So that's pretty much it for today. I'll have a slightly more entertaining article next time. I'm also thinking about putting my design skills to use and designing my ow shadowrun terrain maps to post on this blog. Until then, stay in the shadows,chummer.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Printable terrain tiles
What's up fellow shadowrunners? Just gonna make a quick post here today before I run into the shadows myself (by that I mean make a save roll to quietly hide in an alley before a rogue ork tries to core me like an apple). So I came across this fairly useful set of terrain tiles. I haven't had a chance to print them, I think they'll require a little photoshopping as well. But they look like they could fit into a shadowrun campaign quite well. I'll provide the link below.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
5 things to use as Shadowrun Terrain that you (probably) have right now
1. Shoebox
A shoebox by itself can be pretty useful. Cut some rectangles out of the sides to represent doors, and carefully draw a grid on the inside floor and you've got yourself a pretty decent little office building. If you want to go all out you can even spray paint it gray and draw brick lines around the outside. Or if you're patient and really want to get creative, cut it apart into strips and make skyscrapers.
2. Rocks
Alright, this is a no brainer. To us it's just a tiny pebble, to our miniature little heroes it could be a boulder blocking the entrance to a secret wendigo infested cave. The fact is rocks can be used for all sorts of applications, and they're fairly inexpensive the last time I checked.
A shoebox by itself can be pretty useful. Cut some rectangles out of the sides to represent doors, and carefully draw a grid on the inside floor and you've got yourself a pretty decent little office building. If you want to go all out you can even spray paint it gray and draw brick lines around the outside. Or if you're patient and really want to get creative, cut it apart into strips and make skyscrapers.
(Now you're just showing off.)
Alright, this is a no brainer. To us it's just a tiny pebble, to our miniature little heroes it could be a boulder blocking the entrance to a secret wendigo infested cave. The fact is rocks can be used for all sorts of applications, and they're fairly inexpensive the last time I checked.
(Excuse me sir, do you mind if I play in your miniature rock garden?)
3. Toothpicks/Popsicle Sticks/Twigs and Bark/other woody objects
Did you ever have to build a bridge out of toothpicks or popsicle sticks when you were in grade school? You didn't? Lucky you. But most of us did, and it taught us to use the wonders of our imagination. (those of us who weren't sniffing rubber cement under our desks). Paired with a hot glue gun, rubber cement, or elmers white glue you can pretty much make any terrain you want as long as you have the imagination and the gumption.
(Welcome to my personal hell!)
4. Playdoh
Trust me, when you walk into a Toy's R Us and buy a jar of playdoh you're only as weird as you allow yourself to feel. But on a serious note, Playdoh is one of those things that can work in a pinch. Whether you need to throw a new character into the game and you don't have an extra miniature, or you want to make a nice little shrubbery, it really can come in handy. It may not look as cool as having an actual miniature shrubbery, but this is a role playing game, you're supposed to be using your imagination anyway.
(I wouldn't mind opening that jar of Playdoh... wait... that didn't sound right...)
5. Your old Cellphone Telephone
If you have some scrap electronics lying in your attic or basement collecting dust, then why not bash the living hell out of it. (serves it right for being inadaquate by todays standards). Alarm clock, old camcorder, zune, or anything made 6 months ago or older? Unscrew it, pull out the insides, and make a little matrix kiosk, or a cyclops robot street samurai. The microchips and boards can be placed in your shoebox buildings to represent computers, maglocks, or security systems.
("When I told my interior decorator I was into computers she just went with it.")
Don't just take my advice, use your own imagination and start deconstructing the things around your home. Pair any of these ideas with a Shadowrun terrain map and you're well on your way to having a sweet visually stimulating game sesh.
Pathfinder Basic Terrain Maps for Shadowrun
Okay, okay. Pathfinder is like this whole other thing and you're not interested in it, but hear me out. This Pathfinder Basic Terrain Map can be a great companion for your next Shadowrun gaming sesh. There's no terrain items, just 24" X 30" of plain terrain that you can add to however you want. Make buildings out of blocks or index cards, make trees out of green pipe cleaners. The nice thing about this map pack is that it's basic, simple, and customizable. It comes with four different terrain types that can easily be transformed into the streets of Seattle or the wilderness beyond.
The material that these maps are printed on is like plastic. They're safe to draw on with dry-erase markers if you want to map out areas for buildings, matrix kiosks, native american huts, or whatever else your campaign may need. So trust me when I say that it's well worth the investment. These terrains can bring a whole new lever of realism to your next Shadowrun game night.
The material that these maps are printed on is like plastic. They're safe to draw on with dry-erase markers if you want to map out areas for buildings, matrix kiosks, native american huts, or whatever else your campaign may need. So trust me when I say that it's well worth the investment. These terrains can bring a whole new lever of realism to your next Shadowrun game night.
5 useful sites to find Shadowrun Terrain Maps
5. www.miniaturemarket.com
While they don't offer anything free, or specifically cater to Shadowrun, minature market is a veritable bazaar of great roleplaying terrain maps.
Cost: Between $3-$10
Link: www.minaturesmarket.com
4. www.drivethrurpg.com
Offering books of full-color rpg maps, drive thru rpg is an excellent source for massive amounts of terrain maps for your Shadowrun gaming pleasure.
Cost: between $3.99 - $7.99
Link: www.drivethrurpg.com
3. www.booksamillion.com
Offering a wide range of items, what I would like to showcase here is the Pathfinder Flip-Mat's they have available. The flip-mats are more versatile, giving the Shadowrun gamemaster control over the terrain by offering just a basic grid with various ground textures.
Cost: between $10 - $14
Link: www.booksamillion.com
2. www.walmart.com
Believe it or not Walmart.com has a wide range of Gamemastery brand map packs. They come in all different styles and genres, and, as you might expect, are reasonably priced.
Cost: between $7 - $14
Link: www.walmart.com
1. www.ebay.com
Yes, unfortunately when it comes to good old FASA Shadowrun trademark terrain maps you're going to be hard up to find anything that isn't used. But depending on how hardcore you are it could be worth the money to have a copy of Shadowrun Sprawl Maps as both a reference for your gameplay and a collectible.
Cost: could be as much as $50 or more
Link: www.ebay.com
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