So yeah, looking for a good repository of custom maps or good tools that can be used to create your own? Mostly looking for encounter and dungeon maps rather than world maps and at the moment I am looking for something more Underdark themed.
I don't mind paying money for good map software however I would like something that does allow you the freedom to import your own assets during the creation process.
assuming this is for commercial purposes? if not, just google, there's worlds' worth out there. below just discusses a few free options - there's a pile of other options that require purchases.
for premade maps you can use commercially:
look for mike's free map collections on dmsguild.
for dungeon maps you can also use random generators...there's a bunch, you just need to search and find the tool you like the most.
my maps aren't really professional quality, but i just use gimp (although in the right hands, gimp can definitely be used to make professional- quality maps). There's a mountain of free cc0 or attribution-required map assets on https://www.cartographyassets.com/ (along with many more that require purchase). i strongly suggest saving these in directories first divided by license type, otherwise you'll loose track - there's thousands of images (at least I did and had to redownload everything).
also, and definitely not the in vogue map style, but there's https://hextml.playest.net/ if you want to do regional old-school hex maps.
Reddit is a really good place to find existing maps, there's whole sub-reddit communities that revolve around making and sharing maps such as r/Battlemaps (https://www.reddit.com/r/battlemaps/).
Most of the artists that share their maps are happy for people to download and use their maps, a fair few people who sell maps through Patreon also share freebies of their work in that sub-reddit. Obviously, if you're looking for commercial use then be sure to ask the artist if they're okay with their map being used for that purpose and if they have any requirements such as being references as the original artist somewhere.
For making my own maps, I mostly use three different tools for building encounter maps... two are software applications you can purchase on Steam and the other is a website:
Dungeon Painter Studio (https://store.steampowered.com/app/592260/Dungeon_Painter_Studio/) - this one has a really big variety of assets you can grab from the Steam Workshop and has a lot of options for creating nice interiors for things like manor houses and taverns.
Website
Dungeon Fog (https://www.dungeonfog.com/) - Dungeon Fog can be used for free with a basic account, you just have some limitations on what assets you can use and you also are only able to have one map saved on your account at a time (however you can export that map, delete it from the website and then make a whole new one at no cost). You can make some really nice maps with Dungeon Fog and it has a really fluid and easy to use drawing tool.
I've also started to recently play around with the Beta of Dungeondraft (https://dungeondraft.net/), but haven't gotten used to it enough to replace the other bits of software with it. You can get an idea of what maps you make with Dungeondraft on their Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/dungeondraft/).
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So yeah, looking for a good repository of custom maps or good tools that can be used to create your own? Mostly looking for encounter and dungeon maps rather than world maps and at the moment I am looking for something more Underdark themed.
I don't mind paying money for good map software however I would like something that does allow you the freedom to import your own assets during the creation process.
assuming this is for commercial purposes? if not, just google, there's worlds' worth out there. below just discusses a few free options - there's a pile of other options that require purchases.
for premade maps you can use commercially:
my maps aren't really professional quality, but i just use gimp (although in the right hands, gimp can definitely be used to make professional- quality maps). There's a mountain of free cc0 or attribution-required map assets on https://www.cartographyassets.com/ (along with many more that require purchase). i strongly suggest saving these in directories first divided by license type, otherwise you'll loose track - there's thousands of images (at least I did and had to redownload everything).
also, and definitely not the in vogue map style, but there's https://hextml.playest.net/ if you want to do regional old-school hex maps.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
Reddit is a really good place to find existing maps, there's whole sub-reddit communities that revolve around making and sharing maps such as r/Battlemaps (https://www.reddit.com/r/battlemaps/).
Most of the artists that share their maps are happy for people to download and use their maps, a fair few people who sell maps through Patreon also share freebies of their work in that sub-reddit. Obviously, if you're looking for commercial use then be sure to ask the artist if they're okay with their map being used for that purpose and if they have any requirements such as being references as the original artist somewhere.
For making my own maps, I mostly use three different tools for building encounter maps... two are software applications you can purchase on Steam and the other is a website:
Software
Illwinter's Floorplan Generator (https://store.steampowered.com/app/630900/Illwinters_Floorplan_Generator/) - it's a pretty easy to use painter style dungeon builder. It's not quite as good at doing things like inns/villages but for a cavern.
Dungeon Painter Studio (https://store.steampowered.com/app/592260/Dungeon_Painter_Studio/) - this one has a really big variety of assets you can grab from the Steam Workshop and has a lot of options for creating nice interiors for things like manor houses and taverns.
Website
Dungeon Fog (https://www.dungeonfog.com/) - Dungeon Fog can be used for free with a basic account, you just have some limitations on what assets you can use and you also are only able to have one map saved on your account at a time (however you can export that map, delete it from the website and then make a whole new one at no cost). You can make some really nice maps with Dungeon Fog and it has a really fluid and easy to use drawing tool.
I've also started to recently play around with the Beta of Dungeondraft (https://dungeondraft.net/), but haven't gotten used to it enough to replace the other bits of software with it. You can get an idea of what maps you make with Dungeondraft on their Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/dungeondraft/).