Modules and Roll20


Adventures


Hello! I am interested in running both the Tomb of the Iron Medusa and Academy of Secrets on Roll20, but I have map questions.

What have people done in the past for their maps when/if they have run this through roll 20? I am using and abusing the RotRL Community Created thread for info on Runelords... is there a community that I could use to supplement my modules? (and add my own content as I make it?)

I have the module PDF, but that does not seem very helpful for trying to convert to Roll20 ready maps. I will keep trying that option for now.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

We extract images from the PDF, modify if neccessary to remove unwanted clues and upload them.


It usually is a bit of a pain to extract the maps and make it so they align nicely with the roll20 grid. But it is still your best option if you don't want to have simple line drawings of the encounter areas!

Some modules, mostly Adventure Path installments, have very strong map support from the community while others don't. You can find a lot of stuff over at PFSprep.com but unfortunately not for the modules you mentioned.


Thanks for the advice. I might troll around ad PFSprep.com a bit!

Lazarx - What do you use to extract the images? Currently I am using the snapshot feature of adobe... its rough. My image skills are very limited. It seems like I may need to change that.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
HellFire442 wrote:

Thanks for the advice. I might troll around ad PFSprep.com a bit!

Lazarx - What do you use to extract the images? Currently I am using the snapshot feature of adobe... its rough. My image skills are very limited. It seems like I may need to change that.

Nitro PDF seems to be the best tool for Windows. Mac tools are suprisingly limited, I'm still searching for something that works as well as Nitro does on windows.


Don't use the snapshot tool until everything else failed!

If you use Acrobat Reader, you can use the selection cursor (which you would use to select text, looks like this: I) to select some images which you can then copy and paste to an image manipulation tool of your choice (I recommend the free GIMP). You can also use GIMP to blow up the size if necessary.

Scarab Sages

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My process for extraction:

Open with Adobe Reader
Select Image
Copy
Paste into MSPaint
Save as PNG

Open PNG with GIMP
Measure the grid that will always come up a horribly uneven number x vs y (usually 2-8 pixels off on grid dimensioning).
Use the scale tool to get my approximate scaling to 1sq = 25px on the measuring side
Save / Export as needed

Set your VTT map to 25px per 5' grid
Drop in map and align without snaps
Hope the extra pixel drift isn't too much on the far side of the map

One thing to keep in mind, is that maps with multiple floors, such as Schloss Caromarc from Carrion Crown, don't always use the same grid origin per floor. Those will need separate final sized files because of the two different grid origins per image. You can do cropping in GIMP to get your separate ones, for example.


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That is a very helpful guide, archmagi1, and pretty much the process I use, too.

However, one step is redundant: After copying the image in the PDF, you can open GIMP and select "File->Create->From Clipboard" to import it. When you want to save it as a PNG, go to "File->Export to".

Scarab Sages

wow, didn't know you could create from clipboard! saved a step! thanks.


With Academy of Secrets, you can cover a lot of maps by using the Magic Academy map pack. Laying the map packs in is a breeze. Extracting them from a module PDF is a bit trickier.

Liberty's Edge

My process..Use Campaign Cartographer to recreate the Maps.
I sometimes will make maps for people to use, if Given enough time

Liberty's Edge

I also have the Tomb of the Iron Medusa. will see if I have the other one.

Liberty's Edge

I got Academy of Secrets also.

Liberty's Edge

Posted the Tomb of the Iron Medusa Maps I have finished so far.

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