City Designer & the Underdark

Hy everyone. I'm in the process of writing a D&D campaign that will take place in the gloomy Underdark. Does City Designer 3 do gloomy and Underdark-y? I googled like mad trying to find images, but everything I found was pretty vibrant over-world type stuff. I suppose the same question applies to the CC3 as well. Any links to images would be very much appreciated.

Comments

  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    The main focus is regular overland maps for both programs. That doesn't mean you can't use them for underdark, but it means more manual work generally. For example, you can use effects to manage the coloration of the map, making it less green and vibrant. You can set up your drawing tools with other fills (for example, many of the fills from DD3, which are intended for underground use), can also be utilized in CD3 and CC3+, nothing is constrained to the add-on it came from (although you need to manually import resources into your template, the resources are not available in all templates by default.) Also remember that you can import your own symbols and fills, so if you find something on the internet that fits your vision, you can usually import and use it.


    For "overland" underdark map I highly recommend the 2016 annual, which contains the Dungeon Worlds issue.

    There are also four great community packs available, some of them may have additional symbols you find helpful.
  • Josh.P.Josh.P. Traveler
    Here's a map I've made of an Underdark area. This was more my overland style map but you could blend the concepts together to make a city.

    The problem with the Underdark is finding symbols to represent the buildings. This months Annual has revamped the dark fantasy symbol pack which could be used. The symbols are a little 'vectory' for my liking.

    There's no reason why you could not achieve a convincing Underdark map though.

    A Map
  • Hi Josh, thanks for the info. That looks like what I'm after for sure! Saw your comment on the video, too; I subscribed and am looking forward to checking out all of your videos.
  • There is also a whole underdark themed continent map on the Atlas.
  • ScottAScottA Surveyor
    edited August 2018
    Posted By: CharlesWayneRobinsonThere is also a whole underdark themed continent map on the Atlas.
    Yes, that would be the one I did... I used a lot of greys and purples on a black background to give it a sort of glowing look. I'm actually working on one for another of our continents and hope to have it done and in soonish...
  • There is also the one Charles did for Nga Whanatua
  • ScottAScottA Surveyor
    Posted By: QuentenThere is also the one Charles did for Nga Whanatua
    Ah, thank you for the correction. Sorry, not trying to steal anyone's thunder...
  • The one other method I have seen is hexagons only. I prefer your take on this.
  • ScottAScottA Surveyor
    Thanks so much, jasonbarron!
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 40 images Cartographer
    Jason, as is already been hinted at by Scott and others before me, a lot of the atmosphere of a map is created by the mapper and the colours he/she chooses. Don't forget that you can turn most things really dark with an Hue Saturation Lightness sheet effect, and if you also have DD3 you can turn everything pitch black, then light it again with dungeon lights.
  • ScottAScottA Surveyor
    Sue's right. I did a Drow fungus plantation map and just used standard CC3+/DD3 but used a lot of purples and dark colors and then put a dark transparency over the whole thing to give it an underground feel. Pinky-purple glows on the fungus gave it a phosphorescent appearance. There are a lot of little tricks you can use to attain what you are looking for.
  • My challenge with Underdark maps always come to what do you map? Meaning, on regional maps, do you have to map all the caves/connections between cities/areas? Or are you only mapping the major/known areas? With an above ground regional map it's easy I can just put a forest/desert/mountain there and then detail it later. But, with a sub-terranean map, if their's not a drawn cave in an area, does that mean their are no caves/connections there?

    I know it's more a "me" thing. But I've always wondered how other thought of it and interpreted such maps.
  • The original D1 through D3 maps from TSR had major underground routes. With some hexes marked for secondary and tertiary paths, but these weren't mapped. Just shown where the intersect with the main corridors are located at. So if the Dm wanted to make the secondary and tertiary maps, they had an idea where to put them.

    On one of my Crestar cities, Dtillan Orsti, I drew geomorphs. As an example: 25 of them for various parks. Some nice, some overgrown, some intact buildings, some ruins, etc.

    I had originally thought of making my Crestar overland maps at the same scale as a backpacking map. 1 inch equals 2,000 feet. After thinking about it, I realized there aren't enough lifetimes for me to do that. Also why I stopped working on super detailed maps of my Starship Wanderer. Its a number of cubic miles in size, carries over 5,000 people, etc.

    So my opinion is that super detail is hinted at, otherwise it becomes a burden.
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 40 images Cartographer
    Maybe you can do an entrance to an otherwise blank area that just fades into the rock?
  • For regional scale Underdark maps, I've tended to go for abstraction and overall simplicity, like the classic London Underground map design. So you can see which places link with which and how directly (or not), as well as an impression of which places are at different levels below ground, given the third dimension is one that's a) often forgotten about, and b) drattedly difficult to properly represent on a map that's less abstract. From real-world cave exploration, it's clear there are frequently links between caves which allow very long, complex journeys to be achieved (albeit with modern equipment), so I've tend to assume there can be more than one way to reach the same destination, even without showing every possible path. At least until you get to smaller-scale area maps, and need to trap the RPG party somewhere, obviously...

    In all this, I've tended to be heavily influenced by fantasy fiction authors, who usually describe just a single traversable subterranean route, however convoluted, but one which may also have side-tracks that are usually, but not always, ignored. (Gollum, gollum...).
  • 6 days later
  • I got side tracked with Realm Works so haven't had time to experiment with the mapping side of things (Josh's fault!), but I plan to get started with my Underdark project this weekend as that's the next stop on the campaign I'm writing for my kids. I'm sure that I'll become a real nuisance pestering you all with a flood of questions!
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 40 images Cartographer
    We really don't mind, Jason.

    I can remember asking all kinds of silly stuff myself :P

    (and sometimes I still do!)
  • 25 days later
  • edited September 2018
    Here's my first overland map:

    Edit: oops, I was trying to post it as a screenie!
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 40 images Cartographer
    It's because you've got apostrophes in the filename that its not showing as one. You will have to rename it "Gwendolys Valley Template.JPG" for it to show ;)
  • edited September 2018
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 40 images Cartographer
    That's a magnificent map! :D
  • Thanks for the encouragement, everyone. I'm absolutely thrilled with my purchase of the various mapping tools (CC3+/DD3/CD3/various annuals); can't wait until my work slows down enough to really dig into them!
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