Nov/Dec 2020 Challenge - Pyramid Circus

[Tiana]

Bogie and I commissioned each other each to make a relatively simple battlemap location, the sort of layout that could easily come together and be useful for a DM running a game. I gave Bogie a throne room for a palace I drew, and Bogie gave me the following adventure.

Here is the rough map and info for you Tiana:

Attachment 126222Attachment 126223Attachment 126224Attachment 126225

The exterior. Bogie, do let me know the following things to progress on this commission (for the record, this version is completely usable by all who may tarry here but it is 50% of the final size):
1- I left a couple of slightly more intact ruined buildings because there are numbered labels on the main overland map pointing towards a couple of ruins in moderately better condition, but I can switch them out if you want for fully ruined buildings and rubble. I can also alter the rooftops to be 'burnt out' in places on my next step.

2- do you like the frequency and style of rubble (Kier's rocks aplenty)

3- I placed a bit of defined road, but it can be altered to be in less good condition or completely removed. My plan if you liked this underlying texture was to have some parts of it clearly washed out by the dusty land texture, something I can't do until my next step which requires texture commitment.

4- do you like the pyramid? As far as I can tell the blue and white stripes were intended to be horizontal so that's what I did but it's easy to change to vertical, change the color, etc.

5- as the GM, would you prefer to be able to remove the pyramid (which would be delivered as a transparent png) and expose the layout as part of the same map, or have the pyramid interior layout separate / its own map?

6- do you want a baked in grid or will you have the grid added in your VTT?

### Latest WIP ###
pyramidcircusext.jpg

[Tiana]

And here's a start on the interior layout... now, the book does say that the entrance is to the 'southeast' but I feel that a diagonal slanted pyramid will be awkward if you do any dynamic lighting, and that it makes more sense on a digital table to scroll down into the entrance instead of going to the bottom of the page for the entrance to the pyramid, so I've adjusted the location of the items I did start blocking in accordingly. I plan to put something where the blank squares are for the circus elements but I'm going to have to see what I can scrounge up for those, and I haven't gone over the other two interior detail pages yet but I know there's several more pieces to work in the surrounds outside of the stadium seating and circus ring. That'll come, assuming you like the underlying structure of what I've created here.

Basically, yeah, we can either have the two views on the same page but separated, or you can have either this as a png or the pyramid top as a png and delete/add it right onto the same ruined city block, or keep them as two separate JPGs and you move the party from page to page, depends on what works best for your game!

pyramidcircusint.jpg

[Bogie]

This is looking great.

1- I left a couple of slightly more intact ruined buildings because there are numbered labels on the main overland map pointing towards a couple of ruins in moderately better condition, but I can switch them out if you want for fully ruined buildings and rubble. I can also alter the rooftops to be 'burnt out' in places on my next step.
The original setting and map for the Lost City of Gaxmoor is right after a huge battle that destroys a lot of the city. Our time-frame for this is after some small battles but before the big one. So, I like it just the way you have it.

2- do you like the frequency and style of rubble (Kier's rocks aplenty)
Perfect

3- I placed a bit of defined road, but it can be altered to be in less good condition or completely removed. My plan if you liked this underlying texture was to have some parts of it clearly washed out by the dusty land texture, something I can't do until my next step which requires texture commitment.
That sounds good.

4- do you like the pyramid? As far as I can tell the blue and white stripes were intended to be horizontal so that's what I did but it's easy to change to vertical, change the color, etc.
I like the color of the pyramid just the way it is.

5- as the GM, would you prefer to be able to remove the pyramid (which would be delivered as a transparent png) and expose the layout as part of the same map, or have the pyramid interior layout separate / its own map?
From a playability point of view on Roll20, I think it will work best to have the interior as part of the full map and then have the roof as a removable png object.

6- do you want a baked in grid or will you have the grid added in your VTT?
Personally, I prefer maps without grids. I think the maps look better without them and I don't use them in the game either. For most people who use grids in their VTTs it is better to have no grid on the map and let the VTT add the grid.

The interior layout is looking good, and I like the floor texture you are using. One of the reasons I picked this map to have you make it is that even after reading the text a couple times I couldn't visualize the layout. I figured fresh eyes would get a better perspective.

The author of this mini-adventure, Jeff Talanian, is a friend of mine who will be at the con I will be running this game for. He is also the creator of the Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea game system and co-authored Castle Zagyg with Gary Gygax. ( so, no pressure! )

[Ilanthar]

Cool idea! Curious to see it develops.

[- JO -]

I find it not easy to draw a map from such an adventure, but I think you’re doing good !

[ChickPea]

Looking good already. Great idea for the challenge.

[Tiana]

Oh dang. (sweats) Sure, no pressure. I hope the writer will be pleased to see the adventure put into illustration.

Paint and canvases in my asset thread, as well as the preset art studio.

The pyramid is too high res to do as a png, but I put a black background on the part of it that overhangs instead, I don't know, would that work out all right for you? This way you can delete it once the party enters. It's like, 16mb though as a png, so it's just too big at full res. It's either that or try to line it up seamlessly without the grid baked in... possible but fiddly... or have 2 maps, one with the top and one without.


### Latest WIP ###
pyramid circus layers.jpg

I find it not easy to draw a map from such an adventure, but I think you’re doing good !

Just some of what I do is reading and interpreting. It might not be 'right' but at least now a visual exists to work from! I've done it many times.

Thank you Ilanthar and Chickpea.

[Tiana]

(I had to move the pyramid so the bot would stop scraping it as the main choice thumbnail) blue pyramid isolated.jpg

[Bogie]

On Roll20, the jpg version of the pyramid roof will work perfectly. It will be easy to drag & drop it onto the base map and delete it when the players go inside.

I will be letting the author, Jeff, know that I am running his game, but since it is a Virtual Con this year he will only see it if he logs onto my Roll20 game. Also, Alyssa Fadden is the cartographer who made the City of Gaxmoor map that this came from. She was one of the guests of honor at last year's Total Con. I don't know if she will be at the virtual version this year or not. She did a great job with the City map. I can't post the whole map as it is a commercial product of Troll Lord Games & Luke Gygax, but here is a little larger clip to show off more of her work.
Gaxmoor-Clip.JPG

[Ilanthar]

Once again, I really like the night-like colour palette you chose.