Angrad (torch) Market a work in progress

 Made enough of a start to post this

A work in progress map based on an enlarged section of the map of Torch from the first Iron Gods module. This has been stretched and enlarged considerably which has causes a lot of pixilation and other artefacts form manipulating the image  and automated cleaning up and sharpening of the image having not worked as I wanted it I have resorted to manually retouching the image

More of the same done whilst it might not look that different the image will be cleaner in Roll20 but its still no where near done.

More work done I have all the paths and the roads sorted and the areas water but there are a lot of hoses to do as whilst they look fine at the size shown above they break down into pixilated blobs when you zoom in and given that the image may get further manipulated when it goes up onto Roll20 this is not a good thing

Screen shot Close up

The screen shot of the image viewed at 100% rather than 18% I think gives some idea of what I am fixing and I am begging to really loathe doing  urban maps even more. This is a relatively unworked area but you can see the start of my fixes on the buildings re-outlining them and then and then blocking them back in. All rather involved and time consuming.

More progress made

Yet more progress made but its painfully slow work compared to the rural maps and I am still cleaning up the distortions caused by manipulating the original image

A screen shot of pretty much same area as the first close up image and as you cam see there is a lot less image manipulation artefacts but a lot less detail as the artefacts where a result of the break up of the detailing on the original image.

More done mostly on the trees and beginning to put down some roof details in the form of ridge lines. Three is still some unwanted image manipulation artefacts mostly on the lots around the buildings and I am trying to work out how to deal with those, as well as to decide on the level of detail I need to add to the map. 

Screen shot showing the trees which I am quite pleased with as well as some of the remaining artefacts and the limited work I have done the houses

More done yesterday whilst unable to post  mostly house roof detail but also some other things and a few more of the remaining artefacts bit the dust. The Changes might be a bit to subtle to show clearly zoomed out this far

The finalized half ruined fortress

The final Version

I am quite pleased with this but it has led me to realise that I need to do more maps for earlier in the story particularly I need one of the Market square at Torch before I run it again.

Somthing for the future

A conversion of the map for one of the parts of the second Iron Gods book

WIP ONE

It started of as a tracing of the map from the PDF but has been adapted and indeed is still being adapted as I work it into my bespoke setting. an this has included inserting a base layer which is the same one used for most of my northern wilds battle mats

I have quite a lot more work to do on this yet and I may not be needing it for some time however I wanted to get it up here and show it off as its the first attempt I have made at such a thing.

WIP TWO

A bit more work done in particular trying to give the three dimensional effect that the original map I traced form had to the fortress walls in particular

WIP THREE

 I am now going to go off and work on improving some of the common map textures for a bit particularly that of the flowers so common in the north in the short summer.

WIP FOUR

Now  after some more tweaking and the addition of the ubiquitous summer flowers I think we are getting there

A Northlands Villiage

because it deserves a post in its own right 

Last call for Episode I of Against the Robots

with the clock at T - one hour I am all ready to go but will be taking a quick power nap before heading on out to the hangout. and the game.

Against the Robots Episode 1

The Flame Flickers and dies

on the northern borders of the great Varzzaran empire the new company of Varnia rides out to the town of Angrad on a mission to see a scholar and weapon smith of their crippled masters acquaintance bearing a sealed letter to the master Weapon smith  and where the road goes from there any one can guess.

Another North lands Rural map - a work in progress

Still a work in progress but I have an early start so I will have to finish it off latter

More work done adding additional paths to the fields and texture to the banked fields so its developing but there is still quite a bit more tom be done.  One of the additions that I am considering is a path down to the sink hole in the north east corner made by the village live stock when they are taken to be watered and perhaps a paddock or two like the one I din on the earlier road house. I also think I need to suggest the presence of crops in the fields.

I am beginning to think that this one is almost done I need to finish of the house roves as I have only started on some and to make the banks around the fields look a bit more three dimensional but I feel its close and heading in the right direction 

I am all in all increasingly chuffed with these battle mats

This is I think now finished 

Standard Vazaran Road house

 A Summer map

The external detail of a common Vazzaran road hose variations on which are to be found around every twenty miles along any major rural thoroughfare in the north lands. The province a bed and board to weary travellers as well as the chance to restock on basic gear and supplies in winter though this one is depicted in summer stumbling upon one has been the difference between life and death for many.

Internally they are not significantly different form any in one may have encountered any where, and a map of the inside of a typical one is a future project..

Some more northen wilds encounter maps

A rural map from the north. a bit more of a civilized locale featuring a ford across a fast flowing seasonal melt water stream and one of the small banked fields typical of the area as well as some of the topography which is cool when you get it right so I am practising away at it. This to be honest is one of the reasons I have done so many of these maps when I am not I think going to need them right away.

 

An earlier Battle mat tweaked to add some hills

Having done this I think I prefer the new way I am doing these maps however it does add to the variety available for use. I need to do some winter ones next thought its going to be a while before they are needed.

Northern Wastes Battle Mats

I am building up a collection of these for Against the Robots 

This one  was done in an effort to show a a bit more of the typical features of the more fertile parts of the wastes in summer the fast flowing seasonal stream in the top corner  and the sink hole where the permafrost had melted differentially leaving a small deep pond. I also had a go at adding three dimensions to an other wise flat map with the small hill topped by an erratic ( stray bolder) jutting out of the otherwise fairly flat flower covered plain

Another variation on the same theme showing a bit more topography and a game trail. The nice thing about these is that they can me customised further once uploaded to Roll20 by adding map tokens and even drawing additional elements on them even thought the drawing tools in Roll20 are not as sophisticated as GIMP they are easy to use for that last minute tweak

The More Barren Parts of the Wastes

Evocative   Images

Deep in the wastes

Seasonal Melt water Stream

Central Plain

The more fertile edges of the wastes

Mostly images looted form an internet image search on Iceland but blown up larger than perhaps they should be they take on a painting like quality and evoke the hard and often forbidding lands north of the gap and that is before you reach the Mountains of the Giants of the sea of Grinding ice.

More battle maps for the Against the Robots

The wilds in summer 

Battle Map for Against the Robots

Done with GIMP on an A3 canvas this is the first attempt I have made at drawing a random encounter map for the Against the robots game and I feel it needs some more tweaking but an still thinking about quite how. It is meant  to show a typical small isolated rural farm probably built by southern immigrants and mostly designed for subsistence farming. It features the typical small thatched cottage tower shaped grain store couple of southern deciduous trees all surrounded by the riot of colour that is the more fertile part of the northern wastes in summer thought the plants are not the native grasses and succulent vetches found south of the gap though the farmers have attempted to plant a small meadow around the permafrost summer melt pond and their imported trees.

Be warned expect more in a similar vein as I prepare for the game which should be Monday next week I hope

More evocative images of the North lands

Rare herd of game grazing by a melt lake

Northern wastes in summer looking north

None of these are mine just mined off the internet with an image search but intended to give the players in against the Robots a feel for the environment 

Scenes form the north

Hight Mountains

Wastes in winter

the Grinding ice

all curtsey of deviant art

Against the Robots Making a start

At last 

The first Session will be on Monday 29th of September between 7pm & 11pm Central time (GMT+6) It will be run via a Google hang out so I will need to have all of you in a Google circle before Monday of next week. There is an event set up on it on Google plus but I am not sure I have not rather messed that up I will check latter as I need to clear my head a bit before re-engaging. All of you I have in any Google Circle have already been invited so if you haven't been you aren't and I need to add you.


The next session will be arranged at the end of the first but I would like to run the game at least monthly and be run on a Monday at least for the moment

The Beasts of the Wastes

 A Short bestiary of the unique creatures of the northern wastes 

This is something which will develop as the campaign does however I do have a few ideas to get it started off.

Intelligent Monsters

Half Giant Barbarians
HIT POINTS:

Actually a manic miniatures ogre

SIZE/WEIGHT:
TENACITY: -
INTELLIGENCE:
FATIGUEFACTOR:
ATTACK:
DEFENSES:

MOVEMENT
CRAWL:
WALK:
JOG:
RUN:
SPRINT

SAVES
PHYSICAL:
MENTAL:
DODGE:





DESCRIPTION AND HABIT

Hulking brutes from the foot hills of the mountains where there giantish masters dwell they where unknown until thirty years ago when the true giants unified under a great king for the first time known and they where sent south in large bands as a van to the giant armies and then as a support when the true giants arrived in the field.   The are tall seven feet being typical thick set and heavily muscled humanoids with earth coloured flesh lumpen features and coarse black hair which grows thickly on the tops of their heads, and as beards on the males or tufts on the females.

They dress and armour themselves with layers of uncured hides but as raiders and looters more than happy to use any thing that they loot form their victims which the find to be of use though they are restricted some what by being significantly larger than most of there victims. They like large often crudely made hacking weapons such as one and two handed axes backed up with heavy javelins and a large knife like short sword. They seldom favour metal armour as it can be a liability in the frozen north lands.

Giants
Half Giant Barbarians

Image from here

HIT POINTS:
SIZE/WEIGHT:
TENACITY:
INTELLIGENCE:
FATIGUEFACTOR:
ATTACK:
DEFENSES:

MOVEMENT
CRAWL:
WALK:
JOG:
RUN:
SPRINT

SAVES
PHYSICAL:
MENTAL:
DODGE:

DESCRIPTION AND HABIT 

Massive hulking brutes standing on average fifteen feet tall they resemble huge thick set barbaric humans with coarse features and

Game animals 
The North lands does not exactly abound with game animals 

Predators

Wyrd and mythological creatures 

The Forest Folk

Fortekki 

Intended as another playable race for the Against the Robots game they are loosely based on Halflings in the same way that Half Giants  where loosely based on Half Orks. I was going to do no more than mention them in the history of the area briefly but as I was working on the games background tonight I came to the conclusion that I needed to do a proper write up as I did for the Half Giants. 

Abbilities

STR -3

DEX +2

CON +1

Fortekki Pro's 

• two free levels of purchase of the Sneaking skill
• two free levels of purchase of the Hiding skill
• Harder to hit +2 defence bonus 
• Superior hiding and sneaking in natural surroundings +65%
• -1 initiative bonus
• Native Language Fortekki and  Solmari

Fortekki Con's 

• Poor reach -1 foot
•  movement faster than a walk at half speed 
•  Small for the purposes of hit points
• Small for the purposes of knock back
• tend to be ignored in mixed company and assumed to be children 
•  Have to learn a mainstream human language and do so at double cost 
• never get armour proficiencies above light as free as a result of class
• Suffer an additional -1 defence penalty when wearing medium or heavy armour

preferential talent access  
all at 50% cost 
Crack shot and greased lightning with crossbows
Defence and Speed with short spear
Dodge
One level of extra hit points
Shield Mastery

Class costs
Ranger	20	Thief	35	Fighter mage     60
Fighter	20	Rogue	50	Mage thief         75
Fighter Thief	30	Assassin	50	Mage                  n/a
Cleric	30	Barbarian	n/a

Priors and particulars

Ranger	18+1d8p	Thief	20+1d8p	Fighter mage 24+1d6p
Fighter	16+1d4p	Rogue	20 +1d8p	Mage thief  24+1d6p
Fighter Thief	20+1d8p	Assassin	20 +1d8p	Cleric        24+1d4p

Roll                 Female                Male
1-6                    42-d3                44-d3
7-12                  44                      46
13-22                46                      48
23-37                47                      49
38-58                48                      50
59-75                49                      51
76-84                50                      52
85-91                51                      53
92-96                52                      54
97-00                52+d3                54+d3

BMI table as the standard halfling  however with a -2 modifier on the roll as they are less likely to be very over weight or obese having only recently taken up a more sedentary agricultural  life style.

all the other tables are unchanged and the character is treated as a halfling where this is specific to a halfling

Half Giants

A new Playable race in against the giants 

Strength +3

Intelligence -3

Wisdom -3

Constitution +3

Looks -3

Charisma -3

Half Giant Pros

Acute eyes sight +20 to all observation rolls involving sight

One free purchase of the Observation skill

Size large for the purposes of hit points (15+Con+Class roll)
They have a long reach add an additional foot to a weapons reach

They do +1 point of damage with any medium or bigger weapon

They cause +1 level additional knock back with two handed crushing and hacking weapons

Large for the purposes of knock back

A free talent chosen from -Tough hide, Fast healer, Pain tolerant

Free Labourer proficiency

Native language Kethian and Giant

Half Giant Cons

Most of the locals are a bit uneasy around them especially those who are old enough the remember the war when they formed the backbone of the Giantish Army’s but they are not hated any more since all the ones locally are descended form the ones who mutinied against their masters during the war.

They are whilst still technically medium sized still around Seven feet tall and heavily built with it so can have problems with the narrow and  low doors and low ceilings on many human buildings.

They are universally regarded as stupid and unsuitable for fine work so tend to get lumbered with simple manual labour amongst humans and dwarves.

They are frequently the subject of mildly derogatory humour. 

All their gear and clothes has to be specially made for them outside of their own communities, and especially with the tools it adds to the reputation they have of being clumsy as well as stupid.

They suffer a -10 penalty if they are using tools not made for them and -1 penalty all round if using weapons not made for them.

They get a defence penalty of -2 due to size and bulk

All literacy skills cost double at first level as they are seen as too stupid to learn to write.

Fighters don’t get Phalanx fighting for free.
Count as giants for the purposes of dwarven combat ability against giants 

Preferential talent access

All at 50% cost

Tough Hide

Extra Tough Hide

Additional hit points up to three levels

All weapons talents with any large or medium low skill two handed weapons

Disadvantageous access

All cost 150%

Forgettable face

Dodge

All weapons talents with any large or medium or high skill one handed weapons and bows

Phalanx fighting.

Classes 

Fighter              20bp                Fighter Mage 60bp       Mage N/A       

Ranger                         30bp                Mage Thief    75bp

Fighter Thief                 30bp                Rogue              N/A

Cleric                           40bp                Barbarian         N/A

Thief                             50bp                Assassin           N/A

Oddly enough whilst the majority of the Half Giants where in effect barbarians originally and those who remained loyal to the Giants still are they made a cultural decision since the revolt to reject their former ways and now copy much from the settled humans.  It would not be impossible to  have a half giant rogue, assassin or even mage there is as yet no one who will take seriously any who expressed an interest in that direction as they are seen as stupid foolish and clumsy  and don’t have those professions within their own ranks.

Priors and particulars

Height
Roll d100	Female	Male
1-2	74	76
3-7	76	78
8-14	78	80
15-26	80	82
27-42	82	84
43-63	84	86
64-78	86	88
79-88	88	90
89-96	90	92
97-100	90 +1d8”	92 +1d10”

Other tables 

BMI table as a Half Ork

Handedness and legitimacy as a human

No changes to the other P& P tables