I'm thinking of creating a Pathfinder version of Al-Qadim and started working on a map for it. The Primordial Forest is home to dinosaurs and such. Forest and Fields are more open (though still tropical) regions, though these regions have a large number of swamps and marshes as well.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
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That's how it started for me too...Drawing maps became an obsessive compulsive disorder. Unfortunately software has its mapping limits.
That's how it started for me too...Drawing maps became an obsessive compulsive disorder. Unfortunately software has its mapping limits.
Yeah, and it takes a while. That's a pretty cool map. I wish I could zoom in on it. Mine's a bit less defined, but I do have some backstory in my head, like a Genie War a few thousand years ago.
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You've got a good start here. Perhaps you ought to check out the Cartographers' Guild if you haven't. There are many tutorials and maps in progress to help you.
It depends on your familiarity with your software and skillset, I like many have been creating my own game maps for many years, and discovered that I was quite talented at cartography and really fast at doing it. While I dabble in photorealistic style, publishers seem to be prefer my artistic hand-drawn and digital finished hybrid style.
Paizo even commissioned me to design the city of Kasai map of Minkai for Jade Regent #6, one of the 3 maps from the Dragon Empires Map Folio. Here's a link to my hand-drawn version of that map - City of Kasai.
Note: this map features over 8500 hand-drawn buildings, the total map taking me only 16 hours to complete. I didn't finish the map, as Paizo's own inhouse cartographer did that to better match the AP's existing maps.
I've been commissioned to create RPG maps for a dozen different small publishers including Rite Publishing. I even created almost 300 map objects for the Modern Map set for Campaign Cartographer - so I'm a game cartography pro...
Although I have a portfolio, it hasn't been kept updated. Here's a thread on the Xara Talkgraphics forums (the software I use for my maps) where I have most of my maps and other works posted.
You've got a good start here. Perhaps you ought to check out the Cartographers' Guild if you haven't. There are many tutorials and maps in progress to help you.
It depends on your familiarity with your software and skillset, I like many have been creating my own game maps for many years, and discovered that I was quite talented at cartography and really fast at doing it. While I dabble in photorealistic style, publishers seem to be prefer my artistic hand-drawn and digital finished hybrid style.
Paizo even commissioned me to design the city of Kasai map of Minkai for Jade Regent #6, one of the 3 maps from the Dragon Empires Map Folio. Here's a link to my hand-drawn version of that map - City of Kasai.
Note: this map features over 8500 hand-drawn buildings, the total map taking me only 16 hours to complete. I didn't finish the map, as Paizo's own inhouse cartographer did that to better match the AP's existing maps.
I've been commissioned to create RPG maps for a dozen different small publishers including Rite Publishing. I even created almost 300 map objects for the Modern Map set for Campaign Cartographer - so I'm a game cartography pro...
Although I have a portfolio, it hasn't been kept updated. Here's a thread on the Xara Talkgraphics forums (the software I use for my maps) where I have most of my maps and other works posted.
Thanks! I'm familiar with the Cartographers' Guild, but it's really nice to get input from someone with your talent! What else do you think I should include here?
Besides getting input on the map, I'm hoping some folks will also suggest ideas for the setting or be interested in talking about it. I am looking to do something more Arabian Nights than Dark Sun, but it's always helpful to have other folks to toss ideas around with.
While major rivers within a desert region can support marshlands, tropical jungle/rain forest should be separated from the deserts by a mountain range. Know the direction of your prevailing winds and have rainfall land on the wind-directed side of the mountains (so jungle on that side) with desert on the opposite side of the mountains. This is the case for most desert regions.
Setting wise, it depends on which period on the timeline do you want to compare your Arabic influenced setting. Ancient times are the source material for genies, and the tales of the Arabian Nights. During the latter part of the dark ages much of knowledge of Rome and ancient Greece was kept in the Arabic world and out of Europe. You ought to include at least one major trade city - something like Samarkand, a mercantile city on a major trade route. There might also be a major trade 'tent city' that forms during the trade season, and be completely abandoned in other seasons.
You'll also want a nomadic 'camel riding' culture crossing the worst of the desert lands.
Ancient Egyptian culture is it's own thing, separate from Arabic culture, because they are separated by time, though coexist in the same region. Words like 'mummy' is Arabic (mumiya) which means 'burning pitch', as some early mummies were buried directly in the sand and not in a formal tomb, and Arabs burned those remains for firewood, since the land tends to be devoid of firewood.
Most cities in an Arabic world, especially the further back in time you go, were mostly independant city-states. Only an empire or a major religious control can unite such a region under a single state.
I'm sure I have more suggestions, but this is off the top of my head.
Nice map! That's a lot of desert, how about living sandstorms?Gosts still looking for water, or blood if that's all they can get. Maybe a ghost city under the sand? (Like pompé, but with a sandstorm.)
In an arabian setting you could think about giant cobras or beetles.
In tropical settings i like Maya themed tempels. Marshland could have will-o-wisps, ozes, reptilian creatures, gaint Carnivorous plants and lots of insects, Praying mantises are fascinating.
I hope this is any help!
While major rivers within a desert region can support marshlands, tropical jungle/rain forest should be separated from the deserts by a mountain range. Know the direction of your prevailing winds and have rainfall land on the wind-directed side of the mountains (so jungle on that side) with desert on the opposite side of the mountains. This is the case for most desert regions.
I can alter the map to fit. Some areas are magically altered thanks to the Genie Wars (particularly the southern and eastern areas). I could have a river running through the desert like the Nile, though I'll need a couple sources for it.
Setting wise, it depends on which period on the timeline do you want to compare your Arabic influenced setting. Ancient times are the source material for genies, and the tales of the Arabian Nights. During the latter part of the dark ages much of knowledge of Rome and ancient Greece was kept in the Arabic world and out of Europe.
After reading about Midgard, I was thinking about using different cultures in different areas so that it can have quite a number of Middle Eastern creatures. Of course, I will probably alter some things or need to create others (ghouls and other undead in particular).
You ought to include at least one major trade city - something like Samarkand, a mercantile city on a major trade route. There might also be a major trade 'tent city' that forms during the trade season, and be completely abandoned in other seasons.
You'll also want a nomadic 'camel riding' culture crossing the worst of the desert lands.
*nods* This makes sense. I'll be including cities as I go along. As I develop the setting more, I'll include more things like the tent cities and trade routes and such. Ancient ruins in the desert would be leftovers from the time Genies ruled.
Ancient Egyptian culture is it's own thing, separate from Arabic culture, because they are separated by time, though coexist in the same region. Words like 'mummy' is Arabic (mumiya) which means 'burning pitch', as some early mummies were buried directly in the sand and not in a formal tomb, and Arabs burned those remains for firewood, since the land tends to be devoid of firewood.
Most cities in an Arabic world, especially the further back in time you go, were mostly independant city-states. Only an empire or a major religious control can unite such a region under a single state.
*nods* City-states could work, especially for different cultures if they're far enough apart. Of course, with real deities religion can get very interesting. At the very least, there used to be an empire under the Genies.
I'm sure I have more suggestions, but this is off the top of my head.
It's really appreciated!
Nice map! That's a lot of desert, how about living sandstorms?Gosts still looking for water, or blood if that's all they can get. Maybe a ghost city under the sand? (Like pompé, but with a sandstorm.)
In an arabian setting you could think about giant cobras or beetles.
In tropical settings i like Maya themed tempels. Marshland could have will-o-wisps, ozes, reptilian creatures, gaint Carnivorous plants and lots of insects, Praying mantises are fascinating.
I hope this is any help!
Thanks! It is helpful! For some of the regions I was thinking of having dinosaurs and giant beasties (think Skull Island). Of course, there will be rocs, lamias, sheddus, and lammasus.