[castlewalls]

I took a floor of Nellysyr Manor & expanded it to 1" = 5' miniature scale. This is wholly experimental on my part. I added some color too. The pages have a half inch border & seem to print well.

Now, to create miniature maps, I'm thinking of having 1 of 2 styles or methods of presentation.

1 - Pretty much the way the map (the download below) is now but without any contents (chairs, beds, etc...), this way the players only "see" what the GM tells them. The GM will have a smaller single page map of the floor with the contents & relavent GM info (secret rooms, etc).

2 - Only each room is on a page(s) at mini-scale. The GM can then cut out each room & "hand" it over to the players & they can "assemble" the place as they go thru it (tape works well). Again, the rooms could be blank or have the contents in it. I'm currently developing this map method & should post it soon.

Each D/L is 6 pages in JPG format. The nmspliceshow jpg is basically a map for assembly.

Again, this is just a test on my part so all opinions/advice are welcome!

http://users.myexcel...mspliceshow.jpg 80k

http://users.myexcel...foot/nm1of3.zip 412k

http://users.myexcel...foot/nm2of3.zip 411k

http://users.myexcel...foot/nm3of3.zip 404k

[castlewalls]

Here's the same floorplan presented as individual rooms:

http://users.myexcel.../nmmini1of4.zip

http://users.myexcel.../nmmini2of4.zip

http://users.myexcel.../nmmini3of4.zip

http://users.myexcel.../nmmini4of4.zip

Which would you as a GM prefer?

[Axel]

well personally I just use vivid descriptions. A smart player will make a rough sketch of the dungeon as he goes along, with important notes joted in. although, my maps always wound up with notes like "dead BGU" where BGU stood for "Big Green and Ugly"
but the second one is probably better so they don't see what the rooms look like ahead.

[Bredfan]

Very nice maps you have there- you have gone to a lot of effort.

Personally I scan sketches in or use basic dungeon crafter for maps and then use mapster on them- so I can reveal a part of the map at a time to the players.

It makes it a little cumbersome if you dont have a laptop, (only a desktop)but once you get used to it, it works very well.

Plus the fact that most of our game is run via email- with a face session every 6 weeks or so makes for a little less work.

Minatures are used only to simulate battles or encounters- without floor maps generally.- The old Ronald Macdonald eraser is usually used for the monster we have no miniature for!- Is often scarier that the miniature anyway

Do you use miniatures extensively in your games?
How do you use your maps- on computer or as floor maps for the miniatures?- if so how do you hide the sections that they haven't discovered yet?

[Bredfan]

just read your message again- I see how you use them now.

have you tried mapster?

[Celarnor]

Personally, I'd go with just having the map in front of me and describing it to the PCs. But that's just how I do things, I know that some people like to have something to look at it.

[Celarnor]

Bredfan, on Nov 17 2003, 11:15 AM, said:

Minatures are used only to simulate battles or encounters- without floor maps generally.- The old Ronald Macdonald eraser is usually used for the monster we have no miniature for!- Is often scarier that the miniature anyway
Do you use miniatures extensively in your games?

That is scary. I'm not rich, I can't go out and buy hundreds of said minatures, I rip a piece of paper out of my notebook and label it with 'skeleton 1' or whatever, or if I feel really creative, then I'll whip out a pro stick figure on a piece of paper and use that.

[castlewalls]

Sorry for the long delay in responding Bredfan, no I've no idea what mapster is. As I haven't done any gaming in a LONG time, my maps sit gathering dust......
I have added some new stone floor tiles to my site tho'.....

[nimbralexpert]

Nice maps what program was that.

[castlewalls]

Coreldraw v9 tho' any vector based program will do....

[zonafer]

We use a large peice of plexi glass and WHITEBOARD dry erase markers for our mapping surface with an underdlayment of 1" grid presentation paper. Our DM of the time maps out the senario as he goes, allowing him complete control (and with practice time to think out the minute details of the encounters based on the parties current condition) For the monsters we use chess pieces that are numbered using wire marking numbers avalible for home "big box" stores. Or an electrician which I happen to be. The chess pieces we have acquired from discount stores or defunct sets for a minimal cost.

[magnus the feared]

lets face it no matter how much you plan your group always doesnt do what you want as a gm for over 15yrs i dont plan out any thing but their
town or where ever they are i give you thumbs up for wanting to take the time to give your players a good gaming exp but their is a short supply of good gms and a over supply of bad players i my self take and copy parts of maps and put them together and leave the map out on purpose so they will think they are going to go go through g123 only that they are going through a unknown map and nothing gives more pleasure than to just roll dice and look at some one and say "what was the marching order again"
as to wanting to add to a 3d effect i already play war hammer fantasy and 40k so i will use those in my games they are around 25mm-to 28mm which
is just fine for d+d you might want to check out a line called crusader and also iron wind aka ralpartha games workshop has the best minis but are pricy but they are very nice as is the new d+d chainmail figs as for making walls etc stryfoam is your best buddy you can buy it at diy stores and yes you can paint it but not with any type of spray type of paint with a propellant it will melt just use normal house paint and it will be just ducky
i know this works ive been making my own stuff for over 10yrs also foam board is good but it is very thin and the wall would look like its on a diet

[Silver tears]

Home made plastic grid ... + LEGOs