West Marches

Pirate it yourself, Seba. It's like you can't use chomik

>Implying I will send a sms to those greedy jews

>Implying you need more than the free 50mb limit
This is what you get for finishing your education with gimnazjum - a moron too thick to think and act for himself, but sensing Jewish conspiracy on every step

Check the OSR threads. West Marches is always popular. I'm up for a game
...

>Thinking that what I wrote is for real
spurdo.jpg

Daily reminder that if you pretend to be retarded, you really are retarded. For different reasons, but still retarded

>Le rage comics

Who is the Seba now? :')

I am HOPING my DM will run a game like that soon.

>Being this new

I'm thinking about running a West Marches game in 5e, I really like the session day flexibility.

What I'm not sure about is how to handle friendly forces and settlements in the "wilderness". Obviously there will only be one true "safe haven" walled city where the players spend their downtime, but I also want to pepper a handful of farming villages in the wilderness so I can run a werewolf module once in a while. The tricky part is going to be making the towns still feel unsafe, so that players won't think of them as forward bases.

Any thoughts?

>showing your newfaggotry.

My other idea was to let players develop their own safe haven. The players would be part of a colony, and when they first arrive the settlement would be little more than a few wagons and tents. Over time, in no small part thanks to the player's efforts, the settlement develops into a larger town, attracting more people and developing access to more goods. Maybe the players can even have some say in the development of the town, if they so desire.

I'm not so sure about this idea though, since it doesn't give the players much of a safe zone to start with.

But it's just an old campaign cartographer map. Anyone can make one.

Uh, Hexographer, I mean.

Even though this is West Marches people will still want to meet NPCs. The first time they get to a village make sure you have a shop keeper, a bartender, or some other random person who is cheery and helpful to get them attached. Later while they are gone from the village, let it burn. Don't kill the NPC, let them join the party as a servant or something. The idea is to show that when the party gets a quest it's not because the villages are actually in danger rather than it being some dumb gameplay mechanic that states they need XP (even though it is). West Marches still has a living world and can still have quests, it's just most of the time people will be dungeon delving and exploring. Or who knows, maybe the players will try to build a walled town father in the wilderness than anyone else has?

>maybe the players will try to build a walled town father in the wilderness than anyone else has?
This sounds like a fucking dream to me. Use something like Roll20, and have one map screen that's entirely dedicated to your haven. Players could even directly take terrain features from the dungeon maps to use in their town/buildings.

I like that as an option for a West Marches game. I always though of West Marches as being D&D's wild west (duh, yes I know) so one of the first things that comes to mind is Oregon Trail. The players start out in a large city that makes the edge of civilized land. There are other walled cities in the distance, but they are few and far between. The players should probably just go around with small quests and minor dungeons until they have some cash and are level 5 or so. Then they can probably use their loot to build a keep on a hill somewhere in the wilderness. That's a start right there.

Does anyone have good recommendations for West Marches-friendly modules? I know the PDF share threads are a thing so it's not a matter of where to find modules, it's a matter of filtering for actual good ones.

So far I've found that modules from Dungeon Crawl Classics work well. I have Sailors on the Starless Sea and Intrigue at the Court of Chaos. The new 5e book, Tales from the Yawning Portal, also looks neat.

Since when "anyone can make one" is equal with "anyone can deliver high-quality hex map that doesn't look like underworked shit"?

Wasn't Kingmaker campaign for Pathfinder basically a west marches campaign?

Since always, when you have a crazy easy to use program?

>Missing this point this bad
Hey user, since everyone can use pencil and piece of paper, why only a handful of people can draw and sketch for shit?

Maybe since drawing requires skill derived from years of training, while placing pre-mad hex pieces on a grid takes hardly any effort or time at all?

If you don't understand the difference, I really don't think I can help you.

>Still missing the point
I can't use Hexographer. At all. I literally make better doodle maps on a side of a newspaper with a ballpen than with this soft. The interface is unintuitive as fuck for me, the mape scaling is shit (you never can adjust the distance right, so either you see too many tiny hexes or too little big-ass hexes up close), it's so hard to suddenly change the map size it's easier to just start over and most importantly, I just don't "feel" it. Even if I'm covering some pre-made shape or map outline with proper hexes, I either end up with highly unsatisfactory results or realising I used wrong size of the hex and the map is not detailed enough/so detailed it takes hours to fill in just a piece of it. I grow tired, bored and restless, and just drop it. Or rather - that what happend in the past, because I no longer use that or any other soft for map making - I just doodle them, since it's faster and I "feel" the paper, so I know what size I want to make everything.
The biggest irony is that I can draw, but I can't even make a straight line when using computer, unless of course picking a tool for making straight lines.

But I can't draw a map for a builder game. I need a fucking electronic one, preferably grinded/hexed already.

>All this map drama
>No replies related with OP's question

What I'm getting here is that many people want to play a West Marches game, but nobody has.
Guess that's the perfect opportunity.

Got any specifics? Aside details being at least around OP's map?

I need map roughtly twice that size, with similar size of hexes, each representing 5 or 8 miles (still didn't decide, but probably 5). The terrain must be rugged, with a lot of hills and mountains, preferably also cliff-style river going through most of it. It's for post-apo setting, so obviously the amount of lush areas needs to be toned down (it doesn't mean it needs to be barren land everywhere), with lots of bogs, sand, dead places etc. It would be nice it it had shore with at least two bigger isles out there, but it's not mandatory.
I've kinda-sorta have an inspirational map for that, but like I've said, purely inspirational for the basic topography
Yes, that mini-map is copyrighted, but the company that made it doesn't exist for at least 20 years now.

Have you tried looking for already made maps that will suit your purposes?

There's tons of sites that have collections of the things.

Tried. None had what I need. I need a map that combines two things never coming together:
- post-apo type of terrain, so lots of dust, not much of vegetation around
- (relatively, as pic related) extensive river system in hilly terrain

It's always either first or second, never both. And since 3 out of possible 8 factions have bonus for water transport and water units, it kinda-sorta needs specific type of map, not to mention pre-written quests and other shit.

But anyway, let's see what depositories you can give. Maybe there are some that I still didn't see.

I've never used hexographer or campaign cartographer either.

I don't know what you've tried, but I use deviantart and cartographers guild to find tons of cool overland maps, as well as several campaign setting books to have overland maps that are tied together like the Kingdoms of Kalamar Campaign book.

cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1142&s=4e536b4423d1fa1c42f355d8c1a9e87f

can show you how to use free to use gimp to make the map you want

youtube.com/watch?v=SpW0d5by-8w
fantasticmaps.com/category/tips-and-tricks/

can show you how to draw one on paper by yourself

inkarnate.com/ makes very samey looking maps but it's easy to use

oldmapsonline.org/ has a collection of real world maps

deepnight.net/tools/tabletop-rpg-map-editor/
is pretty cool at making more zoomed in battle maps

There's probably tons of other places to find decent maps I've never looked at.

Good luck.

I've already told you - I don't "feel" it, when drawing with mouse. Starting with the fact that I'm lefty and mouse is, well, right-handed. So it's not a problem to make an "analog" map by hand at all, but the moment it has to be digital, it's trendemous pain in the ass combined with mediocre effects. The only thing that "works" is making uneven shores with GIMP, but that is mostly automatically generated aside initial land shape, so that's something I could probably do with my feet if I had to.

I know all of those, aside inkarnate.com/

But thanks anyway.

Cool. Never saw those old world maps before.

He also suggested just drawing it on paper and scanning it in if you're really trying to make something unique.

Btw, you know they make left handed as well as ambidextrous mice, right?

>The map drama continues
But what about West Marches?

This is the map I'm using, with players starting on the south west peninsula and moving inland, all while clearing keeps that serve as a kind of "check point" for whatever character has been there.

Bump

I like to use this one, because it's vague enough an undescriptive enough to use it for all sorts of games.
And it looks nice

I forgot how I did it but there's a map generator that uses these hexes. It might be on that site but I use the hex maps for my Game of Thrones campaigns and such. I'm on the shitter so I can't check but the random hexmap generator is pretty damn good.

Just tossing out an idea: what about placing hex tokens on a Roll20 map? Anyone ever done that?

>placing hex tokens on a Roll20 map
Explain

You take a token, shaped like a hex, then place it on the virtual board.

Sounds really time consuming, although that is possible, you just need to make/find hex map tokens for roll 20

52429075 (You)

???
Just need to work on making the .png/.jpg file to be the right size so hex is perfectly aligned with the map ones

And this differs from using Hexographer... how? Aside apparently being just different soft to do the same shit?

So let me get this straigh - your solution for harrowing work with Hexographer is... to use subpar program that is even clunkier and requires further trimming and work?
Wow.
Just wow

I'm not that user, just showing that his method is possible, although I'd probably use hexographer myself, much less fuckery than making it work with roll20

It's been ages since I ran a hexcrawl but I am interested in doing one now.

I recall there being some good blogs about these things but I can't remember any off the top of my head. Any recommendations?

arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/78/grand-experiments-west-marches/

Here's one.

The Alexandrian
thealexandrian.net/wordpress/17308/roleplaying-games/hexcrawl

I own the Wilderlands of High Fantasy boxed set, but I have no idea where to start playing. Is there a good location for beginners?

Goblin Punch blog monster index, including Flying Snails and Candy Fairies.

goblinpunch.blogspot.ca/2015/08/the-bestiary.html

Bamp

This here's a little hex mapper app:

rhysmakesthings.com/gm_friend

Bumping

Seriously, anyone? Anything? No players?

We prefer to spend our time arguing about mapping software, thanks.

I guess this is what I've got for posting map rather than anime girl or some other stuff.

With an anime girl you wouldn't have gotten any responses from the OSR crowd.

he still hasn't gotten any responses from the OSR crowd

I'd love to play in such a game, but have never done so. Are you amenable to finding players online? Do you mind if I'm completely new?

He has.
But he would get more in the OSR thread

Tried something like this once where the goal was to get from one side of the map to the other as fast as possible to get away from an advancing army. Didn't work and fizzled out pretty fast. without simple rules to keep track of encumbrance and fatigue and interesting encounters/random events table people will lose interest

Its a hexcrawl sandbox heavily inspired by WM.
Currently trying to make nice concise rules for faction turns. I stole most of the rules from Reign.

Given that its 5e it doesn't have much of a bite to it. I frequently ignore the CR ratings of things and throw things way too strong at my players. We end up with a lot of close calls but they always manage to survive.

Pretty fun campaign so far.

Ask in the OSR general

In terms of running one, or similar sandbox games, I will say that one of the big pitfalls you will encounter is getting players who are self-motivated but at the same time willing to cooperate and work together, especially if playing completely online.

Sandbox games require players or PCs that are particularly driven. For this reason too you can't have a sandbox that's too perfect or idyllic or stable; if there are no opportunities that the PCs can perceive. Don't underestimate player inability to perceive what you feel is an *obvious* hook - this isn't necessarily their fault, either, but the consequence of playing a game with few sensory cues outside of your narration.

Keep in mind that while players may say they "want" a sandbox game, it's quite possible they might take some time to actually come to grips with the idea, especially if they have never played before. I'd say a recurring problem I run into with sandbox campaigns is that energy is high initially, players roll up PCs, you drop them in with some sort of intro adventure - and then everything comes to a halt because either the PCs cannot agree on a direction or the majority become completely lost once they're off the trail of pre-plotted breadcrumbs.

Good summary of stuff that can go wrong on the playerside, but there's some hazards on the GM's side too.

Since sandboxes are rarer GMs tend to be less practiced at them. Particularly long-running ones, you'll find there's quite a lot of info around on starting up sandboxes but not a lot about the long haul and how to keep them fresh.

A problem I had when running a sandbox was as I would just keep giving the players more of whatever they were interested in, i.e. following the plots that they themselves were driving, it 1) started to get samey and 2) plotholes began cropping up. Since they were pursuing the same stuff all the time I began running out of ideas and aside from just scaling up the powerlevel really struggled to give them what they wanted.

I guess a possible solution would be to make the player aware that if they don't want their current favourite plotline to become boring they should change tracts to let the GM recharge? Maybe I was just getting burned out.

City of the Invincible Overlord.

Those.

Especially the bit about lack of sensory cues. Playing and running sandboxes is in general harder than just running a typical campaign. Playing them online is near impossible.

> But full version? user, gimme a break
It's a full version, last time I checked. You simply need to enter the right password. And the algorithm for password validity is written right there in plain Java. No assembler knowledge necessary. In fact, you don't even need to actually know Java (I don't) - just check the syntax in the online manuals to see what it's doing and put the right numbers.

That said, I prefer inkarnate, since I don't need anything fancy.

>I'm a hacker, but shhhh, that's top secret
Seriously, nigga? You gonna be baiting this bad?

> it's a thoughtcrime to point out that Hexographer has no real security measures
> you are baiting us
We literally have Da Archive thread next to this, you inbred fuck.

>Missing the point this bad
>Meming thoughtcrime
Did you just call yourself inbred fuck?

Bamp

As discussed here , I'll make something like this for you.

I'd be more comfortable if you could sketch me out a map. A shitty photo of a hand-drawn sketch is fine.

I guess I will have to provide a compilation made on PC - I have no means to transfer the photo from my phone to the computer.
Give me a while, k?

of course. Take your time. Even something made in mspaint would be fine. Broad strokes, no need for detailed coastlines or anything like that. I can figure that out.

You can do mountains(dark brown strokes) and hills(light brown strokes) if you'd like, but I don't need it.

Well, it will be in MS Paint, because that's the best I can do on the laptop I'm sitting on right now. Will provide it within next 30 minutes, when I will finally have free time to make a compilation out of it.

>The players would be part of a colony
Im running a colonisation game in dnd basic and ill say that works real well

When the players take part in the building of a settlement they get much more attached to it than otherwise.

Ok, finally done. Jesus, touchpad kills me more than mouse. And since this laptop is still using XP, MS Paint was just painful.

Either way, it will be a three-parter to explain what I need. And when I say "badland" I mean badland like those in Dakotas. Also, I figured out you are going to do just basic topography map, right?
Anyway, I would be VERY glad if it was 5000x5000 pixels in the end. I'm planning to divide it into a map 500x500 hexes, each hex representing 1 km (finally figured out the size I want)

>Part 1
Basically, like the original description said, I need a hilly area with numerous river valleys and one big river going through the area. Originally I was going to just pick a map of Oregon meshed together with Washington, but that wouldn't exactly work with the players, since coincidently most of them come from Pacific North-West. But maps of those two stares are a good start.

>Part 2
The terrain is supposed to be mostly like pic related, with river shores also like pic related. So it's not about making exactly mountain ranges, but make the terrain extremely uneven instead, due to extensive runoff erosion.

Of course I had to mess-up file attatched... this one should be with photos, the previous one with Washington state

>Part 3
The original, cheesy map from is still a good reference, since it has all I need, but in shit quality and small resolution, not to mention being cheesy map from fantasy-themed trading game. But it has massive river system cutting through the entire area, sea that allows to access the land from two sides and two large island close to the shore. This pic related is the best I can produce on this laptop and with my mediocre skills on PC.
The land orientation doesn't really matter - it doesn't matter where the "sea" is. What's important is that it plays almost no role on the map as such, but is still there and still accessable and connected with the main river outlet

Also, the valley part is important here to notice around rivers. To keep it semi-readable, I couldn't exactly "circle" the valleys, but just give their general border. So when they go a bit away from river, then it's intended and not just random jagged away.

Any additonal features are welcomed, but those are the things I need by default.

In short - a massive clusterfuck of erosion, shattered land and few flat places, usually also of very low height when compared to sea level.

Plus it's for post-apo game, so the clusterfuckery can go as much extreme as you feel it. Just remember that I will still have to put somewhere some highways and ruins of cities on it, so don't go TOO extreme

Also, aside the topography - could I also please get the basic land outline + waterways? Without topography proper.

have you tried just printing out blank hexes and drawing over them?

I dig it. I'm gonna start working on this. won't be able to finish it today but I'll create a thread offering more mapmaking and I'll use yours as the opening image.

I can get you much larger than 5000 x 5000, since I'm working in vector this time.

Also, yes, absolutely. I'll have a few things for you

I'm in no hurry with this, as long as I will be able to get the map before Easter.
5000x5000 png will do just fine.

Holy shit, he actually begged his way for the map and from Indigo.
Ain't even mad anymore, that's pretty impressive persistence. Especially HFY faggots would like it