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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 7164802" data-attributes="member: 20323">Step 6: Dungeon Mapping (part 3 – Sketches)Sometimes, a sketch can do what several hundred words cannot, especially when dealing with vertical elements of a dungeon. One of the reasons I continuously go back to my DM sketchbook is that my sketches "don't lie." If I don't understand a particular area of the dungeon completely, then it will be reflected in my sketch – either it will come out confused or my lack of understanding will be reflected back to me when I flounder at how to convey something. When you don't have a gaming friend or a skilled editor/layout person to ping-pong your ideas with, sketching can serve a similar purpose. Even just mapping out The Great Gardens, for example, I discovered a mistake – it's supposed to be a 3-story mezzanine space, but I'd written in a floor covering the center of the middle mezzanine level, cutting off the lower level from the "ceiling" above (which is enchanted with an illusory day-night cycle).When you're communicating with an artist whose work you're commissioning or even just trying to convey a spatial description to your players, often a sketch can be your best friend. Here are some quick examples from my sketchbook...<img src="http://i.imgur.com/rFTsJpr.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Top left is a recurring area aptly named Vestibule. A room with 4 archways and a statue in each corner is hardly original. On one hand, I wanted a sort of iconic nod to classic dungeons & villain's lairs; it's the sort of room a player of old D&D adventures, a gamer into Dark Souls or Dragon Age, a viewer of fantasy series is going to recognize. On the other hand, sketching this space helped me to make it more interesting...<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">While sketching I came up with the idea of lotus blossom murals above the doors... previously I'd written about a type of magic mouth appearing in this room, appearing in the continual flames in the statues' hands... but drawing in the lotus blossom mural made me imagine the blossom itself turning into the magic mouth which is just a cooler visual.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sketching evoked the pseudo-Persian/Arabian architectural style I am emulating with the unique archways, domed ceilings, and ornamentation around arches and along ceilings & floors.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I realized that there should be heavy scorch marks on the floor, maybe so many the stone floor appears char black, something I went back and included in the boxed text.</li> </ul>Top right is a recurring area - a torch in an alcove, possible a Hidden Elemental. What I gained from sketching this simple area out is...<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">It helped me to visualize the style of the bronze torches used, and the quality of light they would provide.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Again, sketching the pseudo-Persian/Arabian architectural style, I realized I included an arcade (supporting columns built into the walls of a longer hallway) which helped make an otherwise "bog standard D&D dungeon hallway" stand out. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">It helped me to brainstorm about subtle clues I might include to tip off savvy players to the presence of a hidden elemental. While the approach I took in the art – a shadow of an elemental cast by the torch – is a bit too on the nose, it does give me an idea for describing detect evil and good revealing a hidden elemental. Sometimes the art tells you where you need to change ideas.</li> </ul>Bottom is the Proving Grounds, a unique area which I choose to sketch in isometric view (instead of perspective view like the frequent encounter areas above) in order to convey the verticality of the center of the chamber. The inspiration for this space came from the assassin's lair in the movie Prince of Persia: Sands of Time; senior mages/mamluks/assassins look down on the training initiates from the walkway above. I realized several things sketching this area out:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Conveying verticality on an isometric map is tricky, and really needs supporting art elements to make it read clearly to the reader. While I'm enlisting the help of a real cartographer for my adventure, in the sketches I drew in a levitating mage to make it clear that the central space above the stone goes up to another level of the dungeon (the Sorcellment Chamber where mages practice spells).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sketching it helped me realize the realities of the walkway, and also showed me where I haven't gotten clear on my design yet: the mechanisms of the portcullis and where the winch is located for each portcullis.</li> </ul>The smaller sketches took 10 minutes each. The bottom sketch took about 25-30 minutes. Since I'm doing the sketches to communicate with artists, I probably spent twice as long as I would have if I were just sketching for my home game.[SECTION]Resources: Sketching<a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Draw-Fantasy-Art-Maps/dp/1440340242/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1440559791&sr=8-1&keywords=How+to+Draw+Fantasy+Art+and+RPG+Maps&pebp=1440559792132&perid=1YF7BZP6YC7PP2XNJJ56" target="_blank">How to Draw Fantasy Art & RPG Maps by Jared Blando (Amazon link)</a>[/SECTION]</blockquote>

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