End of Year Ramblings...

Patreon Roundup 2017

As most of you will be aware, the aim of 2017's Patreon campaign was to create a bunch of full colour geomorphs that folks (including myself) could use to piece together dungeon maps of various shapes and sizes (largely for use in VTTs or similar).

Well, now that the year is coming to a close, I thought that it would be a good idea to run-through everything I've drawn thus far (though it's worth noting that I am hoping to continue the project throughout 2018 - but maybe with a few small changes).

To begin with, here's a quick look at all the basic geomorphs to date...

...that's over 100 basic rooms and passages!


In addition to these 'basic' tiles, I've also created 36 room segments...

...which can be pieced together to create much larger rooms (including oddly shaped ones).


And finally, there's almost a score of (what I'm calling) 'feature rooms'...

...which are tiles that can be used to represent specific dungeon encounter areas (half of which have been based on the suggestions of my kind patrons).


And while the Patreon Campaign is far from being a great earner (as it's really more of a tips jar sort of thing) I would like to thank each and every one of my patrons (both past and present) for their support. You guys are great!

So, if you're running a game online, or would simply like a cool looking map for your own notes, you should be able to put together a nice (consistent) looking dungeon with the 2017 tile set ...as shown in the example below:

Note that all of this year's maps can be found in THIS ALBUM or on GOOGLE DRIVE.

A New Project for 2018

Long time followers of the blog might know that, as well as drawing and writing various RPG stuff, I also like to build pieces of physical terrain for use in my games (usually from bits of junk and/or cheap supplies).

Well, next year I hope to take the tutorials I write for these projects one step further, and will be launching a youtube channel to accompany some of the stuff I do:

To begin with I'll be concentrating on my version of the 2.5D dungeon system (as originally created by DM Scotty) ...but I aim to cover a wide variety of terrain and gaming aids in the long run.

I do, however, still have a lot to learn about shooting and editing videos (and my current camera is not the best) - but I hope that some of you will follow me on this new journey.

* * * 

And that's it for now. Here's hoping that you all have a good (and safe) holiday season ...and here's to a new year of new (and hopefully interesting) projects!

Battlemap versions of old maps...

Just a quick update to say that I've started to compile the 'battlemap' versions of some of my old maps (along with a couple of newer ones) over on google drive (for ease of access). So, if you're interested in checking them out, you can find them HERE (and please let me know if you'd like to see more of this kind of thing).

However, it's worth noting that they don't look great when printed at this scale (see below) ...but they'll do the job in a pinch :)

More to follow as and when I get time.

Cyber Monday Map Bundle

Just a quick message to say that all of my products are available in this year's Cyber Monday sale over on DriveThruRPG, and that I've also put together a special bundle for just $2.99...

The bundle contains 7 map-packs (from my various ranges) ...plus a free copy of one of the zines for the Age of Shadow RPG.

So, if you're interested in checking it out, you can find it HERE.

The Little Book Of Dungeons

A little while back I was contacted by the folks over at SquareHex, and we discussed the possibility of producing an A5 booklet containing all of the colour maps from my existing 'Little book of Dungeons' range.

Fast forward a few months...

The booklet is a compilation of all the maps found in Volumes 4, 5, and 6 (so that's 18 dungeons in total), plus a bonus map of a large inn (as we all need a place to start the adventure right? ;) ).

So, if you're interested in picking one up, you can order your copy from the SquareHex website (or HERE for a reduction in postal charges), or you can visit the SquareHex guys at next month's Dragonmeet.

More 'stock art' Maps

Following the release of volume six of  'the Little Book of Dungeons' I'm pleased to announce that all of the maps featured in that booklet are now also available as individual stock art images too (priced at $2.99 each).

Each of these 'stock art' maps are supplied as:

• A pdf booklet featuring a labelled and unlabelled version of the map
• A 300dpi labelled PNG file (US letter size)
• A 300dpi unlabelled PNG file (US letter size)
• An unlabelled JPG file for use with VTTs

So, if you're a publisher, and are in need of an affordable dungeon map for an adventure module (or similar), then head on over to my stock art page over on DriveThruRPG or RPGNow and see if there is something that suits your needs!

-the current range of stock art dungeons-

Little Book of Dungeons : Vol. 6

I'm pleased to announce the release of another volume of The Little Book of Dungeons!

Within this latest volume you will find a pdf booklet containing six colour dungeon maps (suitable for printing), as well as unlabelled image files of each map (for use with virtual tabletops or similar).

-all six maps featured in this volume-

The Little Book of Dungeons - Volume 6 is available for just $2.99 from RPGNow and DriveThruRPG.

A Quick Update

Since things have been a bit quiet around here for a while, I thought I would post a quick update to let you know what I'm working on at the moment...

PATREON

Interest in the Patreon campaign hasn't been that great lately (and I've had to change the reward levels around a little) - but I'm still adding new tiles to the library each and every month. In fact, now that all of the smaller geomorphs are complete, I've recently entered the second phase of the project.

So, if you take a look at the image below, you'll see that I'm now drawing tiles that can be used (in multiples of four) to create much larger (possibly oddly shaped) rooms.

However, there are only 12 of these 'large room corner pieces' available at this time, but I've got a lot more planned!


'ZINE #3

I've also been working on material for this year's 'zine - for The Age of Shadow RPG.

So here's a quick look at some of the images I've drawn for one of the articles (a little adventure) that I'm in the process of writing.

ANOTHER DUNGEON BOOK

In-between working on the Patreon project and the 'zine, I've also finished 4 (of the 6) maps for the next Little Book of Dungeons.

And just like the maps in the previous two volumes, these will be available as a booklet first (for personal use), and then as individual 'stock art' images (for commercial use).


2.5D SCI-FI TILES?

I'm not 100% sure where I'm going with this yet, but one of the (many) things I've currently got on the back burner is a set of 2.5D sci-fi tiles (or perhaps a new range of pay-what-you-want tiles). But since I'm about to start playing in a friend's sci-fi game, I may get the urge to work on these sooner rather than later.

Note: for those of you not familiar with my 2.5D dungeons, you can find out more in THESE POSTS. Similarly, if you want to learn more about my existing pay-what-you-want dungeon tiles, you can find them HERE.

And that's it for this little update!

More stock art maps!

If you're a publisher, and are in need of affordable dungeon maps for your own publications, then you might be pleased to know that all of the maps from the latest 'little book of dungeons' are now available as individual stock art images.

Each map is supplied as:

• A pdf booklet featuring both a labelled and unlabelled version of the map (along with the licence agreement)
• A 300dpi labelled PNG file (US letter size)
• A 300dpi unlabelled PNG file (US letter size)
• An unlabelled JPG file (scaled at 70 pixels per square) for use with VTTs (or similar).

So, whether you've just started to publish your own modules (perhaps over on the DMsGuild), or you have been doing it for years - then it is my hope that my 'stock art' range of maps will allow you to pick up a nice little dungeon without it breaking the bank.

Note that each (individual) dungeon map in the 'Stock Art' range is available for just $2.99 over on RPGNow and DriveThruRPG.

June's Patreon Roundup

Interest in the Patreon project has waned a little these past few months (with the loss of a few supporters), but I've still managed to get the final 16 tiles of the core set finished!

So, with their completion, you should now be able to find...

• 4 one-exit tiles
• 6 two-exit tiles (i.e. 4 'corners' and 2 'straights')
• 4 three-exit tiles (i.e. T-junctions)
• 1 four-exit tile (i.e. a crossroads)

...for every size/shape of room (and passage) in the set. This means that you shouldn't need to rotate any of the maps when piecing together your dungeon (as rotating them can make some of the shadows look a little 'off').

So, I'd just like to say thanks to everyone for supporting the project (and helping me to churn these maps out) ...and starting next month I'll be moving on to larger room tiles (and I'll also be changing the Patreon goals/rewards a little).

- the current plan for the large room tiles -

-(on the left are the individual maps, on the right are a few potential layouts)-

So, keep watching this space ...as there is still lots more to come!

NOTE THE YOU CAN FIND ALL OF THIS YEARS MAPS IN THIS ALBUM

OR OVER ON GOOGLE DRIVE (where they are better organised).

A New Release!

I'm very pleased to announce the release of another volume of The Little Book of Dungeons...

...and just like the previous volume, this product includes 6 colour dungeon maps for GMs to populate, and for players to explore.

-all six maps featured in this volume-

Note that both labelled and unlabelled versions of each map are provided in the pdf booklet, along with individual image files (scaled at 70 pixels per grid square) for use with virtual tabletops (or similar).

The Little Book of Dungeons : Volume 5 is available now from both from RPGNow and DriveThruRPG for just $2.99.

(however if you follow THIS LINK you can get a $1 discount if you purchase before the end of the month ;) )

May's Patreon Roundup

Here's a quick roundup of all the Patreon funded maps I've drawn this month...

So, this month has seen an additional 20 basic tiles added to the library ...along with 4 caved-in passages, and one large room tile.

This last map (the large room) was based on the request of one of my patrons - who asked for another section of dungeon that was ruined in places.

So I went ahead and created a map that depicts an old wooden bridge spanning an underground canal/pool/waterway ...though the upper area of the dungeon has collapsed - meaning that one of the rooms can only be reached by wading through the waist-high water of the canal (maybe at the risk of disease, giant bloodsucking leeches, or something else equally unpleasant).

Obviously, you may have your own encounter ideas for the tile - but I thought I'd share my thinking in case it was of interest :)

And that's it for another month of maps!

(note that you can find all of these maps in THIS ALBUM -or- over on GOOGLE DRIVE).

More Furniture for the 2.5D dungeon

A couple of days ago I posted a new pdf file that contained a bunch of wooden textures that you could print out and glue to bits of cardboard to make simple balconies/stairs/etc. for your dungeons (though you could also use the main texture for wooden floored dungeon tiles too).

Well, I've also been experimenting with a few new furniture pieces recently - and this is what I've come up with...

- a collection of round tables, stools, and simple cots -

...and if you want to make a few of your own here's how to do it:

The very first thing you'll need to do is download and print out THIS new texture - which is a bit darker than the last one, for a bit of variety (though it can also double as an alternative floor tile texture if you wish)

MAKING THE TABLES AND STOOLS

STEP 1
Glue a section of the main texture to a piece of thin card, and draw out a few circular shapes to represent the table top and stool tops (in this example I've drawn around a coin that is roughly 1" in diameter, and a small washer that is roughly ½" in diameter).

Next glue a section of the plain wood texture around a drinking straw (a 1" length should be more than enough).

STEP 2
Cut out the table and stool tops (note that I've also cut little 'v' shapes along the edges where the planks meet - for a more rustic look), and cut the straw into a ½" length for the table 'leg' and a ¼" length for each of  the stools.

STEP 3
Glue a 2x2 section of whatever floor pattern you are using to a piece of thin card and cut it to size (note that I've actually used some of the slightly smaller 2x2 sections that I've provided in some of the other furniture downloads). Next, hot-glue the table leg to the centre of the tile, and the stool legs nearer to the edges.

STEP 4
Finally, simply hot-glue the table and stool tops to their legs.


MAKING THE COTS

STEP 1
Glue a piece of the plain wood texture to a piece of thin card, and cut out two lengths roughly 1½" long by slightly less than ¼" inch wide, and 4 pieces approximately 1" x ¼" (note that you can also cut these last pieces from the gridded wood texture if you have lots of that left over).

You'll also need to cut four ¼" lengths of textured drinking straw (made in the same way as described above), and a roughly 1" x 2" piece of the sackcloth texture from the previous Barrels & Sacks download (note that I've distressed the edges of this last piece by making little 'v' shaped cuts with a pair of scissors).

STEP 2
Hot glue the 2 pieces of the drinking straw to the underside of the 1½" planks, and then glue them down to a suitable floor tile (note that I've also made a stool to go beside the side of this one - so ignore that).

And while the glue is setting, crumple and unfold the 'sackcloth' texture a couple of times to make it nice and creased, and then scrunch it up to look somewhat like it does in the picture.

STEP 3
Glue the smaller planks across the two larger beams (note that you don't have to be too neat and tidy with these).

STEP 4
Then, for the final step, hot-glue the crumpled paper on top of the bed to make it look like worn/tattered sheets.

* * *

And that, as they say, is that!

Now, it's worth keeping in mind that these aren't going to stand up to a ton of abuse - but they are pretty quick and easy (not to mention cheap) to make ...and ideal for adding a bit of interest to the dungeon.

So, if you decide to make a few of these (or any of the bits & pieces from my 2.5D collection), then I'd love to hear about it!

April's Patreon Roundup

Here's a quick roundup of all the Patreon funded maps I've drawn this month...

So, during April I've added 16 more of the basic (small) geomophs to the library, along with a couple of medium sized ruined/flooded areas at the request of one of my patrons (Lastlaugh70).

And because I had no further requests/submissions this month, I've also gone ahead and drawn the large tile (pictured on the right) on the behalf of patrons Craig Clark, Rich neves, and The one who Wasps.

For this last map I've attempted to draw an area of the dungeon that's been taken over by a group of evil cultists (or similar) -  with a makeshift library set up in the main hall, a bunch of prison cells (for their sacrificial victims) in the NE corner, and a circular 'summoning' chamber where they practice their despicable blood magic.

Obviously you could use the tile for something else entirely (and I've provided an empty version of the map too) - but I thought I'd share what was going through my mind when I was drawing it ...just in case that's ever of interest :)

Anyway, that's it for another month of maps (though I hope to be posting some more stuff for the 2.5D dungeon in the next couple of days), and all that's left to say is that you can find all of these maps (plus all the ones I've drawn since the beginning of the year) in THIS ALBUM -or- over on GOOGLE DRIVE (where they are slightly better organised).

Balconies and walkways for the 2.5D dungeon

A few years back I started to make some bits and pieces for a 2.5D dungeon system - inspired by the likes of DM Scotty and the DMGinfo (just do a google image search for 2.5D dungeons to see the kind of thing I'm talking about).

However, instead of making a bunch of tiles and then painting them, I opted to make a few printable textures that I could glue to the cardboard - thus enabling me to make  a bunch of tiles quickly and easily (and if you're interested to see what I've done previously, simply click the 2.5D tag at the end of this post).

Anyway, since a recent delivery came in a nice big (double corrugated) box, I thought I would revisit the 2.5D dungeon, and turn this packaging into a few wooden walkways and/or balconies - thus giving the dungeon a multilevel feel (and allowing the players and monsters to take advantage of elevated positions).

So, with that in mind, here's what I've come up with...

And if you're interested in making some of these bits and pieces yourself, here's how to do it...

First of all, you'll need to print off the pages of THIS PDF file.

However, before we go any further, it's worth noting that I've drawn the textures so that the distance between each individual 'horizontal plank' is one quarter of an inch - so you should be able to cut along the lines without the need to do much measuring :)

MAKING THE STEPS

For the stairs, you'll want to glue the top two textures on page one of the pdf to some thick cardboard, and then cut them out (with a box cutter) to the desired shape (which will depend on how large you want to make your steps).

For my own steps I've chosen to make them 2" wide and three steps high (with the distance between each step being half an inch). I have therefore cut the 'plank' texture into three 2" X 1" sections to represent the steps, and the side texture into the shapes pictured above.

Once that's done, it's a simple matter of gluing them together with a hot glue gun (note that I like to have the steps overhang the sides ever so slightly).

MAKING THE RAISED SECTIONS

For the walkways/balconies you'll need to glue the wooden floor texture (on page 2) to some thick cardboard, and cut it to the desired shape. Once that's done you'll need to make the support pillars in exactly the same way as the stone pillars SHOWN PREVIOUSLY - except that you'll use the plain wooden texture on page one. Furthermore, you might also like to make a simple base for each of the pillars (using the same plain texture glued to some thin cardboard) to make the whole thing a little more stable.

And once again, it's then just a matter of hot-gluing it all together.

And that's all there is to it! Obviously you could take a little more time than I have and wrap the wooden textures around the edges of the cardboard - but once you've laid several pieces down on the table, you hardly notice the exposed edges.

* * * 

So that's what I've been up to this holiday weekend :) ...and if you have a go at making a few of these yourself (or any other 2.5D stuff) I'd love to hear how you get on.

New settlement maps...

I'm very pleased to announce that I've just released another map-pack over on DriveThruRPG and RPGNow.

This map-pack features six hand drawn maps (digitally coloured) that are suitable for use with most fantasy role-playing games.

Included in this product are a pdf booklet (featuring both the line-art and colourised version of each settlement), along with separate jpeg image files for use with virtual tabletops, etc.

Half-a-dozen Hand Drawn Maps : Vol.2 is available from DriveThruRPG and RPGNow for just $2.99

March's Patreon Roundup

As I mentioned last month, instead of posting a new message each time I add a couple of new tiles to the Patreon page, I would make a single post that showcases everything I've drawn over the last month.

So, for March I've added 16 basic geomophs (4 large square rooms with one exit, 4 large circular rooms with 2 exits, 4 small octagonal rooms with 2 exits, and 4 small circular rooms with 3 exits), along with a bunch of small 'stairs up' and 'stairs down' tiles.

I've also drawn a couple of 'feature areas' (as submitted by some of the folks who've pledged at the dungeon builder level or above) - the first of which is a large flooded/ruined dungeon entrance, and the second being a long, trap-filled hallway (and for this last one I've also included a plain version - so that you have both a 'before' and 'after' image to show to your players).

-a small example map using a few of the new stair tiles-

And, as always, you can find all of the maps I've drawn this year on the PATREON PAGE -or- in THIS ALBUM -or- over on GOOGLE DRIVE.

And finally, if you want to join me over on Patreon ...your support would be greatly appreciated!

30% off sale

Yesterday (March 4th) was GM's day, and to celebrate DriveThruRPG and RPGNow are having a massive sale ...and I'm pleased to say that all of my products are included in that sale!

However, the sale only lasts for another 9 days (at the time of writing) - so, if you've been thinking about picking up any of my booklets or maps, then now is a great time to get your hands on them.

February's Patreon Roundup

Since I'm drawing quite a few map tiles for the current Patreon campaign, I think that instead of spamming my own blog with constant updates, I'll just post one or two updates each month - to show you guys what I've been working on.

So, without further ado, here's a quick look at all of the geomorphs I've created during February:

And, if you would like to get the full size version of each of these maps (which are scaled at 50 pixels per grid square) you can find them all in THIS ALBUM, or over on GOOGLE DRIVE.

So, as usual, my thanks go out to everyone supporting the project ...and I'll add that if/when I meet my next goal/milestone (which is currently set at $100 per month), I'll start to expand the range with placeable objects and furniture.

Thanks again!

-an example dungeon built with a few tiles from the current set-

More Geomorph's for January

As most of you will probably know by now, the aim of this year's Patreon campaign is to build up a library of colour geomophs and rooms (that are free for everyone to use) ...and the more support I can muster, the more time I can spend on the project (and yes, each $1 really does help).

Furthermore, there are several different pledge rewards on offer - that allow folks to suggest themes and layouts of new tiles (should they need a particular configuration or 'special' room for an upcoming adventure), that I'll then attempt to draw.

So without further ado here's a geomoph based on the suggestion of Craig Clark (who asked for a map with a mechanical/clockwork theme):

And because I've recently hit my next milestone, I'll now be producing 4 batches of 'basic geomophs' each month ...so here's the final batch for January:

And finally, Rich Neves asked if there would be any possibility of creating a few sci-fi maps in the future - and while I have  no immediate plans to do so (as that would be another project in and of itself), it did give me the idea of drawing a 'transporter room' of sorts (albeit a fantasy one in this case):

So, that's it for January. All that's left to say is a big thank you to everyone supporting the project ...and here's hoping that it won't be too long before we hit the next milestone (which will mean that I'll start work on making placeable objects to furnish the dungeon).

* * *

Note that all of these maps are Copyright Kristian Richards 2017, and that they are being collected in THIS ALBUM and over on GOOGLE DRIVE.

January's Geomorph Submissions

My current plan (for the Patreon campaign) is to dedicate the second half of each month to creating maps based on the suggestions supplied by those kind folks who've pledged at the 'dungeon builder' level or higher.

So, for the first of these, I have drawn the following map based on the 'ruined/flooded dungeon' idea submitted by Doug Z:

...and I have to say that I'm happy with the way it turned out :)

(Note that, over on the corresponding Patreon post, I also mentioned a few basic environmental hazard/encounter ideas that sprung to mind when drawing the map ...so let me know if you'd like to see more of that kind of thing in the future).

* * *

And for the next suggestion, Peter Webster asked if I could add a simple 'corner passage' to the set (rather than design a custom tile of his own) - thus making the set (as it stands at the moment) more usable for everyone.

So I've gone ahead and drawn 4 of them :)

* * *

And finally...

I've also been playing around with a simple tile overlay that can be used to represent secret passage entrances...

...so I've included a bunch of these in the 'extras folder' over on GOOGLE DRIVE - along with an EXAMPLE LAYOUT that shows all of the tiles that I've drawn thus far.

* * *

And that's it for this update. As always, my thanks go out to everyone for supporting the Patreon campaign - but even if you're not able/inclined to support the project financially, your thoughts, comments, and shares, are always welcome ...and help to keep me motivated.

Thanks again!