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Underdark Basin, Expert

Hi Experts! This week's map is the Underdark Basin (35x35), a map with just as much water as land so I hope your players can swim/fly/run really fast/float. As always, whenever I add abnormal terrain I recommend occupying it with enemies who don't find it so troublesome, but you could always throw your players a bone and make the enemies just as mobile as them... now that I think about it how c...

Underdark Shrine

Hello again, folks! This week's map is the Underdark Shrine (30x40), but also the Underdark Platform (30x40) which is the same but without the shrine. Why? Because I wanted to make a map with a layout like this but it felt too empty without something interesting in the middle, so I drew up something eyecatching, dramatic, and vaguely purposeless, perfect for building a combat around- enjoy!

Underdark Shrine, Adept

This one is the Underdark Shrine/Platform (30x40), a strange little layout but certainly dramatic- now available both with and without the little tiered platform! Also, your alternate Volcanic version comes in both styles as well, so no worries there.

 1. A pretty simple layout, but a little trick...

Underdark Shrine, Expert

Welcome back Expert/Master patrons! This one is the Underdark Shrine (30x40), which comes with additional Shrineless versions of each variant which are labled as Underdark_Platform_X in the files.

Your alternate versions of this map are Stark and Enchanted! The Stark version is here to help give you a variant of this map that feels more.. cavey and less Underdark, you know? More dusty an...

Snowy Bridges

Hi again! This week's map is the Snowy Bridges (35x35), a pleasantly simple little winter map! I haven't made a snowy map in a little while and I had been discussing Arctic maps with a patron so I thought it might be a nice time to brush up on the palette and try out some different colors than usual. I think there's a lot of potential here for future wintery/arctic maps, so if you also would li...

Snowy Bridges, Adept

Welcome back, Adepts! This week's map is the Snowy Bridges (35x35), a simple but effective winter map with a straightforward design- the type of thing you'll see during the majority of your party's travels, creeks, bridges and scarcely travels paths.

Your alternate version of this map is Snowstorm, a frequent and highly useful variant for snowy maps. Swap in this one when you think your ...

Snowy Bridges, Expert

I'm back again with the Snowy Bridges (35x35), a simple winter map with a classic layout- it isn't a dragon lair, dungeon, or mansion but it is useful and more importantly I wanted to work with these colors again!

As a little bonus, this week you're getting an additional variant, something I usually only give to my Adept patrons but since this is such a simple map I wanted to make sure e...

Crumbling Ruins

Hello once again, patrons! This week's map is the Crumbling Ruins (35x50), a map name which I somehow haven't used before. Here you'll find some waterlogged Underdark ruins among a scattered patch of glowing mushrooms, as well as what remains of a temple or shine of some kind. I suppose I felt I ought to make a map like this since I've made similar ruins for just about every other environment I...

Crumbling Ruins, Adept

Hello again, folks! This map is the Crumbling Ruins (35x50), another fun Underdark map but the first to feature ruins! You had to know they were coming eventually, it never takes me too long to get around to filling any environment with devastated buildings and destroyed chapels/shrines.

Moving on, your alternate version of this map is Desolate, a word that isn't very descriptive but it'...

Crumbling Ruins, Expert

Hi, Experts/Masters! This week's map is the Crumbling Ruins (35x50), a nice and large Underdark map with lots of room for big combats. I like the thought of adventurers coming across Myconids or maybe roving undead in this abandoned town, though obviously insects of all kinds can be easily slotted in to just about any Underdark map.

Your alternate versions of this map are Caustic and Sta...

Underdark Bridge

This week's map is the Underdark Bridge (35x40), a Bridge in the Underdark! I figured that someone might eventually get around to building a few structures down here, so I should probably start with something basic- a bridge wide enough to be often used and useful while located somewhere strange enough that it could be left over from a people long passed. In short, I tried to cover several base...

Underdark Bridge, Adept

I'm back again with a new one- the Underdark Bridge (35x40)! This bad boy's got one big ol' bridge in it and little more, and that's just the way I like it. Despite that, your alternate version of it has a little less bridge than usual, adding an additional choke point to the middle of the map that isn't there in the original.

2024-04-22 20:02:54 +0000 UTC View Post

Underdark Bridge, Expert

Hello again! This one is the Underdark Bridge (35x40), a nice little bridge crossing over some deep-looking water and indeterminable distance below. Or, according to your 2nd variant, maybe this bridge actually crosses over a bottomless abyss, so maybe stick to the middle of the bridge or hold on to the railings.

Your other alternate version is called Outdoors, just because I gave it lig...

Underdark Spiral

Hello again, everyone! This map is the Underdark Spiral (30x30), an interesting name for what's essentially a cave with a pit. Even so, small maps like these can make for dramatic encounters if they're properly set up, especially since circular layouts like this can make the players think that they're walking into a boss fight. Also, I think it might make the fight a little more interesting if ...

Underdark Spiral, Adept

This one is the Underdark Spiral (30x30), a somewhat smaller map than my recent stuff but this specific kind of terrain can get visually confusing when scaled up. Anyway, check out the main post for this map you want to hear my idea of how to set up a combat for this map, I think there's a lot you can do here but I think my plan is a pretty solid one!

2024-04-14 15:17:00 +0000 UTC View Post

Underdark Spiral, Expert

Hi again! This one is the Underdark Spiral (30x30), a smallish cave with some serious changes of elevation. The layout draws your attention to the center, which I left empty for you to fill with your dramatic revelation of choice.

Your alternate variants of this map are Jungle and Eerie! The Jungle version felt like a natural choice for this map, a little overgrown cave in the jungle with...

Split Cavern

I'm back! This week's map is the Split Cavern (40x30), a simple concept but it may prove deadly if your party don't got ups. Additionally the enemies might be actively trying to shove your adventurers into the pit, or perhaps the enemies are giant bugs whose nest is somewhere below and your players look like a juicy snack for later. Bugs are real scamps like that sometimes.

Adepts can fin...

Split Cavern, Adept

Hi Adepts! This map is the Split Cavern (40x30), featuring a highly deadly endless pit in an otherwise simple cavern with some little winding tunnels around the edges. Crossing over this pit shouldn't be too much trouble for most adventurers.. unless you happen to add additional hazards the make the jump trickier. Swarms of insects flying above the chasm, wet and slippery rocks, and giant muscl...

Split Cavern, Expert

Hello again, this map is the Split Cavern (40x30), an easy cavern to slide into underground adventures for a quick combat. This one features a big ol' chasm, which some players will have a lovely time chucking enemies into. If that's not your style, make your enemies fly, that'll make things a little more awkward for your adventurers!

Your alternate versions of this map are Eldritch and B...

Underdark Rise

Hello again, folks- this week's map is the Underdark Rise (40x40), a single, long tunnel with a series of ledges to ascend. I know I've seen (and made) maps like this tons of times but usually it's set in the forest or on a mountainside, but I don't see any reason why the Underdark or massive caves shouldn't have huge rocky hillsides to battle on as well. Good luck!

Adepts can find their ...

Underdark Rise, Adept

I'm back! This map is the Underdark Rise (40x40), a classic rocky ascent sort of map, if you follow any number of mapmakers beyond me you will likely find this type to be familiar, personally I've made at least 3 like it but never in a cave!

Your alternate version of this map is Tainted, which you may notice looks a little different than the Tainted you received previously of the Underda...

Underdark Rise, Expert

I'm back again with the Underdark Rise (40x40), a nice addition to underground adventures which often involve great descents/ascents during the journey. Of course, I recommend placing enemies at the top of the hill if your players are trying to climb up, making your party take cover whenever they can from whatever firepower the enemies are lobbing at them. And, if descending, they won't have th...

Underdark Passage

Hi again! This one is the Underdark Passage (35x30), a simple meandering cavernous corridor with lots of glowing mushrooms plus a handful of tiered ledges to give you something to work with. Little tunnels are a little small-scale for what I was imagining for these Underdark maps, but you gotta have a couple, right? Despite that, I think this is my favorite Underdark map so far! 

Ade...

Underdark Passage, Adept

This week's map is the Underdark Passage (35x30), a straightforward tunnel with some mushrooms and ledges- not something to build an adventure around but perfect for treks through cave systems! 

Additionally, your alternate variant of this map is Luminescent, one where I boosted the glowy effects as high as I could while increasing the vibrancy of the rest. It felt to me like the bas...

Underdark Passage, Expert

It's a new map, the Underdark Passage (35x30), great for journeys from one of my Underdark maps to the other! At least, that's the premise as it stands- maybe this is the shadowy part of a giant stone archway on the surface, that's fun... and that's the only non-underground idea I have, but I'm sure some patron out there has thoughts on more.

Your alternates for this map are Blighted and ...

Crystal Grotto

I'm back again with another Underdark map, the Crystal Grotto (35x30)! This one is building more on the 'glowing crystal cavern' Underdark biome, but with some extra water to make things a little trickier.  I should probably make a few more maps without streams and lakes, now that I think about it, but I usually imagine these underground maps with tons of water; I'll try to make a few more...

Crystal Grotto, Adept

Hello again, Adepts! This week's map is the Crystal Grotto (35x30), a flooded cavern with many crystal-studded platforms. As I've mentioned before, I think 'crystal cavern' and 'mushroom grove' are two of the major Underdark environments, and until I'm presented with a counter argument I think most of my maps in this series will be along those lines. 

Anyway, your alternate version o...

Crystal Grotto, Expert

This week's map is the Crystal Grotto (35x30), a fun place to fight whatever horrible things live down here and are attracted to giant glowing crystals. Bugs maybe? Probably horrible bugs. 

Your extra variants are Shadowfell and Sandstone! Now I don't know if this is sort of location that might be a common sight in the Shadowfell, but that palette gives me major Shadowfell energy so ...

Underdark Fork

Hello again, Patrons!  This week's map is the Underdark Fork (30x40), a stretch of a branching underground river between jagged rock walls, all lit by the glow of luminescent mushrooms. This is my second 'Underdark' map, so I'm working out some of the identifying features of these maps as well as developing the palette, but if you've been a patron of mine for a while you'll recognize that ...

Underdark Fork, Adept

I'm back! This map is the Underdark Fork (30x40), a forked stream in the Underdark between jagged cliffs and glowing mushrooms. Also, your alternate version of t his map is a continuation of last week's- I've swapped out the stream for a bottomless pit! Honestly, adding bottomless pits to a map feels surprisingly fitting for the Underdark, it adds that extra bit of danger that I feel should usu...