December 8, 2012- Christmas is coming!
I think I'll start with apologizing for taking so long to update. Life has gotten very busy for me since August. I'm a civilian again! I also jumped right into college, starting on my degree in Drafting and Design. Now that I have a little time off, I think I'll post a couple of resources that I've found extremely useful.
First up are some from a site called http://www.inkwellideas.com
1) Random Village Map Generator
If you are looking for a random village, or ideas for one, this is great. It includes the ability to choose how many of specific installations you want in your town (ie Mills, Inns, Churches, Blacksmiths, etc.). It even randomly adds landmarks, like rivers or roads. However, it is only for smaller towns. It maxes out at 54 houses, which it scatters well, making it exactly what it claims to be. So, if you want a city, check out the next few links.
2) Random City Map Generator
So, for those looking for more than just a village, there is this nifty tool. It gives you only a few, relatively vague options, mostly about district population density, but the outcome is visually impressive. You'll want to play around with the settings and refresh a few times to get what you are looking for, but ultimately this is a very good tool for the casual DM. Unfortunately, you'll have to screen-shot it to save your city, but the generated map isn't very large, so it isn't a real problem.
3) Random City Map Generator V2
This generator is very similar to the previous one, but with a few noticeable differences. The first one you'll notice is that the city pops up in a separate window, with the option to save it- very useful. The "repaint" is like a refresh of the same map, to remove the weird drag lag you sometimes get when expanding the window (or I do, anyway). The next nice thing is the more descriptive options. You can pick the windiness of streets, chances of a river, etc. The only real drawback is that it is visually rather unimpressive. I see this more as a source for ideas than a printable map you can put in front of your players.
4) Random Dungeon Generator
Need a break from storyline for a while? Or maybe only half your party has shown up? A good idea for you might be a Random Dungeon. I do these all the time, basically making it all up as I go. For those of you who want a little help with this, or just don't feel like drawing one, this is a neat tool. It's completely random, giving you only one option (choosing how much of it is caves), and they appear infinite (passages on the edge just continue to the edge).
5) Random Inn Generator
Alright, let's admit it, we've all had those times when a bar fight broke out with the PC's and suddenly the Adjective Noun Inn has become a battleground. With this tool, you make sure that you aren't left scrambling to make up a functioning establishment complete with chairs and tables. I generated a few inns with just the random inputs and they all turned out very well. Multiple floors can be generated, as well as many other specific options, making the fact that it comes in grid pattern just icing on the cake.
6) Greenfish Relief Map Generator
This. Is. Awesome. Alright, I might be exaggerating a little there, but this is a really cool tool. It basically takes the hard part out of world geography creation. It gives you several options, like selecting sea level, geographical diversity, and frequency of towns. The default towns are all in Swedish, but a text file in the "towns" folder let's you paste your own names in for a little more customization. I used it to generate a bunch of worlds and came up with some really awesome layout ideas. Unlike the others, this does require a download, but it is still free and the file size is only a handful of megabytes. Get this.
7) Mathemagician's Town Generator
So, at last we come to the Grand Pu Bah of generators. Before I go too far, be warned: this generator is detailed. I mean, seriously detailed. You put in the name of your settlement and its size, then population percentages (including children), and let'er fly. What comes from it is a detailed list of every key person in your village/town/city, their distinguishing features, and their names and levels! It even goes so far as list every character with character levels. This generator, of course, includes the names of every business establishment, who works them, and their shifts. It leaves almost nothing undone, so you can sit back and chuckle while your players praise the amount of work and detail you've put into your world.
There were lots of other cool generators on these sites, but these are my top picks. Hopefully they come in handy for all you DM/GM's out there. Pics of some of them are in the slideshow below. Keep playing God!
-DM Dave
First up are some from a site called http://www.inkwellideas.com
1) Random Village Map Generator
If you are looking for a random village, or ideas for one, this is great. It includes the ability to choose how many of specific installations you want in your town (ie Mills, Inns, Churches, Blacksmiths, etc.). It even randomly adds landmarks, like rivers or roads. However, it is only for smaller towns. It maxes out at 54 houses, which it scatters well, making it exactly what it claims to be. So, if you want a city, check out the next few links.
2) Random City Map Generator
So, for those looking for more than just a village, there is this nifty tool. It gives you only a few, relatively vague options, mostly about district population density, but the outcome is visually impressive. You'll want to play around with the settings and refresh a few times to get what you are looking for, but ultimately this is a very good tool for the casual DM. Unfortunately, you'll have to screen-shot it to save your city, but the generated map isn't very large, so it isn't a real problem.
3) Random City Map Generator V2
This generator is very similar to the previous one, but with a few noticeable differences. The first one you'll notice is that the city pops up in a separate window, with the option to save it- very useful. The "repaint" is like a refresh of the same map, to remove the weird drag lag you sometimes get when expanding the window (or I do, anyway). The next nice thing is the more descriptive options. You can pick the windiness of streets, chances of a river, etc. The only real drawback is that it is visually rather unimpressive. I see this more as a source for ideas than a printable map you can put in front of your players.
4) Random Dungeon Generator
Need a break from storyline for a while? Or maybe only half your party has shown up? A good idea for you might be a Random Dungeon. I do these all the time, basically making it all up as I go. For those of you who want a little help with this, or just don't feel like drawing one, this is a neat tool. It's completely random, giving you only one option (choosing how much of it is caves), and they appear infinite (passages on the edge just continue to the edge).
5) Random Inn Generator
Alright, let's admit it, we've all had those times when a bar fight broke out with the PC's and suddenly the Adjective Noun Inn has become a battleground. With this tool, you make sure that you aren't left scrambling to make up a functioning establishment complete with chairs and tables. I generated a few inns with just the random inputs and they all turned out very well. Multiple floors can be generated, as well as many other specific options, making the fact that it comes in grid pattern just icing on the cake.
6) Greenfish Relief Map Generator
This. Is. Awesome. Alright, I might be exaggerating a little there, but this is a really cool tool. It basically takes the hard part out of world geography creation. It gives you several options, like selecting sea level, geographical diversity, and frequency of towns. The default towns are all in Swedish, but a text file in the "towns" folder let's you paste your own names in for a little more customization. I used it to generate a bunch of worlds and came up with some really awesome layout ideas. Unlike the others, this does require a download, but it is still free and the file size is only a handful of megabytes. Get this.
7) Mathemagician's Town Generator
So, at last we come to the Grand Pu Bah of generators. Before I go too far, be warned: this generator is detailed. I mean, seriously detailed. You put in the name of your settlement and its size, then population percentages (including children), and let'er fly. What comes from it is a detailed list of every key person in your village/town/city, their distinguishing features, and their names and levels! It even goes so far as list every character with character levels. This generator, of course, includes the names of every business establishment, who works them, and their shifts. It leaves almost nothing undone, so you can sit back and chuckle while your players praise the amount of work and detail you've put into your world.
There were lots of other cool generators on these sites, but these are my top picks. Hopefully they come in handy for all you DM/GM's out there. Pics of some of them are in the slideshow below. Keep playing God!
-DM Dave
June 21, 2012- Well, that sucked.
Hey everyone! (Can I say, "everyone," ? I doubt I have more than one reader, haha)
So! Updates in life:
So! Updates in life:
- Marines denied my early out last minute. This is pretty bad news, considering all the work I put in to make it happen and the plans I had made. None the less, it also means that I can resume updates. Expect the regular updates I promised!
- It's my girlfriend's birthday!
- My brother has gone to Guatemala for a humanitarian aid trip. Wish him the best of luck- I want to see him back in one piece, haha!
- Article of the Week: WAR! will be up by Saturday afternoon, so look for it!
May 20, 2012- Update Delay...
Hey there readers! I've got some good news and some bad news for you:
The Good News: Looks like my VERP was approved and my EAS was shifted to early June! After more than four and a half years of service, it's time to get back to the civilian world and on track to my dreams.
The Bad News: Because of The Good News, I'm going to be very busy taking care of everything I need to , to EAS. Updates will become a little scarcer, but they will happen- just don't be surprised if they're a little late.
Thanks for your patience! Out next "Article of the Week" will be on using war as a plot device, so check back in later this week!
The Good News: Looks like my VERP was approved and my EAS was shifted to early June! After more than four and a half years of service, it's time to get back to the civilian world and on track to my dreams.
The Bad News: Because of The Good News, I'm going to be very busy taking care of everything I need to , to EAS. Updates will become a little scarcer, but they will happen- just don't be surprised if they're a little late.
Thanks for your patience! Out next "Article of the Week" will be on using war as a plot device, so check back in later this week!
May 12, 2012- The Site is Officially Up!
Well, gents, it's official. We are in business. The first Article of the Week is up! To kick it off, I've started with a project of mine that I've used to help classify some of my favorite inspirations and adapt them to the worlds and stories that I weave.
In the future, expect to see:
-The Usual Suspects: I'll be posting some breakdowns of the various kinds of players we all face on a regular basis and what to expect when you find one. Informative- likely. Humorous- I hope so.
-Disaster Report: A section of the site where, each day, we will feature an epic fail/win in our gaming realms.I'll start with my own, but I'm hoping to see some others' submissions!
-Planar Geographic: Provided I get enough submissions, I'd like to cycle through the various worlds of your invention, including the setting, some history, and what the players are doing in your story.
-The Forum: Yeah, everybody's got one these days, but it is likely to be where I will be archiving each Article of the Week so that you can continue to access them and leave comments. Or call each other idiots- your prerogative.
Special Thanks to my friends for helping me get this thing up and looking good. You guys are lifesavers.
In the future, expect to see:
-The Usual Suspects: I'll be posting some breakdowns of the various kinds of players we all face on a regular basis and what to expect when you find one. Informative- likely. Humorous- I hope so.
-Disaster Report: A section of the site where, each day, we will feature an epic fail/win in our gaming realms.I'll start with my own, but I'm hoping to see some others' submissions!
-Planar Geographic: Provided I get enough submissions, I'd like to cycle through the various worlds of your invention, including the setting, some history, and what the players are doing in your story.
-The Forum: Yeah, everybody's got one these days, but it is likely to be where I will be archiving each Article of the Week so that you can continue to access them and leave comments. Or call each other idiots- your prerogative.
Special Thanks to my friends for helping me get this thing up and looking good. You guys are lifesavers.
Website in Progress!
What is to come...
Alright. So let's take inventory... Domain, check. Layout, sorta check. Content, coming soon! Viewers... Working on that.
Mission statement! What is the purpose of this site? What can it do for you? Well, to all you DM's and GM's out there, this site is aimed at you. I've been the designated Dm for as long as I've been playing, so I know how much work we all put into making our games enjoyable for our players and often without reward. So here's a site for you. Here I will be posting tips, tricks, and articles that will, I hope, prove useful and help keep the spark alive in your creative minds.
Also! if you have ideas you'd like to share, run them by me and I'd be happy to post them as well.
Anyway, back to work!
-DM Dave
Mission statement! What is the purpose of this site? What can it do for you? Well, to all you DM's and GM's out there, this site is aimed at you. I've been the designated Dm for as long as I've been playing, so I know how much work we all put into making our games enjoyable for our players and often without reward. So here's a site for you. Here I will be posting tips, tricks, and articles that will, I hope, prove useful and help keep the spark alive in your creative minds.
Also! if you have ideas you'd like to share, run them by me and I'd be happy to post them as well.
Anyway, back to work!
-DM Dave