These lands were once the territories of the god-king Zueshel who was struck down by the Culling Blade wielded by each of the Seven Heretics in turn. Through the blade it is said that they each gained a portion of his power. Modern heretics say that this runs against the very beliefs of the Seven...
2019-03-11 20:21:08 +0000 UTC View Post
A small fortification near the Hewbank in the Eagle Hills, Brenovale Castle was abandoned a few years ago when plague struck. By the time help arrived, those left behind were dead and bloated, surrounded by foul insects that appeared to carry the infection.
Constructed rapidly through wizar...
2019-03-08 21:53:40 +0000 UTC View Post
Part of a much larger estate that has fallen to advanced decrepitude, Lorean’s Manor sits on a hillside rank with overgrown weeds and brush. Somewhere in the untended brush are a number of collapsed and half-collapsed outbuildings including the kitchens and staff buildings, coach house, and so ...
2019-03-05 17:05:34 +0000 UTC View Post
The votes for February’s “Release the Kraken” have brought us to a piece that I think would be a perfect fit into any Waterdeep: Dragon Heist campaign – Paradise Control.
When I was asked for an underground casino map for a D&D game, I immediately had a flashback to the classic ...
2019-03-04 21:23:48 +0000 UTC View Post
A small settlement in the Thendrake Archipelago, Quellport sits on an unusual lagoon in a cluster of islands. Except for the Isle of Seven Bees (the elongated forested island to the upper left of the map), all the smaller islands are generally just referred to as Quellport or the Quell Islands. 2019-02-28 22:05:00 +0000 UTC View Post
So, I'm in the middle of a big block of work for my biggest client who will remain nameless (nudge nudge, wink wink). What this means is that I've only got 5 maps of the ones I need for March release. I'll definitely get the March maps done so we get a full release set during the month, but they ...
2019-02-26 20:05:50 +0000 UTC View Post
Originally a small fortification on a rocky outcrop, the Halls of Ghuldesh were magically formed out of the rock beneath the fortification by an order of druids. The old fortifications are but a few stones atop the hill now, but the druids’ work and standing stones remain.
The votes for February’s “Release the Kraken” have dug up a wonderful piece from 2015 – The Portal Nexus!
The Portal Nexus is a set of odd interlinked towers with no ground floor entry (but a few upper level doors that lead into the towers from walkways and balconies). Enterprising ...
2019-02-24 00:06:23 +0000 UTC View Post
From 2008 through to 2013, Sabre Lake was the centre of a number of campaigns that I ran – using B/X D&D, Advanced Labyrinth Lord, and D&D3e. Each campaign focused on different elements of the region – although two of them shared the same intro arc starting with Goblin Gully and then ...
2019-02-21 19:33:15 +0000 UTC View Post
It is time to record your preference for which maps we'll be re-releasing this month under the free commercial use license!
(I desperately want to make some twist on this statement to imitate the old Banzai! show... place votes now! VOTING ENDS NOW!)
Anyways - voting is here, now!
... 2019-02-19 18:59:08 +0000 UTC View Post
I’m playing in an awesome Neoclassical Geek Revival RPG campaign right now called “Age of Myth” where we are one of two PC groups competing to achieve the “victory conditions” of the game setting – in this case to form a kingdom by first uniting three iron age clans into a tribe, and ...
2019-02-18 23:55:36 +0000 UTC View Post
I’m often asked about the scale of the maps I post. In truth, I don’t include a scale on my maps because either it is pretty obvious (when drawing houses and similar structures – where a square is 3 to 5 feet), or more likely because I want the end user to pick a scale that works best for t...
2019-02-16 19:09:35 +0000 UTC View Post
The cellars of Rose Point Manor still show the damage from the fire that destroyed the original manor house. The stone stairs and sections of the walls are scorched and cracked from the heat. The extended subterranean structures beyond are untouched, but long ignored.
The pair of iron doors...
2019-02-14 15:50:00 +0000 UTC View Post
At the end of Rose Lane is Rose Point Manor – home of the last of the elven line of Heare and their three servants. Keeping with the name, the manor house has a number of rose bushes around it and the window shutters are painted in a rose motif.
The original manor was a much grander affai...
2019-02-11 20:58:40 +0000 UTC View Post
Up in the hills is a small crater-like depression with a mostly smooth floor and a pair of heavy metal doors that lead to some place in the hillsides.
The doors open twice every 6-9 months. Once to allow the Blue Golem into the crater to begin its wandering, and once again exactly 10 days l...
2019-02-07 15:48:27 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey! I knew I forgot something before posting up today's map!
Backstage pass time! Here's the 9 maps that will be showing up on the blog this month thanks to YOUR support. Yes, you specifically. Thank you.
2019-02-04 21:53:39 +0000 UTC View Post
As you head north along the Brown Goblin river it cuts deeply into the badlands, making it very difficult to cross. Boat traffic becomes prohibitive also because of the speed and roughness of the river up north. Karst Ford marks the last point where a boat can travel upriver - a ford where the ri...
2019-02-04 20:50:34 +0000 UTC View Post
The votes for January’s “Release the Kraken” have brought out a more recent map for commercial re-release: The Many Chambers of Izzel’s Folly
A dense complex of odd chambers and nonsensical halls, Izzel’s Folly is home to at least one foul fiend normally ...
2019-02-03 21:31:46 +0000 UTC View Post
Lets set the time machine for 2014 and grab an old city map for the first commercial re-release of 2019. Welcome to Cliffstable on Kerstal – a small city that has gradually grown up where the Brown Goblin River meets the Kerstal.
The original name of the settlement goes back to when...
2019-02-01 20:51:43 +0000 UTC View Post
Mayer’s Fort is a small mountain village backed by a fierce stone walled keep. Initially a small mountain keep for a retiring adventurer, the addition of a monastery outside the keep walls slowly encouraged a small village to build up around the keep and across the river on the grassy verge. 2019-01-31 18:28:18 +0000 UTC View Post
Once the source of a small river that ran through these badlands, these caves are still home to the river, but it remains underground now instead of working through the nooks and crannies of the slate fields.
Broken up into multiple elevations throughout, these caves have been home to beast...
2019-01-28 22:11:01 +0000 UTC View Post
“The Warlock himself was a sorcerer of great power. Some described him as old, others as young. Some said his power came from an enchanted deck of cards, others from the silky black gloves that he wore.”
Once you have crossed the underground river (across the rickety bridge, by...
2019-01-24 18:37:20 +0000 UTC View Post
“You have in your possession a sword and a shield together with a rucksack containing provisions (food and drink) for the trip. You have been preparing for your quest by training yourself in swordplay and exercising vigorously to buildup your stamina.”
The very mountain is mena...
2019-01-21 20:59:09 +0000 UTC View Post
Raised by a talented Wizard-Noble of old Phalorm, the Seven Spires is a small ornate castle made of seven overlapping towers set on the edge of the Neverwinter woods.
The small castle was used officially as a research space for the wizard-noble, but also served as an escape from court polit...
2019-01-17 20:16:20 +0000 UTC View Post
Home to the elven bandit Illsong and their dozen-or-so fellows, the Hollowstone camp sits atop (and cuts into) a small rocky promontory in the False Loch Woods.
HollowStone is slowly developing into a small fortress. If Illsong remains untroubled in their occasional banditry and adventuring...
2019-01-14 17:45:14 +0000 UTC View Post
This small “dungeon” is home to a circle of elementalists who focus on water magics (who call themselves the Blue Warlocks). Excavated and expanded upon from a small cave that linked to an underground river, it now serves as workshops, training and teaching space, and as the repository of a s...
2019-01-10 21:43:09 +0000 UTC View Post
A small asymmetric square tower, Brentil Tower stands alone overlooking Banrior Chasm where the hordes of modronic rats once came crashing into these lands.
Currently secured and locked down by the the Sorcerer Lord Iosselmon, barring the use of magics to break in, the only way to unlock th...
2019-01-07 22:54:22 +0000 UTC View Post
We trekked across the Dry Reaches, searching for the lost Ziggurat of Mur. On the fourth evening we came across the ruins of an old palace or temple, slowly being conquered by the sands.
Originally we aimed towards it as an obvious location for a night camp to keep out of the cold desert wi...
2019-01-04 21:22:42 +0000 UTC View Post
This is officially Season 6 of the Backstage Pass - not that I've been labeling them as such for a long time... but today I called up my "Blog Map Posting Schedule" and the top of the file started with "Season 1, #1" so I thought it would be fun to check where we are at now.
So yeah: Season...
2019-01-04 20:50:26 +0000 UTC View Post
Well, as usual December turned into a massive time-sink and this time I completely blew the whole "release the kraken" thing (last year I didn't manage to get the poll out, but I ended up releasing a slew of maps in the last week as a Christmas Kraken event... but this year... ech...)
For ...