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RoninDude — Battlemap - Sewers - Random encounter maps
Published: 2017-11-12 14:00:06 +0000 UTC; Views: 34351; Favourites: 301; Downloads: 1313
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Description
***Free to use, for non-profit/non-commercial purposes.***The crates that are everywhere are specific to my campaign. The bandits in my campaign dispose of the empty/looted crates, from shipments they steal, in the sewers. Then they use the rubble to set traps in (which my players discovered the hard way).
I actually drew 4 different maps to use, for random sewer encounters. If your game has a big part of it in a sewer, than it might be useful to have several map variants, for random encounters. Here's 4:
sta.sh/21z92w8ca9j8
They are pretty simple, because I just wanted something nicer looking than a chessex dry erase battlemat. So while it could be better, it works well enough. I have more interesting maps coming, once I get through these first ones that I did.
***"NO CRITIQUE PLEASE" ***
I never intended to share my battlemaps here, and there's things I would change if I knew I was going to share them online, where countless experts can view and judge... So I am not really looking for critique. But while I am still learning how to illustrate the maps to read better, I felt like I would share them, here. If people like them, I may post more, because I have made a lot of maps, and I plan to make a lot more! Just keep in mind they are free, and were originally meant for just me and my friends to have a "pretty" set piece at our weekly game table.
***PRINTING METHODS***
Printing a map this size on one sheet requires poster sized prints, which is really expensive. It can run anywhere from $40-$100 or more, in some places. However, if you print them onto several sheets of regular printer paper and tape them together, it's much cheaper, usually only costing a few dollars. here's how I do it:
1. Download a program called PosteRazor. It's a freeware program that can output a PDF file that separates a larger image into smaller sections that can be printed on regular sized paper. Here's the link: posterazor.sourceforge.net/
2. Upload the map image file into PosteRazor, and choose your settings based on your desired output. You can select the papersize (I choose US Letter size), printer margins, overlapping size (for where individual sheets meet), image size/scale, and image alignment. The last step, once you have the settings how you want them, is to export it into a PDF document, for print.
3. Take/send your PDF file to your local print shop, and ask them to print each page of the PDF file on your chosen paper size (I use US Letter size). Paper size must be the same as whatever you chose in PosteRazor.
4. Take the printed sheets home and use a hobby knife and a ruler (or scissors, if that's all you have), and trim off the white borders where the image was not printed, on each sheet.
5. Tape the trimmed sheets together, where they match on the printed image.
6. Enjoy your map!
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Comments: 47
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Say the players wanted to meticulously check every crate and barrel, but you don't want to put anything super valuable in them since technically they've all been looted. If one or more players roll a crit20 during the search, how would you reward them sensibly?
I know I'll put something that progresses a separate story line in the future, like a broken heirloom that looks unimpressive at first but becomes privotal to the plot.
Just asking a DM to DM kind of question.
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Have a list of loot that sounds fancy and seems like a plot item but is actually functionless. Then later on when they are off the plot you can make up a plot that needs the thing that they have to lure them back. I did this with a headless black coin.
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That sounds like a great idea!
I tend to make stuff up on the spot and need to make a note of it after. It's funny when a player tells me about an item they want to check out and I completely forgot about it, especially when they bring it back up after 20 sessions!
I start furiously looking around for the notes on the item and I realize that I didn't have anything on it, LMAO!
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I have a great player who takes notes on EVERYTHING! its like having Javascript for our sessions! I dont tak any notes after i just get that player to Whatsapp me them!
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Good question!
Personally, I don't generally change the world based on rolls. I mean, sure, if I know there will be treasure in a tomb, I will decide the treasure table to roll on, and let the players roll as they crack each sarcophagus or earn or whatever open. That's a lot of fun, but I already decided that the tomb has a possibility of holding treasure. If I have already decided that it's empty, well, they won't find anything, no matter what they roll.
I don't give natural 20 roles reality-bending effects. For example, let's say a party member with really high charisma tells the king that he should step down and let the player rule, and roles a natural 20 on his persuasion check. In that case, I'd say something like "Oh, natural twenty, eh? That means the king thinks you are a funny fellow, and decides not to have his elite guard execute you on the spot." So in short, 20's count as a best possible outcome sort of thing, in my game. Whatever the outcome, it's gotta be something that could actually happen.
Sometimes players spend tons of time on things that just are a waste of time. That's part of the game. I don't reward them for effort, I reward them for success. If they search a room that I have already decided is devoid of treasure or secrets, I don't manifest them just because someone rolled a natural 20. I might just give them a bit more information about the area that they searched, even if it's just "you notice that these barrels are the sort that would usually carry expensive wine, made by dwarves of the blahblah region" or something like that. But I won't just manifest their desires, just because of a natural 20. In your example, yeah, treasure could be in a crate or barrel, but if I have already decided that it's empty, then, if I am feeling generous, the best they could get from a nat20 roll would be for me to roll on the individual treasure table (DM Guide, page 136) and give them that. Of course, this isn't a hard rule. I might just say nope, it's empty, or I might shower them with loot. But generally, I tend to plan out where the treasure is, or where it could possibly be.
to add to that, I make sure that the players have opportunities to find treasure. I don't give it at regular intervals, I give it when it makes sense. So the players have to put themselves into situations where they are more likely to find treasure. This is because we are more a sandbox game sort of table. I build the world around them ahead of time, and just let them do what they want, and the world reacts according to the parameters I have set. I had an issue early in my campaign, where the players would avoid any potential threat that was outside of their main objectives. If they had to rescue someone from goblins, they would sneak past every obstacle, and avoid threats that seemed off the main path. Then, one player approached me and mentioned that they are enjoying the game but that they think it'd be nice to get some actual treasure. I told them that they have literally walked passed most of the treasure, so far. Then I made it clear to the group that if they want treasure, they are gonna have to take some risks. Because I won't leave treasure just out in the open. If it's out in the open, someone else will have likely grabbed it. Even monsters in dungeons will grab loose treasure and hoard it somewhere they think is safe. So you gotta get passed that trapped hallway. You gotta take out that crazy beast chained to that door. You gotta think like someone who is trying to protect their wealth from plunderers. The treasure is behind the risks. After that, they got on board and started finding some of the treasure I had planted around, and the game got better for it, due to all the risk/reward play. Now they cheer when they find treasure, and actively weigh out each risk as it comes.
I am not the sort of DM who rewards you just for playing. I don't just dole out treasure at level intervals. It's gotta make sense. A pack of wolves aren't likely gonna be walking around with gold. Sea monsters that attack a ship aren't going to be carrying treasure. And I won't just drop treasure in front of players, just for playing. You gotta take risks and go where the treasure is. Sometimes you might find something. Sometimes you wont. It'll be dangerous either way. Welcome to the life of an adventurer! ...At least in my game.
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Thank you for the detailed response.
I am the type of DM that write down pointers as to what could happen and leave most of the story to the roll of the dice, which is something I highly enjoy. I know it makes things a little difficult on the DM side to come up with something new on the spot, but it makes the story something not even I can anticipate.
If you see my DM table, I'm literally like Matt Mercer from Critical Role, I have a tonne of stuff on the side of things that could happen and even stuff where I could throw in, which I call the unexpected event pile.
I too don't like to dish out gold if unnecessary, but I do have a detailed list of Treasures and Objects/Items, which have little to no effect in the world. Usually, during an unexpectedly hilariously low or high roll, I love throwing something as a loot. When they throw it away because they think it is unimportant, I bring it up again as something vital and watch them run about and backtrack finding some way to retrieve the item.
I have players scared to throw things away and getting encumbered because they are afraid to lose something super vital. They have vaults of items dedicated to items that have yet to yield importance, LOL!
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There's certainly a lot of different ways to go about it! And so long as everyone at the table is, overall, having fun, then I suppose that's the most important part.
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This killed my printer, lol! Next time i'll follow your directions and go to a print shop!
Was very much worth the ink though, thanks again for sharing these with us
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Haha yeah, that's why I just go to the print shop. Glad you enjoy these! More are coming.
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Ah...................the sewers. So many times I fought in there.
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It seems a staple in almost every game, doesn't it? XD
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HAhahahahahahaha yeah, you're right about that.
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I love the idea of using discarded crates to build traps! You'd never know what was lootable, what was just trash, or what was a trap waiting to be sprung!
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My players picked it up right away that the bandits must be discarding the opened crates from their cargo theft jobs in the sewers, but they didn't think to check for traps until it was too late. They are much more careful, now. XD
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I bet they check every crate for traps
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Another great map. I'm almost jealous I'm not playing with you, if this is the sort of thing you turn out for a game.
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Haha thanks for the complement, man! It's just fun to spice things up a bit at the table, and it's a good break from doing pinup work, every so often. XD
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Soo they discovered the traps the hard way? Amma curious...
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Meaning one of them triggered a trap.
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Who stores wooden crates in a sewer? That's asking for them to rot.
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The bandits in my campaign stash the empty crates from shipments they steal in the sewers. Then they use the rubble to set traps in (which my players discovered the hard way). I probably should have mentioned that in the description. XD
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You are quite welcome!
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Looks, very flavorful and neat. Working on my own map designs and such. Keep up the good work.
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Thanks! And cool! It's fun, isn't it?
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It took me a second but i see now what is the water, shouldn’t it look more disgusting given that it is the sewer?
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