D&D General Town Maps from my Completed Campaign

[BookTenTiger]

These maps are really cool, great job. I'm really digging the smaller area, localized, yet minimalist approach. You've given me a new design approach to think about when creating my next town/village map.

Do you have any of a larger town?

I'll post a city tomorrow!

 

[R_J_K75]

I'll post a city tomorrow!

Great thanks, looking forward to seeing it. Until then, have a good one!

 

[BookTenTiger]

This is one of my favorite maps I made! Looking at it now, it's not a very big city, but it's the biggest city in my campaign.

Seabriar is a walled seaside city standing in the shadow of the Vampire Queen's castle. It is a safe haven for pirates, thieves, gambles, and artisans. Living behind the walls comes at a cost; some nights, the Vampire Queen flies down to kidnap unaware revelers!

Brackish Bay: Seabriar sits at the mouth of Brackish Bay. The rest of the valley is surrounded by impassable swamps and towering mountains; the bay provides entry for merchants and sailors from all over the realms.

Crabber's Den: The Crabber’s Den is a squalid little neighborhood of shanty homes and tents outside the Mud Gate, which is broken and never opened. There is a hole in the gate that the Crabbers easily pass through. The Shipbreakers of Crabber’s Den trawl up old ships and break them apart to sell for scrap. They also beg in the streets, steal, and commit other small crimes to get by.

Dragon Market: The Dragon Market is a massive indoor market and neighborhood full of a hundred different shops. Everything can be bought here, including foreign animals and goods from around the world. It is run by a business syndicate overseen by Kalonius, the “Black Dragon of Seabriar.” He uses his thugs to make sure almost every shop in Seabriar is either located in the Dragon Market, and thus pays rent, or pays the Dragon Market for the right to exist outside.

Ember River: The Ember River runs from a waterfall at the base of the Ember Keep, a gothic castle inhabited by the Vampire Queen.

House of Silver Smiles: A massive casino run by a mysterious figure known as Mr. Bones (secretly a Bone Devil in disguise). His gang of enforcers, known as Silver Smiles, clash often with Kalonius (the master of the Dragon Market) for control over Seabriar. The vampire lord of Seabriar, the Merry Lord Montblanc, is often seen enjoying the games and entertainment in this huge, decadent House.

Merry Manor: The seat of the Merry Lord Montblanc, vampire lord of Seabriar. It is a hedonist's dream, full of music, feasts, and hallucinogenic incense.

Merry Theatre: Every night, the Merry Theatre puts on a different show in its outdoor stage. They say the amphitheater was once used as a temple to forgotten gods. Now its is the Merry Lord Montblanc's nightly entertainment.

• Sunday: opera
• Monday: slaying of a beast
• Tuesday: play
• Wednesday: acrobatics
• Thursday: illusions and conjuration
• Friday: play
• Saturday: music

Rivergate: Travelers on foot or raft come to the Rivergate in order to enter Seabriar. There, they must deal with the corrupt Seabriar Guards, who charge whatever toll they desire.

Shipsgate: Travelers by ship dock at the Shipsgate. The rate for docking is 5 sp per capacity, paid per week. The Shipsgate is extremely busy, with smugglers and sailors from all over the world stopping here. It is also a dangerous place, filled with pickpockets, charlatans, and kidnappers.

Stonehold: A terrible prison, built in the remains of one of the holds of an ancient order of knights. The prisoners here, usually debtors or political enemies, often rot away in the cells until they are sent as chattel to the Vampire Queen.

 

[R_J_K75]

This is one of my favorite maps I made! Looking at it now, it's not a very big city, but it's the biggest city in my campaign.

I think it's great. I'm assuming from your previous comments that the maps labels are not 100% representative of everything that's there and there's room for improvisational additions or adding things between sessions.

 

[BookTenTiger]

I think it's great. I'm assuming from your previous comments that the maps labels are not 100% representative of everything that's there and there's room for improvisational additions or adding things between sessions.

Yes, that's it exactly.

In general, my design philosophy is to put down things on the map that either I want the characters to interact with, or that add to the theme of the location. However, there are obviously going to be a lot of things there that would either crowd the map or that I simply don't think of in advance.

Usually when we get to a new town, the characters will investigate some of the labeled stuff that looks interesting. Inevitably, someone will ask, "Is there a smithy?" (or some other place) and the answer is usually Yes! Sometimes I even add it to the map, either drawing on top (on Roll20), or editing the map itself.

 

[BookTenTiger]

Just for fun, here's a map of the inside of the Citadel of Eternal Sorrows from the Vetch map. I used the "Ooze Master" stat block for the Revered Oriandos, with some added vampiric powers. The idea is that he is this very well-put together priest who, when angered, suddenly melts into this vampiric blob. He has some difficulty controlling his form, and experiments with elixirs made from his victims. He lives in a glass-walled atrium at the very top of the tower, with small gaps under the walls so he can ooze between during combat!

 

[payn]

Very nice. Is there something like Inkarnate for Sci-Fi themes? I need maps, lots of them!

 

[R_J_K75]

Yes, that's it exactly.

In general, my design philosophy is to put down things on the map that either I want the characters to interact with, or that add to the theme of the location. However, there are obviously going to be a lot of things there that would either crowd the map or that I simply don't think of in advance.

Usually when we get to a new town, the characters will investigate some of the labeled stuff that looks interesting. Inevitably, someone will ask, "Is there a smithy?" (or some other place) and the answer is usually Yes! Sometimes I even add it to the map, either drawing on top (on Roll20), or editing the map itself.

Pretty much the same as I do it as well. I'll have the players come in one gate depending on which direction they come and describe what they see that stands out immediately from a high level view and then add smaller details as they investigate. I always liked Waterdeep but its just so big its hard not to info dumping the PCs. When you have PCs that are from the city its even harder. I learned from my mistakes years ago to start small.