A couple of months ago, I wrote an article about using the random dungeon feature for a map depicting the innards of a magical artifact.

I decided that just randomly exploring it could end up being a bit boring, so I decided to give the players a bit of guidance, to give them targets to search for without giving them too much information about the dungeon. And what better medium for this than a player handout that is a hastily drawn partial map of the dungeon found on the corpse of some poor adventurer who never made it?

So, I dug into the list of styles available to see what could be useful for something like this. I was looking for something that looked hand-drawn, but also something that looked like it was done somewhat quickly, maybe with a bit of care, but not some map drawn by a cartographer sitting at his desk for hours. In the end, I decided on the Sticky Note Dungeons from the 2024 annual. It might sound like a weird choice initially as sticky notes don’t really scream medieval dungeon, especially since this was an in-game map supposedly drawn by an NPC. But that makes this style really work for this purpose is the fact that it has drawing tools and effects that allow you to draw lines that look hand-drawn, and the included symbols also looks like something someone could draw quickly. So I decided to used that as a base and customize it for my needs to get what I needed.

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The Cartographer’s Annual December issue is now available. We’ve expanded last month’s hand-drawn dungeon style significantly with lots of new symbols, textures and drawing tools, specifically aimed at enabling outdoor battle-maps at the same amount of detail as the dungeon floorplans already possible. Enjoy the large example map of a logging camp and the mapping guide detailing the outdoor parts of the style.

The November issue is now available for all subscribers from their registration page. If you haven’t subscribed to the Annual 2025 yet, you can do so here.

The October issue of the Annual 2024 delivers a wonderfully whimsical and simple dungeon style by community mapper CC Charon, where colorful sticky notes represent dungeon rooms. Corridors drawn on the background paper connect them, and they are populated by handdrawn traps and monsters. 120 hand-drawn bitmap symbols, 18 drawing tools, 7 bitmaps styles and a 3-page mapping guide combine in the Sticky Notes Dungeon style to allow you paste together charming dungeon designs within minutes.

The October issue is now available for all subscribers from their registration page. If you haven’t subscribed to the Annual 2024 yet, you can do so here.

The March Annual issue is available, and subscribers can now start delving into the new Sinister Sewers style by Sue Daniel.

Prepare to get your feet and hands dirty in thick sewage and sludge, as you navigate drains and pipes, and contend with carnivorous plants (those rats must be tasty) and tentacled monstrosities that creep up from the depth below. But at least the streets above are clean and people can blissfully ignore the horrors beneath their feet!

The March issue is now available for all subscribers from their registration page. If you haven’t subscribed to the Annual 2024 yet, you can do so here.

Christina continues her series on the 2016 Annuals…

Temple of Bones was the next up for 2016’s Annual. Oh, Temple of Bones. This was a challenge for me, as I often find Perspectives to be. I honestly don’t have much to say about this map. I’m not sure how I feel about it aesthetically, but what I will say, as I say whenever I succeed in a challenge mapping with Perspectives, I am proud I was able to put out a decent map, at least. 😊

[Download the FCW file]

About the author: Lorelei was my very first D&D character I created more years back than i’d like to remember. When I decided to venture into creating maps for my and others rpgs, I thought I owed it to her to name myself Lorelei Cartography, since it was her that led me to the wonderful world of tabletop gaming in the first place. Since then I have been honored to have worked with companies such as WizKids, Pelgrane Press, and ProFantasy.

The year of free monthly symbols by Mike Schley ends in a place we hope you won’t have to spend any significant time in: a nasty medieval prison (aka dungeon) to break out of or to free some unjustly held prisoners from. You will find oubliettes, iron bars to build cages, chains and torture implements, plus a handy set of key to unlock all these nasty features. Including varicolor variations, the symbol catalog contains 27 new symbols.

Note that the example maps included with the free content make use of Symbol Set 4 to showcase the symbols in proper surroundings. If you don’t have SS4 installed, you won’t see these correctly, but you can still use the symbols on other maps. Symbol Set 4 – Dungeons of Schley is available for purchase here.

To download the free content go to your registration page and on the Downloads tab, click the download button for Campaign Cartographer 3 Plus. Mike’s new symbols are the last link in the list. All the content of year two up to and including December 2022 is included in the one download.

You can always check the available monthly content on our dedicated page.

The new set of free monthly symbols let’s you venture into the legendary dragon’s lair, where untold riches are piled on top of each other. Will you dare to face the wrath of the ancient dragon when you disturb her slumber? And even more doubtful: will you be able to bear stand against the unbearable cuteness of her pup?

Note that the example maps included with the free content make use of Symbol Set 4 to showcase the symbols in proper surroundings. If you don’t have SS4 installed, you won’t see these correctly, but you can still use the symbols on other maps. Symbol Set 4 – Dungeons of Schley is available for purchase here.

To download the free content go to your registration page and on the Downloads tab, click the download button for Campaign Cartographer 3 Plus. Mike’s new symbols are the last link in the list. All the content of year two up to and including November 2022 is included in the one download.

You can always check the available monthly content on our dedicated page.

The November issue of the Annual 2022 has been released. It adds another set of symbols and tools to Sue Daniel’s run of dungeon and floorplan symbol styles. This time you can venture out into the woods and forests and fight beneath the shade of trees.

The Forest Trail style gives you lots of new symbols and bitmap fills that work with the Dungeon Designer 3 and Creepy Crypts styles. Build encounter maps in the depths of the forest with easy options to switch between a view of the forest floor and the tree canopy.

The November issue is now available for all subscribers from their registration page. If you haven’t subscribed to the Annual 2022 yet, you can do so here.

We continue the free monthly content with the dressings for the lair of a proper villain like a necromancer. Corpses fresh and old, moldy skeletons, black robes, tools and machinery, as well as the proper occult tomes, will serve to make your resurrectionist or vivisectionist feel right at home.

Note that the example maps included with the free content make use of Symbol Set 4 to showcase the symbols in proper surroundings. If you don’t have SS4 installed, you won’t see these correctly, but you can still use the symbols on other maps. Symbol Set 4 – Dungeons of Schley is available for purchase here.

To download the free content go to your registration page and on the Downloads tab, click the download button for Campaign Cartographer 3 Plus. Mike’s new symbols are the last link in the list. All the content of year two up to and including September 2022 is included in the one download.

You can always check the available monthly content on our dedicated page.

The September issue of the Cartographer’s Annual has just been released. With it we celebrate the end of summer with a new dungeon and battle map style for some frigid caverns and icy waters. Let your players explore glacial tunnels, high mountain caves or the caverns beyond the mountains of madness.

The Ice Caverns style can be used as an extension to Dungeon Designer 3 or own its own. Either way, it is setup for ease of use making drawing some natural caves a snap.

The August issue is now available for all subscribers from their registration page. If you haven’t subscribed to the Annual 2022 yet, you can do so here.