Shipwreck Battlemap

[torstan]

Here's a battle map for a shipwreck created for the cartographer's guild May contest. The version posted there is compressed to below the 75kb challenge limit but this one is the uncompressed version, though still under 200kb.



If you've been following the contest, the voting is now open over there. There's a great selection of maps. Definitely worth joining the guild to be able to see the maps that were created. If nothing else, it is a remarkable display of what can be achieved within 75kb for the 1280 by 1024 pixel map!

 

[torstan]

... and here's a launch to be used with the map when the players foolishly decide to investigate the 'deserted' hulk.

 

[Kryndal Levik]

Beautiful!

 

[Knightfall]

Excellent work.

 

[Kris]

Excellent! I really like the half-submerged sails.

How long did it take to complete?

 

[OtterFrenzy]

Possible mechanics for this inspiring map

I'll second that the submerged sails are very nicely and subtly done!
Also, the launch is a cute addition.

From a DMing perspective, I also think this map is very effective in that it suggests a lot of interesting possible terrain features.

Imagining a battle on the wreck the following features spring to mind:

) Rocks and Wreckage: Athletics checks (between the two halves of the wreck, the rocks and the wreck, the ruined foremast and bowsprit - DC 10 or 20 depending on whether the gap is 1 or 2 squares) or Acrobatics checks to balance moving along fallen masts or the bowsprit - probably DC 20 or so.)

) Tilted areas (mostly the half-submerged sails) and partially submerged areas. These might just be modeled as difficult terrain when heading uphill, and could also act as slides.

Angled sail: Difficult terrain. When you enter or start turn on angled sail, make an Easy Acrobatics check or drop prone and slide one square downhill. As a free action, creatures on the angled sail can slide down, landing drop prone in the first water square at the bottom.

This could be very fun with full plate wearers who may not be able to swim well, or if an aquatic beast is also present.

Submerged Deck: Difficult terrain

) What appears to be a (rotten? partially broken?) grating over a hold of some kind on the foredeck.

Rotten Grating:: Whenever enters or starts their turn on a rotten grating roll 1d6 ( -1 for size small critters, +1 for size large or encumbered creatures). On a 5 or 6 the grating collapses, all on it suffer a +4 attack vs. Reflex. Hit: Fall into the hold, 1d10 damage and prone. Miss: Character can shift to a safe adjacent square. (if all such squares are occupied, they still fall).

Characters can notice that the grating has suffered from rot and weathering with a Perception check DC 15

) Sharp broken mast ends: Any character pushed, pulled or slid into the square containing the broken mast end is impaled, suffering 1d6+3 damage

(assuming a Low normal damage expression for levels 1-3; if one or more of the handles of the capstan depicted amidships are broken they might have a similar effect)

) Entangling rigging (as depicted off the port bow): Any character pushed, pulled, or slid into entangling rigging suffers a +3 attack vs. reflex. Hit: Character is immobilized and prone (save ends).

I'm also not sure if save ends or the escape from grab mechanic would be better for the entanglement. The latter might be more fair if the entangling rigging's reflex/fort defense is low (I'd say around 8 or so?).

(depending on the level of evil, they might also be drowning, and/or immobilized could be upped to full on restrained [and getting their faces chewed off by whatever lives in the water].)

) Given all the opportunities to fall into the water, it could be possible that it might have a current, dangerous beasts (Blood Eel swarms?), be dangerously cold (if in northerly climates) etc.

All of those effects at once might be too much (especially if combined with the (inevitable?) fire that breaks out [if the ship is recently shipwrecked and not totally waterlogged] when someone's lantern tips over during the fighting), but it was fun to brainstorm some ideas.


So yeah, I think that is as much mechanical/gameplay inspiration as one can hope to induce with a map, so well done sir, well done indeed.

P.S. Although it would be a small matter to add, do you happen to have a version with suggested grid boundaries already in place?

P.P.S.S. For the record, is it OK to use this map for private gamin' enjoyment? EDIT: Ah see your sig line lays that out rather clearly.

 

[torstan]

Excellent! I'd been meaning to put together a set of rules for playing on the ship but hadn't got around to it yet. They'll do nicely!

The map took around 5 hours to put together in total. I wasn't counting so it might have been a little longer. Most of the time was actually spent trying to keep the filesize down as the challenge required that it be under 75k at 1280 by 1024.