Tiny Terrain: Fields & Fences

No doubt you will have noticed that the videos (over on the YouTube channel) these past couple of months have been focusing on my new 'tiny terrain' system.

If you're not familiar with it, the idea is to make a bunch of modular village tiles (each containing a couple of houses, barns, fields, etc.) that can be pieced together to make little 3D maps of small settlements (i.e. they're not meant to be used with mini's - they're just something that can be used and reused in place of a regular 2D map).

Anyway, as you can see in the above picture, I've finally got to a point where it's actually usable now (as the previous videos in this series have mainly been getting everything ready for this video) ...so it's good to get to the stage where I can start pulling it all together :)

So yeah, if you're interested in making a few of these yourself then please do feel free to head on over to the YouTube channel and check out the 'tiny terrain' playlist ...or if you've been keeping up with all the latest videos, then this latest one (containing the fields & fences) is featured below.

And just like all of the other pdfs in the 'print & paste' range, this one is a pay-what-you-want download over on DriveThruRPG.

Anyway, here's hoping you can put some of this nonsense to use ;)

Using my (VTT) tiles in Roll20

 If you have ever loaded a map with it's own grid into a virtual table top, you may have come across the issue of trying to align the pre-drawn grid of the map, with the default grid of the VTT itself (this can be particularly annoying if the map has a border of irregular size).

However, with my own maps and tiles it's a pretty straight forward process (or at least it is in Roll20) - so I thought I would discuss the method I use to get the tile to align with the grid (the whole process takes about 10 to 15 seconds).

So, to begin with, I make sure that I have the map layer active...

 ...and then, assuming the map has already been uploaded to my library, I'll drag it onto the battlemat area.

Now, as you can see, it will rarely transfer at the right size - so right click on the image and choose Advanced > Set Dimensions...

...and because most of my maps are multiples of 12 (i.e. the small tiles are 12 x 12 squares, and the larger tiles are 24 squares), simply change the 'pixels' pull down menu to 'units' and input the number of squares that the map contains (so in this instance I've used my latest tile - which is 24 x 24 squares).

And, as you can see below, that will resize the map and align it perfectly to the inbuilt grid of Roll20.

As I say, the whole process takes a little over 10 seconds - so you should be able to build a nice looking map in just a couple of minutes.

Now, I don't know if it's quite as easy as that in other VTTs (as I say, Roll20 was the first one I became familiar with - and since it works well enough for me, I've stuck with it) - but if there is a similar trick, then feel free to post it in the comments.

Anyway, I hope that was of help. It's the method I use for my own maps, and it seems to work rather well :)

 

(NOTE: you can find all of my own map tiles HERE ...there's currently over 400 of 'em)

Rats in the Cellar

Some time ago I picked up Glynn Seal's 'The Midderlands' setting - as it's a fantasy take on the area where I live (i.e. The Midlands) ...so it was hard to resist :)

It's an OSR setting (so it's compatible with most of those kind of games) ...and since I've just picked up Chris Gonnerman's Basic Fantasy RPG - it's got me thinking about setting a game in the Midderlands ...and putting a fantasy spin on some of the stuff/areas that are familiar to me (just for a little one-shot to give BFRPG a test run).

So, I got to thinking about an old church that I used to pass on my way to work some years ago (one that's since been pulled down).

The chapel itself had fallen into ruin (despite it only being around 100 years old) due to the fact that it had become unsafe - as it had been built on top of old mines (my area is riddled with them).

So, an old ruined chapel ...built on top of even older mines ...that's RPG gold right there - so I figured it would make a good adventure site - maybe as a nest of wererats/ratfolk/skaven-like creatures that are making a nuisance of themselves (as I also remember there being a 'rat problem' in a park just down the road from the same place a year or two ago).

So, as you can see, I've drawn a little map in the old 'blue' style (to match the feel of an old-school setting/system) - and, since blogger will likely shrink the image down somewhat, I've uploaded a full size version (with and without labels) over on my Patreon page (note that you don't have to be a patron to download them - they are not hidden behind a paywall or anything like that).

Anyway, here's some of the things I was thinking about when drawing the map:

• The steps down from the chapel (into the crypts) are filled with rubble - though this can be cleared given enough time (though it's noisy work).
• A crack in the floor of area 3 leads down into area 6 (there's even a handy pillar spanning the crack that folks could tie their rope to).
• There is a secret trapdoor in area 5 that leads down into an evil altar (or similar) in area 9 (as I'm thinking the original builders weren't exactly what they seemed ...and maybe the new occupants are their 'cursed' descendants).
• A large hole in the floor of area 6 overlooks area 10 of the mine.
• The mines themselves are the main 'nest' of the ratfolk (or similar).

Anyway, I've rambled on for long enough - so here's hoping that you can put the map to use in your own game :)

TLDR: A full size map can be downloaded from the Patreon page for free.

Narrow Passage (VTT) tiles.

I've taken a short break from the cave maps that I've been drawing recently, and have instead been working on a small expansion set for the dungeon tiles... i.e. those pictured below:

And, at first glance, these might seem like a bit of a strange addition - as these maps do not conform to the usual size of 12x12 squares (or multiples thereof), and they don't have the normal '2 squares wide' exits.

However, the idea behind these is to allow us to add some variety to the dungeon in a few places - simply by overlaying one of the special narrow passages on top of an existing tile - i.e. this kind of thing:

Which means that we can turn something like this...

...into something like this!

So, as you can see, this helps to break up the 'modular look' that you can sometimes get with the regular tiles - plus it also allows us to have narrow passages that connect to the main dungeon at any point that we choose.

And if you're looking to get hold of all these tiles (both old and new) - they are freely available from my Patreon home page (i.e. you don't even need to be a patron ;) ).

Anyway, I hope all of that made some kind of sense, and I hope you'll be able to put them to good use!

VTT Maps for February

Here's a quick look at the two (large) map tiles that I've drawn this month...

...and here's a small example of them pieced together (with a few of the other VTT tiles) to make a small cave map.

As usual, I've added both of them to the (ever expanding) library of maps in THIS album - as well as organising them slightly better over on GOOGLE DRIVE.

So, here's hoping you like these latest additions!

All of the (VTT style) map tiles from 2019

Well, now that 2019 is behind us, I thought I'd write a short article to show off all of the tiles that I created last year - thanks to the support of my kind patrons (without whom, I probably wouldn't have got nearly as much done).

Anyway, the main focus for 2019 was 'caves' (you can find the full size images HERE by the way) ...and over the course of the year I managed to get all of the basic cave tiles finished...

...which, as you can see, includes:

• Small chambers with various exits.
• Large chambers that can be pieced together from multiple tiles.
• Tunnels/passages/dead-ends of various shapes and sizes.
• A few cave 'assets' that can be placed on top of the tiles to add a bit more variety.

Plus, if you take a look at the maps on the right hand side of the above picture, I also managed to squeeze in a few 'feature caverns' that can be used for specific encounters.

So, with all those done, we can now build nice 'little' cave maps that look something like this:

However, it's also worth mentioning that I did manage to get a few dungeon tiles (and one transitional tile) done as well ...as can be seen in the image below:

So yeah, that's another year's worth of maps done, and I've added them to the growing library of over 300 tiles (found HERE) ...which contains all of the (VTT style) maps that I've drawn over the past three years.

But what's next I hear you ask? (or is that just the voices in my head ;) ) ...well, to start things off, I think I'm going to concentrate on more 'feature caverns' and 'assets' for a little while - as I think that will really help to add some variance to the type of maps we can piece together.

So, all that's left to do is repeat my thanks to those of you that support this little ongoing project* over on Patreon, and to wish you all a happy new year. Here's hoping that 2020 will be a good one!

*along with my print & paste stuff ...there'll be

a separate post about that a little later on.

Latest VTT Map Tile

Just a quick post to show off the latest (VTT) map that I've recently finished...

...and the idea for this one came from one of my patrons (who requested a rickety rope bridge with missing slats).

Anyway, while drawing this one I figured that I could make the bridge crossing a little more 'interesting' if there was a higher ledge (i.e. the one over on the right hand side) where lookouts or guards could harass the PC's (with missile fire or similar) while they were making the treacherous crossing :)

So yeah, I'm quite pleased with how this one's turned out ...and just for a bit of fun, here's a quick cave map that I've put together from various other tiles that I've been working on this year...

...so that you can get a better idea of the kind of thing that you can make by piecing a few of these map tiles together :)

Anyway, that's it for this post, I hope to get the next Print & Paste video (and pdf) out next week if I can, so keep an eye out for that!


NOTE: did you know that you don't have to be a patron to get your hands on these tiles. Just head on over to my Patreon home page, and you'll find links to all the various album/folders there.

Let's Draw a Dungeon Map (FINISHED)

If you've been following me on social media, or watching some of my videos on youtube, you'll be aware of the fact that I've been drawing a dungeon map, room by room, based on the suggestions and ideas of others.

Basically it went something like this.

• I created a starting area on the map.
• I asked people to provide a description of any of the adjoining rooms.
• I selected a few of those ideas (combining several suggestions whenever possible).
• I drew in the new areas, and posted a picture of the updated map.
• I then repeated the process for the new rooms...

 ...and this is how it turned out:

So, if you want to download a pdf copy of this map (along with all the descriptions) you can find it on google drive HERE.

And if you want an unlabelled copy of the map (for use with a VTT for example), you can find it HERE.

Anyway, here's hoping you'll be able to get some use out of it!

Patreon (VTT tiles) Update

I'm halfway through this year's 'caves' project (i.e. the modular cave tiles that I've been creating for use with virtual table tops), and I'm pleased to say that I've just completed the basic set of small cave tiles :) :) :)

This means that I've finally got all the basic configurations covered (i.e. passages with one exit, passages with two exits, passages with three exits, etc.) - as well as several 'feature caverns that have been suggested by some of my kind Patrons (as seen below).

So, here's a quick look at the kind of thing that you can make with these now...

...and I have to admit that I'm quite happy with the result :D

However, when you piece them together, you are going to get a slightly unrealistic 'modular tiles' look (which is hard to avoid when using modular tiles ...obviously) - but the plan going forward is to create a few larger caverns (made up of 4 or more tiles themselves), which should help to mix things up a bit.

Basically ...something similar to these old black & white tiles here:

Anyway, a big thank you goes out to everyone who supports my endeavours over on Patreon. As I've always said, the aim has never been to hide any of these tiles/maps behind a paywall or anything like that (as I want them to be available for everyone to use) ...so your continued patronage really helps to keep the project alive. THANK YOU!

Basic Cave Map Timelapse

I don't think this really qualifies as a map making tutorial ...but I thought it would be of interest nonetheless:

And here's the finished map:

Hope you like it! :)

VTT Maps - still going strong!

I know that the blog has been featuring a lot of the 'print & paste' stuff recently, but I wanted to point out that the smaller (VTT style) maps are still going strong :) ...and that the library of 'cave maps' is steadily growing.

So, here's a quick look at a layout I've just put together that features some of the newer tiles...

...and I have to admit that they do have a bit of a 'tiled look' at the moment ...but this should become less of an issue when I get more 'feature caverns' and multi-tile caves drawn (the latter being similar to THIS).

Furthermore, I've also been trying some of these maps out with this new (at least I think it's new) 'Astral' virtual table top (that DriveThruRPG has teamed up with)...

...and, as long as you change the map to a grid size of 50, all of my tiles snap to the grid without any fuss - plus it seems to have dynamic lighting in the free version (which is nice):

Anyway, as you might already know, I have a Patreon campaign tied to these particular maps (though none of the final maps are hidden behind a paywall or anything like that), which you can find HERE.

Or, if you're not a fan a Patreon (for whatever reason), I'm also compiling them all in THIS lengthy album ...or you can find them (in a slightly more organised fashion) over on GOOGLE DRIVE.

Anyway, here's hoping you can put them to use!

January's (VTT) Map Tiles.

As some of you will know, for the first half of this year (possibly longer) I'm going to be drawing a bunch of cave tiles that you can piece together to create your own cavern layouts.

However, it'll probably be a few months before there's enough variety to make anything other than simplistic layouts ...but I thought I'd post a picture of the kind of thing you can do with just these eight tiles (to give you a better idea of the kind of thing I'm aiming for).

(this map contains 2 T-junction tunnels, and three dead-end caves)





And, all this is being made possible by the kind folks supporting me over on Patreon (thanks guys) ...and it's my hope to eventually add 'feature caverns' to the library (so caves/tunnels with lava or water running through them, giant mushroom groves, goblinoid lairs, and so on) once I've got a working 'core set' complete.

So,here's hoping you like 'em!

Note that you can find links to all of these maps over on the Patreon page ...though I am also compiling all of the cave tiles in THIS FOLDER over on google drive.

All of the (Patreon) maps from 2018

As most of you will probably know, I've had an ongoing Patreon campaign for a few years now (one that's tied to my smaller/VTT maps), and so I thought I'd take a few minutes to show off all of the tiles I created last year - thanks to the support of my kind patrons.

As you can see, most of them are modular dungeon tiles that allow you to make maps like this:

...though, I also added in a few stand alone pieces (like the cave and the barrow) for a bit of added variety every now and again.

Anyway, now it's the start of the new year, I've decided that I'm also going to start work on an accompanying set of cave tiles (for even more variety) ...though obviously, it's probably going to take a few months before we get enough tiles to make a reasonable looking layout ...but you've got to start somewhere, right?

Note that you can find all of the maps from 2017 onwards in THIS album or over on the PATREON page.

November's Patreon Maps

OK then, here's a quick look at all of November's Patreon maps...

...and, as you can see, these first two are meant to be used together - with the larger map representing the upper level of a massive stairway, and the smaller map the room at the bottom.

Then there is this room with a well at its centre...

...and the layout for this one was suggested by a couple of my patrons.

So, if you want to get your hands on the full size version of these maps, you can find them (along with all the other tiles I've drawn thus far) in THIS ALBUM. And if you'd like to support the project, feel free to head on over to the PATREON PAGE, and check out the different reward levels.

October's Patreon Maps

As some of you will know, for several years now I've been drawing a bunch of modular style maps (suitable for VTTs, etc.), and sharing them for free on the various social media platforms.

However, I'm not sure why, but I've neglected to post them on the blog for some time now - so I thought I would change all that, and start doing monthly updates again (and generally try to be a more active blogger) :)

Anyway, I'm currently at a point where I'm drawing the equivalent of six 12x12 maps each month* (though I will often combine several of these to make larger, more detailed tiles), and here's what I've come up with for October's offerings...

This first one is a bit of a convoluted junction - with no real purpose other than that of confusing the party mapper (perhaps it's part of a larger maze or similar).

And, just to show how modular all of these maps are, here's an example of what it might look like when used with other tiles in the range (note that the full album of tiles can be found HERE).

For the remaining two maps I've gone ahead and drawn a couple of blocked passages ...ones that might be possible for the PC's  to clear/dig through (given the right tools and enough time) - or that tiny creatures can pass through (or retreat through) to harass the party.

So that's all of this month's offerings (hopefully you'll find a use for them) ...and if you would like to support the project, feel free to stop by the PATREON PAGE and take a look around.

*note that the number of tiles I draw each month is based upon the amount of support I get on the associated Patreon page (which functions as a kind of tips jar for supporters of the project, and as a place for folks to post any requests or suggestions that they might have for future tiles).

Patreon Roundup

As some of you will know, for the past few years I've been running a Patreon campaign that features lots and lots of my small map tiles (i.e. the kind that are suited to VTT use).

Well, I figured it was time for a bit of a roundup ...so here's a quick look at what I've drawn so far in 2018:

As you can see (now that all of the basic/empty rooms & passages are done), this year I've been concentrating my efforts on 'feature rooms' ...and many of these particular tiles contain ideas and/or suggestions from some of my kind patrons.

So, if you'd like to support this ongoing project (because the more support I get, the more maps I'll be able to draw), just head on over to the Patreon page :)

However, please note that none of these maps are hidden behind a paywall or anything like that (as that has never been my intention) ...the Patreon campaign is just there as a kind of 'tips jar' for those that might be interested (though, there are additional rewards that allow you to make suggestions, or licence a bunch of these maps for a commercial product, and so on). As such, you can find all of the maps that I've drawn to date in THIS ALBUM ...and you are FREE to download and use them in your personal games.

- an example map I've put together using some of these map tiles -

Dungeon Deck (playing cards)

I've been working on this for a while now, but I can finally announce the release of...

As you would expect, the deck can be used as a set of regular playing cards -OR- you can piece them together to generate a sprawling dungeon map...

Dungeon Deck is available from DriveThruRPG and RPGNow for $8.99 (or $9.99 with a plastic deckbox - as seen in the first picture and in the video below).

- Note that these are not miniatures-scaled tiles, just a fun little (poker-sized) card deck -

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.

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.