Month: October 2019

Here is the final map for October, it nearly killed me getting it done over the last few days but it’s here now and I think it’s turned out great! I went with a haunted house theme and created a manor house that could be used for a ghost/haunting encounter.

I love researching old house designs and architectural maps, there are some amazing blueprints around the internet. I got the idea to have an arboretum from one of those old designs as well as getting a good idea of what types of rooms are normally present in these manor houses.

Thank you all for your support and kind words. Have an amazing weekend (and Halloween if it’s not already over) and as always happy adventuring!

Introduction

The local children had been taunting you from the moment you entered town. Walking beside you making snide comments about the quality of your adventuring gear, your lack of magical items and general shabby appearance. It wouldn’t bother you so much if it wasn’t partially true. Maybe you shouldn’t have risen to the jibes, maybe you should have been the bigger person, the adult in the room.

Now here you are, breaking and entering, after being dared to spend a night in the local ‘haunted house’. The kids stand by the fence, as you glance back one of them sticks her tongue out at you, you hold back the urge to do the same back. The house is old, dusty and seems to have been abandoned for years. Some of the windows are broken, others are boarded up, the wood has taken on a silvery grey hue from age and mold. Most of the furniture remains, covered in dust sheets, waiting for their owner to return. As you enter the entrance hall the sun, already low in the sky, shines through the doorway illuminating the interior in a warm crimson light, before draining away as the sun sets behind the trees outside.

The interior is dark, the smell of mildew and rotten wood fills your nose. You decide to head upstairs, planning to wave at the brats from an upstairs window, when you hear a creak from somewhere deeper in the house. As you reach the top landing you could swear you hear a low chuckle, maybe an exhaled breath. The noises appear to be coming from a room at the end of a long dark corridor. It seems that you are not alone in the house, those nasty little goblins must be trying to unnerve you. As you move forward you begin to hear low mumbling and sobbing, if you didn’t know it was a bunch of snot nosed children it would be really unsettling. You reach the doorway to the room and with a triumphant ‘ah ha!’ you push the door open to reveal your pint sized tormentors, except it isn’t children you see standing (floating) before you, its something very much worse and before you can react it rushes towards you with a wail that you find yourself echoing as you scream in terror.

Notes and tips

• 30×30 Grid map (Each floor)
• I’ve left the outside of the house blank so it can be used in urban locations or in its own grounds.
• There are multiple ways to enter the manor. The main entrance, the arboretum and the kitchen backdoor. You can also enter through the many windows and the library and arboretum both have skylights.
• The house has two levels, which can be accessed by the main stairs and also through the library’s and arboretum’s upper windows. Both of these locations span both levels.
• Getting through a broken window can be tricky, use a skill check to see if its done silently and if its a significant failure there maybe some injury.
• If the party doesn’t move with care they could kick up dust that could make them sneeze, roll constitution not to sneeze!
• This house is perfect for the many cool ghosts and ghoulies in the monster manual of any setting. Remember you are not restricted to standard mobs. Try creating unique ghosts with specific goals and needs.
• Ghosts often appear to not notice a living person unless they interact with them. Have them float through walls, do mundane activities they would do in life, or just make them cry in a corner. 
• The whole point of this type of encounter is to creep your players out, so use every trick in the book. Get inspiration from horror films and books!

Variants

For those of you weirdos that want to run a haunted house encounter in the daytime! Or maybe you have your own lighting system 😉

A nice version of the Manor, all clean and probably not haunted.. Both day and nighttime lit versions.

Hello Adventurers! Another map launch is here, this time it’s The UFO Crash Site, renamed The Last Flight. I’ve always loved the idea of sky ships in fantasy settings. Airships and Spelljammers are awesome to add into a campaign to open up the possibilities for your setting, at least in my opinion. This map could be used as a one off adventure as a piece of weird arcane technology fallen from the sky, or it could be used as a way to introduce air/space/sphere travel into your setting. Either way I hope you enjoy this Spelljammer inspired UFO!

As always thanks for your continued support, you really do make these maps happen! Have a wonderful weekend and happy adventuring! Now onto the notes!

Introduction

Ships log: Day 1
We have captured the sky ship! I say captured, it would be better described as salvaged. We found her adrift off the coast and boarded her without incident. The ship was deserted but for a lone survivor locked in a cage deep within the hold. He was mad with thirst and delirious, raving about voices in his head. We took him above deck and gave him a little bread and water. The hold contains boxes of equipment and a number of large cages. All the cages are unoccupied, except the one at the bow which contains a huge glass cylinder opaque with slowly moving purple gases, arcane symbols cover the floor around it. Something of this nature must be worth a fortune to the right person! Our captain has assigned ten of our crew, including myself, to sail her home.

Ships log: Day 2
We have yet to find a way to make the ship fly, but she sails well. The crew are in good spirits although some have had trouble sleeping in the hold. They complain of bad dreams.

Ships log: Day 4
We have lost a man overboard. He was on watch and when a crewman came to relieve him he was gone. I can only assume he somehow fell overboard and his cries for help went unheeded.

Ships log: Day 6
The men continue to complain about bad dreams, of tentacles and smothering. I have yet to have any trouble in this regard, my dreams have been peaceful, almost comforting in nature, as if the ship is lulling me to sleep each night. Another man has gone missing. The men will no longer take watch alone or sleep below decks.

Ships log: Day 7
The ship is speaking to me! It whispers in my dreams such wonderful secrets! The men are belligerent, they want to abandon the ship. I have cut the skiff free, the ship needs them, she must have crew!

Ships log: Day 10
The crew are converted, they realise now what must be done, the sacrifice that must be made by each of them. Soon we will take flight and return in triumph.

Hints and Tips

• 30×40 map grid (Including interiors)
• This could be a Mary Celeste style encounter. The ship seems abandoned but maybe has something lurking below decks.
• The ships brain wants a new crew and it will stop at nothing to get one. It will create illusions of any number of monsters and horrors to slowly break down the parties mental defences.
• Have the cages full of weird creatures from ‘off world’. Their cages could have been weakened in the crash and they can now break out at just the wrong moment for the party. Or have an ‘alien’ creature attack some locals as an introduction to the encounter.
• Have a ship’s log in the captain’s cabin with some creepy log entries.
• This could be an experimental ship full of Mindflayers. The ship wants to be free and has crashed in an attempt to rid itself of them. The Mindflayers are injured and the ship is blocking their psionic powers, making it an easier encounter for lower level parties.
• Have a few surviving ‘aliens’ attack the party before they enter, then use the interiors as a continuation of the encounter. 
• Have a group of ‘aliens’ attack a local homestead! This could lead the party to find the crashed ship.
• The ship could be crewed by pirates, or some kind of military force. It doesn’t have to be illithids.

Variants

Night variants for grassland and desert!

A desert variant so you can really get into the Roswell UFO style vibe!

A skying or sailing version!

Hello Adventurers! Our first map of the month is here, The Mangrove Swamp! As suggested by you wonderful Patrons. I really enjoy working on natural maps with lots of foliage and this one certainly has a lot of that. I think the mangroves look kind of cool and are a little different to the standard swamp style maps you see around.

Thank you so much for continuing to support my map creation, I’m having a blast coming up with these each month and it’s you that makes it possible. As always have a fantastic week and happy adventuring!

Introduction

The tribesman leads you along the swamp path, stepping through the explosion of green as if he was walking through a summer meadow. You struggle behind him, sword hacking away at vines and foliage that continually tangle in your armour and wrap around your legs. Your Wizard companion loses his temper and you hear a small eruption of flame as a section of forest is incinerated behind you, you would admonish him but if you could create flames with your mind you’d also be laying waste to this godsforsaken place.

You continue on and after some time your guide halts and beckons you forward. Ahead you see a break in the trees, the scent of salt is in the air and the crashing of waves can be heard in the distance, you see a glimmer of azure water and blinding sunlight through the trees. This is the place you were told about, the route to the fishing grounds the villagers use, or did use, until recently. Something has taken up residence here, the villagers are unsure what but a number of fishermen have gone missing over the last few weeks and some of their belongings have been found along this section of the path. Your guide looks nervous, he keeps repeating a phrase you have yet to translate, but he whispers it with fear in his voice. You thank him for his help and move silently forward.

The path leads into a small lagoon, stagnant briny water steams away in the sun’s heat. Bright green pond scum covers much of its surface, along with huge lily pads and other aquatic plants. A makeshift walkway made from rotting wooden planks crosses the deeper looking areas. As you step onto the walkway you see movement in the water ahead, you draw your weapon and continue forward. As you reach a small sandy island in the centre of the lagoon the Wizard makes a startled noise, you turn to see him peering into the murky water. Before you can react a giant pink tongue shoots out of the water, wraps itself around the Wizard and pulls him in. At the same time small robust figures spring from the water all around you, rudimentary spears held in their webbed hands, you look back towards your Wizard friend and see his legs kicking wildly, sticking from the mouth of a giant toad. As you watch the toad suddenly expands and explodes in a flaming mass of toad gore and the odd bit of Wizard. The frog people look stunned for a second and then with an angry cry (croak?) they attack.

Notes and Tips

• 30×30 map grid
• The lily pads can hold the weight of a small creature (1×1), or a medium creature (2×2 or more). More than one creature on any pad will make it unstable and result in some kind of penalty.
• The water can be as clear or as murky as you want! All the better to hide your ambushers! It can also be as deep as you want, shallows make for a larger battle area.
• Bullywugs would be great for this map, along with giant frogs and toads. Remember Bullywugs often capture their victims rather than kill them. 
• Drag your player characters off the walkways and into the water with rope traps or have giant toads or frogs grapple them. Although they don’t officially have a tongue attack, I think you could flavour their grapple as a tongue.
• Most aquatic races could work here as well, so Merfolk, Sahuaghin, Kuo-Toa or Merrow.
• Climbing through the mangroves could be possible but will certainly be difficult terrain but may also allow for half cover.
• Try a crocodile or alligator attack, it could be covered in pond scum and look like a floating log. Use those passive perceptions!
• Throw in a shark or two. You can never have enough sharks in my experience!
• This could be a place to harvest a special type of pearl, have your players dive into the water and then… well you know, try to kill them.

Variants

Tropical nights

General swampy version, Day/Night (basically a more temperate swamp)

A spooky glowing fog version, definitely no ghost pirates in there!