*** July Challenge - Ambush Encounter Inside the Local Watering Hole ***

[RPMiller]

Create a portion of an encounter map geared for either miniatures or VT (Virtual Tabletop) based only on the description provided below.

The PCs find themselves seated in the main bar at a local watering hole. All around them customers talk, drink and eat as servers move about the area. The noise of external traffic rises and lowers as patrons come and go.

Along the entire west wall of the main room runs a deep, long counter behind which is a door to the the proprietor's quarters. Also in the west wall is a doorway leading to the salon area, reserved for those with the money to spend. To the north is a short corridor leading to a pair of doors and then to the entrance to the building proper. Next to the corridor, also along the north wall is a staircase leading up to a gallery which runs along the north and eastern walls. A branching corridor south leads to a number of private alcoves, a favorite location for secret dealings. The south corridor terminates at the entrance to a courtyard.

On the east wall is access to the second floor, which houses rooms for paying guests and the living quarters of the proprietor and his family. Also in the east wall is a door leading to a garden with more seating for guests.

Set into the floor of the bar area is a door leading down to a cellar which is also accessible from the courtyard.

The challenge is to create a map based solely on the provided description. It is your job as the mapper to choose a genre and a theme. The encounter will be an ambush inside the watering hole/tavern/bar/inn/etc...

• Extra consideration will be awarded to those that provide VTT elements such as tokens, and objects.
• This should be a ready to use map with all the objects and tokens already in place.
• Those that wish to, can provide the maps sans objects and tokens once they have finished, but this is not a requirement of the challenge but would be appreciated by those of us that use VTs.

Have Fun!!

[ravells]

I'm just trying to think of all the variations

• fantasy tavern
• wild west saloon
• Sci-Fi starport bar
• Victorian pub

....can anyone think of any others?

[RPMiller]

• Modern nightclub
• 1920s/1930s speakeasy
• Post-apocalyptic tavern
• Tavern/bar in foreign country

[rlucci]

I don't normally do VTT maps, so I'm a little hazy on what is meant by "tokens and objects". Can someone elaborate on this or give me a link to where I can find the info?

[Gamerprinter]

In a VTT map, the viewable content is usually fixed in the map - walls, floor, trees, very large objects, etc. While things that can move or be moved by characters, including the characters themselves are objects. Tokens represent the characters and non-player characters/monsters.

So in a bar scene, the walls, floor, doors, and bar are main map elements. While just about everything else - bodies, drinks, food, etc are all objects.

You would create the objects and tokens as standalone placeable content that VTT map users can place anywhere they want - transparent PNG files, usually.

As to Ravs, question:
Guildhall/Fraternal Organization Structure with member drinking hall
Fey village center
Multi-planar Nexus Location with a planeswalker inn
A waiting area in Hell...

GP

[ravells]

I really like the last one!

rlucci - the way I see it is that you just have a layer on the top of your map on which all the moveable objects are placed.

[torstan]

Yep. For VTT stuff, essentially everything movable should be a separate image. Doesn't sound like that's needed here though, except for afterwards

Sounds like a fun challenge! It'll be invaluable to have a resource of VTT inns at the end. This is especially true at the moment. The advent of 4e will have a whole new generation of gamers hearing the phrase - 'You're sitting in the local tavern when...'

[Ascension]

That last one sounds interesting. I've been mulling over the idea of a map of hell according to Dante's Inferno (I don't like the map that is in the book) and since I know very little about VTT maybe I could get some inspiration out of that one for my idea; like color schemes and what not. So I look forward to anyone who does that one while rubbing my hands together and saying "Eeeeeexcellent" ala Mr. Burns.

[RPMiller]

The only things you have to know about making a map for VTTs is:

• Do not put in a grid
• Make the map to a scale that will work with the VTT. Typically this is 200 pixels = 5', but honestly VTT software is able to handle pretty much any resolution you throw at it just make sure that you mention the scale somewhere in your posting so that folks know how to scale it in the VTT.
• Everything else is no different than making a regular map, and in fact the two items above really aren't that different either.

As an aside, if you intend on sharing the objects/tokens and a blank map make sure that you use layers to make it easy on yourself at the end.

[jfrazierjr]

The only things you have to know about making a map for VTTs is:

• Do not put in a grid

So no 5 foot square grids? DAMN!

Joe