
In today’s link roundup, tips for new GMs, and maps, maps, maps:
Four Common Pitfalls for New GMs: Kit Reshawn’s excellent Roleplaying Tips article covers GMPC issues, spotlight time, clues and PC deaths — all great topics for folks who are just getting started on their GMing careers. As always, when I see GMing advice like this now, I wish I’d known this stuff when I started out.
Kayuda Maps: At GenCon, fellow GM-Fu panelist Zachary Houghton gave me a link to this site, which is currently in “private alpha” mode. I usually don’t link to stuff that’s not live, but I’m breaking that rule because Kayuda sounds so cool: it will let you upload and edit campaign maps, Google Maps style, complete with the ability to zoom in on specific areas. Bookmark it now and check back in a couple of weeks.
Gamer Printshop: Billing itself as “An RPG map printing service and more for game masters and RPG publishers,” Gamer Printshop can print your campaign maps — in sizes up to 36″x48″, with lamination and mounting options available. $36 for a full-color jumbo map ($48 laminated) seems pretty reasonable to me, although I don’t know how favorably it compares to, say, Kinko’s or Office Depot.
I spoke at length with the Kayuda Maps developer. The maps are held on a server online, but I don’t recall the mapping software. Maps are editable like a wiki; editing and viewing privileges are defined by the map creator (from “just me” to “the entire internet”). Points on the map are linked to files – per the developer, potentially almost any kind of electronic document or file.
Per their site, the laminated maps at Gamer Printshop will take “highlighter pens, dry erase or grease pencils”. I think the Campaign Cartographer tactical maps are too busy, but this sounds great for a recurring location (the deck of a ship, a tavern, gladiator ring, etc).
As someone who was a poster/sign guy for Kinko’s, I can tell you that the Gamer Printshop prices are way lower than what Kinko’s or other mainstream print shop would charge for full color.
I have had the opportunity to use Gamer Printshop. I had them do a laminated full color map of Eberron and it came out excellent. They worked with me to make sure it was the correct size without it looking stretched.
Hey guys! Thanks for the review on my site and service.
Just before Gencon I opened my RPG Map Print-on-Demand shop – so if there are any RPG publishers with map products they’d like to make available to their game players, we can setup a free account to let you do just that!
I have a productline called Endless Terrain Battlemaps which are a set of 4 dbl-side geomorphic terrain maps, available in Heavy Woods, Woodland Path and Swamp – more coming soon!
Michael, I’d love to hear more about your terrain battlemaps, could you post a link?
Frank