Dwarven City of Kuglutuk

[aeshnidae]

Working on a dwarven city, which has an outside (above ground) portion but is primarily housed inside a mountain. Dwarves started mining and then created a city in the empty caverns. I started with a pencil sketch of the city as a side view, but then decided it would work better as an isometric map.

Kuglutuk.jpg

Kuglutuk map v2 (sm).jpg

[aeshnidae]

Next I added buildings, drawn using a Wacom tablet and Photoshop. I looked online for examples on which to base my buildings, since I'm not the best at drawing actual things.

Kuglutuk map v4 (sm).jpg

[aeshnidae]

It took seemingly forever to fill in all the buildings. Thankfully I actually thought to save each structure as a separate layer in a different PSD file. "Duplicate layer" is my friend. <3

Kuglutuk map v7 (sm).jpg

Next up...adding some walls. I'm also looking for advice on whether/how to color the different layers. The map is supposed to be cluttered because I figured an underground city would become cluttered. But I'm also planning to use this map for in-game play and am considering color coding the different levels, label them, or both. I've got a version of the blank floor plan with labels:

Kuglutuk labeled (sm).jpg

[Mouse]

This looks like an interesting approach, Aeshnidae

One thing that strikes me is that there doesn't seem to be a system of rapid ascent/descent. No shutes, lift shafts, or main stairwells that go all the way up or down in one go.

Other than that, a very interesting modular approach

[aeshnidae]

Thanks, Mouse! Yes, the lack of rapid upwards/downwards movement is on purpose because I'm using this for a D&D game and don't want the PCs to be able to bypass certain levels. They have some flying potions and also have a tendency to unintentionally skip over huge chunks of maps that are crucial for the plot. I think I will add lifts for non-game purposes...maybe a lift shaft beneath each of the Mayan-looking pyramids?

[Mouse]

Now that you have explained your evil plan.... ..... I don't see that you need to add any lifts at all

No escape, eh?

Mwahahahahahahaw.............

[aeshnidae]

What's great is that they have to break IN as well as break out. Mwahahaha indeed!

I realized the map didn't show the Chieftain's Vault, located directly beneath the nobles' district. I have that as a separate dungeon map but I'm going to print this one out in large format, so I need the players to be able to see where the vault is located. What do you think of the cut-away? (The buildings visible in the cut-away are not supposed to line up with the buildings above.)

Kuglutuk map v10 (sm).jpg

[Mouse]

I'm a bit confused by the missing vault between the key map (the one with the names of the different areas), and this latest map.

If by cut-away you mean the areas that show the backdrop of rock, they are very good.

I was never very good at using the correct terms for things, so that probably isn't what you mean at all.

One other thing that strikes me, and its relatively minor compared to the complexity of the map as a whole, is that the buildings in the clan quarters do seem to be very regularly spaced on a grid system of some kind. Do you think it would be better to make them a bit less regular, and more rambling/cluttered, as if they have evolved over time?

[aeshnidae]

Ah! You're confused because I fiddled with the outline between the labeled draft and the current one. The thickest section (far left) has contains a sub-level, which contains a stronghold and vault. I want my players to see that there's something underground (err...under-underground?) in that district.

[Mouse]

Well in that case it does exactly what it says on the can

I presume you will be doing individual maps of the bits that can't be seen on this one?