Quick 4E encounter map

[Jacktannery]

I've got a little distracted from Gardmore Abbey recently.

This is not a very good map (I threw it together for my PCs superfast) but I decided to post it here anyway since a number of people mentioned 4E maps recently on these forums, and this one is a good and fun battle map. I include the terrain notes. The concept of this map is that PCs (mine are level 6) start in the southwest and there are lots of enemies (preferably ghouls with grab-powers) everywhere. After X amount of turns d6 more enemies enter from the east every turn, so they have to be quick. Encounter ends when PCs manage to get inside the locked building at the top of the pyramid (they can't win by defeating the enemy).

There is a version with gate open and gate closed, and with secret passage visible and invisible.

Trees are by Kepli, totem poles and rubble downloaded from dunjinni, the stone pyramid texture and the roof on top was downloaded from these forums.

Base Map1.jpg Base Map2.jpg notes.jpg

This is my new way of doing terrain notes from my PCs. I've also tried it with the latest Slaying Stone encounter I'm running (for a different group obviously) – for example:

Encounter 7 - terrain notes.jpg

[Lukc]

If this is your idea of a "quick" map ... I'd love to see what you consider a "good" map!

It looks good, and with the notes it works very well.

[Gidde]

This is great! Your use of dl'd textures and symbols to make a really cool map gives me hope that one day I may make an encounter map worth putting players on.

[jfrazierjr]

Very nice...

I would suggest some triangular shadows to indicate depth for the steps(or something). This is especially needed on the steps top 4 or so steps where the steps themselves are above the pyramid "steps". As an alternative, you could use a forced perspective for the walls, but that's probably too much work and would likely require you to make the "walls" for the pyramid "steps" also to keep the same perspective...

[Bogie]

Great Maps Jack! Not bad at all for a quick throw-together! Tweak the shadows a little like JFrazierjr said and it's fantastic.
I've been on Dundjinni for years and I never saw those totem poles before, a quick search and there they were, good find.

[Jacktannery]

Thanks guys - this map is already half-way through the encounter so no time to improve shadows - that's why I said it was a bit unfinished. I agree the shadows on the pyramid could have been improved a lot; if only my players had gone a different route...

The totem poles are great but they have an unfortunate whitish glow around them, which I would have removed by hand had I more time to do things properly.