Betcha thought this was a derelict blog huh? Maybe. We'll see if this is one of those 'do one post after a long dry spell in a last ditch attempt to revive it which promptly fails' posts. Wouldn't be the first time a project has gone that way!
What have I been up to? This pandemic moved all my games online, of course. So most of my D&D energy has been dedicated to learning how to run that. Roll20 is a learning curve I tell you, and I went down a bit of a rabbit hole where I decided every NPC and monster needed their own stat blocks typed in by hand.
But now that I've got a handle on that, I've been turning a bit more to art, creating stuff to add to my games. So we'll see if that's a new element which can help me revive my passions for this blog. At any rate, I'm happy with the content I have for this post!
Behold, the Kraken's Eye, an new, cool, squamous-eldritch-horror battlemap for your roll20 (or other) needs:
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| Click to Embiggen, ofc 15x17 in case you're wondering |
This is ostensibly for the adventure 'Kraken Corpse Delve' (thanks to the estimable Bryce for his excellent review of the module). But really, what game doesn't call for a tense encounter perched on the eyeball of some lovecraftian horror? If you can't use this at SOME point in your game, well I don't want to tell you you're running your game wrong, but you may be running your game wrong.
Now the one problem with that module is the lack of maps. I know, 'theatre of the mind,' but for online games in particular I find an evocative map or illustration is a good way to focus the group's attention. In addition, the very same weird nature of the geography that would make a traditional dungeon map very hard to draw makes the use of a battle map potentially even more important. If I have no idea if a character is above, below, behind, or entirely distant from, another character, how can players be expected to keep track? This are narrow, asymmetrical spaces. I do like the claustrophobia and confusion a purely imagined space helps evoke, and for the majority of this adventure I'll stick to descriptions... but for certain key locations, a map adds a nice touch.
So here's the first, and the first one that caught my attention: a great eye, from which eye-monsters burst. The eye also functions as a kind of 'hatch,' and after it's ruptured or pried loose the players can climb down through the socket to access the next level of the 'dungeon.' I will be following it up (hopefully, if I don't get distracted and never return to this blog again) with a few other maps: the gills I think were one, and the portal room inside what I think is the kraken's brain? And maybe a few other mini-maps. I am intrigued by the idea of illustrating the section of the creatures claws 'jumbled together like lions' or something, even though I'm not sure any fights take place there. You'll have to add one of your own.
A few notes:
- the initial 'entrance' is intended to be via climbing down the long pink tentacle. However clambering over the large orange leg, rappling from the ceiling, or even clambering out of the pit, are all options depending on how you use the map.
- I hope I successfully conveyed height and distance. It's clear to ME, but I already know what it all means. In brief, the broken bits of shell are intended to be platforms, at least 5-10 feet off the 'ground, and the bottom right section features a set of rough, broken 'stair's that leads down to the green tendril-tentacle. The orange legs are either catwalks or 'ladders' to clamber around on. The shadowy area to the right is a chasm and is intended to be pretty deep (and full of weird spines and tentacles and glowing lights). the brown wall to the left, and the rock wall at the top, are intended to be, well, walls- maybe a little sloping, but really hard to actually STAND on. The jutting rock in the bottom right corner is intended as another kind of platform.
- the green-yellow tentacles should probably try to sting you if you step on them.
- there's a lot of 'difficult terrain' on this map, but in general the large purplish area of skin is pretty clear and easy to move across. Use your discretion in other areas, and of course clearly communicate to players what challenges they might face moving around the space.
- I didn't put as much shadow in as I normally would, as over-shaded maps are a pet peeve of mine in roll20. Because you can set up light sources in the browser, having lighting too 'baked in' to the illustration itself sort of breaks immersion or limits flexibility. I'd place some light sources coming from the eyes, the glowing tentacles, or just some ambient light from the ceiling (fungus of course). However, I would be interested what other people's thoughts are on the matter. More shadows??
Let me know if you use it, how it works for ya, and if you use it for any games that aren't part of the 'kraken corpse' module!
Ok see ya, and fingers crossed for the next post ;)
- the green-yellow tentacles should probably try to sting you if you step on them.
- there's a lot of 'difficult terrain' on this map, but in general the large purplish area of skin is pretty clear and easy to move across. Use your discretion in other areas, and of course clearly communicate to players what challenges they might face moving around the space.
- I didn't put as much shadow in as I normally would, as over-shaded maps are a pet peeve of mine in roll20. Because you can set up light sources in the browser, having lighting too 'baked in' to the illustration itself sort of breaks immersion or limits flexibility. I'd place some light sources coming from the eyes, the glowing tentacles, or just some ambient light from the ceiling (fungus of course). However, I would be interested what other people's thoughts are on the matter. More shadows??
Let me know if you use it, how it works for ya, and if you use it for any games that aren't part of the 'kraken corpse' module!
Ok see ya, and fingers crossed for the next post ;)
Good to have you back!
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