D&D General Maps, Maps, Maps! Dungeons, Ruins, Caverns, Temples, and more... aka Where Dyson Dumps His Maps.

[Dyson Logos]

Sister’s Ford

A small ford across the Boasting Run, Sister’s Ford doesn’t see a lot of use as most traffic runs significantly further south along the major roads and not this far into the lands that have been slowly retaken by the wilderness. The Ford is used by rare travellers, rangers, and those who have some other reason to avoid the main roadways and a willingness to risk travelling in the wilderness.

It isn’t that the Boasting Run is very deep, quick, or even wide that makes the ford necessary, it is that the stream has cut deeply into the landscape and most approaches leave you looking down 10 feet or more to the water below. This ford is both easily accessed, and the ruins make it visible as soon as you break out of the treeline – the craggy remains of a pair of old towers and some other stone structures on both sides of the banks. The name of the structures is long lost – it was a small border fortification during the great war and hasn’t seen any upkeep since – but the name of the ford comes from the two statues on the left by the “road” – the left statue has been completely defaced by time and vandals, but the right (headless) statue still has half of the name carved into the plinth – “… Sister”.

The more intact tower (on the right bank) has walls that climb two to four storeys and a set of wooden stairs leading up to a hole in the northwest corner of the walls that can be used as a watch platform. This makes it appealing to bandits and rangers on the move, as well as the occasional raiders. The door is kept closed with a “rope lock” that also acts as a warning when someone is already using the structure or that goblins have checked it out again lately (as the lock will be undone).

The ruins on the left bank (including a smaller octagonal tower that has been reduced to a few “teeth” sticking out of the ground) are used occasionally for camping by those who don’t want to use the tower, or by raiders who hide behind the trees and rubble for those rare travellers that come through here. And by that small camp site is a set of old stairs that lead down beneath, to half-flooded dungeons…

The 1200 dpi versions of the map were drawn at a scale of 300 pixels per square and are 10,200 x 9,600 pixels (34 x 32 squares). To use this with a VTT you would need to resize the squares to either 70 pixels (for 5′ squares) or 140 pixels (for the recommended 10‘ squares that make sense with the design) – so resizing the image to 2,380 x 2,240 pixels or 4,760 x 4,480 pixels, respectively.

Sister’s Ford

Sister’s Ford (300 dpi promo – no commercial license) A small ford across the Boasting Run, Sister’s Ford doesn’t see a lot of use as most traffic runs significantly further…

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[Dyson Logos]

Side Note:

Today marks 15 years since I started my blog.

A decade of doing this professionally thanks to Patreon and my amazing patrons.
7 years of working with WotC (the lead time on Dragon Heist was absurd).
Over 1,300 products with my maps in them.

 

[Dyson Logos]

Goretooth's Grotto

A very small subterranean lair, Goretooth’s Grotto is home to the eponymous Goretooth, a hulking goblinoid warrior to whom the three goblinoid tribes in the region pay tribute and look to for the occasional aid when the going gets tough. The main entrance is a reminder that this was once some sort of temple or worship site, with stairs leading up to a pair of doors bracketed by badly chopped-up caryatid columns that once represented priests of the deity being worshipped here.

The western chambers were for rituals, with the northern one now used primarily for storage, and the southern round one used as Goretooth’s audience chamber. The eastern chambers have Goretooth’s lieutenants in the northern room, and Goretooth’s own chambers in the south.

In addition, there are the caves mentioned in the name of the location. Two caves open into the hillside here, one near the top of the small ravine and one at the bottom – the bottom one has a small stream coming out of it, along the bottom of the ravine, and the upper cave descends down to this same level where there are a number of caves (and you can spot the nest of something unpleasant in the cave north of the stream – probably an owlbear or similar) and a small ledge covered in barrels where Goretooth’s kin collect water from the stream.

The 1200 dpi versions of the map were drawn at a scale of 300 pixels per square and are 6,600 x 10,200 pixels (22 x 34 squares). To use this with a VTT you would need to resize the squares to either 70 pixels (for 5′ squares) or 140 pixels (for the recommended 10‘ squares that make sense with the design) – so resizing the image to 1,540 x 2,380 pixels or 3,080 x 4,760 pixels, respectively.

Goretooth’s Grotto

Goretooth’s Grotto (300 dpi promo, no commercial license) A very small subterranean lair, Goretooth’s Grotto is home to the eponymous Goretooth, a hulking goblinoid warrior to whom the …

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[Dyson Logos]

Ierades’s Isle

The standing stones tended by the centaur Ierades sits on a small island just detached from the shore of Summer Lake. Ierades is small for a centaur, but still an imposing figure with a full set of antlers set with charms and fetishes that hang down around them. While the stones long predate Ierades’s stewardship, the centaur has been their guardian for at least the last three hundred years or so. Ierades eschews most of the trappings of civilization, but does maintain a small cache of tools and wood on the south side of the isle to maintain the bridge.

The whole area is lightly forested, with a trail leading to the bridge and the stones. The stones radiate a wan orange light on the darkest nights when the moons are hidden – generally not visible until nearly upon them as the trees screen them from view for those in the Summer Lake or along the shore.

A small circle of druids come out here on a fairly regular basis for their rituals, and they also honour Ierades with poems, songs, and gifts. Those who visit here and who remain on good terms with Ierades will note that the fetishes and charms hanging from their antlers change as new gifts are adopted into the mix.

The 1200 dpi versions of the map were drawn at a scale of 300 pixels per square and are 9,600 x 9,600 pixels (32 x 32 squares). To use this with a VTT you would need to resize the squares to either 70 pixels (for 5′ squares) or 140 pixels (for 10‘ squares) – so resizing the image to 2,240 x 2,240 pixels or 4,480 x 4,480 pixels, respectively.

Ierades’s Isle

Ierades’s Isle (300 dpi promo, no commercial license) The standing stones tended by the centaur Ierades sits on a small island just detached from the shore of Summer Lake. Ierades is small fo…

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[Dyson Logos]

Scavengers’ Deep – Map 5

The Scavengers’ Deep is a reminder of the amount of work that went into underground structures during the great war. Generally, the elves only built underground when hiding their breeding and research facilities, whereas the forces of the kingdoms, assisted by the dwarves, were constantly building underground as the elves were unrelenting and would completely raze any surface defences that they defeated.

But the structures now known as the Scavengers’ Deep are atypical, an elven complex mixing some (ruined) surface structures, natural caves, and significant sprawling underground complexes dedicated to research, training, and breeding their slave species.

This is the fifth map in the Scavengers’ Deep series – sitting just south of Map 2 and west of the forthcoming Map 5. The main point of interest here is a wide rocky defile leading into the cliffs that the Deep was built into, with an impressive stonework bridge spanning across the defile about 30 feet above the ground level, almost 40 above the bottom of the defile. The defile leads to an open-air “cave” to the east, which will be detailed in map 6. The bridge is effectively an extension of the wide vaulted main passage that makes up much of Map 2 and continues down to the south.

Not visible from outside, the bridge is paired by an underground passage that is also an extension of the same passage, leading under the defile before continuing to the south. This underground passage also provides access to the two guard bunkers that overlook the defile.

One pair of the massive metal doors leading to the bridge on the north side are still sealed and refuse to budge, even for magical effects – but are circumvented through the smaller doors on each side. The southern doors are breached and slightly ajar, enough for someone to squeeze between them if needed.

This part of the Scavengers’ Deep again has two sections provided as upper- or lower-level vignettes.

On the upper-right we have a three-tiered chamber with stairs leading from the defile area up to the bridge level. The top level of the chamber has narrow windows looking over the entrance some 28 feet below.

On the lower right we have a mezzanine level sitting above the south gates overlooking the bridge as well as the chamber beyond the gates. The mezzanine is reached via stairs from the room to the east of the gate room.

There are significant access ways to the east of this map into Map 6 beyond, and the map is connected to Map 2 above either by travelling outside of the complex proper, or via the 20 foot-wide vaulted passage that leads through Map 2 to this map and on to the south.

Here’s a low-resolution compilation of the five existing maps of the Scavengers’ Deep set. If printed at miniature play scale (where 1 inch equals 5 feet), each of the individual maps making up the Deep would be 8 feet by 8 feet in size (so with maps 5 & 6, the deep is now 16 feet wide by 24 feet long). Expect more maps of the Scavengers’ Deep over the coming months, probably at a rate of one map per month.

Scavengers’ Deep – Map 5

Scavengers’ Deep – Map 5 (300 dpi promo) The Scavengers’ Deep is a reminder of the amount of work that went into underground structures during the great war. Generally, the elves …

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[Eyes of Nine]

Expect more maps of the Scavengers’ Deep over the coming months, probably at a rate of one map per month.

Whoah - how big do you think this will be when you are done? Or is it just something you are having fun with adding to it as you go?

 

[Dyson Logos]

Whoah - how big do you think this will be when you are done? Or is it just something you are having fun with adding to it as you go?

The original idea I had was something that could be printed at 4 squares per inch on a king sized duvet cover. But that would be 9 x 7 maps in total - which would take 5 years at the current rate of 1 map per month.

Then it shrunk to a mere 6 feet x 6 feet (48 feet x 48 feet if printed at miniature scale) and that is a 3 year project, a bit more attainable.

But really, as you suggested, it is something I'll keep up with until I no longer feel like keeping up with it.

 

[Dyson Logos]

The Oracle of Sabre Lake

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&D3x. Each campaign focused on different elements of the region – although two of them shared the same intro arc starting with Goblin Gully and then dealing with the horrible thing that was inadvertently released while exploring that site.

The one element that recurs in every campaign I’ve run here is the Oracle or Seer of Sabre Lake. I’ve even had two other campaigns come to Sabre Lake over the years to visit the Oracle of Sabre Lake.

To visit the Oracle, one first visits their shrine in the Citadel of Sabre Lake (a city on the opposite shore of the long lake), where (when plied with silver and sob stories) their acolytes will fill you in on what is needed for you to be granted an audience.

Generally, it involves renting a nice boat (often from a friend or family member of one of the acolytes), getting it loaded up with expensive or weird things that are useless to you (a samite sail, really? Let me guess, your sister weaves samite?) (Thirty-four feathers from seventeen different swans?), and sailing across the lake to visit.

Those who do not complete the tasks assigned find only a rocky shore and a shallow stony valley.

Guests who have completed the tasks set out for them will find a stony trail at the shore that leads to a much larger valley surrounded by ancient marble ruins with a great amphitheatre at the bottom. On most visits, there is a test at this point that is typically administered by the Oracle’s massive centaur guardian or sometimes by other supplicants or local wildlife – we’ve had challenges ranging from arm-wrestling a bear, feeding a hungry chickadee, to beating the centaur champion at chess). And then the Seer grants you the assistance of their knowledge and visions.

Or just tells you useless riddles.

The 1200 dpi versions of the map were drawn at a scale of 300 pixels per square and are 10,200 x 12,600 pixels (34 x 42 squares). To use this with a VTT you would need to resize the squares to either 70 pixels (for 5′ squares) or 140 pixels (for the 10‘ squares that this map was drawn envisioning – otherwise the oracle’s house is teeeeeny) – so resizing the image to 2,380 x 2,940 pixels or 4,760 x 5,880 pixels, respectively.

The Oracle of Sabre Lake

The Oracle of Sabre Lake (300 dpi promo) 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&D3x. Each c…

dysonlogos.blog

 

[Yaarel]

For Scavengers Deep, I would probably make the "slave species" be various kinds of Golems. This helps D&D avoid normalizing slavery, and makes the culture that makes the Golems less necessarily Evil.

 

[Dyson Logos]

For Scavengers Deep, I would probably make the "slave species" be various kinds of Golems. This helps D&D avoid normalizing slavery, and makes the culture that makes the Golems less necessarily Evil.

The point of it for my games is that the old elven empire WAS hugely evil. It's the equivalent of the Melniboneans, but they created humans, and then later during that war, created a whole new series of slave species that are essentially the Thrulls from the old M:tG sets.

Elves aren't evil by default, but the old empire certainly was.

But it is an old setting - I've been running this since '81 and always had the collapse of the interdimensional evil elven empire as the background of the setting.