Hidden Cave Complex

[helium3]

This is the map I've been working on most recently. In the game I'm running, my players have just stumbled onto the hidden entrance to it and will be (I hope) entering the cavern on the far left next game session.

I'm using Illustrator CS2 to make this thing and am still in the process of wrapping my brain around all the different things it can do. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Kagehito]

Well I don't know to much about CS2, so as far as tech advice, your out of luck with me.

However, the map looks good. Lots of variable areas, a couple of big open rooms for battles (the ending room looks great for a boss battle), and its clean and pretty straight forward.

Only thing i would add would be little texts on the stair areas to depict if they are going up and down, and lables for the colored sections as well. (I'm assuming the blue is water, but the green and brown areas are a little unclear.)

Though you as the DM will know since you made the map, making the notes should help the players be able to picture it at a glance with having to guess or make assumptions (which could end up being wrong.)

Looks good so far though! Keep up the good work!

[thebax2k]

Your map looks very sharp Helium3, it reminds me of some of the Undermountain maps--I hope you decide to post more.

I'm with Kagehito though on some of the map features. Although there are quite a few stairways, its not obvious were a party would enter the level. Also, the big area on the far left of the map (to me) looks like it should be the bbeg fight area and not the entrance. I'm also not sure at times if I'm looking a dungeon with worked stone corridors, caverns, the sunken foundations of buildings, or a mix between the three--for isntance, what are the two rooms in the center and the right that have brown (what look like stalactite or stalagmite) features in them? I'm also not sure what the green areas are supposed to represent.

I really like your style, but you might want to take a look at Hellhounds Into the Underdark thread (http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=774) for inspiration on underground mapping. Although he used black and white and not color, Hellhound was good at drafting underground maps that had a flow to them and were easily understood.

[helium3]

Yeah, the maps only about half done. I should probably put this into the "Work In Progress" section.

The complex is a natural cave complex that was then modified by an underground dwelling race.

It's actually "level two" of the "dungeon" my part is currently in and the front entrance is the cave on the far right.

There are actually contour lines in the map that tell you what the cave elevations are. I just haven't put the labels in yet.

[helium3]

(http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=774) for inspiration on underground mapping. Although he used black and white and not color, Hellhound was good at drafting underground maps that had a flow to them and were easily understood.

I was looking at his stuff the other day. I was very impressed by it.