Gargoyle Tower

[ColeonyxOnline]

This is an adventure that I wrote for my latest campaign. I use D&D 3.5, but I think the map and story are adaptable to any system.

I created the map using the latest release of GIMP for Windows. The symbols, I either made them myself (like the spiral staircase) or I imported them from Autorealm.
The story for this particular map is the following:

A partially eaten cadaver was found by merchants in one of the main trade routes. It was then transported to the nearest town and a cleric using the spell Speak with Dead got the following answer from it.

Stone wings flying free
Stone wings killing me
Stone wings death bringer
Stone wings my family's care giver

From which they concluded there is a possible link here to the gargoyles. They have killed this guy, and have possibly kidnapped his family.

The party will be sent to the tower, but not through the front door (a small army would be needed to assault the tower in that matter), they will instead use the escape route from the tower, to travel up to it.

The escape route, can be draw easily on the battlemat. I originally thought of a long tunnel, 10 ft wide and 10 ft tall, with a few areas where water would rise of to the waist. I think that going through that tunnel it would take the party about 30 minutes to finally reach the tower.

The access to that tunnel needs to be guarded. I will probably throw a very light garrison (possibly only 2 gargoyles)


Once in the tower, this is how the ground floor would look:


1 – Main hall, a gargoyle is chained up to one of the pillars (the star looking things on the map).
2 – Prisoner Area 1. You find there 3 humans, from the looks of it, they have been tortured both physically and psychologically. There is also some grain, water and feces in buckets inside the room.
3 – Prisoner Area 2. Only 2 human here. Same description as room 2.
4 – Torture chamber. Two tables are visible here, both look like have been used for torture. There is one human still alive in one of them.
5 – Well furnished room. There is one human here, signs of torture a barely visible in his features.
6 – Altar room. Room where the gargoyles worship their dark gods.
7 – Kitchen. If this tower has a kitchen, this is the closest thing to it.
8 – The escape route room. There should be at least 1 gargoyle present here.


This is how the second floor looks like:


9 – A few gargoyles standing around.
10 – This is the Big Boss' room. There should be a prisoner in there dead, with most of his body eaten out.
11 – Open air area.


Here is the key for symbols I used.



The information I left out, can be filled in to match your campaign. Such as why the gargoyles are kidnapping people and torturing them. On my campaign, the ones that are tortured are made to serve demons, in order to keep their family members alive. The torture serves to lower their will against the demons.

In my campaign, the gargoyle in chains will help you fight the Big Boss, apparently he was the boss before this dude showed up.

Hope all of this helps.

PS. This map is made primarily for B/W print. If I posted on the wrong forum, please move it to the appropriate one.

[NeonKnight]

It is a beautiful map.

Believe it or not, the photo-realistic maps to me are 'O-kay', but certainly not the greatest. Maybe I am just too old (41 next year), and have played D&D since the days of super simple maps. As a result dungeon maps I like less photo realistic, maybe a little cartoony.

But, your map is beautiful in its simplicity. It conveys exactly enough information that it needs to. Is there a door? Yes, here it is. IS there furniture or something the PCs can use in a fight, jump u on, or over, or underneath? Yep, over there.

Beautiful!

[ColeonyxOnline]

It is a beautiful map.

Believe it or not, the photo-realistic maps to me are 'O-kay', but certainly not the greatest. Maybe I am just too old (41 next year), and have played D&D since the days of super simple maps. As a result dungeon maps I like less photo realistic, maybe a little cartoony.

But, your map is beautiful in its simplicity. It conveys exactly enough information that it needs to. Is there a door? Yes, here it is. IS there furniture or something the PCs can use in a fight, jump u on, or over, or underneath? Yep, over there.

Beautiful!

Thank you for the reply. I also like simple maps that convey only the most basic info. That way I save on print cartridges and time when printing. I also find it easier to play on them, since there is less "clutter" and less confusion.

[RobA]

What is this shape

representing? (not familiar with this symbol set).

-Rob A>

[Midgardsormr]

I'd say door. The curve represents the path the door will take when opened, no?

[jaerdaph]

What is this shape representing? (not familiar with this symbol set).

When I saw the double version of that symbol in the map above, all I could think of was this scene from Young Frankenstein:

http://www.phattie.net/dawg_wavs/youngf/knockers.wav

[ColeonyxOnline]

What is this shape
Attachment 1566
representing? (not familiar with this symbol set).

-Rob A>

Yep, it's a door. Thanks for pointing that out, I will post a key for the symbols shortly.

When I saw the double version of that symbol in the map above, all I could think of was this scene from Young Frankenstein:

http://www.phattie.net/dawg_wavs/youngf/knockers.wav

LOL, now I have to get a better symbol for the doors (either that or add the Knob), but maybe not, I usually don't print the doors on the maps I show the players. I actually only print the items the players cannot easily move (pillars, walls, large bookstands), with the exception of the staircases. I have the players search the rooms for them

If anyone plays the same way, and wants the GIMP source file, feel free to ask.

[Midgardsormr]

I typically use a quarter-circle section for my doors and break the line of the wall, so it's very clear where both the hinge and the hole are. I've got players who like to use doors as tactical tools, though, so it behooves me to make sure they're well-defined ahead of time.