role-playing games – The Map Room https://www.maproomblog.com Blogging about maps since 2003 Mon, 20 Mar 2017 13:15:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.maproomblog.com/xq/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/cropped-logo-2017-04-32x32.jpg role-playing games – The Map Room https://www.maproomblog.com 32 32 116787204 Fantasy RPG Mapmakers https://www.maproomblog.com/2017/03/fantasy-rpg-mapmakers/ Mon, 20 Mar 2017 13:15:17 +0000 http://www.maproomblog.com/?p=4049 Geek and Sundry looks at four cartographers who make maps for role-playing games: Dyson, Derek Ruiz (Elven Tower), Mike Schley and Deven Rue (Rue Ink).

Previously: The RPG Maps of Dyson’s Dodecahedron.

]]> 4049 The RPG Maps of Dyson’s Dodecahedron https://www.maproomblog.com/2016/04/the-rpg-maps-of-dysons-dodecahedron/ Wed, 27 Apr 2016 22:30:18 +0000 http://www.maproomblog.com/?p=1763 More]]> crypts-and-sewers
Dyson Logos, “Crypts and Sewers,” 2016. CC licence.

Dyson’s Dodecahedron started out as a blog about role-playing games that over time transformed itself into a source of dungeon maps; the impetus was a dungeon he’d written up for a one-page dungeon contest:

I wasn’t happy with the map I drew for that dungeon, and started looking at the maps drawn by other members of my various RPG groups. I started to develop a new style for my maps. Not an “original” style overall—it is strongly based in the cartography I enjoyed from old Palladium and Chaosisum products, but significantly less like the style of the traditional D&D map which is very grid-oriented.

Then I started to post maps drawn in this style. As I practiced the style, I challenged myself to draw a geomorph every other day until I had at least 100 geomorphs. The blog got pretty boring during this stretch, but I learned a lot about mapping and dungeon design, and the blog got a reputation as a mapping blog.

Dyson’s archive of maps is now quite extensive; the maps are generally free for personal use and available under various licences. He’s also got a Patreon page. [Boing Boing]

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