Role-Playing Game Tools and Articles
by Joe Wetzel (joewetzel at gmail dot com)
[If you like this article, check out the other Worldbuilding articles on this website, particularly the Fantasy Religion Design Guide and the Local Area Design articles.]
Overview
If you've been looking for a relatively easy way to make hex-based terrain maps that are reminiscent of the maps in adventures from back in the day, install these Hex Map Brushes into a GIMP installation. Below is a example map created with the brushes:
To install them:
- Unzip this file.
- Copy the brush files (those ending in .gih) to your GIMP brushes directory. (Typically: /share/gimp/2.0/brushes)
- Open GIMP and open your "Brushes" dialog. If GIMP was already open, refresh your brushes.
To use these hex map brushes:
- To make placing the hexes easier, Click Image -> Configure Grid and make sure it is set to Width 34, Height 19. If it is not, click the chain under the boxes and change the settings. Click Ok then click View -> Snap To Grid.
- Once your brushes dialog is updated, select the pencil tool then select a hex icon.
- Draw the hex where you want it placed.
- Select a new hex type if desired. Draw another hex where you want the next one.
- Repeat this process until you have the terrain you desire.
- Draw rivers, borders, roads, and trails with the standard GIMP tools. Add text labels as necessary You may wish to draw these features on separate layers for easier editing.
Finally, you may include the Map Key below in your map. A multi-layered version is included in the zip file for easy modification.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.