Royal Museum Battle Map - Launch

Hello Adventurers! The first of our new map ideas is finally here, it took a little longer than expected but hopefully it was worth it. I was inspired by a few places I've visit over the years, the British Museum in London and the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford being two of the biggest inspirations. I wanted to keep the play area fairly open to allow for more tactical positioning in combat while also trying to create an interior that felt suitably full of artefacts.

Next map

I think our next map will be the Long House Guild Hall themed map. Should be fun, I'll be starting work on that Monday with an eye on launching it around the weekend.

Working on:

• The Long House - Viking style guildhall, maybe a Fighters or Adventurers Guild 

Still to do:

• The Green Bastion - An overgrown/ruined outpost at the edge of the world
• The Cutpurse - A gambling den, casino style tavern map!

Done:

• The Museum - City museum with all manner of weird things on displays

Finally welcome to my new Patrons, you know who you are :) And as always thanks to every one of you for your support, it really does mean a lot and keeps me motivated to create new maps for you wonderful people. Have a great weekend and happy adventuring! And now onto the map notes!

Introduction

The streets are busy, all manner of people hurry along the grubby cobbles on one errand or another, from high born ladies to low born street urchins. A scruffy looking youth dressed in an ill fitting suit rushes up to your wizard companion. He waves a flyer in her face and starts to reel off an obviously rehearsed patter. She shoos him away with some irritation but not before he thrusts a flyer into her hands, she pauses momentarily to read it before handing the crumpled piece of paper to you. The flyer reads as follows:

“New exhibit unveiled today! See the statue that inspired a thousand sacrifices. The tools of BLOODY SLAUGHTER! The manuscripts of summoning and the blood stone that made it all happen! Be the first to hear the infamous tale of the Arcarnon cult, and their Arch Lord of the Nether Planes. Come for the drama! Stay for the history!

Visit the Royal Museum today, entrance fee 50% OFF with this flyer!!!”

You look up at the old stone building before you, columns flank the entrance, a brightly polished bronze sign proclaims it to be ‘The Royal Museum’. Leaded windows, caked with dust and yellowed from lamp smoke reveal nothing of the interior except a dim red light that flickers ominously. You cross your fingers hoping it's part of the exhibit, a shrill scream and echoing demonic chanting emanating from inside dashes those hopes.

Notes and tips

• 30x30 Grid map
• The museum is split into three areas: The centre is anthropological, left is arcane and right is natural history.
• Other than the main entrance you can enter the building by the sky lights, windows or through the two staircases at the rear.
• The Museum employees are reporting ghosts in the museum at night, the party is hired to deal with them.
• The Museum is worried it is going to get burgled and employs the party as night watchmen.
• At night the museum curator is trying to summon something terrible.
• The museums artifacts are coming to life:
  • Have the beetle flap its wings and create powerful winds.
  • The dragon skull could unleash a breath weapon.
  • Any one of the magical artifacts on display could activate when the party gets too close with any number of weird effects.
  • Swarms of insects could attack from the insect collection.
  • The manuscripts could glow and when they are examined could force the viewer to read them aloud.

Variants

Museum night/candle lit

Library

Library night/candle lit