I like the idea of not just making stuff as gamers and DMs but making our own tools. I have a distant connection to someone who designs stamps for the scrapbooking market. And since I found that out last summer I've had the thought in the back of my mind of dungeon stamps.
It's just been in the back of my mind because it doesn't seem too useful. Maybe a more practical tool would be stencils. Stencils we could print on heavy paper and still share with each other without needing someone to manufacture them. (For a couple hundred bucks you can get a machine that makes stencils, but these are thin craft-style stencils meant for painting not tracing)
The last few days I've been experimenting with dungeon generation using stencils but it isn't working so far.
Anyway, I thought I'd put it to you. In making handrawn maps are there features you wish you could just trace or stamp?
Art program(me) icons that I can use like a brush setting.
ReplyDeleteBarring that:
1). Stencil
2). Stamp (because they are harder to align, and the ink would be on the paper already if a mistake were made)
Mostly if I care enough about precision I'll use computer, otherwise I'm doing it for the tactile joy and spontaneity of drawing. Stamps and stencils seem like they would spoil that.
ReplyDeleteA stamp or stencil of standard dungeon symbol legend. A nice rose compass stamp.
I used a potion bottle stencil to make my magic item cards. would love more stencils for that kind of stuff.
Yeah, for me it's the icons to use in gimp. In fact, I really like what you posted and may swipe it for my own personal use in gimp...
ReplyDeleteThanks folks. Yeah, seems like digital is more useful unless it was like a compass rose or map key. Those are the only two things I could really think of too.
ReplyDelete@Norman: You had the treasure cards. I didn't put the profile to the post. Cool, I still like the idea of the pottery designs letting players know what culture tomb they're robbing ;) I've been gathering public domain images for treasure item cards-- have a post on them somewhere.
@Daen: Digital jackdaw that I am, I'm not sure where those came from, 3e? They look official TSR.
Years ago, I was able to use ResEdit to hack a Mac system font to make a "gaming font" filled with useful symbols. I'd gladly share it, but alas, it has stopped working now that Macs use OS X. It was extremely valuable to me at the time. Just sharing it as an idea. I know S. John Ross has a mini font that has some useful symbols built in too...
ReplyDeleteDidn't a company called Green Dragon try to market a set of ink stamps to gamers? I seem to recall the ad in back of Dragon
ReplyDelete*Quick Google-fu*
And it looks like Green Dragon Studios has folded. So the idea has been tried, and failed. Perhaps the stencils WOULD work though, particuarly if they were free...