Wilderness 'geomorphic' Tiles

I'm not sure what use these things will be - to anyone or even me. For some strange reason, I'm completely fascinated with them.

Preview...

PDF (two tiles per page)
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small tiles with rivers...

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Random Solo (Hexless/Mapless) Wilderness Generation

In response to this post:  http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2014/11/reader-query-random-solo-wilderness.html

I've been tinkering with random, solo wilderness generation for awhile now. I realized my basic method would easily transfer to a hexless, mapless, pointcrawl style of play. Here's what I have:

Create a list of regions numbered 1-20. Spatially, your abstract, mental map will be a 4 column by 5 row table of regions numbered 1-20 from left to right, top to bottom. Each region will have the following properties in it's entry:

Region #

Name:

Region Type:

Region Terrain:

Settlement Type:

Settlement Name:

East Neighbor:

   Path Length:

   Path Terrain (list):

   Road? (If yes, length is half of Path Length):

West Neighbor:

   Path Length:

   Path Terrain (list):

   Road? (If yes, length is half of Path Length):

South-West Neighbor:

   Path Length:

   Path Terrain (list):

   Road? (If yes, length is half of Path Length):

South Neighbor:

   Path Length:

   Path Terrain (list):

   Road? (If yes, length is half of Path Length):

South-East Neighbor:

   Path Length:

   Path Terrain (list):

   Road? (If yes, length is half of Path Length):

North-East Neighbor:

   Path Length:

   Path Terrain (list):

   Road? (If yes, length is half of Path Length):

North Neighbor:

   Path Length:

   Path Terrain (list):

   Road? (If yes, length is half of Path Length):

North-West Neighbor:

   Path Length:

   Path Terrain (list):

   Road? (If yes, length is half of Path Length):

Points of Interest (description and number; list):

Roll 3d6. The result is the region number in which you will begin play. You may make up a name for the regions if you like. There is a settlement in your starting region. Roll 1d3 to determine if it is a village, town, or city. Make up a name for the settlement and record this settlement in the entry for your starting region.

Determine the terrain of each region you visit by rolling 1d6 and consulting the following table. The number in parenthesis indicates the relative prevalence of that type of terrain in the region. It should be recorded. Record the results for each region. Do this now for your starting region.

d6 – Region Type – Region Terrain

1 – Type 1 – wetlands (3), grasslands (2), forests (1)

2 – Type 2 – forests (3), grasslands (2), wetlands (1)

3 – Type 3 – grasslands (3), forests (2), hills (1)

4 – Type 4 – hills (3), forests (2), grasslands (1)

5 – Type 5 – forests (3), hills (2), mountains (1)

6 – Type 6 – mountains (3), hills (2), deserts (1)

Determine neighboring regions using the following formulas and record the results in your entry for the current region.

East Neighbor = current region# + 1

West Neighbor = current region# - 1

South-West Neighbor = current region# + 3

South Neighbor = current region# + 4

South-East Neighbor = current region# + 5

North-East Neighbor = current region# - 3

North Neighbor = current region# - 4

North-West Neighbor = current region# - 5

Determine the Path Length to each neighboring region by rolling 1d6. Create a list of terrain along that path. The length of the list equals the Path Length. Determine terrain by rolling 1d6. A result of 3 or less is the dominant terrain type of the region. A result of 4-5 is the secondary terrain type. A result of 6 is the minor terrain type. The Path Length is a measure of time-units. I suggest 1 day time-units.

All regions are separated by rivers. Crossing a river should be impossible without watercraft or magic. At the very least, it should be quite difficult and hazardous to swim across. You may allow for a ferryman at the river along each path. The ferryman will charge 3d6 coins to ferry you across the river.

Roll 1d3. The result is the number of roads leading from this settlement into neighboring regions. Pick any neighboring region you want for the destination of each road. The length (in time-units) of the road is half of the Path Length to the destination. Roads allow passage over the rivers between regions via bridges.

You can wander in the current region. For each time-unit spent wandering, randomly determine the terrain traversed using the method for path terrain above. You may choose to only wander in a specific terrain type if you wish.

When you reach a new, unvisited region, determine it's properties as above. However, roll 1d6-3 to determine if there is a settlement. A result of 0 or less means there is no settlement.

The geographical results of these methods may sometimes seem implausible but they are not impossible. All that is needed at this point are various tables for generating encounters, events, and inhabitants.

Here are the general directions in which my thoughts flow regarding tables. Create encounter/event tables for each type of terrain (wetlands, grasslands, forests, hills, mountains, desert, roads, river crossing, and settlements. My tables for wetlands, grasslands, forests, hills, mountains, and deserts would start small and branch out to larger tables.

1d6 - Encounter/Event
1 - point/item of interest
2 - hazard/weather/event
3 - hazard/weather/event
4 - inhabitants (animals, monsters, persons, etc.)
5 - inhabitants (animals, monsters, persons, etc.)
6 - inhabitants (animals, monsters, persons, etc.)

Each of those categories would require rolls on more or larger tables. Tables are where things get personal. Season to taste for the type of game or play-experience you wish to create or consume. Settlements and 'dungeons' branch even deeper into their own pointcrawl generation methods.

Vertical Dungeon Maps

Vertical dungeon maps. Does anyone use them as the sole 'dungeon map' in their RPG gaming? I wouldn't think so. They are so linear in nature. They don't have to be. You could turn the whole thing on it's head. Where a traditional dungeon map branches horizontally and delves vertically with stairs that lead to other maps, a vertically mapped dungeon could branch vertically and delve horizontally with doors that lead to other vertical maps. Still, the vertical dungeon map seems best suited for a type of game that is linear in nature - like a board game such as this:

http://kotaku.com/the-best-3d-castlevania-is-this-custom-made-board-game-1656604092

Counters

updated 2/17/2015 - minor changes to elves, females, and sasquatch; added eagle/owl-bear thingy
 
Right click the following images and 'Save Image As'. Then open in MS Paint. Set to 'Portrait' and 'Actual Size'. Set margins to 0.25, then print.

B&W

COLOR

To make a 7-hex dragon, use a 4-hex dragon and a 3-hex dragon as it's head. I actually prefer this as the head can turn and swivel.

Keep Calm

Simple Random Dungeon

I plan to use this with a Death Maze / Citadel of Blood type of game that uses battlemaps and TFT-ish rules. When the player(s) encounter a doorway, he will roll 1d6 to determine what sort of portal is really there. Possibilities include: locked door, stuck door, and an open doorway. A similar procedure follows when a door is encountered but the results are as follows: [1][2][3] Wall (no door), [4] Locked Door, [5] Stuck Door, [6] Secret Door.

The smaller rooms use a one-page battlemap while the larger rooms use a two-page battlemap. Here is the current version of the battlemap (first page):

The red smudges are blood. The black smudge in the center is a scorched area of ground. The remaining symbol represents scratch or claw marks on the ground. For each of these marks (blood, char, and claw), 1d6 will determine what type of terrain or obstacle is located there (if any). The 1d6 roll will replace what is 'embedded' in the map with [4] rubble, [5] pillar, [6] ?(undecided as yet). The char and claw marks have no bearing on play. However, if the blood marks are not 'over-written' by the die-roll then those spaces impose a -3 DX penalty on their occupants (Slippery Floor).

Hexmaps: Alternative Symbols and Numbering

I came up with these symbols when trying to develop wilderness map geomorphs. The symbols can be rotated without looking like they've been rotated. I think they capture as much 'feel' as traditional terrain map symbols. They have a sort of  'top-down' perspective.

an example map...

This sort of map can be easily filled in a program such as Paint on the computer or printed out black and white and colored by hand. Also, note the alternative hex-numbering system. A10 is forest. I2 is wetlands. Numbering each hex in a hexmap really detracts from a map.

Here's a colored version:

I've been told that my color choices can put people's eyes out. Sorry. Pale and faded colors hurt my eyes. Dark colors don't provide enough contrast for my eyes. I like primary colors or black and white.