5 Tips for Drawing Awesome Encounter Maps

2024 ж. 17 Мам.
184 222 Рет қаралды

How to make your D&D encounter maps look BETTER.
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  • Three mins to draw a decent encounter map, 20 secs later for someone's coffee goes over it, five secs for someone to knock their coke over helping clean up. Ten secs for me to turn it into a liquid encounter. "The moment you enter the room a gate crashes behind your party, in the hidden darkness above you hear the roar of water, brown dirty water torrents from above *SPLOOSH*. Moments after the cascade a sweet smelling ichor floods down *SPLOSH*, it's acidic sting and sticky cling assault you. Now waist deep in the watery ichor mess what do you do?" DMing like a boss :D

    @Vixzenn@Vixzenn5 жыл бұрын
    • sounds nice to point where a player just does it consciosly so she can use Shape Water

      @TheVelvetTV_Riesenglied@TheVelvetTV_Riesenglied4 жыл бұрын
  • DM: You arrive at the church and get a strong sense of foreboding as you make your way inside. Party: This place is scary, lets go arm wrestle some dwarves at the tavern and get drunk instead! DM: You can't leave, I spent an hour making this map! Argh!

    @Xomage999@Xomage9995 жыл бұрын
    • The moment you turn back to get out of the building, the heavy and sturdy stone gate behind you, quickly shuts. It looks like you're trapped here unless you find another exit.

      @jk-gn2fu@jk-gn2fu5 жыл бұрын
    • SovietOmega DM: The inside of the tavern strangely resembles a forboding church.

      @Demonskunk@Demonskunk5 жыл бұрын
    • Party:Let's go to the tavern DM: and so the players venture further into the foreboding church

      @nevreiha@nevreiha5 жыл бұрын
    • Oh god. I wish it was only an hour

      @dotSp0T@dotSp0T3 жыл бұрын
    • I guess Im asking the wrong place but does anyone know a method to get back into an Instagram account? I somehow forgot my password. I would appreciate any assistance you can offer me

      @fisherjunior6903@fisherjunior69032 жыл бұрын
  • Public service announcement: Don't use isopropyl alcohol on those wet erase vinyl mats.... Unless of course you want to go "gridless" 😬

    @wthrasherb@wthrasherb5 жыл бұрын
  • make north and west lines 50% thicker. this will give tge drawing a bit of an 3d feel

    @squattingheads@squattingheads5 жыл бұрын
    • That is what I was going to say, but south and east 😂. Making the 3D perspective from a northwest POV. That’s how I do my lettering, with the shadow cast on bottom and east, as sunlight hits it from the northwest sky.

      @ndowroccus4168@ndowroccus41683 жыл бұрын
  • Its been a long time since i last played tabletop, but one trick i stole from one of my early dm's is to draw 'hidden' spaces on smallish pieces of contact paper. the edge where the secret is can be peeled back and stuck down onto the main map when and if it is found. This does three things, first if you have pre-drawn map spaces the players haven't found yet, having the 'secret room' not be on the map prevents players from doing the metagame thing of 'everybody search now because we see the bit of paper hiding something behind that wall'. This leads to more fun for both sides of the dm screen. Second, it allows an improvisational reward spot for an unexpected high roll in a space that wasn't planned to have anything in it because a little hidden cupboard can just magically appear to reward the player for that nat 20 (note you don't have to actually put anything inside it, sometimes its fun to uncover a hidden safe even if there's nothing but a pile of dust inside. I ran a game once where a nat 20 search roll in an inn room revealed an unexpected small safe in the wall containing a conical pile of ash and a scrap of parchment with scorched edges. It was initially a total throw away thing, and let the players have a secret spot to stash their stuff. That said, the ashes were carefully scooped up by the wizard and stored in an empty potion jar that he would regularly ponder and fuss with. Three adventures later and they gave me an unplanned hook for a quest-line regarding finding a lost heir to the lord from his secret first marriage when he was just a younger son. The wizard jumped headlong into the quest convinced the ashes and parchment fragment had to be the birth and marriage certificates, and I let him run with it Third, if you have a hidden room with a crucial plot object inside, having it as a floating object you can place anywhere can be really helpful incase the players really flub the rolls in the area you initially planned for them to find it. The secret room with the relic doesn't have to be just off the main temple room, it could be accessible only from the high priest's bedroom or hidden in the catacombs below. bonus points: the contact paper can be peeled back off of most reusable map surfaces, and it can also be wet-erased - so you can reuse the same pieces over again. Just unfold the baking paper edge to protect the stick and trim it down when it stops sticking.

    @nondisclosureable@nondisclosureable5 жыл бұрын
    • Great tip! I love all this. Thanks for sharing!

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
    • @@WASD20 Glad you like it. It originated with super cheap home made map sheets where we put clear contact paper over large pieces of butcher-paper sheets we had drawn the grid on to 'laminate' the grid for use under our wet erase pens. the guy I stole the idea from accidentally bought a roll of white instead of clear and this was his brilliant use for the mistake since the white would cover over any of the previously drawn elements. I tend to favor pre-drawing my main map and some side elements, but the guy I learned it from used to draw the main map on the fly as we went along which was incredible. I went through so many pads of graph paper in his campaigns copying down his maps - very helpful habit when you go sideways off one sheet onto a new one and need to remember where you are relative to where you were. side tip - sticky notes are your friend for covering the map. they're small enough you can uncover the map in small bits and regular enough you can cover the entire map to disguise the shape of the actual dungeon. plus since they have that lovely sticky edge they are resistant to player bumps and can even be applied to the map in advance. Word of caution though if rolling the map for transport or storage roll it with the sticky notes on the OUTSIDE face of the roll - helps keep them from curling up and away from the surface.

      @nondisclosureable@nondisclosureable5 жыл бұрын
    • Being able to reveal the map as players move through it is pretty much _the_ biggest thing I'm envious of when it comes to Roll20 style online play. I've been trying to brainstorm a way to use a monitor or projector or something for maps ever since seeing that. Haven't figured it out yet though, because monitors big enough to use with the scale of D&D mini's cost a fortune, unless every battle takes place in a broom closet. Actually, thinking about it again, what I might do is make a digital map/floorplan that I can reveal as the players go on a smaller scale for a regular monitor. Then just put down grid paper when a battle happens and make a rough sketch of the room on it. 🤔

      @TheMrVengeance@TheMrVengeance4 жыл бұрын
  • This is going to make me sound like a dick, but I love that your maps aren’t perfect. They look like something that I could actually do. I mean this with the utmost respect. Usually I’m Intimidated by these and feel like I could never do it. Your maps are “to the point” and get the job done. I love it. Thanks for taking the time to make together video.

    @MisterReltec@MisterReltec5 жыл бұрын
    • Not dickish at all! I take it as a compliment, and always want my work to have a very “human” feel. :) Happy mapping!

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
  • TOP TIP: Use two or three pens together when hatching, really saves time. You can even tape them together to stop them sliding 👍

    @leominster22@leominster222 жыл бұрын
  • so early.... you brought me into drawing maps. Now I get requests from people that don't even play D&D who want to buy maps. Went to Sweden for 3 weeks just for drawing maps. Best time, no distraction, pure nature and so much increase in self confidence in drawing. I was always soooooo scared of the empty space.

    @BlueFlash215@BlueFlash2155 жыл бұрын
    • Awesome! I love this. :)

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
    • Can you show some of your work?

      @jekkareznikov9769@jekkareznikov97695 жыл бұрын
  • You talked mostly about technical issues of drawing the map, but two things I've found make a really big difference are allowing for mobility, and interactive terrain. Two sessions ago the PCs ended up in a running fight with two harpies. They ended up chasing each other through five or six different rooms (two of which, I think, the PCs hadn't even explored). The tactical change from simply pounding on each other until one side collapsed when they realized they couldn't simply stay in one place. ... Which led directly to the second point. One of the harpies was blocked by the other and couldn't enter the room, so she started throwing debris at some yellow mold she knew was next to one of the PCs (successfully setting off the spores, but the PC made his save)... one of the PCs later ended up throwing some of the mold-covered objects back at her (risky, but he figured it was worth it). One of the harpies managed to lure a PC under a deadfall (but failed to trigger it, sadly). The fight was a constantly shifting situation, and a whole lot of fun. Give the PCs some terrain to move around, and terrain (and other objects) to take advantage of, and fights become much more exciting.

    @KeithJDavies@KeithJDavies5 жыл бұрын
  • I like to use the underside of wrapping paper. Most of them have a grid on them. This is super cheap and easy. A good starting point for map making.

    @gabecrigger2204@gabecrigger22044 жыл бұрын
  • That rooftop set just gave me a great idea. Use a piece of cardboard with such a rooftop design on one side. But if the players decide to enter that house you flip it over and you have the inside of that house on the other side. For scaling they likely have to be bigger than those ones, though and you might want to add something to the "inside" to allow for erasing and redrawing a different inside so you don't have to print out a new one every time you used one.

    @achimsinn7782@achimsinn77823 жыл бұрын
  • Nice video man, you did inspire me because now I want to make a map and show off the process.

    @esperthebard@esperthebard5 жыл бұрын
    • Esper the Bard Fancy meeting you here. Lol. Figures

      @xezazase@xezazase5 жыл бұрын
    • Nice! I’ve been very inspired by your maps over the years, Esper. Would love to see a video.

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
    • I look forward to see that !

      @pzalterias5154@pzalterias51545 жыл бұрын
  • I like that d20 on your bookshelf. Wife and I have one like it, solid wood with stained numbers. It was our wedding cake topper.

    @fiverthefabulist@fiverthefabulist5 жыл бұрын
  • Really loved the look of the map, especially with the tokens...another amazing video, always looking forward to what you will produce next, amazingly helpful especially for us DMs with time constraints!

    @Kevin-Peter@Kevin-Peter5 жыл бұрын
  • i love this kind of videos, they're really helpful for a dm

    @drgeek83@drgeek835 жыл бұрын
  • What we do for maps in my group (We have two campaigns, one I DM the other my friend DMs) is we have a big white board with a grid drawn in sharpie, and we draw the map as we go in dry erase. It's a little more dynamic and less prep for a large map ahead of time, I find. Especially good for keeping hidden passages and such hidden. And also good because I do not usually get much prep time before we play.

    @Lady.Kianna@Lady.Kianna5 жыл бұрын
    • I like this idea. That’s how I would do maps. To me part of the fun would be not knowing what’s next and finding out as a player. I’m still trying to figure out how to run a RPG. Wish me luck.

      @hunterkarr@hunterkarr3 жыл бұрын
  • For Depth I've been using a stippling method where I just lightly stipple, and add a few "rocks" here and there. That coupled with the thick lines I've been drawing it's been looking quite good. My players have been complementing my new style!

    @zaccaustin@zaccaustin5 жыл бұрын
  • Love it Nate! Thanks so much again!

    @aidanbrandt6409@aidanbrandt64095 жыл бұрын
  • Nice work! Using a heavier line for the walls is a great tip. Spatial boundaries are key elements of the game experience and are probably some of the most important elements of a map. The heavy lines reflect that. Making those elements really "pop" is good map design. I'd consider using a lighter weight line for the hatching instead of using the same fat pen though. Doing so will further emphasize the boundaries while still conveying the difference between positive and negative space. Similarly, using a lighter weight line to hint at rubble, floor tiles, etc. allows you to include those less important elements without de-emphasizing the walls and structures. @animarcus mentioned the use of color. That's a great tip as well. But even without color you can achieve some nice effects simply by varying the line weight.

    @SonOfSofaman@SonOfSofaman5 жыл бұрын
    • I like it. Great advice.

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
  • Great tips. Thanks for sharing. I never thought to use objects for circular areas etc. 😎

    @MiniWarzone@MiniWarzone5 жыл бұрын
  • Excellent Video!!!! I just bought every set of Tabletop Tokens to go along with it. AWESOME!

    @NelsonReyesJr@NelsonReyesJr5 жыл бұрын
  • So awesome! Super great tips here!

    @adamvolk7905@adamvolk7905 Жыл бұрын
  • ''how do you handle this during the game --is it pre drawn or drawn at the time ... I am old school pen and paper and the players usually map .. if pre-mapped do you cover it up and do "the reveal" ?

    @TheSoling27@TheSoling275 жыл бұрын
    • Scott Turrall Its pre-drawn

      @erezamir7218@erezamir72185 жыл бұрын
    • I just cover it up with sheets of construction paper.

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
  • Very nice! I am obviously partial to full terrain but that's not always possible, especially when travelling a lot to DM. I need to draw more maps :)

    @epicdungeontiles@epicdungeontiles5 жыл бұрын
  • Interesting tips here, I remembered after watching this video that I am actually both a cartographer by trade and a fairly skilled artist - so I could simply agree with most of your tips =) As a cartographer though I do miss a couple of basics - A compass rose and a legend! And then I don't think I should go into the mathematical stuff - I guess what *I* have to learn is that this is a game, not an actual chart ^^'

    @Hasselfloff@Hasselfloff5 жыл бұрын
  • Thank you so much for doing this video. I don't know if you saw my comments about this but I really liked your map design and style, and I was asking you to do this, and well.. you did it and I loved it so thanks

    @brunobeltranbelmonte755@brunobeltranbelmonte7555 жыл бұрын
    • I do remember some comments asking for this, so thanks! Y’all have some good video ideas, so keep the suggestions coming. :)

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
  • Great tips. I wish they'd make a stamp that could double, or you could use as a thatch machine to fill those gaps instead of having to make all those little lines by hand) Thanks very much for the link to table top tokens. Going to order a few now! Cool vid!

    @kevinst.pierre4413@kevinst.pierre44135 жыл бұрын
  • Enjoyed the helpful tips and tricks. And, I'm with ya... I'm not a huge fan of making my maps "realistic". I would always stress out about the scale, size or shapes of dungeon rooms and finally, I just gave up and decided, it is what it is. Thank you for sharing your ideas. Well worth the watch!

    @WallyDM@WallyDM5 жыл бұрын
    • Thanks so much!

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
  • I got a chessex and was gonna draw the map on Thursday and leave it on till we play on Saturday. You think it will stain or be fairly easy to wash off? Using wet erase markers of course

    @josephsteven9520@josephsteven95205 жыл бұрын
  • If you can find a copy, "A History Of Private Life: From Pagan Rome to Byzantium" has some really great floor plans.

    @bigbadjimmysweet@bigbadjimmysweet2 жыл бұрын
  • I like using Flash to make my map and then printing them out. It allows for a good deal of many things including; building up a library of assets, precise shapes, copying n' pasting details, and printing different versions of the same map depending on what have been uncovered. The main drawback is having to stitch together parts of larger maps.

    @EdwardClayMeow@EdwardClayMeow5 жыл бұрын
  • Really nice tips. One question: Do you just put paper over the areas the PCs haven't reached yet and reveal as you go? Or is there a more stylish solution?

    @staleskeleton@staleskeleton Жыл бұрын
  • It looks like this takes some planning and time to do, so you'd probably do it in advance before the session. If you do this on a Chessex vinyl map, do you have problems with staining if you leave the map drawn too long? Any tips for avoiding that?

    @DrWaites@DrWaites5 жыл бұрын
  • One thing I've always wondered about maps, is when I'm the DM and I have a map for my session, how exactly is the map utilized? I like the idea of having my players explore and discover things on their own, but I also want to have a map so they can see where they are and have been, and how their immediate surroundings are laid out. Is there like a technique or way I'm able to use a map without spoiling hidden areas or show off where everything is?

    @DarkChaos451@DarkChaos4515 жыл бұрын
  • looks great but what do you use for fog of war? What stops the players from getting all or to much info to stay surprised?

    @matthewmclaughlin848@matthewmclaughlin8485 жыл бұрын
  • Great tips!!

    @jyabha@jyabha5 жыл бұрын
  • I started playing Powered by the Apocalypse games a few years ago, which are more narrative than mechanical ( like 5th ed. ). One of the best things is that you don't need minis, you don't need grids, and maps are REALLY general. So, no map drawing!

    @ichifish@ichifish5 жыл бұрын
  • I have a CLEAR battlemat i got ages ago. My plan is to draw out rooms/corridors on smaller bits of paper, with matching area of blank paper. The drawn room goes underneath. potential reveals go above, and all is covered by a blank sheet until party enters.

    @Peoples_Republic_of_Cotati@Peoples_Republic_of_Cotati5 жыл бұрын
  • That map is sweeeet!!

    @ColonelRPG@ColonelRPG5 жыл бұрын
  • Hey Nate! Great video! I have a question on where you can purchase those thick chizel wet erase markers. I can only fine the fine points everywhere I go. I'm also having a hard time finding them online! Thanks! Loving the channel and enjoying all the content I've come across so far. Keep up the great work!

    @tenknq@tenknq4 жыл бұрын
    • I have a link in the video description.

      @WASD20@WASD204 жыл бұрын
    • @@WASD20 LOL woops. I totally didn't see that! Thanks Nate!

      @tenknq@tenknq4 жыл бұрын
  • Nate, another excellent video

    @arunthor@arunthor5 жыл бұрын
  • What's the framed map next to your door? I feel like I've seen it before, but can't place it.

    @armorclasshero2103@armorclasshero21032 жыл бұрын
  • I use those tabletop tokens quite a bit. They really help save time because you don't have to draw them on the map.

    @ronhorne4561@ronhorne45614 жыл бұрын
  • Do you show the whole Mao at the start or do you have something covering what the players haven't seen already?

    @jeskebill@jeskebill4 жыл бұрын
  • Love the video. Any chance you know where to purchase FAT CHISEL tip wet erase markers? Your old like is unavailable and I cant find them...

    @cdbqrs@cdbqrs3 жыл бұрын
    • Sadly, I don't! They seem to be really hard to find these days.

      @WASD20@WASD203 жыл бұрын
  • Nice and all, just wondering when you would be doing the full map prior to pcs reaching it? i..e a room of a building or cave they dont know?

    @skarnexonline4446@skarnexonline44464 жыл бұрын
    • I just use tan construction paper to keep undiscovered rooms hidden.

      @WASD20@WASD204 жыл бұрын
  • So i didn't come to this video to ask how to make it beautiful, but the thick lines and the hatching, using tools to make the circles, great all solid advice, honestly I was just itching for someone to tell me mechanically how to "go about the layout' with emphasis on hot to layout. I've done it before, I guess i'm just writer's blocking myself.

    @LithmusEarth@LithmusEarth4 жыл бұрын
  • When you pre-draw your maps on grid mats, how do you keep them from smearing? I’ve been following your videos & using your tips, but when I unroll the map, it smears

    @TriMarkC@TriMarkC5 жыл бұрын
  • Amazing Maps Midderlands and Maze of the Blue Medusa.

    @MrRourk@MrRourk5 жыл бұрын
  • I guess if you were the traveling DM you could take this with you if it was wet erase. Dry would probably smudge. Or the game paper.

    @kurasoe@kurasoe5 жыл бұрын
  • Where to get the prelined paper for bottom maps.

    @calebfreeman8284@calebfreeman8284 Жыл бұрын
  • For something like this, I'd fully recommend using easel paper or gaming paper. Prep your encounter maps once you have the idea, then file them away for later use. That way if your players don't end up going where you expected, your prep isn't wasted. I use the battlemat only for when there's a fight I wasn't planning for ahead of time

    @Langtw@Langtw5 жыл бұрын
  • Man really eats his cereal with sharpie ink.

    @northweast5857@northweast58572 жыл бұрын
  • It would be cool if you had a small town or area that the adventure takes place and you have catacombs underneath the town in a tunnel system so you draw a map with all the dungeon stuff underneath and then the normal town on a separate piece of paper that you lay or tape on top.

    @florbengorben7651@florbengorben76515 жыл бұрын
    • That would be cool!

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
  • This video was very helpful to me. Thanks for sharing!

    @terrybeal2252@terrybeal22525 жыл бұрын
  • When you draw these maps do you show them to PCs as soon as they enter the dungeon? Or would you draw as they go through it? New DM here playing with new players

    @alexchaffin6265@alexchaffin62654 жыл бұрын
    • I usually either draw as I go, or use sheets of tan construction paper to cover up Unexplored areas.

      @WASD20@WASD204 жыл бұрын
  • Maybe this advice could help improve storytelling, player interaction and especially player perception. Don't draw secret passages directly adjacent to a room hallway or another discovered area. instead try adding it after the player finds it. So there is no need to hide it with paper sheets which could be an indication for a possible secret passage. This is meta gaming of course but somehow it can force players to think that way. just draw that passage, if they discover it. If not you saved 10 seconds of work 😏. A question I have: How do you hide already drawn rooms? I started out by putting sheets of paper on them that kind of fit the size. This however gave sometimes they layout away if players had time to look at the map. I went ahead and used different methods but it still does not feel right. I tried to split up the covers in ways that would not reveal the dungeon layout. Handling it is difficult though since I have to remove 3 covers for a room for example. My players are not meta gaming at all. They were just aware of the fact. The other option I use is adding patches that I previously cut out. This is messy though since alignment is difficult and the sheets slip around. Also I have to reserve a big area of space for the potential areas. Do you guys have any other suggestions? Next time I'm trying to use flat magnets or velcro Strips (is that the correct English term?) or weak power Strips. Thanks for your great content!

    @BlueFlash215@BlueFlash2155 жыл бұрын
    • Great advice! I usually just use sheets of brown construction paper scattered about, but I DEFINITELY agree that leaving the secret passages off (the paths that connect to main rooms) is super smart and will avoid "spoilers".

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
    • Have the same question! Excellent advice.

      @Naytsabehz@Naytsabehz5 жыл бұрын
    • Honestly, I don't like metagaming, but even if I can go with my player not knowing what I know, it kind of still sucks some of the fun out of it for me if I do.

      @seigeengine@seigeengine5 жыл бұрын
    • A couple of suggestions: * You can cover areas of the mat that _aren't_ rooms or passages. This can result in some pretty amusing play the first couple of times. And after that the players are less likely to assume that "covered" == "important". * You can get sticky notes in quite large sizes. With those, you can draw out large areas ahead of time and reveal them by sticking them down when they're found. * Your dungeons do not have to be on a single level. With the big sticky note idea, you can overlay rooms with previously drawn stuff. This can also feel more organic.

      @dougsundseth6904@dougsundseth69045 жыл бұрын
  • I can’t find chisel tip wet erase markers any where...help??

    @mattnutter8943@mattnutter89434 жыл бұрын
  • I plan on using isometric gaming paper soon to create maps....just need to find players first

    @justeric1107@justeric11075 жыл бұрын
  • I am struggling to find Graph Paper that large. Walmart only has a regular sized paper with 4x4 and 5x5 graph paper. Not even my local gaming shop has paper, but the terrain tiles.

    @Oogasra@Oogasra4 жыл бұрын
  • I have a question!!!!!!! So take your battle map that you used here. If we were in game, and they were in that first room, this map couldn’t really be used could it? Cause it would give away the fact that there is a hidden passage under the statue, unless it’s common knowledge that there is a passage there. So my question is, would you just keep parts of the map covered with paper? Or how would you have this prepared ahead of time to be able to be used on the fly? Would you just say I should have a second map with the extended area after they discover the passage?? What would be best! I appreciate any help here! I just started dming my first campaign and would love any tips.

    @dramadude9266@dramadude92663 жыл бұрын
    • For real secret passages it's probably best to draw those small bits on the fly. For most of the dungeon, I do indeed cover up with pieces of paper.

      @WASD20@WASD203 жыл бұрын
  • New DM here -- Where did you find the giant graph paper for mapping? Or did you make it yourself? very nice work by you on those improvised and attractive mapping !!

    @Artfultouchmusic@Artfultouchmusic3 жыл бұрын
    • This stuff is called gaming paper, and if you Google it you can find it around. Some people also use the backside of wrapping paper when it has 1 inch squares.

      @WASD20@WASD203 жыл бұрын
    • @@WASD20 Oooh, good call on the wrapping paper trick. Perhaps I can wrangle a roll from my wife's collection :-) Thank you for the reply and all the good work you're doing on DnD.

      @Artfultouchmusic@Artfultouchmusic3 жыл бұрын
  • AAARGHH!! Why is it impossible to get these markers now!! I need these chisel-tips.

    @JBissell88@JBissell885 жыл бұрын
  • I used a dry erase marker on the wet erase battle mat, it is now stained and I can't erase it with a dry or wet cloth. Please help

    @felixduckwall5256@felixduckwall52564 жыл бұрын
  • Where can i buy this paper?

    @warsaucer8307@warsaucer83074 жыл бұрын
  • Not Sure If This Is The Right Place To Ask, But How Should I Go About Drawing Multi-Layered Encounter Maps> Just Draw Multiple Ones And Change It Out If They Go Up A Floor Or Something? But Then What About Caves, Where There Wouldn't Be A Clear "This Floor Ends Here And The Next One Begins"?

    @rateeightx@rateeightx5 жыл бұрын
  • What kind of marker is that? I have the basic vis a vis but that looks better

    @sajanpatel9313@sajanpatel93135 жыл бұрын
    • Chisel tip. Link in video description.

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
  • What type of paper is that?

    @Kodrakable@Kodrakable5 жыл бұрын
  • Tip #1 should have been: where do I get a mat like that

    @entropede@entropede5 жыл бұрын
    • I got mine at my FLGS but I bet they're not so expensive online. He said his was chessex brand i think.

      @andrewenderfrost8161@andrewenderfrost81615 жыл бұрын
    • Amazon, local gamestore

      @Kasino80@Kasino803 жыл бұрын
  • I feel one of the issues with making detailed maps is transporting them (assuming that the game doesn't happen at the DM's house). You can take a picture and sketch it out on the spot but it's definitely not as effective. I've just ended up doing simple sketches room by room but if anyone has a good idea for transportation I'd appreciate it

    @Pyridius@Pyridius5 жыл бұрын
  • RE: Hatching. I will use different kinds of hatching to denote natural, mined, basic-worked, and fancy-worked walls.

    @Peoples_Republic_of_Cotati@Peoples_Republic_of_Cotati5 жыл бұрын
  • I love that encounter map, it looks great. But I have a question: wouldn't seeing this map mean that the players already know where the secret passages are located, and basically the layout of the entire dungeon? Is this a common thing for D&D games?

    @BGlasnost@BGlasnost5 жыл бұрын
  • With so much detail and such heavy dark lines you must go through markers fast.

    @marktownsend2198@marktownsend21985 жыл бұрын
    • True! Worth it. :)

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
  • Where do i get a gaming paper like yours thats all laminated?

    @LT72884@LT728842 жыл бұрын
    • I'm not sure about laminated gaming paper. It comes in rolls that aren't laminated. However the one I'm using in this video is a Chessex Megamat: amzn.to/3FGfcez

      @WASD20@WASD202 жыл бұрын
    • @@WASD20 ohhh, i thought the one you were using was laminated for dry erase haha, my bad. Thabks for the link

      @LT72884@LT728842 жыл бұрын
  • Where do you get this grid paper?

    @JaidanBalban@JaidanBalban Жыл бұрын
    • Gaming Paper. Link in the video description.

      @WASD20@WASD20 Жыл бұрын
  • Dude this video helped me so much and couldn't have come at a better time. First time DM and running Lost Mine of Phandelver. I have no artistic talent and hated the way my tutorial dungeon I did last week looked. After watching this 5 days ago, I put all your tips to use for Cragmaw Hideout (Minus the Tabletop Tokens). imgur.com/breab9G Just wanted to say thanks man. I've also started learning how to draw maps from your other tutorials, watching them has just snapped something on and for the first time I can actually draw something that I'm proud of.

    @bopbarker1834@bopbarker18345 жыл бұрын
  • Can I actually buy the Tabletop Tokens yet?

    @toby7161@toby71615 жыл бұрын
  • I don't draw objects in the room rather I have cut outs of objects that I place in a room this allows players to move an object and track were it is on the map (a player removes a rug an places caltrops in front of one of the doors and the rug over the caltrops) (players want to use a pew as a battering ram but oh no they are getting shot at and are now using it as cover) the room becomes organic at the cost of simple construction paper ropes and chains can be represented with simple string you'll be amazed at how many object the players move around simply by giving them the option use something on the back of them though to keep them from shifting around on the table "I don't remember a bed being in the armory, oh no it's a mimic" rarely ever use the stuff (most games are online)

    @ryanflorian2047@ryanflorian20475 жыл бұрын
    • ryan florian I like this idea. Whether the artifact tiles Nate is suggesting, or homemade ones, it makes the whole environment usable. Makes that “use anything” feat really justified! And your string idea rocks!!!

      @TriMarkC@TriMarkC5 жыл бұрын
  • So when your players enter the dungeon, you just let them see the whole thing before they explore it? I'm trying to figure what to do with Sunless Citadel (never played before)

    @TheRedHorseman1208@TheRedHorseman12085 жыл бұрын
    • If I’m drawing it all beforehand, as in this video, I generally get some sheets of construction paper laid out in various overlapping positions and slowly remove them.

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
  • Summary Get a Phhhhhat one. Make it Thicccc

    @sleepycritical6950@sleepycritical69505 жыл бұрын
  • Gotta get yourselves some THICC lines

    @chxckxrhxxd@chxckxrhxxd4 жыл бұрын
  • But where do you get the paper/ how do you-? Do you buy the paper? What?

    @redkat9238@redkat92384 жыл бұрын
  • So if you draw this beautiful large map in advance with secret passages etc, what's to stop your players seeing them all when you lay the complete map down in front of them?

    @JimmiWazEre@JimmiWazEre5 жыл бұрын
    • I have a bunch of tan construction paper I lay down over unexplored areas.

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
  • The problem with hatching is that the players know there isn't a secret door in those areas.

    @scottplumer3668@scottplumer36685 жыл бұрын
    • True. Secret doors I usually leave off until they’re discovered.

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
    • Or you know they’re there, and then simply erase that section of the wall & draw connection/door quickly, or, just tape door-&-room over that space.

      @TriMarkC@TriMarkC5 жыл бұрын
  • You might be thinking of isometric drawings.

    @alexanderkomerdelj7511@alexanderkomerdelj75115 жыл бұрын
  • How do you go about not giving the whole dungeon layout to your players tho?

    @zeinsg7063@zeinsg70635 жыл бұрын
    • Sheets of paper over unexplored sections.

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
  • What is the mat used here?

    @christopherpatterson4084@christopherpatterson40845 жыл бұрын
    • Chessex battlemap. You can grab one on Amazon and they're pretty good.

      @itsatraplol@itsatraplol5 жыл бұрын
    • Chessex battle mat, probably a Megamat (the middle size). I've had a Mondomat (the biggest size) that I've used for 20 (?) years now; they're really useful. A caution: Water-based marker only. And markers other than black are much more likely to stain the mat.

      @dougsundseth6904@dougsundseth69045 жыл бұрын
    • @@dougsundseth6904 awesome, thanks guys. So are these wet or dry erase?

      @christopherpatterson4084@christopherpatterson40845 жыл бұрын
    • @@christopherpatterson4084 Wet erase only. There are ways to remove other marks, but they're not reliable.

      @dougsundseth6904@dougsundseth69045 жыл бұрын
    • @@dougsundseth6904 great, thank you.

      @christopherpatterson4084@christopherpatterson40845 жыл бұрын
  • How do you stop the players seeing the whole map at once ?

    @Heroes_of_Qalanor_RPG@Heroes_of_Qalanor_RPG4 жыл бұрын
  • How would you apply a gig of war, so the whole map isn’t exposed to the players

    @elirobs26@elirobs264 жыл бұрын
  • Your right ear is a bit red...But even this video helped me,a lot.Thanks!

    @markusdevs4773@markusdevs47735 жыл бұрын
  • thrift store frame with plexiglas. draw a grid on one side of the plexi with sharpie, flip it onto butcher/craft/shipping paper ... if you're looking for bigger paper even cheaper you can probably go down to your local newspaper and get an 'end roll' for next to nothing. draw on paper, paper stays clean from plexiglas. roll up paper for future store plexi behind couch. that chessex stuff is nice but pretty over priced for what you get. plus the markers get costly and the image doesn't come off easily if left on for longer campaigns. just my experiences

    @KeyDesignsDir@KeyDesignsDir3 жыл бұрын
  • My question is when do you draw these maps? I only have so much mat, so drawing multiple locations before hand on it is not an option, and as he said it is time consuming, therefore it would ruin the pacing of the game to draw it all out at the table when the adventurers walk in. Also, then the adventurers have a map of the dungeon which would hurt the exploration element.

    @thepavilion7625@thepavilion76255 жыл бұрын
    • ThePavilion76 I have the same problem. I usually just suck it up & draw fast as they explore. I’ve also used printed commercial maps of similar areas - sewers, forests, towns, - and tell players which parts are “really there” in the world. Not elegant, & I didn’t like it. Next I’m going to try pre-drawing each room on separate paper. I’ll handdraw in the halls as they find them, then just tape the next room in place as needed.

      @TriMarkC@TriMarkC5 жыл бұрын
  • But what i do if i dont want the players to see the secret passage?

    @PorthoGamesBR@PorthoGamesBR4 жыл бұрын
    • Don’t pre draw the secret passage. Personally, I generally cover up unexplored areas with sheets of tan construction paper.

      @WASD20@WASD204 жыл бұрын
    • @@WASD20 Thanks :)

      @PorthoGamesBR@PorthoGamesBR4 жыл бұрын
  • I use Inkscape and a printer.

    @fiverthefabulist@fiverthefabulist5 жыл бұрын
  • Are you covering the hidden ways?

    @phobos_deimos748@phobos_deimos7485 жыл бұрын
    • I recommend doing what Blue Flash recommended. Leave the actual passages off. Cover undiscovered areas with paper.

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
    • It's hard to avoid spoilers, but I don't stress it too much.

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
  • I only etrian mystery DUNGEON. Nae nae

    @user-cu6ez5dh7q@user-cu6ez5dh7q5 жыл бұрын
  • My wife wonders why all our tuperware has black line around the edges...(e_e)

    @Debunked421@Debunked4212 жыл бұрын
  • I prefer to use dwarven forge game tiles

    @MiltonRosso@MiltonRosso5 жыл бұрын
  • Looked at heir site, the tokens are £15 per pack + shipping. The way they look... £5 would be max I'd be willing to pay. You can find better pictures online, print them out, stick them to cardboard and have better looking items almost for free ffs. Their art, whereas not bad, is definitely on the simple-ish side. Don't know how they came up with their pricing.

    @20catsRPG@20catsRPG5 жыл бұрын
    • Alpha Legion Astartes while I like them, I agree. Having done a whole lot of fantasy grounds and roll20 in recent years it feels right if I don’t have time to build a 3D dungeon or know where the players are going. I have a huge library of images, print them out and put them down. Glue them to some card stock and cut them out and they work great.

      @DireSwift@DireSwift5 жыл бұрын
    • @@DireSwiftExactly my point. I bet you're basically never put down the ones you're using most often - tables, beds, chairs, bushes, trees etc. And if you use higher quality card stock they will look great... And cost you considerably less.

      @20catsRPG@20catsRPG5 жыл бұрын
    • Find better ones online.. ok, so which ones would you recommend?

      @yosharian@yosharian5 жыл бұрын
    • @@yosharian Oh dear lord. OK kiddo. Google D&D furniture tokens, then click on 'images'. Literally took me 12 seconds after I've read your question. You can't really google? Are you 6?

      @20catsRPG@20catsRPG5 жыл бұрын
    • ​@@20catsRPG I asked for recommendations, not instructions on how to google. No need to act like an asshole.

      @yosharian@yosharian5 жыл бұрын
  • I don't understand how you use the big map. You don't reveal everything at once to your players, surely? Do you cover up undiscovered parts with black material or something like that?

    @yosharian@yosharian5 жыл бұрын
    • I use tan construction paper. Overlapping sheets and remove as they progress. It's best to leave the secret passages and stuff off completely until they are discovered, at which point I draw them on.

      @WASD20@WASD205 жыл бұрын
    • @@WASD20 ok, thanks

      @yosharian@yosharian5 жыл бұрын
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