The Darkbelow Caverns

Lorelei · May 2016

And yet another caffeine high after a late night of gaming with the family for International Tabletop Day! We played Risk for HOURS. I haven't done that in years. It was good, and tense (lol) times, with wars breaking out all across the lands! So, of course, instead of going to bed, i spent a few hours and made this map up..

The Darkbelow (the Underdark for a Faerun reference) caverns are where my adventurers may find themselves as they embark on a quest for a Pool of Radiance, believed to have been lost in an ancient city that was swallowed by the earth in a cataclysmic event. After delving deeper into the Darkbelow through the caverns leading from the dwarven Duskforge Mines (map displayed in previous posts), what terrors might our adventurers find in this dark and unforgiving place? Mwahwahaaahhaaaaa.......

CharlesWayneRobinson · May 2016

Awesome!

Gathar · May 2016

You said you did this in a few hours?!! A few days would be more believable to me! I especially like the 3D feel of the whole map. It really add to the "realism" of the setting, compared to a flat map.

Barliman · May 2016

I agree about the 3D feel: really well done. I've a question about scale: how tall are the steps between caverns? Taller than a man?

CharlesWayneRobinson · May 2016

Barliman,

I think the stakes with the skulls on them in the top left corner gives a pretty decent idea of scale.
There is also a skeleton in the bottom of a pit.
It is slightly smaller, but that seems relevant to the fact that it is farther away since it is in the bottom of the pit.
That does make the scale of the bridge a little on the small side I think.

Great mix of symbols from different sets!
I did the same thing as you did with the crevasse, except I had a lava flow in the bottom instead of water.

Lorelei · May 2016

Posted By: BarlimanI agree about the 3D feel: really well done. I've a question about scale: how tall are the steps between caverns? Taller than a man?

Most of the cliffs are about the size of a man or so life 5 or 6' high, with one or two a bit higher or smaller. And yes, i made the skeleton smaller to try to give the impression the pit was very deep. Also, the footbridge is quite small, but i meant it to be about only 3' wide...i wanted it a treacherous walk across the crevasse, and it was meant to imply that a "smaller" race like perhaps some goblins may have constructed it and are nearby

Posted By: CharlesWayneRobinsonBarliman,

Great mix of symbols from different sets!
I did the same thing as you did with the crevasse, except I had a lava flow in the bottom instead of water.

Thanks! I usually mix up symbols from different sets, as well, as some great ones i've found online. I've been building up quite an image library! It really gives me plenty of options.

Posted By: GatharYou said you did this in a few hours?!! A few days would be more believable to me! I especially like the 3D feel of the whole map. It really add to the "realism" of the setting, compared to a flat map.

Awe, thanks...but really, a few hours. I had the background and floor already in place from my Dwarven Mines maps, so that was a big time saver having that Template. Otherwise, what really took the longest was the water....i wanted that to really look like a sunken river and lake.

Lorelei · May 2016

Below is the copy i'll actually print up for my players. The grid is 5'

Lorelei · May 2016

High resolution link:

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c240/ctrani/Darkbelow caverns.png

Tonnichiwa · May 2016

These look fantastic Lorelei! With as much practice as you have had, you can certainly see the quality of your battle maps improving every time you do them. It's really fun to watch your improvement.

Lorelei · May 2016

Thank you tonnichiwa! This one is a particular favorite of mine! I cant wait till my players get here!

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The Darkbelow Caverns

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