how do you make your overland maps?

[Kershek]

Er, I use the Forgotten Realms Faerun map. If I need something more specific I try to hock it from the Internet - for instance, Wizards' map section.

 

[Wombat]

Sometimes (often) I just go freehand.

In earlier campaigns I made extensive use of the Harn maps, so I didn't really need to do any work.

Of late I have been making "poetic maps", in that they have only a vague scale and are, in part, wildly inaccurate. The reason behind this is simply the technology of the day -- truly accurate maps are more a product of the 18th century and forward, rather than anything medieval/renaissance. They just "feel right" somehow and my players are beginning to really enjoy the sense of mystery.

 

[Sunglar]

I just use Paint... Simple and functional.

 

[Kashell]

Freehand is the best way. Use a light pencil and let your hand guide you. Before you start drawing, make sure you have an idea what the landmass will consist of. (Big continent? Continent with huge bay? Archipeligo?)

Go back over it with a pen and add in any details you want.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I used to hand draw pencil sketch maps, then scan them into Photoshop to work on. Now I exclusively draw my world maps in Photoshop. I still draw my dungeon/building maps by hand then scan into Photoshop.

I have been on a life long search for a good hex-mapped for MacOS. I'd drop a few hundred bucks for one even. I mean a GOOD one. And also one that lets the artist arrange the hex pattern the same direction as the old D&D Gazetteer hex maps. I've looked at RPGMapmaker. Nice for its price. If you know what I mean by that...


Regards,
Eric Anondson

 

[James Heard]

I freehand using my Wacom tablet. It's about like my pencil sketches, except there's no erase marks and I'm a better fine detail inker with an undo keystroke.

 

[DethStryke]

I have painstakenly detailed a massive overland map by hand, in Photoshop AND Campaign Cartographer 5, 6 & Pro versions. Like maddman75, I had worked as a draftsman with AutoCAD and found CC5/6 incredibly hard to learn. The problem is in the shortcut keys. If you check out the developer Yahoo Groups for CCPro, you will find that there are shortcuts that you can download and install which make it respond much like AutoCAD (who here has tried typing "l" in for a line by accident because you were used to it?!?). I just got CCPro, and it is far better than the older versions for simplicity and power. The prices just went up though. :\

I will dredge up a link to the shortcut files and post it here when NyQuil isn't kicking my head in.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Erm, all three?

Most maps are done with mapping software, and I send some of those to a graphics program for post work. I also create some of the map tiles that I use in Paint or Corel Photo-Paint.

And some I draw by hand, particulalry handouts for the PCs, or for 25mm scale.

The Auld Grump

 

[The Shaman]

CC2 and Fractal Terrains.

 

[Deadguy]

Me? I use Serif DrawPlus, occasionally with PaintShop Pro, and perhaps with a scanner to drop in hand-drawn elements. I don't use maps as artwork - I use them as tools to help me run a game! I don't even really like CC2 maps: they tend to end up too 'busy' to be useful.