Map Poll 7

No kidding, I'm always surprised that people still want more of that sort of thing. I wouldn't normally include the Roadside Tavern in this poll, but it was a suggestion that came up a lot since the last one- looks like it'll be coming up soon too. That's DnD, I guess!

Alex VanDerAa

Yeah, as much as I like the exotic locations I keep finding that the maps people largely prefer are the stock stuff (forests, city streets, ruins). A lot of my patrons have been asking for fantastical settings recently though, so I think I'll have to start making a strong push in that direction! I really like the lair idea too, that has a ton of possibility- maybe I work something out for another collaboration with James' RPG Art.

Alex VanDerAa

Thanks! I made a warehouse map a couple months ago, but I suppose it wasn't as crammed or illicit as it could have been. I'll write down your suggestion for next time!

Alex VanDerAa

Lots of people are asking for Feywild maps these days, I'll start slipping some into the lineup!

Alex VanDerAa

Thank you very much for supporting me! The thing about coastal terrain is I can make nearly anything coastal while still meeting the criteria of the map- I'll make a point of making a few more in the coming months.

Alex VanDerAa

Alright, but I'm a little apprehensive about this sort of thing- from personal experience, it doesn't strike me as something that many people need (but I guess it wouldn't be any less useful than volcanic environments). I'll put it on the list for next time!

Alex VanDerAa

Personally, I rarely need Underdark or Feywild maps so I suppose it slips my mind. What kind of terrain would be most useful for you in those environments?

Alex VanDerAa

Sounds like a neat campaign! I love environments that bounce from snowy to hellish, it's a super interesting tone for a story

Alex VanDerAa

I wouldn't expect anything else, I did the same ;)

Alex VanDerAa

I've been really enjoying making the recent winter maps, I'd be more than happy to make more! But, as vocal as people who like winter maps are, they're matched by the people who DM me about how much they dislike them. I'll work on some more Revisited winter maps in the meantime.

Alex VanDerAa

Wow, lots of excellent suggestions! I've added everything you mentioned to my list for next time, and I'll see about slipping more exotic locations into the lineup in the meantime. You did bring up my reason for the mundane maps I typically make, they're useful and appealing to the most amount of people. You're not the only one asking for fantastic locations though, so it's starting to sound like the people are looking for a change in my maps' themes, and as much as I like to try to attract potential patrons with stock forest/city maps, I've got to make sure to satisfy my existing patrons. Thanks for the support!

Alex VanDerAa

Thanks :)

Alex VanDerAa

I'm pretty sure I have enough taverns in my map folder that my human players can sleep in a different one every night of a campaign without duplicates. I'm baffled as to who thinks they need more inns and taverns.

Marianne Rogers

Ahhh, a much less fantastical selection, but still some nice choices to pick from here. Despite being more mundance, these do have a lot of personality. For future maps, I wonder if you might like to create very specific lairs and homes for specific creatures. Kobold warrens, illithid lairs, cockatrice nests, basilisk territory, unicorn grove. Most of D&D's monsters are freely useable (though I know beholders are not). It might seem overly specific but these could easily be used for other purposes. Just gives a strong design outline.

Vimes Carrot

I have a caravan campaign going now... it would be helpful for sure

Kackman

Your maps are great. I'd like to see a smuggler's warehouse. A big, crammed room with restricted movement, maybe areas of difficult terrain, and maybe side-room living quarters for the smugglers.

Rod

My next campaign will most likely take place in the desert, so I'm currently looking for those. Perhaps some sort of caravan. Perhaps something straight out of JRPG, with huge, gargantuan beasts of burden carrying whole bazaars on their backs. Or a Cave of Wonders. Or desert night maps.

Vartiainen

Echoing a previous post, I'd love more Feywild inspired maps! Bright colors, ridiculous shapes, weird ambient lighting, etc. Love your work, as always.

Agreed! I'd love to see some underdark / drow themed maps.

kryptopyr

Thanks for tossing that most recent magma dungeon in there! Really loving your coastal maps, by the way. They always end up being interesting environments for fights! Thanks for your hard work :)

I'd love to see some underdark city / river maps. I'm running a campaign that will incorporate some kitbashed elements of older underdark-centric adventures like City of the Spider Queen, so anything that could apply to that would be super helpful.

Matt Prigge

I’m working on taking my players underwater. Would love to see some underwater maps!

I'd really love some more Underdark and feywild themed maps. Really enjoyed working with the ones posted before!

I'm writing a campaign that's going to take place primarily in a plane of permafrost so I'm always down for snow and ice. Also there will likely be hell planes so always down for lava.

Vicka

I like all of the ideas. But I just select the ones that fit my current campaign.

Online Tabletop

I’ve been looking for more arctic/frontier trading outpost/camp locations. As well as sewer systems so this poll is pretty exciting for me. I think some astral plane/sea backgrounds for boats would be cool 🙂

Josh H

Hi there! I've been a supporter for a short time, and I'm loving your maps! It's simply the style that gets me, and kind of really fits with the mood of my campaign. I'm so glad to see you're setting up polls in the attempt to hear better what your audience wants. For some next poll, I'd like to throw in a suggestion for two types of maps: indoor, and surreal. Indoor, as in various rooms, from inns to nobles quarters, to horse stables and so on. I often find myself lacking exactly those, in contrast to many "forest, snowy, desert, path" maps. (I'm sort of taking into consideration other maps I collect as well, but you're the only author that I actually support so I'm only suggesting this here). And surreal maps, as in more fae land, more shadowfell, more fiery hell or windy odd terrain of gehenna (talking about D&D planes here, but anything applies really). Maybe a witch's den, maybe an basilisk temple from a yuan-ti country. The stuff that a lot of fantasy table-tops are popular for. While I realise general maps of terrain are easier to sell and attract people (and really, it's what attracted me as well!), would it be possible to have maybe once a month "exotic" sort of map? Anyhow, I hope none of this is coming off as bossy or picky client-y. I'm really enjoying your maps and am seeing a chance to maybe join in on some possible previous requests as well. Keep showering us with awesome maps and have a great day! :D

BlueMarine

Love your work!