Category: World Map

A walkthrough of my mapmaking process

I was asked about the process that goes into making a map like the map of Rhune: Dawn of Twilight

This walkthrough uses Photoshop and a graphics tablet. It can almost all be done in Gimp with the same settings (I use PS because it handles large files better – and has more advanced brush dynamics). The tablet is more critical. The line art can be done by hand drawing and scanning and setting the layer to multiply. The colouring can be done with a PS brush with the opacity down low and then lust built up multiple times – but I’d recommend spending the $80 and picking up a cheap Wacom. It makes all the difference.

Okay, onto the workflow: Continue reading “A walkthrough of my mapmaking process”

Work in Progress – The Kingdom of Thulaan

I’ve been keeping up a game with a couple of friends from university (using maptool as we’re now on different continents). We take it in turns to run sessions, and in one Pathfinder game we’re exploring the manifold intrigues of the Kingdom of Thulaan and the royal court of Orphaleson. There are scheming Dukes, warring religious factions and dispossessed sons of nobles, along with a looming orc threat and some unwholesome undead raised by forbidden necromancers.

It’s great fun and we’re starting to get a feel for the world. The GM has managed to create a great suspension of disbelief by keeping most of the foes human and the plot lines believable – no mean feat in the fantasy world of dungeons and dragons. I suspect his PhD in Mediaeval Polish history has come in very handy whilst building this campaign.

A map of the fantasy kingdom of Thulaan for the pathfinder campaign I'm playing in

But this is a cartography blog rather than a campaign journal – so it should be no surprise that I’ve been playing with putting together a map of the lands of Thulaan. Continue reading “Work in Progress – The Kingdom of Thulaan”

Annual Style for Profantasy

I talked a little earlier about the upcoming Annual Style for Profantasy. It’s out now as the March Annual style so I can show off a little more of the work.

The guys at Profantasy used the style to recreate the world of Caera map for the Dungeonslayers free RPG. It’s surprising, and flattering, to see my work in some else’s map. Click the image for a larger version:

Edit: Looks like the image is no longer available.

I’m really pleased with the results they’re getting with this tileset. If you download the annual style let me know how you get on!

Dark Warriors by OGN

I was approached by the Open Gaming Network about creating a map for their online browser based fantasy role-playing game Dark Warriors. Here’s a low res version of the result:

OGN Fantasy MMO World Map for Dark Warriors RPG
World Map for the Dark Warriors Online RPG

The map needed to highlight a collection of different towns that the players progress through, Continue reading “Dark Warriors by OGN”

The Great Tree – Yggdrasil with gears

What says norse more than Yggdrasil, the world tree? And what says steampunk more than clockwork gears?

Fantasy map of the great world tree in the Pathfinder game of Rhune

The world tree of Rhune holds the different planes of existence, many of which represent different futures for the world of Midgard. Some represent the triumph of death, others a mechanistic hell and a few where good triumphs. Continue reading “The Great Tree – Yggdrasil with gears”