Originally Posted at: http://diehardgamefan.com/2011/08/03/the-gazetteer-volume-i-issue-iii/

I was really impressed with the first D20 Cartographer package I reviewed (One Dollar Dungeons: Warlord’s Watchtower) on Monday. It was a very detailed and intricate map for only a dollar, how could I not love that? This is a similar package in terms of what you are getting, except it’s a little pricier, the map looks like it was done with computer graphics instead of being hand drawn and it’s a much smaller map. It’s kind of odd that you’re getting less for a higher cost, but it’s still a pretty intricate package for the price tag – just one that’s not as good as the One Dollar Dungeon series.

For your $1.50, you’re getting SEVEN versions of the same map. You get PDF versions of the map in full color and grayscale that are scaled to A4 paper size. You get PDF versions of the map in full color and grayscale that fit letter sized paper as well. You also get three versions of the map in jpeg format – a black and white grid based map and two full color maps, one with a grid and one without. That’s pretty impressive that there are seven version of the map as this way any DM can print this off in exactly the format they want.

The purchase of River Crossing also comes with a tool for the MapTools free program that will let a DM fiddle with the map. It comes with the map and object layers preset, so if there is something you feel the seven versions of the map are missing, you can edit it to your heart’s content. That’s something that can be quite handy if you use Maptools and this alone makes the price tag for River Crossing worthwhile.

So now, let’s talk about the map itself. It comes in four pieces: the bridge with the stream under it, a section of river, a dirt road and a field. Besides the bridge part itself, you can print off the other three sections multiple times to make a much larger map if you want/need to. A river crossing is also a great place for a lot of dramatic confrontations, such as defending a bridge, needing to destroy it before an enemy’s reinforcements can arrive, or needing to get across for whatever reason. The map is really easy to put together and it’s a nice little idea that can fit into any campaign. The downside of the map is that again, it’s sort of small and it’s not a s good looking as other products I’ve seen from D20 Cartographer. You’re still getting a great deal for your buck and a half, it’s just not AS great a deal as other products this company offers. River Crossing is a versatile map that can fit into any campaign and the price is right, so if you’ve been looking for something like this, you might as well snatch it up.

I have reviewed the One Dollar Dungeon products and find them to be spectacular. I was a little disappointed with this particular product. It has the virtual tabletop file included like the other products. The reason I went lower on this one is that I had hoped for a bit more diversity in the included panels. What you get is the river with bridge that you can see, the river without a bridge, and a few panels of land with rocks. It is useful for building relatively non-descript maps. However, I think the $1 price point would be more appropriate for this map and the One Dollar Dungeons $1.50. Just my opinion. I love the D20 Cartographer products and look forward to additional products.