Kilibbix's Map Thread

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xanther said:
When you say really weird is "The Parliament" the locale of a funkadelic kingdom dedicated to bringing the funk? :smile: We do need the funk, bring us the funk....or just to be inspired, a city run by Bards :smile:
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As much as I wish I could claim it to be a P-Funk party, I had originally envisioned a hollow tree inhabited by talking, giant owls. But now....

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Last night I played Labyrinth Lord with a group of newcomers to the hobby. Preferring to explore the ruins of The Tower of Zarx (a randomly stocked labyrinth) rather than the Caves of Chaos, they delved into the dungeon below. They explored rooms 1, 5 and 6, managing to survive two combats with skeletons, and avoided a wilderness encounter outside with some goblins by being merely polite.

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TOWER OF ZARX: Level One

Encounters
Check every two Turns, 1-2 on d6 triggers encounter.

A single Gelatinous Cone (as Gelatinous Cube, but...looks like a cone and can travel under doors or through the smallest of cracks) stalks this level. Once it is defeated, no more checks need be made.

Dungeon Key

1: Cycloptic Statue: Huge, bronze, one-eyed statue in northern alcove. Eye is precious gem worth 50gp, prying it out causes gas to issue forth in 20' cloud (save or take 1d6 damage), behind gem is key to room 2.

2: Locked Room: Locked door can only be opened by magic or key from 1. Though room appears empty, a chest is hidden underneath the central flagstone in a hollow cavity. The chest contains 5000sp, 100gp and a Potion of Healing. Secret door is 5' above floor, three small finger-sized holes w/button at back of each at eye-level. All three must pushed by object or finger to open door.

3: Well Room: Unlocked, old empty well from which strange clicking sounds emanate. If examined, Giant Spider emerges and attacks. At bottom of well is skeleton w/rusted chain mail, 10 iron spikes, mace and purse with 10gp.

4: Kobold Lair: Door locked, 10 Kobolds dwell here. They do not generally travel farther into dungeon and mainly use this room as base to explore outside region. They can warn adventurers about the skeletons in 6, the dangers of the Gelatinous Cone and the existence of a group of Orcs farther in who are looking for something. They possess a Dagger +1 (Can cast Light once per day) that a max-hp kobold wields, and a chest w/75gp.

5: Collapsed Chamber: Half-collapsed chamber, if Turn is taken to search a ring with stylized 'Z' worth 25gp will be found. Picking up ring causes an unseen voice to whisper “Zarx” into ear of finder.

6: Sarcophagi Vault: 4 Skeletons stand in each niche, guarding a sarcophagus, and will animate if niche is entered.

A: Nothing, if sarcophagus is opened darts fly out at 1d3 people, save or 1d6 damage.
B: Skeleton, non-animate, Potion of Invisibility, Scroll Tube with 1d3 lvl 1 MU spells, chain.
C: 50gp, 1000sp
D: golden scepter worth 100gp. secret door to 14 hides behind mural of skeleton. Push right eye.

7: Dead Spider: Unlocked, room covered in cobwebs, desiccated Giant spider corpse dangles in middle of room. Otherwise empty.

8: Infamous Duplication Pit of Zarx: Empty 20' deep pit against western wall. Strange runes written on wall above pit (Read Magic: 'In goes one, out comes two'). Any living being touching bottom pit is duplicated, appearing on the x with their alignment reversed.

9: Orc Explorer Lair: Locked door, 6 orcs here with body of dead beloved leader are attempting to duplicate her without success. They want to be left alone, and will say as much through door, but will defend themselves without remorse. They possess a measly 10gp.

10: Stirge Hall: Doors to this room are unlocked. 10 Stirges dwell here, twittering and meeping, coming and going through small crack in wall. They have 25% chance each Turn spent here (cumulative) to attack explorers. Bone litter floor here, pulled from small 1' x1' niches on walls. 1D6 gp can be found each Turn of searching (up to max 100gp).

11: Crumbling Hall: This hall is carved with fantastic imagery, but looks unstable (though it isn't). Ominous creaking and shifting sounds will accompany any movement through here.

12: Gelatinous Cone Room: Large (15' tall) statue of woman with hands cupped around hollow mouth stands here. Gelatinous Cone dwells within statue (bubbling and sucking can be heard), and emerges only if something long is put in mouth of statue. Otherwise it can only be encountered randomly.

13: Petrification Pool: Both doors locked, Statue sits on edge of 5' deep pool, with one hand in water. 300Gp, S. Sword+1 scattered under water, anything touching water will turn to stone (living beings get save).

14: Vaulted Chamber: Empty chamber with high, vaulted ceiling. Secret door is 5' above floor, three small finger-sized holes w/button at back of each at eye-level. All three must pushed by object or finger to open door.

15: Toad Lair: Door unlocked, 2 Giant Toads dwell here, secret door to 6 hides behind mural of skeleton. Push left eye.
 
So, is there any software you'd recommend for making maps, or really plans, of buildings? I'm looking for something that would allow me to insert doors, windows, stairs, etc. without having to draw them in by hand. Allowing for different wall thicknesses and materials would be a plus. It needs to be relatively cheap and not require a great deal of computing power.
 
I use Dungeonographer for the basis of most of my dungeon maps, and then clean them up/add extra features using Microsoft Paint. It's a little clunky, but everything you've mentioned is in there. With custom lines you can specify the width (or kind...dashed/hashed etc) and it has a library of symbols that you can use, including doors, windows, stairs etc. I've tried a number of other programs and I keep coming back to use it. Plus the base program is free! It doesn't take up a huge amount of computer power, as far as I can see.

Inkwell Ideas also makes Hexographer (and Worldographer, but I don't really use it) and I've gotten hundreds of hours of use out of it.
 
Klibbix! said:
I use Dungeonographer for the basis of most of my dungeon maps, and then clean them up/add extra features using Microsoft Paint. It's a little clunky, but everything you've mentioned is in there. With custom lines you can specify the width (or kind...dashed/hashed etc) and it has a library of symbols that you can use, including doors, windows, stairs etc. I've tried a number of other programs and I keep coming back to use it. Plus the base program is free! It doesn't take up a huge amount of computer power, as far as I can see.

Inkwell Ideas also makes Hexographer (and Worldographer, but I don't really use it) and I've gotten hundreds of hours of use out of it.
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Is there a reason that you don’t use/like Worldographer? Browsing the Inkwell site, it seems like Worldographer includes the features you get in the other two.
 
Lofgeornost said:
Is there a reason that you don’t use/like Worldographer? Browsing the Inkwell site, it seems like Worldographer includes the features you get in the other two.
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No particular reason, other than stubbornness I guess. I've been using Dungeon/Hexographer since before Worldographer and I just never really started looking deeper into it...probably to my detriment! I'm sure it's just as good if not better, but I will say I prefer simplicity and the earlier programs just seem that way to me.
 
May as well add the surface level map for The Tower of Zarx. Un-stocked...because I added it after our first session. Should the players return, or if I get a chance to use the setting again for a different group, I'll stuff some terrible monster in at least one of the rooms.

Towerofzarxsurfacekeyed.png
 
Giganotosaurus said:
I dig it, the wood of pools in particular. Is this a departure from your previous sword and sorcery settings?
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Indeed, this one was created with 13th Age in mind, a more heroic and less gritty fantasy. Also, I've realized that my usual naming schemes are frequently unpronounceable and mainly forgettable. I wanted towns that, while simplistically named, are just easier to remember.
 
Klibbix! said:
Indeed, this one was created with 13th Age in mind, a more heroic and less gritty fantasy. Also, I've realized that my usual naming schemes are frequently unpronounceable and mainly forgettable. I wanted towns that, while simplistically named, are just easier to remember.
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Are the Frostfang Mountains from AGot? The name sounds familiar. Not a criticism--reusing good semi-generic names is a good strategy.
 
Lofgeornost said:
Are the Frostfang Mountains from AGot? The name sounds familiar. Not a criticism--reusing good semi-generic names is a good strategy.
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Looks like you are correct.

"The Frostfangs are a mountain range in the far northwest of the continent of Westeros, beyond the Wall and north of the Seven Kingdoms."

George got there first!
 
Well, my Mothership Box set finally arrived and I've been busy planning away.

Taking some of the themes of my previous attempt for Cthulhu on Mars I've reworked as much of it as I can for a mini-campaign.

I'm planning on remixing the excellent Haunting of Ypsilon-4 and setting it on the ice-moon Par, in Rime station. I'm going to go for a real Alien-vibe as I just saw the 45th anniversary edition in theatres and it really reminded me of how much I love the genre.

We play tomorrow!

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Trying something a little different. Designed for a Mothership one-shot or mini campaign, this is a point-crawl 'playmat' style map, meant to be printed out and put on the table while playing.

Players would have minis to indicate where they are at any given time.

The locations signified by the points are conceptual, and would differ in size, shape and contents while described, but they're there to make the job of running the game more efficient and practical.

As I age, I find I'm less able to quickly come up with content on the fly, so having everything planned out somewhat meticulously beforehand will save me some cognitive space during play.

My recent Mothership two-shot went ok, but it suffered from some hesitation on my end and my mistaken assumption that I could just wing events.

The Gist

Here is Delta-Witness, a mega-corp financed asteroid base so secret that all employees are memory-wiped upon starting and finishing their five-year contracts. The facility is the counterweight to the Somnus space Tether, the space elevator connecting Delta-Witness to the planet below.

Somnus VI is a lifeless, rocky waste, completely shrouded in a corrosive, cloud-like fog. Ranging from pearly-blue to a deep, rich purple, the fog has ocean-like currents and frequent lightning-wracked hurricanes that appear without warning to scour the planet's surface with their fury.

At the base of the tether is Enigma Blue, a vast and ruined city, seemingly built for a humanoid race with the proportions of giants. Devoid of life, the city is littered with inscrutable locations and artifacts that appear totally alien to the human explorers who bring them back up to be studied by the Delta-Witness laboratories.

In addition, the mega-corp responsible for financing the operation, Black Arrow Industries, has built an "atmospheric processing plant" which is engaged in some mysterious work involved in exporting a component of the planet's cloudy atmosphere.

The Vanth and The Nirah, a vessel and its shuttle respectively, arrive every year in order to load "export cylinders," discharge new staff and pick up employees who have finished their five-year contracts.

The Twist

Remnants of the city's original inhabitants, a race of sinister psychic giants, slumber below in deep, sealed vaults. They are slowly awakening due to the recent influx of minds to their home and their psychic emanations are being felt by the planet-bound workers in the processing plant as well as the staff at Delta-Witness.

Faces appear in the fog, everyone suffers terrible nightmares, violence breaks out between employees and people begin to disappear.

Worse still, the giants' psychic vibrations are weakening the Black Arrow memory inhibitors and the staff are beginning to remember who, or what, they really are.



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