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Mapping Resources

A4, 10 hexes from side to side
10-Hex Hex Sheet

This sheet is A4 landscape, 10 hexes from side to side. The hexes are numbered by column and row, so hex 5.7 would be the fifth column, seventh row. It has lined areas on each side for note-taking convenience. There's a cartouche at top for titling your map if you so desire.

I like it better than the older 10-hex hexes I designed because it has complete hexes in the corners, and the numbering makes it easier to key.

As with any hex grid of this sort, you can zoom in on individual hexes just by drawing on another sheet to a larger scale. If your top-level map is 10,000 kilometres from side to side (1,000 kilometres per hex), the next level down would have 100 kilometre hexes, then 10, then 1, then 100 metres per hex, and so on if you want to get really detailed.

Below are a couple more in the same vein — one 7 hexes from side to side, the other 4 hexes.


A4, 7 hexes side to side
A4, 4 hexes side to side

Nested Hex Grids
10-hex hex 10-hex hexes

These two PDF files are nested hex grids, useful for those who like to use hexes for their wilderness maps. Each is laid out on an A4 page, and each has 10 smaller hexes across the diameter of the larger hexes.

To the left, we have a single mega-hex that takes up pretty much the whole page, approx. 190mm wide. (PDF, approx. 4.28KB)

To the right, we have an array of 6.25mm (roughly ¼-inch) hexes with an array of larger hexes overlaid. (PDF, approx. 20KB)

Similar to the 10-hex hex shown to the left are these two PDF files:

I use a 25-mile grid on my main world maps, so having 25-hex and 5-hex hexes is handy. Maybe they'll be handy for someone else too.

These two were designed by Erik Joseph:

A3 Scaling Hex
A4 Mega-Hex (full corners)

Super Mega Maxi Hexgrid

This PDF file (approx. 20kb) is a huge giant enormous A1 hex-grid layout (25mm hexes) suitable for printing on to giant huge A1 sheets of paper, laminating, and using to keep track of where everyone is in relation to everyone else.

For those benighted souls who are unfamiliar with metric page sizes, A1 is approximately 600mm x 840mm, or 24" x 33"

Super Mega Ultra Giganto Maxi Hexgrid

This PDF file (approx. 40kb) is a huge giant ultra-enormous A0 hex-grid layout (25mm hexes) suitable for printing on to giant huge A0 sheets of paper, laminating, and using to keep track of where everyone is in relation to everyone else. Very similar in many respects to the grid in the entry immediately above, but even bigger.

Again, for those unfamiliar with metric page sizes, A0 is approximately 840mm x 1190mm, or 33" x 48"

Planetary Icosohedron - 5mm hex grid

This PDF file (approximately 25 kilobytes) consists of a single A4 page containing a layout for an icosohedron (20-sided form) overlaid with a 5mm hex grid. The idea is that you can draw the shapes of your continents and what-not on to the hexes, and then cut it out and fold it into a roughly spherical form. I've included tabs along the sides of the faces for this purpose.

It can also be used as a flat map, of course, if you can't be bothered assembling it.

The horizontal dotted lines are there to assist you in aligning coastlines etc. which span across more than one face of the icosohedron.

Offset-Square Grid Paper

Behind you! Behind you!

Offset Grid Examples A compromise between a true hex-grid and a standard square grid, these PDF files consist of an offset square grid which provide the advantages of each type. I've taken to using it in preference to an actual hex-grid because it makes drawing regular forms (like rooms, for example) easier. So far I haven't found any real down-side to it, and if I ever get any spare cash again I intend to create a gigantic A1 layout and get it printed and laminated for use as a reusable battlemat.

All the above files have been laid out to fit within the borders of a hybrid A4-Letter page size. If you want to maintain true 5mm/10mm/15mm etc. grid sizes, make sure you have Acrobat Reader's "Fit To Page" printing option turned off. Naturally, the smaller the grid size, the greater the number of squares you'll get per page of printout.

5mm Isometric Grid Paper

5mm Isometric GridIsometric grids are useful for presenting a pseudo-3d view of an area, as shown in the example to the right. Here are a bunch of options for isometric mapping:

Dungeon Layout Modules

FloorRough sandstone flooring with a 1" hex grid overlaid. This image can be easily cut up into any floor shapes that you desire. The thumbnail is linked to a PDF file; you will need Acrobat Reader to view and/or print it. (File size: approx. 75 KB)

If you prefer, you can get the same sort of thing in a single JPG image here. The detail in the stonework is higher, but the file size is substantially larger at about 275 KB.


Spiral stairStone spiral staircase, overlaid with the same hex-grid used on the flooring image above. (Image size: approx. 34 KB)


25mm Offset Square FlooringTextured 1" offset square flagstone flooring. This is a low-resolution (72dpi) greyscale JPEG file which should print just fine on both inkjet and laser printers. Most browsers seem to assume that any graphics should be printed at 72dpi, so in theory if you print it straight from the web the squares will end up 1" by 1". I'd recommend doing a test first to see if I'm right. It's about 45 kilobytes.


Terrain Paper

These A4-sized 150ppi images are each covered with a terrain type superimposed with a hexagonal grid of dots 25mm apart. The thumbnails below link to the full-page images, which will open in a new browser window (or tab). The sheets can be printed, spray-glued to card (or not), and cut to whatever size or shape you require.

Cracked Earth
Cracked Earth - 420KB
Grass
Grass - 241KB
Sand
Sand - 261KB

Hedge Maze Geomorphic Tiles
All the tiles (so far) Sample layout

This is a set of 22 square geomorphic tiles I made for laying out a random hedge maze. Each tile is about 170mm square. I've found, since I originally designed the set, that there are a few useful configurations still missing – I may (or may not) get around to filling them in some time.

You can grab a PDF of the set (approx. 2.41MB) here.



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