As part of my continuing roll20 DMing I've been making a few battlemaps.
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My intention was to make this fairly generic, so it's basically usable as an extension of a random encounter type situation. However, it occurs to me that a few features might benefit from some explanation, so I'll include a quick key:
1. Path leading to nest is well worn- owlbears don't care much about being tracked, because who would be dumb enough to mess with an owlbear in their lair? I included this for the non-zero chance that the players will try to lure the owlbear out or ambush it, in which case the entire rest of the map might be redundant. Oh well!
2. Entrance set between some enormous tree roots. Entrance is wide but low to the ground, and a bit steep, requiring an easy climb check to descend- which is fine when you can take your time, but if you're, say, being chased by an owlbear it's a lot harder. If I wanted to add on to this map, I would build the bluff above the entrance, and the branches of the enormous tree. What could live up in the tree that would happily coexist with an owlbear? Maybe some scavenging harpies? Harpies sound fun.
2. Entrance set between some enormous tree roots. Entrance is wide but low to the ground, and a bit steep, requiring an easy climb check to descend- which is fine when you can take your time, but if you're, say, being chased by an owlbear it's a lot harder. If I wanted to add on to this map, I would build the bluff above the entrance, and the branches of the enormous tree. What could live up in the tree that would happily coexist with an owlbear? Maybe some scavenging harpies? Harpies sound fun.
3. Mud-trough entrance. Owlbear doesn't get impeded, but humanoid characters slip and fall in the mud easily (as a Grease spell)
4. Owlbears like fresh food, especially to feed newly-hatched chicks (owlbears supplement their lactation with drip-fed blood). This owlbear has broken the legs of an unfortunate peasant and stuffed them in this hole- if he hears anyone he calls for help, possibly alerting the owlbear.
5. Passageway north partly blocked by roots. Acrobatics to wiggle through, Athletics to lift out of the way. Roots are infested with numerous small poisonous owlbear mites.
6. Dead end passageway, fresh claw marks on the wall. Owlbear has been working on a new passageway. Lots of roots, some glowing mushrooms- magic! If anyone know any good magic mushroom tables let me know. Elfmaids & Octopi probably does, right?
7. The owlbear's vomitorium. Numerous owlbear pellets in differing stages of decomposition. Each 10 minutes spent searching, character can roll to find something random. Successful check find an at-least-somewhat-useful magic item, failure roll on the Random Junk table. Make sure to describe the junk in an owlbear-themed way!
I do love rot grubs, so feel free to sprinkle some in here. This variety of rot grub doesn't infest owlbears, naturally (or maybe they do, just not fatally, so owlbear flesh is notoriously worm-ridden).
Wall to the south is very thin, can be broken through, either by an adventurer or an owlbear. Owlbear uses this as an escape route, although it's unlikely to flee from puny humans. It only cares about bigger owlbears, or dragons.
I do love rot grubs, so feel free to sprinkle some in here. This variety of rot grub doesn't infest owlbears, naturally (or maybe they do, just not fatally, so owlbear flesh is notoriously worm-ridden).
Wall to the south is very thin, can be broken through, either by an adventurer or an owlbear. Owlbear uses this as an escape route, although it's unlikely to flee from puny humans. It only cares about bigger owlbears, or dragons.
8. This low part of the cave is filled with slick, deep, grey mud. Enough to drown in, but if you find a rock to stand on and balance carefully you can keep your head above the mud. The owlbear is too big to fall in (the ceiling is quite low), but it will happily punt an intruder into the mud- although not if there's only one intruder, because then it wouldn't have a nice snack for when the fight is over.
9. Owlbear has a cozy, dry sleeping nest made of leaves and sticks, and a round incubating nest with eggs. Nest is packed with manure, which the owlbear carefully adds and subtracts from to maintain the correct amount of heat.
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