DM Andy Maps - Q1 - 2024 Updates

Hey everyone! It has been a while since I've written an update post, and I thought it was about time I did so. I need to be better at regular updates but you know how it goes, I put my head down to work on maps and the next thing I know six months has gone by! 

I like to do these posts just so you all know what I'm cooking up on this end beyond just building new maps and some of my goals for the year. With that said, let's get into it. 

Curse of Strahd Re-works

As many of you have seen, I have been going back and re-doing my older maps for Curse of Strahd (And Curse of Strahd adjacent, which I call "Dark Fantasy"). You can expect to see fully redone maps for most of the module, including Village of Barovia, Old Bonegrinder, Vallaki, Krezk, and more. I've already re-created the Amber Temple, Death House, Svalich Road / Woods maps, the Main Gate, and others. Currently, I'm finishing up the upper levels of my "inspired by" Village of Barovia streets map (Which I've named The Gothic Village), which has been, to date, one of my most detailed (and challenging) city maps. With 27 full interior multi-floor locations, this map has been a beast. Of course, I have plans to hit the other major locations, such as the Church, Mad Mary's, Blood on the Vine, etc. 

I'll also work toward Vallaki and Krez and update those maps to my newest style and tools. I believe updates are important to keep my work relevant to today's map standards, and I always strive for detail and quality in my map work. 

Ghosts of Saltmarsh

I have been diligently mapping every location in Saltmarsh, so you have a full set of maps for each area. I've currently mapped out nine of the thirty locations (Phew!) and will be working on Kester's Leathergoods and Tannery next. I also have plans to hit all of the adventures, and just like Curse of Strahd, I want to create maps for almost everything in the book. 

In case you missed it, check out Pyram King's video series on Saltmarsh, as his command of the lore is incredible. Especially for someone like me who is not as familiar with the Greyhawk setting as he is. You can find that video here. 

Librus Nocturnum

For those of you who have been here a while, you'll no doubt recall a good number of maps I created for the original adventures published by Lunch Break Hereos. Well, last year, LBH funded a Kickstarter called Librus Nocturnum, which will be a hardbound book and adventure anthology, taking all those adventures and putting them to print in a single book. Having run most of these myself, I can say my players loved them, and if you're looking to pre-order it, you can find it over on their KS page. LBH is not sponsoring this plug; I am just simply excited and honored to see my maps in a printed book for the first time! (Plus, I really do love those dark fantasy adventures). You can check out the Pre-order page here. 

New Assets!

For the last few weeks, I have hired a very talented artist to create various sets of custom assets to expand the asset library I have access to. We are working together to create a full set of Gothic architectural pieces, including gravestones, archways, castle and church doors, statues, gargoyles, spires, and more. This is an important investment back into the business as it gives me access to create more specific map builds with a level of uniqueness, befitting the DM Andy Maps brand. I'm excited to build even better maps as I flush out areas of assets I have a specific eye for!  You'll see a number of these new assets once I recreate the Church of Barovia, and I am beaming to share them with you all! 

Map Style

As many of you might have noticed, with my last few map releases, I've been focusing on honing my map-making skills by expanding out a more angled approach to the various features I build on my maps. In the past, I have been strictly top-down, and while that's great for grid alignment, it often lacks the depth to showcase how big or small a building is on the map (or other key features). Additionally, I think walls have so much decorative potential; it's such a shame to waste that opportunity by not featuring them.

With that said, I have been utilizing new tools and custom assets to draw my own walls and sides of buildings to give them greater depth and help show your players the details in the building and on the walls. This angled style speaks to me, and while I'll always be "top-down," this style will help make key features and buildings pop on the map. As I continue to practice this technique, I hope to create even bigger and more grandiose Gothic Castle and Cathedral-like structures with a level of awe that will leave your players feeling like the map is towering over their tokens! It is my hope that you have all been enjoying this new approach to map-making. 

Foundry VTT Integration

I have not forgotten about all of your Foundry users and has always been my goal to create Foundry modules for my maps that you can easily install pre-walled and lit. Time has been my biggest hurdle for this as I don't have enough in the day with both full-time jobs I've taken on. However, I've been in talks with a peer who is incredibly proficient in Foundry and has offered to partner with me to assist in creating my catalog of maps as Foundry modules! I need to sort out some admin stuff and plan to distribute these via Moulinette, linked to a new tier I'll be setting up here on Patreon. This way, if Foundry is not your preferred VTT, you won't need to worry about signing up for a new tier to access these files, and there will be no changes to the maps you receive today. I'll keep you all posted on this front as I don't have an ETA yet, but I just wanted you to know I have not forgotten about this initiative.

Animated Maps

Another initiative I've been exploring as time permits is finding an animated solution for my maps. I did purchase software that looked promising, but I have yet to be impressed with its capabilities. I'm sure it's mostly a learning curve on my end, but I will always put quality first, and if I'm not happy with it, I don't feel right releasing it. I'm still vetting and playing around with a few other solutions and will continue to keep animated maps as a future goal! 

If you've made it this far, THANK YOU for reading all my updates and being engaged. I know these days, creators are constantly vying for your engagement, and it can be quite exhausting. I appreciate all of your likes, comments, and messages as they let me know you enjoy my work. This dream of making maps and continuing to hone, improve, and build the brand is all possible because of each of you. I know it sounds cliche, but your support really does mean the world to me and my wife, and we cannot be more thankful for each and every one of you. It's your passion as DMs that fuels my map fire, and it is always my goal to continue to deliver maps that inspire your games. 

Thank you ALL!

Cheers, 

DM Andy