Hi guys! Long time lurker but I've never really gotten any goods in here. I have a lot of skill in making engaging and wonderful visual aids in my games, and I've acquired quite the reputation of late among my gaming circles for always leading games that leave you begging for extra innings well into the twilight hours. However, I have a curse... My mapping capabilities are laughably pathetic. I can write you a book or draw a lovely vista, and given enough time I'll show up with that spiffy wanted poster you just found on that kobold. Ask me what the lay of the land is, and I'll hope you have an active imagination because maps are the furthest thing from a strong-suit for me in such a way that it's not even funny.
What I'm up to:
I am a GM for a number of games at present. The things I'm running out of books tend to have these gorgeous folios or impressive provided engagement maps that my players leave feeling intensely satisfied with the 'full package' experience. My house games are suffering, however. For this reason I'd like to commission or request of anyone who wishes to lend their talents to a few maps of varying styles a sample platter. If someone wants to just take on the full Monte, I won't say no, however it is anticipated that I get a couple people interested with this commission.
For this one in particular, however, I'd simply like a city concept mapped.
Foreword about payment:
I am willing to pay for anyone who supplies quality with rapidity much more readily than I am for even the finest work that takes a year and leaves me with little information on progress. However, anyone is able to contact me and discuss rates, especially if you are making something that will be used again and again.
Time Constraints
I don't really have any time constraints per se. I've made do without the maps and I will continue to do so, but games happen weekly and I would not be upset with workable content in the next two weeks so I can post for my Aura game.
Style
The games I am running are all currently homebrew dnd 3.5 or pathfinder core, and I'd like these maps to blend well with those. However, I am sure my players would respond well to town maps in whatever style you like. Mostly I would love to get someone to make a lot of these in their own style so that they can all feel 'packaged' so to speak, even against the backdrop of pathfinder supplements. This is how I make my work fit into the setting: Everything you find has the same flair as the last thing from that same region.
One thing I'd like, stylistically, is for everything to be hex gridded for large scale projects, square gridded for small. I'd appreciate this, though I can add it myself, as my players tend to get antsy when they can't tell distances at a glance.
Specifically for this map I'd like it to be large enough that I can mark locations of interest with key item clip art from the pathfinder supplement I'm using. I'd like it to be sans-markings so that I can add them and reuse the map if it turns out amazing as well, if that's okay. Also, please, if at all possible provide it in color.
I actually quite enjoyed: http://www.cartographersguild.com/al...chmentid=35960 :as it is distinct and reasonably constructed. However, I'd prefer something with a bit more noticeable buildings: Larger, 'in-charger'.
Description of Map
Ockehehill: Population 19000, primarily human, some elf, half-elf, halfling, gnome, dwarf. The city sits in a cracked mountainous region, accessible by stone bridges across rather deep chasms on the north and west sides, surrounded in high peaks on the others. The governing body of the city is an order of knights who have assumed control of the guild system, and a few powerful sorcerers who could not be budged during this takeover. As such, the city should have areas separated into visually distinct groups; Six of them to be exact. It is up to your creative license to design how they're visually distinct, as this is an as of yet undiscovered locale. This is to say I'd like to see a lot of buildings as housing, and then sections of city that are clearly 'out of place'. The sorcerers work in grand circular labs, as many or as few as you'd like, and the knights should have recently begun converting what was once a beautiful flagstone parade square into a castle in the center of the city. It should be under construction, at the beginning stages. The city should be grand in scale, but I'll leave exact scaling to the artist.
Quality & Size
Varies, and I'll accept all help in this matter. I'd prefer something lovely, but if you're willing to work for free I'll put anything you produce to a good home even if I can't use it for this campaign - with your permission, of course!
Copyright
This is just for the entertainment of my local gaming groups, brother... Don't be upset if I use it with them, or if I pack it up and take it to a convention with me, and I'll keep your name on it and be sure to pass on your name to every GM who compliments your work.
Contact
The easiest way to contact me will be via email, Brian.Curak--at--Gmail.com :: Contact to discuss payment solutions if you request payment, or to discuss working on the other maps.
Closing
Thank you for taking the time to at least skim this wall of text, and apologies for not taking the time to make this look prettier. I invite you, please, think over the idea and let it sink in. If you do this one for free, there's no reason to assume that I'll expect any future work you do at my behest to be free. I am mostly just curious to see how well my words translate into someone else's creative eye for this first project.