Maps for PbP?

[fireinthedust]

So I've got a Pathfinder game on these boards, and we're starting off with a combat. What I found was that, without a grid map, it's hard to keep track of all sorts of things: placement of characters, monsters, effects like Attacks of Op, etc.

I've seen various GMs use maps to good effect, with locations and pictures for each character.

Does anyone know of a program where I can get this sort of thing? Free is important, as I'm broke/expecting a youngster soon. Other options for a later time are also good.

 

[falcarrion]

If your looking for a program I suggest Maptools.

 

[Hussar]

For PBP? Maptools is a virtual tabletop program, and it's meant for real time play.

Might I suggest a combo of two things: DungeonForge (a token based mapping program found here - you need to register to download and something like Paint.net or Gimp (both free art programs) to do the individual pictures with tokens.

Simply place each token on it's own layer and place the battle map on the lowest level, and you can move the tokens around, round by round, and save the maps to display.

En World allows you to attach the images, so, so long as you keep them fairly small, you shouldn't have any problems.

 

[Wicht]

I draw them by hand, scan them in with my scanner and then use a combination of paint and gimp to make them a little more presentable and darken up the walls (paint for straight, black lines; gimp for shading and filler). Examples here of the result.

gimp is a free program and not too difficult to learn to use.

 

[Walking Dad]

For PBP? Maptools is a virtual tabletop program, and it's meant for real time play.
...

And yet, many use it for PbP maps. At least some of my DMs. I'm a bit inept, so I use simple excel maps.

 

[renau1g]

I use it extensively. Even though it's used for real time games, I find it also excels as a repository for information so I don't have to search other threads for stats such as hp, defenses, etc. I just have it all in the PC's Token. Heck I even have their immediate actions and other notable information there. You can easily change the files from PNG to Jpegs just using Paint.

 

[Hejdun]

I imagine the simplest way would be for the DM to keep everything updated on a Maptool campaign, then take screenshots of the battle map regularly and send out pictures. You can turn on grids and coordinates so that it makes it easy for the players to describe location between map updates.

Maptool makes it easy to move stuff around and has support for blasts and walls and things.

 

[slwoyach]

I do this in paint:

For the next round of combat I simply copy, cut, and paste the character into a new place on the grid. If a character wants to move to a specific square without going in a straight line they need to provide me with the coordinates they pass through.

 

[renau1g]

Here's an example one from a recent game here

 

[fireinthedust]

I did a search (duh, I know), and grabbed Map Tools.

I want to use the round tokens, but all I could figure out were the people ones. There's this file of standard D&D monsters, but I don't know how to grab that. I tried to download it, sure, but then it didn't go to maptools, it went to windows media picture-show thingie.

Also: it won't let me save the campaign. I go to file, click save, it says no. Which sucks, as I'd done this keen map for my current game, all nice and such.

When I am done, how do I export it? I tried signing up for the boards, but they won't recognize me. Did the whole thing, and no email was sent to confirm me through.

I reeeeally like the above map with the lighting sources. How long did it take to do?