Posted this over on the alehouse so I thought I would post it here as well:

Here's some links to some useful inkscape info:

I think there is a default extension to do grids should be:

Extenstions->Render->Grids

Extension to make hexes
http://www.nomic.net/~uckelman/mkhexgrid/

Tutorials on making dungeon maps:
http://crookedstaff.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/drawing-old-school-dungeon-maps-part-1.html
http://crookedstaff.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/drawing-old-school-dungeon-maps-part-2.html
http://crookedstaff.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/drawing-old-school-dungeon-maps-part-3.html

Making a hex map
http://artwiki.wikidot.com/old-school-hex-maps-using-inkscape

Another hex map howto
http://nagorascorner.blogspot.com/2013/01/making-hexmap-with-inkscape.html

I think all those tutorials "handmake" the grid or hex. I'm lazy and would rather have that autogenerated for me, but whatever floats your boat.

I think understanding and using layers is very helpful. That way you could have the hallways be in one layers, rooms in another, and secret stuff (traps, secret doors, etc) in another layer.

Chainsaw wrote:

Thanks again, gizmo.

At the airport now, heading off to NTRPG Con. I brought some graph paper, but it's from a diff company and the squares don't match up despite being 5 to the inch. Argh! So instead of mapping more, I'm constructing some tables for my random monsters for levels 1-3, but I'm starting by making categories for types (insect, undead, animal, man), descriptors, damage, etc so that I can make some stuff unique to foolsgrave.* There won't be Ant, Giant. There will be blue crystal ant with swirling poison gas inside that escapes when its exoskeleton is cracked. There will be yellow moths that shoot beams of concentrated yellow from their spiraling eyes. There will be bat-winged caterpillars that graze foes with their paralyzing poison-covered hairs. And on and on.

* Not sure if I want to do all caps, all lower case, write it out properly etc - the idea is that it's simply what someone scrawled above the entrance as if to say "Beware."

This is fantastic, Chainsaw! Just got caught up with it.

Level three, south






Level three, center and south

Level Three, southeast






Level Three, east






Level Three, complete (adds north, northeast as well)

Amazing work! You're going to need more pencils . . . 

Updated level 1-2 insect ideas below.

white roach - giant brown roach with parasitic, glowing maggots covering its back, needs to feed constantly or else the maggots kill it, roach's bite has damage/rot disease
jeweled snail - sparkling gem stones speckle the shell, snail smells jewels and will attack character with most jewels by spitting special acid that dissolves everything but gems
winged caterpillar - giant orange/black flying caterpillar has paralyzing bristles and sometimes flies away with paralyzed foes so that it can eat them later
spectral caterpillar - semi-corporeal bluish-white caterpillar projects illusion of rotting corpse to attract other scavengers, then ambushes
armored caterpillar - grey metal plated caterpillar with aura of silence in 30’ radius and two rows of razor-sharp, broken-blade teeth that can sever limbs
yellow moth - spiraling yellow eyes hypnotize (save vs paralysis), then shoot twin beams of concentrated yellow (damage, glow bright yellow for d6 ours, attracts wondering monster on 1-4/6 when checked)
blue moth - fluttering wings make beautiful, relaxing harp music (save vs sleep) and disperse dust of concentrated blue (damage, liquefies steel on failed item save)
red moth - makes horrific screaming sound (save vs sorcery or cower in fear), then shoots a wavy ray of concentrated red from ruby-tipped antennae (damage, cannot heal magically for d6 hours)
crystal ant - semi-translucent blue crystal ant filled with poisonous gas that escapes when ant slain (exoskeleton cracked)
golden ant - dull gold-colored ants that feed on magical energy, will pursue spell-casters at all costs, successful attack does damage and requires casters make save vs sorcery or lose random saved spell
chrome ant - shiny chrome ants, magnetic exoskeleton, successful PC strikes require test of strength to dislodge weapon
corpse fly - frequently found near degrading organic matter, will fly into nose/mouth/ears of the living and try to chew their way out (save or take damage and writhe in pain until successful save)
black butterfly - harmless, but attracted to fire, including torches, which it absorbs completely within 5 feet
fire fly - small flies that flicker yellow, seemingly harmless until one releases a large ball of flame (damage)

Handy Haversack wrote:

Great stuff, Chainsaw! Dust of concentrated blue!

Thanks! I will also include published Hyperborean critters as well, but want some unknowns to make my dungeon feel unique and bring wonder and fear to my players. I am working on another ten or so low-level critters now.

Yes, dust of concentrated blue is bad news.

Fantastic. Are any of them intelligent? Who's in charge down there?

Some known factions of the upper levels (1-4). Right now, I'm thinking these may be based on a given level, but wander up or down a level or two to some extent. So, if the space mummies are based on level four, they may be commonly found on levels three and five, sometimes on levels two and six and rarely on levels one and seven. I'm still deciding where to base the groups.

owl-men - the owl-men wear strikingly realistic owl masks and cover themselves completely in slate grey feathers with flecks of white, black and green. their masks grant them vision in darkness (and in the light they see much better than normal men) and their feathers enable them to blend into Foolsgrave's stone walls almost perfectly. from their fingers extend long, dagger-like talons, used for hunting insects and vermin, which they find delicious. some explorers have reported peaceful encounters with the owl-men and say that the men have actual owl heads, not just masks, and that they worship an idol that bestows the transformation.
dislike: carnivorous apes, thaumagorgans, ancient scientists
neutral: 9th legion, metal hands

carnivorous apes - a race of massive, seven-foot tall flesh-eating gorillas with brutish, cunning intelligence (full description in AS&SH Bestiary), ruled by a rare winged variant. the apes kill for sport, pleasure (especially hating ancient scientists who have experimented on them) and food (especially enjoying owl-men flesh).
dislike: owl-men, 9th legion, ancient scientists
neutral: thaumagorgans, metal hands

the metal hands – a collection of thieves from various places and eras, mocked by Xathoqqua with stiff metal hands for some unknown slight and cursed to inhabit Foolsgrave until they recover a special item or die. in either case, the thief then fades away and a newly cursed thief mysteriously grows from the metal hands, taking his place. they are friendly with owl-men and the 9th legion, often trading scavenged items. the carnivorous apes complain about their rancid innards and leave them be.
dislike: thaumagorgans, ancient scientists
neutral: owl-men, 9th legion, carnivorous apes

ancient scientists – tall, thin and pale, these hyperborean men perform wicked experiments on any of Fools Grave’s creatures they can capture – in the name of science. intelligent escapees have reported that the ancient scientists clone new bodies for themselves when they grow old, die or are severely injured, and occasionally meet with a necromancer who lives deeper in Foolsgrave. no group is safe from their curiosity.
dislike: owl-men, thaumagorgans, carnivorous apes, 9th legion, metal hands

thaumagorgans – this religious sect worships the evil god Thaumagorga. its heavily armored death squads patrol Foolsgraves’ halls, spreading murder and mayhem to please their god. they sometimes take prisoners so that they can sacrifice them to conjured demons, but not before enslaving and torturing them for days. the thaumagorgans and the carnivorous apes share some strange peace, perhaps each appreciating the other’s delight in suffering and misery.
dislike: ancient scientists, owl-men, metal hands, 9th legion
neutral: carnivorous apes

9th legion – all that remains of rome’s famous lost 9th legion. ambushed in northern britain, a few escaped the slaughter, taking refuge one night in a forgotten circle of standing stones. when they awoke, they found themselves lost in Foolsgrave. these men cannot age, it seems, so a few of the original legionnaires still live, taking in other poor souls to bolster their numbers.
dislike: carnivorous apes, thaumagorgans, ancient scientists
neutral: owl-men, metal hands

space mummies – stranded in Foolsgravee when their starship crashed through an interdimensional warp, the space mummies have roamed its halls for decades in search of magic and technology to help them return home. their white suits hang in tatters and their transparent, bubble-shaped helmets expose rotten faces, but their kaleidoscopic eyes still shine bright. they will fight or ally with any group depending on their needs at the moment, leading many to fear their unpredictabilty as much as their devastating laser pistols.
dislike: any
neutral: any

Handy Haversack wrote:

Perfect. That's absolutely excellent work. I feel like I could run it just from this chart.

Glad you approve! My goal with this project is to create key info for myself so that I can actually run this dungeon - I don't want to get bogged down writing pages of fanfic for some theoretical exercise.