More Map-a-Weeks

It's the end of August, and there are two more Map-a-Week offerings to look at. The first is a 60-line Legend to mark out the contents of a map, and the second is a map of several sets of Ruins. There are only 54 numbered locations on this map, though.

Now, the ruins can be linked together if you so desire; there are connection points that could, with some minor effort, be used to travel from one map to the next. There are also stairs on each map, but unless you're linking them all with a single spiral staircase, you won't be able to use the stairs to connect all the maps; there's only one staircase per map.

Each map has a minimum of two entry points that can lead outside or elsewhere in a ruined complex, so the maps can be used almost as geomorphs if you so desire. They don't line up perfectly, but it's easy enough to add a short corridor with a curve in it to fix those discrepancies.

The five maps all suggest underground complexes; only the last one has no actual ruined part. The other four show passages blocked by rubble, or natural caverns, or collapsed rooms. The first map is the largest, with 15 numbered areas; none of the other have more than 12. So they would be suitable for quick adventures as independent dungeon areas. Really, these maps can be used for all sorts of different things; that's the beauty of generic maps in D&D.

I'm spending a lot of time talking about this map because that's all there is for today and for August. But I've got prior maps to look at as well so I can continue my development of the Tasiri campaign setting. The second village map is going to show up as a sister-town to Highwich, the town I started developing yesterday.

There are a few points of note to this map that differ it from the first one. First of all, there aren't any larger buildings to compare with the mining offices or barracks of Highwich. Second, the rubble outside the village on the left side (and at the top-left of the map) isn't rocks; it's destroyed buildings. So this town has seen a worse time of it than Highwich, at least so far. I'm going to call it...Hollowcross. It's about fifteen miles away from Highwich, and closer to the raiding goblins. Stone is the most valuable building material, and it's inhabited by really stubborn people.

All the buildings in town are reinforced with stone walls. The exteriors are bleak and forbidding; the interiors are a bit more decorated, but everything in town is functional. It has to be; there's no time for frivolities here. Let's look at the numbered areas.

1. Main Entrance. Locked and heavily guarded at all times.

2. Training Area. Space is at a premium in Hollowcross, but they have to know how to fight, so this is where they do that.

3. Barracks. These buildings serve as town walls and hold several militiamen.

4. Guard Building. It's also long enough to serve as an archery range.

5. Town Square. When they do have time for relaxing, this is the best place for it.

6. Sally Postern. A secret door in the wall here lets troops out to avoid being seen by enemies.

7. Temple of Kord.

8. Stables.

9. The Running Giant Inn and Tavern. This is an even better place for relaxing in your spare time.

10. Apartments. Several families live in this building in separate quarters.

11. Blacksmith's Shop.

12. Guard Tower.

13. Druid's Home. Yes, they have a local druid who ensures the safety of their well and animals.

14. There is no #14 on the map. But it's the wizard's home, and no one is exactly sure where it is.

15. Fletcher's Home. Arrows and bows are very popular in this town.

16. Barracks. There's a lot of soldiery going on here, isn't there?

17. Leatherworker. He makes armor as well as shoes.

18. Guard Tower.

19. Alchemist's Home. He makes surprises for the goblins, and I don't mean the kind you want to get on your birthday.

20. Burgher's Home. The town's leader lives here and holds councils of war.

Well, this is definitely a war-weary place. There's not much time for anything else, it seems. I guess the raids are far more common at Hollowcross than at Highwich. So this village doubles as a fortress, I suppose. It could even be considered a keep...on the borderlands.

All seriousness aside, the goblins must be pretty prevalent in this region, so there are going to be a couple of tribes not too far away that like to outdo each other in raiding and pillaging. Maybe this is a more recent occurrence, which would suggest that the village used to be more peaceful. So why are the goblins even here? We'll find out in a future installment, I suppose. I'm just going to make it up, anyway.

So, that concludes our August festivities. I've certainly enjoyed this trip down history's memory lane so far, and I'm looking forward to a busy August. I've got the Dungeon Master's Guide on the way along with a few other accessories and a pair of magazines. This should be fun. See you in September.