Just a quick post to share an article that has recently changed the way I prep. I'm a full-time working dad, finishing up my second degree, and for those of you out there who share a similar background, you'll empathize with a total lack of time to devote to DM prep.
For those of us without the bandwidth for a lot of prep time (or with only the teeniest tiniest slice of time for prep time), there is DMDavid's post on printing map graphics with a combination of GIMP and PosteRazor. Holy, sweet Sarenrae! You're going to burn through some serious printer ink to make this work for a good-sized dungeon, but if you can spare it, it's worth it. I'm running the Sunless Citadel right now printed completely using this method and it actually looks pretty damn legit. Oh man! No drawing, no tiles, no manual wet/dry erase for on-the-fly encounter sketches and a truly painless, fairly quick method for making it all happen. I've tried every grid/map solution out there and this is one of the best options I've come across so far. I've even churned out a few random, smaller maps as well with this process to keep on hand for random encounters, long-rest attacks, etc., etc.
To DMDavid, whoever and wherever you are: THANK YOU, FRIEND! : )
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"There is a wide world out there, my friend, full of pain, but filled with joy as well. The former keeps you on the path of growth, and the latter makes the journey tolerable." --Montolio Debrouchee
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Just a quick post to share an article that has recently changed the way I prep. I'm a full-time working dad, finishing up my second degree, and for those of you out there who share a similar background, you'll empathize with a total lack of time to devote to DM prep.
For those of us without the bandwidth for a lot of prep time (or with only the teeniest tiniest slice of time for prep time), there is DMDavid's post on printing map graphics with a combination of GIMP and PosteRazor. Holy, sweet Sarenrae! You're going to burn through some serious printer ink to make this work for a good-sized dungeon, but if you can spare it, it's worth it. I'm running the Sunless Citadel right now printed completely using this method and it actually looks pretty damn legit. Oh man! No drawing, no tiles, no manual wet/dry erase for on-the-fly encounter sketches and a truly painless, fairly quick method for making it all happen. I've tried every grid/map solution out there and this is one of the best options I've come across so far. I've even churned out a few random, smaller maps as well with this process to keep on hand for random encounters, long-rest attacks, etc., etc.
Check it out here!
To DMDavid, whoever and wherever you are: THANK YOU, FRIEND! : )
"There is a wide world out there, my friend, full of pain, but filled with joy as well. The former keeps you on the path of growth, and the latter makes the journey tolerable." --Montolio Debrouchee