Dungeons and Dragons resources
The Blind Eternities forum
Posted on Sept. 2, 2015, 7:22 p.m. by asasinater13
I'm going to be DMing for my first time this semester of school, and I was wondering if there's any good websites for making maps (I'm looking for town, dungeon, world maps), both random and of my design (I've got a world map in mind but mapping out cities can be a major pain). Anyone know of anything that could hlep me out?
asasinater13 says... #3
playing 5, I have some ideas for a campaign to arrange that I want to try out, I just need to work out some details, and some maps.
maps make it easier to show things to players, like a world map for people to know what the setup is, if people are inclined to find one when in a city a city map is good, and they also keep me from having inconsistencies about which buildings are near which in bigger cities, if that comes up.
for premade things, I'm trying to avoid buying anything for this, and also I enjoy the idea of designing my own world to put people in. It'll be more fun for me to have something that's my own and I can arrange in a way that fits the story I'm trying to tell.
Thank you for the links and recommendations, I appreciate it
September 2, 2015 7:42 p.m.
Coinman1863 says... #4
Oh I play AD&D, the TSR version of eons ago. Once you get the map done, would you like for me to take a look at it to ensure that it isn't too easy/difficult/confusing for your adventurers?
As a side note, what lvl are your adventurers? All new people to V5 or a mix of young and old?
September 2, 2015 7:47 p.m.
Have a big list of random NPC names. Be able to give them memorable traits. Do not have similar names where possible (My game has a Miranda and a Melisa and players keep getting them confused).
Have back up things. Random encounters, story hooks, anything so when players do something you aren't expecting you can reward them for that with more story, more plot, all sorts.
For example, in my game my players came up against a tomb of mad Egyptian ghosts who worshiped the corpse of the sun god, Ra. The players knew enough of IC and OOC egyptian mythology to come up with a reasonable idea of why Ra was dead. They also managed to talk their way out of a fight instead of having to run away. I took this idea of Ra's ship being broken and ran with it, and so the guide they hired turned out to be a bad guy who wanted to feed them to the ghosts. I then brought back a character from a previous session who had a dagger that could kill supernaturals and take their power.
So instead of having them doing tasks to appease the ghosts, they are now trying to rebuild Ra's ship, sail into the netherworld, rescue him and stop the other NPC from killing Ra to steal his power. By doing this, they can bring Ra back to life and get a powerful ally versus the shadow they are fighting.
September 2, 2015 7:49 p.m.
asasinater13 says... #6
almost entirely a group that is new to DnD, one player has played before, a single campaign. So I'm making the world intentionally simple. knowing one of the players he'll call out semantics on everything, par tof the reason I want maps.
making sure I have sufficient back up is definitely good advice I'll have to make sure I do before I start. Thanks for that. I'll definitely have to be open to people throwing my story sideways. Also lists of NPC names I hadn't thought to have on hand, I'll be sure to get a whole bunch. Thanks!
I have a friend who's DM'd a few times to look at maps a bit, I might make another forum post or ask more questions here if I'm in need. My friend just does everything with pencil and paper and I am aggresively bad at doing things with pencil and paper.
September 2, 2015 8:14 p.m.
http://donjon.bin.sh/5e/random/#npc
That is a great random generator website! very helpful for when the party is supposed to go north and they teleport across the world.
September 2, 2015 11:07 p.m.
I use graph paper or hexmaps to make it slightly easier to track distances.
I also think it's a neat trick to go paperless / digital and use a projector to either trace the map on paper, project a map onto a grid / hex pattern, or project onto a whiteboard. Zooming in can be a thing then too.
It's a neat trick but I only did it for the first game I ran because ... reasons ...
September 2, 2015 11:37 p.m.
asasinater13 says... #9
random NPC generator is awesome! thank you
projector would be cool if I have one. I might try doing like, a prezi presentation for it though. or just send out pictures of areas in a group chat on facebook. Any of that could work, and are all conveniences that make me want a digital format.
I might end up finding graph paper and doing it the old fashion way, but finding some more efficient system that doesn't make me try to do something remotely artistic would be better for me.
September 2, 2015 11:49 p.m.
Prezi could be amazing for this -you could add little flavor pics and blurbs or quotes AND a graph paper template ( graph meaning hexagons or rectangles).
That's a great idea!
Coinman1863 says... #2
Roll20.net is generally a good source for all that. It plays all versions and I'm pretty sure you cam make maps there. Also Chuky616 on twitch regularly makes maps on stream and he may also have some resources for you if you ask.
What version are you playing? Depending on which one I may be able to assist you. Also no premade campaigns by Wizards/TSR? Just custom stuff? The premade stuff is generally the best material for beginners on both sides of the screen.
If you don't mind me asking, why do you want maps? Your own mind works pretty well generally.
September 2, 2015 7:31 p.m.