Introduction

[Slighted]

Hi folks,
My name is Ben and I live in the Minneapolis area. I do some freelance writing for Pathfinder and now 5E and also gamemaster over Skype. I am absolutely brand new to mapping and look forward to being part of this community. I found this site while searching online for 'rpg mapping software for beginners', haha.

Ben.

[Mouse]

Hello Ben, and welcome to the Guild

If you are looking for advice and tutorials, I think you have probably come to the best place

[Abu Lafia]

Hi Ben, welcome to the Guild! Seems you found the right place indeed. There are a a lot of different approaches software wise, and i think it somewhat depends on what kind of maps you want to make and how you want to make them. If you want to draw them entirely yourself, then Gimp / Photoshop or Inkscape / Illustrator are the thing to look at. There are also programs like Campaign Cartographer which are used to work with premade tilesets specifically designed for mapping purposes. And last but not least the scan software for maps drawn with pen(cil)&paper A good start for orientation is ravells Quickstart Guide to Fantasy Mapping and ofc the whole tutorials section in the forum. Don't hesitate to reach out for advice and help, there are always a bunch of friendly people around here.

[rrcalbick]

Hey Ben, welcome to the Cartographer's Guild. I'm a new member myself and just wanted to mention that I'm also a new member, live in Minnesota (about an hour and a half form you), run a VTT game on Roll20, and also do some freelance writing. It seems we have quite a bit in common in that regard! Again, welcome!

[Slighted]

Thanks all!

[arsheesh]

Welcome to the Guild Slighted! As others have mentioned, the tutorials section is a great place to begin (particularly the Quickstart Guide). Photoshop and Gimp are among the most widely used programs for map creation here, and also the best supported in the tutorials section. The former will cost you a pretty penny. The latter is absolutely free. Both have their advantages. Please feel to ask if you have any specific questions. Also, when you do finally begin a map it's always a good idea to post up a WIP thread and ask for feedback. You can learn a lot from the advice and constructive criticism others here will offer. Best wishes on your new adventure!

Cheers,
-Arsheesh