Cartography - Ressurecting the World Map thread!

[Gamer Printshop]

Here is the regional map for my upcoming publication for the Kaidan: Japanese Ghost Story campaign setting for OGL/Pathfinder compatibility... The Gift

I'm currently working on all the encounter scale maps, town/city/village maps, still a few more to go.

The island of Yonshu, Empire of Kaidan:

 

GP

[Gamer Printshop]

Here's my latest Cartographers' Guild Challenge Map (June 00). The challenge was to create a "home away from home" such as a starship, sailing ship, dirigible, or a location accessed to by a teleportation device. I chose the latter.

The Assassin's Lair is accessed by using the Amulet of Cerene (God of Death & Murder). All explanations are on the map itself.

This is completely hand-drawn, and scanned. Then I used Xara Xtreme to create beveled shapes beneath the scanned images to give it color and some 3D depth. I had fun with one.

I thought being both a map and a magic item, it might find more use than a normal map might for gaming purposes.

Enjoy!

GP

 

Link to larger file:  Cerene: the Assassin's Lair

[Gamer Printshop]

OK, here's a commission I map, I just created. There is an NDA involved, so I can't provide a link to a larger file, or tell you much about it, but I'm using some new techniques creating hand-drawn mountains and forests with this one. I thought you might enjoy it's style.

GP

 

[Elemental_Elf]

Gamer Printshop, I've always admired your works. I really enjoy how crisp and clear your maps are, as well as all the extra details you add, like the border on the Forgotten Gods map. :)

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Yeah, the knot style is cool.

[Sarandosil]

Are dungeon maps still welcome?:P

I created a lava set. The map isn't for anything, I just made it to work out the terrain.

 [spoiler] [/spoiler]

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Looks good Mina. I wouldn't go adventuring there.

[Elemental_Elf]

Hey Mina, is there more of that awesome Dungeon?

[Ghostman]

The lava looks very cool, and by 'cool' I mean hot! :D

[Sarandosil]

Looks good Mina. I wouldn't go adventuring there.

Ahh, but you don't get to choose whether to go there. Muwahaha.

Look on the bright side; it's the one place you never have to worry about getting eaten by a grue.

Hey Mina, is there more of that awesome Dungeon?

Nah, like I said I just created it to work out the technique to make the terrain, but now that I've done it it will be much faster to create subsequent maps because I can literally just copy the same layers I have there and modify them into different terrain.

Here's one with a different lava texture. I'm not sure which one I like more. Or rather I'm not sure which I like less. Or is it which I dislike more? Which I dislike less more. Which...

 [spoiler]
 [/spoiler]

[Matt Larkin (author)]

I wish I had adventure maps that awesome :)

[Elemental_Elf]

I wish I had adventure maps that awesome :)

Me too!

[Gamer Printshop]

Not a world map, but a city map for my Kaidan: The Gift - for the first and third installment of my initial adventure campaign.

This is the provincial capital of Oniba Province on the island of Yonshu, Tsue-jo castle town.

This map was completely hand-drawn, then scanned, colored, bevels applied, drop shadows, feathering and transparency all within Xara Xtreme Pro 4.0 Final map is 24" x 48" at 100 ppi JPG. The thumbnail is the almost finished version - the link is to the larger final map.

Enjoy!

 

Link to larger file:
 Tsue-jo Castle Town (Final)

[Gamer Printshop]

The districts of Tsue-jo, an explanation...

The height of the shoreline above the river is about 9 feet above the river water level, thus the wharfs sit closer to the water with walkways down from city ground level. The spit of land on the western end of the island is frequently flooded during the spring.

Each bluff rises 50 feet above the previous. Those long walled roads leading from the main town level, upwards rise a total of 50' on their overall length. The samurai district rises 50 feet above the artisans district though the ramp road is much steeper between the two.

Thus the samurai district sits 150 feet above the waterline, with the elevated portion 25 above the lower portion of that district. Thus the bridge crossing over to the next islet and the first bailley sits 175 feet above the water. Though the road winds back on itself, as much as for defensive reasons, the road is rising another 50 feet from the west bridge to the east bridge.

The provincial palace grounds on the furthest west islet sits at 225 feet above the river, while the fortress is on a rise 50 feet higher than the palace grounds, at the total height of 275 feet.

Each section of town:

The western edge of town sits outside the city walls, but still on the island is the towns "Floating World" red light district controlled by the Yakuza. The river has flooded this district in the past, as it sits on the lowest slope perhaps 4 feet above riverline.

Within the city walls is the main town area, with two sets of docks. The west docks are primarily for official imperial or military use. The city maintains a small fleet of fast patrol ships used to inspect passing cargo, use for war, and anti-piracy on the river. Many shops and "unguilded" crafters, dockworker laborers and fisherman families dwell in this part of town.

The Kirin district on the next bluff accessed by the first rising road from the lower town is home to the smithy industries and their three famous sword smiths, and a large population of sohei monastic priests of the Kirin Order, these priests are fanatically loyal to Lord Hachiwara of Tsue-jo castle, even moreso than many of his samurai.

The Artisans distict sits above that with their own Artisan Zao temple on its western end. Despite its dominance on the end of that bluff, many small shrines populate that crowded region of buildings at the center. Gated alleys and a labrynth of alleys lead between the many master craftsmen that work here. Some of the finest manufactured goods on Yonshu are created in this district.

The senior 42 samurai and their families dwell on the samurai district, as well as the Hatamoto police chief, and several lesser nobles, with those on the far northern side of the Samurai district.

The Palace on the furthest islet to the east, is the administrative offices and residence of Lord Hachiwara Oda (Samurai 21st LE). The grounds within the complex of palace structures houses a demon-spirit bound to the control of the Lord and his onmyoji wizard, protecting his household and this level of the castlegrounds.

The fortress on top of the hill on this furthest islet is used as a watch tower and storage barn of military goods and the treasury when not used for defense under siege.

All the walls surround the castle and entire town have stone bases rising 20 feet above the street level to enclosed corridors with slate roofs. These wall corridors serve as archer shooting positions, for arrow storage, barracks, military messhalls, private shrines and worship areas. So none of the walls of the city are empty. The military is the largest employer on the island.

Without giving away key NPCs, safe houses, secret society halls and other goodies in Tsue-jo (all that's for the publication) this is the description of the town of Tsue-jo, so you can understand what you're looking at.

GP

[Elemental_Elf]

Here's the latest campaign setting my group will adventure in. It's unnamed but has a definite Reconquista theme to it. The Kingdom names are all placeholders, though I am fond of Leonamarca...

[spoiler=Here's the Map! ] [/spoiler]