Fantasy maps created using Xara Xtreme

[Gamerprinter]

OK, here's the latest thumbnail map I've just created of a viking town for Stormbunny Studios, Rhune - Stormpunk setting (cross between steampunk and Norse/Viking culture). This is a small town with a giant tavern/inn, a ring fort, a commons of area and mercantile port. The linework is hand-drawn pen & ink, drawn at 24 x 24 inches, digitally scanned then imported to XDP9. Structures, walls, hill are beveled shapes with drop shadow. This is supposed to be a winter map with snow cover on everything. I added some broken ice in the sea to emphasize the wintery nature of the subject matter. This is one of six maps I've been commissioned, with an indication of more soon for just one publisher.

Next week I'll be doing a map for an upcoming Roleplaying Game magazine published by EN Publishing, it will be the first map for a first adventure in issue #1.

[Egg Bramhill]

Excellent as always GP. A couple of points:

1: Why the blue grid?

2: It's almost to symetrical, which I wouldn't equate to the vikings.

Edit: You normally supply a url with a far larger image. Any chance here

[Gamerprinter]

1. RPG maps require a scale and grids are the most common way of doing that. In this map, 1 square = 10 feet.

2. Although I couldn't show the detail I wanted, the streets are constructed of timber trackways, and I referenced an archaeological viking town from Sweden, and it indeed had straight trackway roads in almost a grid, so I opted to replicate that. Round and elliptical walls are common for most viking towns.

Normally, I do provide a link to a larger version elsewhere, but this hasn't been published yet, so I snuck in the thumbnail. I am not posting this on an RPG site, but I figured though many are fans of this thread, most are not directly involved in the RPG industry. When the publisher publishes this map with the adventure book this is being included, I will post a link to a larger version.

[Egg Bramhill]

Thanks for the update GP.

I can now understand the need for the grid.

Whilst I can see that viking towns could be made on grid patterns and circular stuctures etc I was only pointing out that I very much doubt that a whole town could be made on such an accurate layout. I'm in no way making a critism, just an observation

[Gamerprinter]

There are many weird aspects to this setting. As stated its a cross between steampunk and vikings, so their are both dragon boats and airships, electricity (the thing at the center of the ring fort, and at the base of the hill near the center, on the shore are electrical plants (?!) and sword swinging viking warriors - yes, quite odd. So a modernesque and symetrical street layout is an attempt at mixing the two conflicting design directions - as if modern vikings. I cannot be authentic when I have to accomodate so many anachronistic aspects into a single map, but that's what the commisson called for.

[Gamerprinter]

Not a map, but map objects needed for my latest commission map, still using my hand-drawn/digital hybrid style. The objects are a monster's nest, the monster's future meal (half horse), a cauldron on table, and a spruce tree. (There are nearly the same size as the original, so need to link a larger version.) Enjoy!

[Gamerprinter]

Here's a town map for an upcoming adventure, its a thumbnail only, without a link to the larger file, as this hasn't been published yet. This again uses my hand-drawn/vector hybrid style. All the linework is hand-drawn, everything else is created in XDP9. Note the eastside of the city was burned in a great fire and has not been rebuilt yet (to explain the detail you see on that side of the map.) This city map is circular like the last one, but this city is beneath an opaque solid dome (not shown as it would cover the entire city), and the city is maintained by a vampire lord.

[Gamerprinter]

Not published yet, but here's a sneak peek at the cellar level (least significant level) of a ruined mansion in an upcoming adventure map for publication. Using my hand-drawn/vector hybrid style - enjoy!

[Gamerprinter]

I decided to work on a map for my own project, instead of a commission map (though I have more coming soon). Working on a very detailed hand-drawn/vector style, swamp map. Since there are many plants and other detritus to make for a swamp. Here's the objects I have so far, created in the last 24 hours, more or less. The objects are (from right to left, top to bottom): mangrove trees, cypress tree (with knees), hollow log islet with water plants, a pair of cattails, venus flytrap, sundew plant, pitcher plants, a marsh orchid, a giant green snake, a giant dragonfly, a dead branch sticking out of the water, a couple palm like plants, water plants, water lillies, a wild flower, 2 kinds of mushrooms, and a patch of crabgrass. I still got more to create, both plants and animals. Enjoy!

[Egg Bramhill]

Love that snake!