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Pen & Paper Roleplaying Central => Pen and Paper Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Discussion => Topic started by: RunningLaser on August 03, 2015, 02:02:22 PM

Title: What are some of the best maps out there?
Post by: RunningLaser on August 03, 2015, 02:02:22 PM
I remember coming across a map, I think it might have been for Harn, that was multilayered.  I believe one could toggle the view to see different roads. What are some other top notch maps out there?
Title: What are some of the best maps out there?
Post by: Battle Mad Ronin on August 03, 2015, 03:51:35 PM
Dyson's Dodecahedron (https://rpgcharacters.wordpress.com/) is my personal go-to source for maps. The guys spits out brilliant maps like a pez dispenser.
Title: What are some of the best maps out there?
Post by: Chivalric on August 03, 2015, 04:48:00 PM
I save pretty much every image Dyson makes.  So many have seen game use.

I've seen layered maps where you can turn on and off different features and recall others with clear plastic layers you put over the maps, but I prefer simplicity.  Everything needs to be described in words during play in my games.

My latest interest is in Matthew Lowes work on Google+
https://plus.google.com/photos/photo/114713256686637132391/6178075833085934834
Spoiler
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MAk0dRZaP1g/VbzvPMKDPPI/AAAAAAAAHXg/k7zfIGStNuc/s1558-d/img335.jpg)

It's being posted here in a best maps thread because I believe anyone can make these as all the elements are very simple.  They're great in that they are examples of one of the most accessible approaches to overland map making I've ever seen.  And the grid seems to do away with just enough of the artificial structure of hexes.

My hexcrawl is basically a grid crawl now.
Title: What are some of the best maps out there?
Post by: Justin Alexander on August 03, 2015, 07:06:11 PM
Quote from: NathanIW;846314And the grid seems to do away with just enough of the artificial structure of hexes.

That's one of the most nonsensical statements I've ever seen. I can't even begin to comprehend how someone could believe that navigating a wilderness via a square grid is less artificial than by hex, unless their campaign was taking place exclusively in the Lands of Minecraft.

In the spirit of the thread, I'll mention the PTOLUS CITY MAP. Detailed down to customized, individual buildings rendered to precise scale it's an incredibly beautiful, evocative, and useful map. But what makes it truly shine is the Ptolus Deluxe City Map (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/23441/Ptolus-Deluxe-Spire-Map?affiliate_id=81207), which offers the map at a resolution that allows you to print it 7 feet by 4.5 feet at a resolution of 150dpi.

Whether you take advantage of having a wall-sized poster map of the fantasy city the PCs are adventuring in or simply excise portions of the map to generate detailed area maps for any building that the PCs might decide to visit, it's incredibly useful.
Title: What are some of the best maps out there?
Post by: RunningLaser on August 03, 2015, 07:34:09 PM
Thanks for posting both of those links.  

I really like Matthew Lowe's work.  Heck, I have graph paper some where over here.
Title: What are some of the best maps out there?
Post by: RPGPundit on August 05, 2015, 01:41:32 AM
I think the maps Dominique Crouzet made for Dark Albion are pretty awesome...
Title: What are some of the best maps out there?
Post by: The Ent on August 05, 2015, 07:16:16 AM
Quote from: NathanIW;846314My latest interest is in Matthew Lowes work on Google+
https://plus.google.com/photos/photo/114713256686637132391/6178075833085934834
Spoiler

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MAk0dRZaP1g/VbzvPMKDPPI/AAAAAAAAHXg/k7zfIGStNuc/s1558-d/img335.jpg)

It's being posted here in a best maps thread because I believe anyone can make these as all the elements are very simple.  They're great in that they are examples of one of the most accessible approaches to overland map making I've ever seen.  And the grid seems to do away with just enough of the artificial structure of hexes.

My hexcrawl is basically a grid crawl now.

Good point Nathan.:)

Before I even knew what a 'hexcrawl' (or 'sandbox' for that matter) was I got good use out of gridcrawls. They're not really inferior to hexcrawls.
Title: What are some of the best maps out there?
Post by: Zevious Zoquis on August 05, 2015, 11:19:50 AM
I like this PA map from The Mutant Epoch alot...

http://www.outlandarts.com/Crossroads-Region-Folder/TME-Crossroads-Region-color-map-frame-30x30-web.jpg
Title: What are some of the best maps out there?
Post by: kobayashi on August 06, 2015, 03:41:25 AM
I have a soft spot for this (unoffical) Palladium Fantasy World map (http://dawn2069ms.deviantart.com/art/Palladium-Fantasy-Worldmap-61746603).
Title: What are some of the best maps out there?
Post by: Caudex on August 06, 2015, 05:24:01 AM
I like this layered map of Altdorf, the capital city of the Empire in WFRP.

http://altdorfer.blogspot.hk/2012/12/ialtdorf-download.html
Title: What are some of the best maps out there?
Post by: Nerzenjäger on August 06, 2015, 06:07:39 AM
I always really liked the board that came with Dragon Pass, it's truly beautiful, even if primarily a cosim:

https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic224075.jpg

Another board game map, that just rocks is the one from Barbarian Prince:

http://dwarfstar.brainiac.com/barbarianprince/barbarianprince_onepiecemap.jpg

Of course, the obvious one being Darlene's Greyhawk map, which is the inspiration for my current campaign map (WIP):

http://i.imgur.com/2w6McMp.png
Title: What are some of the best maps out there?
Post by: bryce0lynch on August 06, 2015, 08:24:23 AM
Kramers Usherwood regional maps are VERY nice.

Here's an example:
http://www.usherwoodadventures.com/support/images/geography/centralcontinent.jpg
Title: What are some of the best maps out there?
Post by: misterguignol on August 06, 2015, 09:32:57 AM
The stuff on The Metal Earth is top notch, I mean just look at this. (http://themetalearth.blogspot.com/2015/08/maps-bx-cosmonaut-expanded-preview_5.html)

Jez Gordon's maps in the newest Death Frost Doom are really nice for their level of clarity and at-a-glance usability.
Title: What are some of the best maps out there?
Post by: fuseboy on August 06, 2015, 10:40:26 AM
Josephe Vandel (https://www.patreon.com/mapforge) does a pretty mean regional map (http://schwarzkreuz.deviantart.com/art/Arden-Mapp-2011-346268703).

Maxime Plasse (http://maximeplasse.deviantart.com/) also does some pretty amazing stuff (http://maximeplasse.deviantart.com/art/Kherash-426196371).