D&D location maps

[Non Serviam]

Hi, guild. I'm looking for a cartographer to draw a series of location maps for D&D. I'm particularly looking for a cartographer with ongoing availability who offers prompt response times. You don't have to be a professional, but you do have to be able to provide a proper tax invoice for my records.

Terms: For the first series of four images, I'm offering US$25 per image via paypal, to be paid once you've delivered (a) a completed map and (b) a proper invoice; your invoice should state clearly that it's for all rights in the images.

Specifications: Each map should be isometric view, black and white, line-art style using simple, bold, clean lines. Each should be at web resolution, and fit on one screen. They should be without grid, scale marker or compass rose and they should be totally unlabelled. I would like to purchase all rights in the images. The cartographer will retain a licence to use them in their portfolio, provided that where the portfolio is online, the images are watermarked.

First series of images:-

1) A shipwreck on a sandy beach; the wreck is a caravel-sized ship with the front staved in (recently wrecked, the party was onboard). Don't name the ship. The sea is at the bottom of the image, the ship at the bottom left. Most of the scene is just beach, with the odd bit of wreckage, a few crabs, and in once place, an old human skeleton sticking out of the sand. At the top of the image there should be the edge of a subtropical forest.

2) In the same subtropical forest but inland, the village of some primitive tree-dwelling humanoids. It's a treetop village accessed by dangling creepers. There are about five or six trees, each with one or two wooden platforms, with creepers slung between. The central tree is hollow with two chambers, one for young and the other for the village elder/shaman. Please indicate some hammocks where the creatures sleep, and some hanging nets where they keep meat. Beneath the trees, a stream winds through the forest.

3) In the same subtropical forest, a set of overgrown ruins consisting of a dozen or so blocky ziggurats with tree roots winding over them. Three or four entrances into the ziggurats, made in antiquity by tomb robbers. One of the entrances is big, central and obvious, one is smaller and nearer the edge, and the other one or two are well hidden (eagle-eyed players who spot them might have an easier time!)

4) On the edge of that forest, a waterfall in a cliff, with a large, deep pool or small lake at the base of the waterfall. The focus of the image should be the pool, with a river running off the bottom of the map. Behind the waterfall, a cave entrance is just about visible. Beside it, a winding stair is carved into the rock; it's nearly as steep as a ladder. A primitive hoist made of wood and creepers is next to the stair. A path leads from off map, across the river at a ford, around the pool, up to the stair, and off the opposite edge of the map. There needs to be a clearing, usable as a camp site, just off the path by the ford near the pool.

Fancy having a go? If so, please provide your contact details below!

[Ryan S. Thomason]

I'm sorry chief, but what standard of work are you really expecting for $25 per image? Oh and with all rights too.

[Non Serviam]

Oh. I thought a black and white drawing would be about an hour's work?

[eepjr24]

Oh. I thought a black and white drawing would be about an hour's work?

A simple regional map in black and white with a few labels, maybe you could get that in an hour. But your rate is low even then and does not account for any software, equipment, etc.

Reference:
https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...ighlight=price

I am a hobbyist (at best), so knowing how long it would take me to make something is not really that much help. But what I read is that a battle map with the level of detail you are asking for (even uncolored, which you did not specify) in Isometric view (which is a subspecialty type, probably going to up the rate) and very specific other requirements... probably 3+ hours?

And then you want all the rights, which means they cannot make any further money from the piece and you can sell it commercially. In my world (coding), that quadruples the price right off the bat.

And just as an aside, as I mentioned, I am no professional cartographer or illustrator. But I am a professional coder and I also create and sell sterling and stone jewelry. $25 an hour for an artistic endeavour that requires the kind of experience and learning hours this craft takes is very low. I charge that in jewelry, but I also mark up materials 2-3 times and I am below market in that respect. As a coder I get billed out at several times that per hour. So really the market is pretty underpriced from what I have seen for full copyright on work.

Anyway, just my .02. I hope you do find someone to do your work and arrange a fee that is equitable for both of you.

- Ernie

[Non Serviam]

I did specify an uncolored line art drawing.

Still, I've clearly priced the job wrong, and I didn't mean to offend. Offer withdrawn.

[Tiana]

Oh, just because some of us wouldn't take it doesn't mean you have to go, someone else might take you up, there are several undercutters who lurk the forums too and don't value their time as much as a few of the others here. If I were just starting out I would have been happy to take this as indeed you are correct it would have probably taken an hour or two to make each map, but my queue is loaded right now.

Please enjoy this free in browser program to help you make free dungeon layouts though! https://dungeonscrawl.com/

And here's a wilderness generator! http://gozzys.com/wilderness-maps