Free maps - Cairn of the Winter King

[OnlineDM]

I'm back with more maps to share. This time I'm getting ready to run the Cairn of the Winter King adventure from Monster Vault. I recreated my own version of the maps using MapTool and have posted them on my blog for all to use.

I've provided versions both with and without a grid, all scaled to a 50 pixels per square grid for use in MapTool or Fantasy Grounds.

Get them all here.

 

[OnlineDM]

I've now posted the full MapTool campaign file (built in version 1.3.b66 of MapTool) for the Cairn of the Winter King with these maps as well as the various monsters and traps. There is a blog post with the download, and you can directly download the campaign file here.

 

[Hussar]

OnlineDM - if you happen to use GIMP to make your dungeon maps, there is a fantastic script over at Cartoraphersguild.org called Prettier Dungeon Map Script that you can add into GIMP that will really bring out the backgrounds in your dungeon maps.

 

[OnlineDM]

Thanks for the tip! I don't currently use GIMP.

In looking at maps for use online, I see a spectrum. On one end, you have maps drawn totally on the fly as if you were sitting around a table with a wet-erase mat - lines on a grid. On the other end, you have professional-looking maps such as those commissioned for the ZEITGEIST campaign here at EN World (as well as many others out there in places like the Cartographer's Guild).

My maps are in the middle. I draw them in MapTool itself using a pretty standard set of textures available in a free download. MapTool's graphics are not especially high-resolution, and the tools available are much more limited than what I could get in something like GIMP.

But then, I'm a dungeon master, not a cartographer. If my maps are a step above quick and dirty, I'm happy. I'm sure that with some more effort I could learn to create really awesome-looking battlemaps. But I'm not much of an artist, so I doubt if I'll ever take the time to try to develop those skills.

Still, I think it's awesome that there are people out there working on making really fantastic-looking maps and sharing their tips and tricks.