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Message: <blockquote data-quote="HALL" data-source="post: 3326403" data-attributes="member: 49573">I have been doing maps since I started Gaming oh... 18 years or so ago. Back when AD&D was the thing. I found though they did the job the maps at the time were a bit lacking. (no offence to those original mappers out there, the technology at the time was ...well... lets just say that I think my dad still has the Commodore 64 I used to draw out my first dungeon!) I use to hand draw my maps and use color pencil and inking to try and give them that old world look... I have even soaked paper in tea to stain it then torched an edge or two before drawing to really give it a worn look (a bit messy but effective) My drive was to not only give the players a map to look at but to draw them into the landscape itself. We seem to get wrapped up in our character and what they can do and in the campaign itself, nothing wrong with that but when was the last time a gamer actually thought about his or her surroundings and tried to use the land and landscape around you in a battle? Those of you out there that have done that knows it adds depth to a campaign. It makes a regular campaign more interesting. I have had the GREAT pleasure of gaming with (as a PC and a DM) Ashy, for 10-12 years or so. He has that same passion to draw the players in and to make them aware of not just what they as a PC can do but also what the others in your group can do and how to use the "world" around you as you do it. The map work I do is the effort to make the PC "feel" the world around them adding depth to the campaign and to their characters. That is the "Why I do it that way" side of the inspiration, the "How it is done" side starts by sketching a map out by hand (or, as it this case, using a prexisting map)Once it is inked in I scan the image and drop it in Photoshop ( I have CS it really makes things easier) once there I layout varying layers of water to show depth. Then block off the land in a sandy tone. every thing is layered in order (ie you wouldn't have a lake over the mountains.) If you have Photoshop CS play with the settings. if you haven't double click the layer you are on in the layers box just to the right of the layer title and you'll get a "Layer Style" window. It has glow effects, shadow, beveling, textures tons of stuff. It takes me around 12-24 hours, roughly, of work to get a map done. Unless it is one like the Skyspire Abbey with furniture and all sorts of crazy stuff (<a href="http://www.wowweezowwee.com" target="_blank">www.wowweezowwee.com</a>) then it takes a bit longer. If you have any questions let me know I'd love to help out.</blockquote>

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