Dodo, or Dodo’s Arthouse, has been creating world and battle maps for the past few years.
He began his journey as a ttrpg map creator with pen and paper while running games for his friends. When the pandemic hit in 2020 he moved his games online and moved his mapmaking to the digital space through experimentation with Inkarnate. Impressed by his quick adaptation to the tool and the beauty of his maps his players chipped in to purchase his subscription to the tool, and he has been creating professional quality digital maps ever since.
The Hanging Garden of Neverland:
An early approach to isometric location building Dodo’s Hanging Garden is a perfect illustration of the magical energy that emanates from each of his map designs with touches of teal and magenta and filters that give a dream like quality.
The Azure Weald:
In a movement from fantastical to melancholic Dodo’s Azure Weald map plays into the blues and greens offering a somber yet fae-like approach to an encounter map.
This is one of the artist’s personal favourites. Unlike the Hanging Garden and other early pieces featured, after a year of mapmaking his speed at map creation has improved, this map taking only a couple of hours to complete.
Zhe Doctorz Study:
“Located underground within a dubious complex, ‘Zhe Doctor’ likes to retreat into this cozy, multilevel Study. Experimenting and reading are at the top of his schedule throughout the day, if that order of work is done, he indulges in the relaxation and comfort his Study also has to offer.”
Dodo’s interior maps offer a unique play of light that requires him to nearly break his chosen program in order to achieve the effects. This expands to his approach to perspective as well.
Welcoming and Sunkissed View:
In another feat of forced perspective Dodo also creates a host of fantasy landscapes built using tools that aren’t intended for first person perspectives.
The Capital City of Iwahata’ Lakhir:
“This city, built upon the island’s largest karst, rises above the clouds and into the company of four additional floating islands. Below the karst it is surrounded by a dense forest with a dense canopy pierced only by ancient monuments and temples”
This was Dodo’s third map built in Inkarnate taking over 20 total hours to complete, and it shows. As you zoom in to admire various map areas you can see small details everywhere that lend this map a feel of a satellite image of a fantasy town rather than a rendered map. The details give this city a lived in and ever-changing air.
These details demonstrate a real immersion in the worlds that Dodo builds. As a gamemaster running both Dungeons and Dragons and Ten Candles games for three years, and a player of six years he has a lot of practice in worldbuilding despite a preference for heavily improvised sessions.
The Lost Temple of Arthantos:
Dodo’s map inspiration comes from many different places, and in the spirit of community one of these are their friends and followers. He often hosts livestreams of his mapmaking where his viewers can suggest themes and give input as he creates. This design came from one such request to create an underwater temple.
These livestreams are hosted on his discord server to which all our readers are welcome to drop in: Dodo's Discord
Outside of TTRPGs Dodo is also heavily inspired by fantasy, horror, and sci-fi works. Some current favourites are Lord of the Rings, Dune, Warcraft, and Lovecraft.
The Worm God of Stolen Tongues:
In the spirit of Lovecraftian horror, Dodo has shared an exclusive map with us in the Worm God of Stolen Tongues.
“Burrowing up from the deepest reaches of the ocean this worm creates subterranean tunnels that others have used to attack local islands. It has currently begun burrowing underneath one of the last safe islands in the rhealm and it has begun to crumble.”
To explore more of Dodo’s maps and creations you can find him on:
Drop by and let him know that the Silver Dice Society sent you!