around and turned it into an old garrison fort that's gradually collapsing because of the soft ground it was built on.


    Ground Floor

    Falkwood Garrison Floor 1


    2nd Floor

    Falkwood Garrison Floor 2


    3rd Floor (Tower)

    Falkwood Garrison Floor 3


    4th Floor (Tower)


    Falkwood Garrison Floor 4


    Key:

    Falkwood Garrison LEG


    Lower Floor Key:

    1. The path approaching the garrison passes through thick, smooth stone walls. The walls are much newer than the rest of the structure, and were added some time after construction as the first part of an expansion to the keep’s fortifications. However the project was soon abandoned as the fort started to collapse, and no other reinforced structures were built.

    2. The central courtyard was originally open but is now partially closed off by the newer walls. The well provides all the necessary water for the garrison.

    3. The lower levels of the tower are used for dry goods storage. The tower itself is a full story taller than the rest of the fort, with the top sitting above the forest canopy.

    4. The kitchen can't be described as anything else but "cramped", it is however large enough to serve the small number of personnel in the garrison.

    5. These three rooms are used by the fort's servants.

    6. Heavy rains eventually caused the soft ground to wash away, resulting in the collapse of that corner of the fort. The room is open to the elements and is no longer used. This incident halted the construction of the fort’s new battlements and ultimately led to the decision to abandon the fort completely, as the ground is not suitable for a heavier structure.

    7. This large area serves as the garrison mess hall and gathering room for the remaining soldiers.

    8. When built this larger room was the garrison’s library and record room. It has since been partitioned into two sections and now holds what’s left of the garrison’s supplies. The stairs lead to the upper level.

    9. Quartermaster’s Office.

    10. The fort's "jail" -originally foreseen to hold bandits and highwaymen caught by the garrison before their transport to Ballenmore- has been repurposed as livestock holding pens following the small barn burning to the ground two seasons prior.

    11. This corridor was originally built to allow future expansion of the keep. No expansion ever happened, and the hallway has since crumbled. Sand-filled barrels now block off this exit.

    Upper Floor Key

    1. The upper stair landing holds weapon racks and shelves of other equipment. The garrison soldiers occasionally use this area to spar when the weather outside is unsuitable.

    2. Garrison Commander's room.

    3. Garrison Commander's office.

    4. Barracks

    5. After the wall collapse the integrity of the floor in this room became suspect. It is now used to store non-essential goods (like firewood) or junk.
  • kalnarenkalnaren Newcomer
    These are a pair of small houses I did based on Skellige architecture (as seen in The Witcher 3).

    Skellige House 1


    Skellige House 2
  • edited March 2016
    Absolutely awesome stuff!

    The only thing that I did not like is the ladder for the fourth floor tower.

    The stone going all the way down does not fit.

    A trap door may be a better idea.

    Just a small nick-pick though, great job! :-)
  • These are some fine maps. Well done!
  • kalnarenkalnaren Newcomer
    Posted By: CharlesWayneRobinsonAbsolutely awesome stuff!

    The only thing that I did not like is the ladder for the fourth floor tower.

    The stone going all the way down does not fit.

    A trap door may be a better idea.

    Just a small nick-pick though, great job! :-)
    Does look a little odd, doesn't it?

    You're right, a trap door may work better.
  • 4 months later
  • kalnarenkalnaren Newcomer
    edited July 2016
    Fixed up Foxglove Townhouse. Various symbols were on the wrong layer, re-did the path out front, re-did the stairs so they look more like stairs.

    Foxglove Townhouse Main Level

    Foxglove Townhouse Second Floor

    Foxglove Townhouse Third Floor

    Small map for the 'Desecrated Vault' encounter in Burnt Offerings.

    Desecrated Vault

    RAIDER'S WARREN

    Not a RotRL map. It's from an adventure in one of the Dragon magazines. Can't remember which off the top of my head (Battle of Emry Medows I think?). Made this one mainly to play with DD4 symbol set, and I suck at coming up with original dungeons :P

    I modified the default SS4 sheet effects a bit; I didn't like the way the walls were on it.

    Farmhouse

    Farmhouse Schley

    Farmhouse Upper Floor

    Farmhouse Upper Schley

    Raider's Warren

    Warren Schley

    Same maps as above, but done in Jon Roberts' style. Did them in both to see which style I like better. Turns out I like them both and can't decide, so now I map in both :/

    Farmhouse

    Farmhouse Roberts

    Farmhouse Upper Floor

    Farmhouse Upper Roberts

    Raider's Warren

    Warran Roberts

    As always, critique welcome.
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