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Post by sgtslag on Feb 22, 2021 22:03:36 GMT
So back in the early- to mid-1980's, Dragon Magazine published an article (Get Your World Into Shape!, I believe) on how to draw your campaign world map, on a hex map sheet of paper, cut it out, and glue it into a d20 Globe...
I bought some poster-sized, one-inch, hex paper sheets. I drew my world map on one, after I drew on the d20 facets, so I would know where the land masses would cross over to another face of the d20. I learned, in my 7th grade Industrial Arts Printing Class, that if you cut and pasted type-written pages onto a sheet of paper, and then photocopied it, the copier would miss the tape and cut paper edges, giving a seamless photocopy.
I printed labels for names, in different font sizes, cut them out, and I taped them onto my map. I then took my map to run off a copy, on a large format photocopier. I took one of the copies, and I colored it in using colored pencils. I then 'laminated' it, using Clear Con-tact Paper, to cover it. I tried backing it with heavy cardboard, but it was too flimsy. This was more than 20 years ago...
Today, office supply stores have color large format copiers, and they offer professional lamination, which is seamless. I also have a table saw, and I hope to get a miter saw, this Spring. I will then cut up MDF into 120-degree triangles, and glue those on the back of my original copy, and build a fairly solid d20 globe of my game world. I think I will take the color version into OfficeMax, first, though, and have it copied, in color.
I use an old Judge Guild product, a city-state called, Tarantis, as my home base for my campaign. I took that old map (printed around 1977) into OfficeMax, several years ago. I had them print me off three copies, and they laminated two of them. Each copy cost me less than $20.
Wanted to share this information, as I think that it is incredibly useful. If you have any poster maps, which you would like (color) copies of, you can do so, for relatively little cost. And once they are laminated, you can write on them using Crayola Ultra Washable Marker Pens, which can be left on, for months, before erasing -- they will not leave a ghost image behind. Cheers!
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drl2
Tool Gatherer
Posts: 57
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Post by drl2 on Feb 23, 2021 16:26:53 GMT
How can you post something like this without including pictures of the map!?!
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Post by sgtslag on Feb 24, 2021 4:29:34 GMT
Once I start working on building the triangles of MDF, I will post a number of links to photos. It will be quite interesting, and challenging, to build. I plan to put it on some fishing line, and hang it from a hook, on an overhead beam, so it can be spun -- easier than fiddling with a shaft through the center, like an Earth globe.
I've had ideas running through my head about this, since the Dragon Magazine article was published, in the 1980's. It finally was made on a large enough map to make a 12" globe, back in the late 1990's. It has been a slow burner on the project list, but I have finally come up with techniques to make the globe rather firm, and solid. Some projects percolate for years, or even decades, before they become a reality. This is one of the slowest burning fires out of all, but it is not the oldest...
I commented, back around 1981, to my players, that it would be incredible to play out the G-series of modules, with 3D terrain and full miniatures... I built a 2.75D Steading of the Hill Giants (G1), around 3-5 years ago. I ran it at a small Convention, with 30+ Hill Giant figures, plus other Giant figures, and 30+ Wolves/Wargs, for the far courtyard. It was a blast.
I am working on painting up modular ice cavern wall sections, for G2, Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl. I have around 1/2 of the Frost Giants painted, and table-ready. I will finish the modular ice cavern pieces, and mats, this Summer. I hope to begin play-testing it, in June, or July.
I have proof of concept for modular, 2.75D Dungeon walls; I currently have 30+ Fire Giant mini's ready for the tabletop. These will be used for playing out G3, Halls of the Fire Giant King. Once I finish the ice cavern wall pieces, I will begin producing the Dungeon wall sections, built using the same techniques used for the Steading wall sections. It's an incredible amount of work, but playing them out, is an incredible reward; seeing other people enjoy them with me, is even better. I think just about everyone will jump at the chance to play these classic Giant modules, written by Gygax himself, with 2.75-3D models, and full miniatures. I know I've been chomping at the bit to do so, since 1981... Cheers!
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Post by margaret on Feb 26, 2021 23:15:18 GMT
'Getting a World into Shape', Dragon #49, May 1981, pp. 28-29.
Photocopied that article as soon as I got the issue, and I still have the copy [all my Dragons have already been passed on to the next generation]
Figured it would be useful whenever my kids might benefit from a globe-view of a fictional world map. I never did anything as ambitious as making one out of anything but regular paper or cardstock, though.
Looking forward to seeing your build =)
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Post by sgtslag on Feb 27, 2021 17:13:29 GMT
Thank you, margaret , for posting which Dragon Magazine it was in. I bought the Dragon Magazine Collection, on CD-ROM's, as soon as it came out. That is an incredible treasure trove of D&D materials, like no other. The software they made to run it, was absolutely terrible! Fortunately, they scanned the magazines into PDF's, which are still accessible, today, some 25+ years later. It has been a dream of mine to build a d20 globe, since I first saw that article. I did not create my own game world map, until 1983. When I began making the d20 hex map (early 90's), I realized that my game "world", was far too small, so I made that map into a continental USA sized land mass. I then created a Eurasia sized continent to the south, along with some smaller island groups of land masses, filling out a much larger 'world'. I've used the Eurasia continent (Sauria), a little, in my current group (rumored to be ruled by Dragons, but once they arrived, they found out that is not strictly the case, but it has plenty of grains of truth to it; no Wizards live to rise above Level 3 -- Dragons are fearful of them -- long, fun story, about an 8th level Mage PC, who used one Lightning Bolt spell to kill 30 City Guard, in a narrow alleyway: poor sots had never seen/no concept of a Lightning Bolt spell...). It has figured into world descriptions, for many years, but I placed it far to the south, and ship transport technology is low, so sailing between the game continent, and Sauria, is extremely dangerous, and only accomplished by one island nation. Anyway, I would love to develop the other land masses, but I've spent the past 48 years developing the one continent, such that it is sooo familiar to me, and to my players (one has adventured there since the mid-90's!), that I likely will never do much with the other land masses. Still, with my players eye-balling the globe, they may get inspired to do some serious traveling on their home world. They have previously visited another planet, using a Dimension-Folding gateway (roughly 4,000 years old, and failing, dangerously...), so we will see. I've been thinking about what types of cultures I might want to create for these other nations. Possibly an Arab-style culture. Lots of ideas, but too little gaming time... Cheers!
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RPG Grandma
Paint Manipulator
Just a very busy granny who likes TTRPGs
Posts: 178
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Post by RPG Grandma on Feb 28, 2021 5:41:10 GMT
Oh awesome. Thinking about old out of date globes... I am sure I can find one. Only thing is I am restart my campaign and building the world around that.... but oh boy what a fun project.
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Post by margaret on Mar 1, 2021 7:01:47 GMT
This site has flat templates in 3 sizes that can be assembled into standard spherical globes. www.3dgeography.co.uk/make-a-globeIf you could size one to fit a globe from a thrift store, you could just glue your world map onto the purchased globe and not have to glue all those little tabs. Not gridded in hexes, though.
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Post by sgtslag on Mar 1, 2021 16:55:54 GMT
I considered using an Earth Globe, if I could find one at a reasonable (cheap!) price. The globes I looked at, all had textured surfaces on them. I briefly considered sanding them, but I'm terrible at sanding, as I tend to overdo it... I hatched my plan, using triangles of MDF, so that is what I am going for. I think my 1"-hexes might yield a larger globe, as well, and I am happy with it being larger than a normal Earth Globe. I appreciate the suggestion, margaret. Perhaps it will work for other forum visitors. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!
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Post by margaret on Mar 1, 2021 19:16:01 GMT
Sorry, I guess I was hijacking your thread. That post was meant for dmgullydwarf. For anyone who has their world mapped in hexes, the icosahedron hex sort-of-globe is absolutely the best solution
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