Working on a map for an upcoming meet-up. Comments welcome and appreciated!
The full-size map is battle-map ready (i.e. 1"=5'). I've added some decorative items, like the burrows in the walls, plants and water in the pools, and runes on the floor.
I've got the overall map for the first level nailed down, I think (preview updated). I've also got a few close up shots of the level for a better look at the detail. I know the trapdoor in the module is open already, but I thought building in an overlay so I can display it as open or closed might be useful.
As a general note, I suppose this could be a bit spoiler-ish for players, so view only at pains of your DM's wrath!
Refuge of Nethys Trapdoor Closed
Refuge of Nethys Trapdoor Open
On a side note, if anyone knows of some nice falcon-headed statues for this room, I'd be greatly appreciative!
Wicked stuff! (download for Friday's game... :P)
Thanks!
I've started on the lower level (preview below), which will have more detail as it's been less explored. Just working on some objects right now to fill out the first room. For this one, I've got two versions of every section that should have a secret door so I can reveal those as needed.
Refuge of Nethys Lower Level Preview Map
Oh, and if you'd like the full-size files, I'm going to get them posted somewhere like RPG Map Share soon (may get the first level submitted tonight).
Well folks (err, at least PDK...) I've pretty much wrapped these up. I've updated the large preview pics linked above (not the open/close previews) so you can see how they turned out in general. As I'm changing some of the monsters around for my run, a few things are slightly off from the set piece, but all-in-all these are pretty true to the originals. I'll be uploading the finals (two sets--secrets hidden and revealed) to RPG Map Share for anyone that's interested.
Thank you for sharing these maps. They will be very useful to me!
Thank you for sharing these maps. They will be very useful to me!
You're welcome! Community support is the best way to game enhancement in my book...
For those interested in the full resolution versions, I had to send in a special request to get them uploaded due to size. I'm fiddling with them now to see if I can drop the JPEG quality a bit to get the size down without sacrificing visuals.
And for anyone interested in my changes/additions...
In area 2, I have the pools with more water in them. This serves as a watering hole for local wildlife, and the ant lion uses this fact to help it get prey. I also added a run circle between the pools. Anyone that investigates the rune circle and compares it to the columns finds one rune repeated multiple times. This was originally a clue to where the trapdoor to the lower level exists.
I added a rune circle matching area 2 (but larger) in area 3. Otherwise the room is pretty much the same. I have alternate versions of the map that show the trapdoor open and closed (same for the the ant lion pit) in case it becomes more fun to have the trapdoor closed and the players figure out how to open it.
Dropping to the lower levels, I built the broken platform with an eagle motif and also the broken down door. I'd still like to get better statues for the four in area 4, but these will do for now.
For area 5, I built an alabaster altar with a snake motif. I also added a scrying pool in the side chamber. Runes around the edge hint at the secret door to the east. As with the ant lion pit and trapdoor, all secret doors on this level are part of an alternate version of the map.
In area 6, I'm replacing the guardians with caryatid columns (though in the shape of dogs). There is also a faint dusting of plaster on the floor in front of the secret door for players that consider the map carefully.
I've replaced the chokers in area 7 with an allip, a former servant that killed himself and only manifested after the temple was abandoned. As such, this area (and area 8) are not as devastated as listed from the chokers building nests. The allip considers this area his home and waits for someone to cleanse again. I also reduced the tubs to two instead of three, as it looked better.
In area 8, I figured there's no way the Nethysians would have left behind books and scrolls since they abandoned the place willingly rather than in a rush. So, empty shelves and tables all around. I added a monument in the southeast corner. It describes the process of cleansing, study, then entry into the caverns, thus hinting at the secret door behind the basalt plaque.
The statues in area 9 are all the same--a bust of Nethys himself carved directly into the granite walls. I'd like to have a proper Egyptian barque/burial boat for area 10, but a modified Viking boat must suffice for now. I'll be describing the damaged sections as apparently corroded by the mists.
So, there's my changes/thoughts on the rooms...
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I used your maps and monster-swap suggestions last night when I ran the Refuge of Nethys. I added a Dragonne attack as they were hiking in the mountains to get to the Refuge. The halfling rogue is now REALLY afraid of Dragonnes! :) :) :)
Your Ant Lion suggestion was awesome!!! the paladin couldn't climb out of the hole! LOL!
I used your maps and monster-swap suggestions last night when I ran the Refuge of Nethys. I added a Dragonne attack as they were hiking in the mountains to get to the Refuge. The halfling rogue is now REALLY afraid of Dragonnes! :) :) :)
Your Ant Lion suggestion was awesome!!! the paladin couldn't climb out of the hole! LOL!
Hah, good to hear! As I'm running this as a one-shot for a meet-up with about a 4-5 hour window, I probably can't work in the dragoonne. However, for my home game starting up post PFRPG release...
I just couldn't resist with the ant lion, though adding the illusion effect seemed necessary to keep it from being to obvious. We've got these little buggers all over the place down where I live, so I know they're nests are a bit too deep to not be obvious.
The maps are awesome and the suggestions are great! Super cool stuff. Have you run it yet? Tell us how things work out!
The maps are awesome and the suggestions are great! Super cool stuff. Have you run it yet? Tell us how things work out!
Not yet; our meet-ups run the second Tuesday of every month (shameless plug for anyone in the Birmingham, AL area...
For my own game I'll be printing these out as individual rooms that I can piece together, with both player and DM-versions (or perhaps overlays, haven't decided yet) ready. I'm planning on retrofitting as many of the iconic previews as I can back to 3rd level as pre-gen characters. I'm sure my efforts there will be a bit off, but should suffice to show folks the Pathfinder tweaks.
I'll definitely give a report when I'm done.
Oh, and I'm getting the full-res images up to RPG Map Share at this very moment, and so will have them to share.
EDIT: And they're uploaded! Go to http://rpgmapshare.com/, then select Gallery: Maps, Album: Fantasy Maps. They are pretty big (5-7 MB) compared to the 1 MB preview files, so slow connections beware. Now to start on my "cactus cliff" map...
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My PCs are just getting to this sidecar adventure.
One thing we noticed right away: if the room with the reflecting pools is mapped correctly, the pillars are spaced 2.5 ft apart, which is pretty tight for medium humanoids. After looking at it for a few moments, I decided that the grid spacing should be 1 square = 10 ft, which spaces the pillars 5 ft apart.
Either that, or leave the scale alone, and have half the pillars.
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The maps are awesome and the suggestions are great! Super cool stuff. Have you run it yet? Tell us how things work out!Not yet; our meet-ups run the second Tuesday of every month (shameless plug for anyone in the Birmingham, AL area...
For my own game I'll be printing these out as individual rooms that I can piece together, with both player and DM-versions (or perhaps overlays, haven't decided yet) ready. I'm planning on retrofitting as many of the iconic previews as I can back to 3rd level as pre-gen characters. I'm sure my efforts there will be a bit off, but should suffice to show folks the Pathfinder tweaks.
I'll definitely give a report when I'm done.
Oh, and I'm getting the full-res images up to RPG Map Share at this very moment, and so will have them to share.
EDIT: And they're uploaded! Go to http://rpgmapshare.com/, then select Gallery: Maps, Album: Fantasy Maps. They are pretty big (5-7 MB) compared to the 1 MB preview files, so slow connections beware. Now to start on my "cactus cliff" map...
Thanks for these Maps Erian. I am very appreciative and will let you know how they work in my game. I am unsure how soon that will be, but I expect it in the next three to four game sessions.
Awesome work.
CC
My PCs are just getting to this sidecar adventure.
One thing we noticed right away: if the room with the reflecting pools is mapped correctly, the pillars are spaced 2.5 ft apart, which is pretty tight for medium humanoids. After looking at it for a few moments, I decided that the grid spacing should be 1 square = 10 ft, which spaces the pillars 5 ft apart.
Either that, or leave the scale alone, and have half the pillars.
1 square = 10 feet.
Hey, good to see folks are getting some good use out of these! I really enjoyed putting these maps together, and the players were blown away when I ran the session (I did it as a one-shot at our local meet-up). That said, I now realize I never came back to give my report...
With a limited time session, this was the only combat above-ground. I filled the rest of the time with a puzzle for how to get to the level below. Specifically, I placed a small version of the rune circle (from the room where the trap door is located) between the pools of water. Careful inspection of the columns indicated the runes were the key to unlocking more secrets of Nethys. Armed with this knowledge, the party used Knowledge checks to derive that one of the runes was an ancient Osirion word for "open" and corresponded to the same rune at the foot of the golden statue. The puzzles-focused players in the group had a good time working this one out.
Once in the lower level, I had a great time playing up the odd little magic happenings in the area. The party was super-paranoid by the time the got through the shattered door and into the big sanctuary, to the point that they wouldn't get near the altar. They hugged the wall and came around to the small pool area, which I rebuilt as a place where the "essence of Nethys" coalesced into the pool. The sorcerer figured out the pool was in some way connected to boosting his power and instead of drinking a bit (as I expected) he took my "bath in the power of Nethys" literally and jumped into the pool. At this point, I bypassed the saves and sent him straight to lala land for a while.
The rest of the party guided him back to the smaller side chamber, where they bypassed the caryatid column guardians thanks to the sorcerer wearing the holy symbol of Nethys (and now also babbling in ancient Osirion about being a servant to the god. The paint chips on the floor led to discovering the secret door, and they were shortly into the "preparation chamber" and the lair of an allip. As with the ant lion, I used the magic of the area to spruce it up a bit, and also give it a better option for interaction. The allip materialized as a servant seeking to purify acolytes before they proceeded (). The group played along wonderfully, acting out their parts (with much looks of concern from nearby tables as the allip requested they disrobe and get into the bathing pots). One of the party, meanwhile, figured out how to turn the bathing powders into potions and concocted a potion of true seeing. This, of course, revealed the true nature of the allip, but instead of calling for an attack he more strongly encouraged the party to continue playing along. So, they basically ended up RPing past the entire encounter with no need for combat and "freed" the allip to eternal rest after completing its purpose.
The library proved difficult for the party, as the riddle I worked up for opening the secret door into the caverns was apparently more difficult than I imagined. Once inside, they all proceeded largely without hindrance from the fog. They encountered the "BBEG" in his human form trying to divine the will of Nethys. Through conversation, they figured out that the beast plaguing the region was also the prince they sought. They tried to convince him to leave peacefully, but I couldn't let the whole night go without a fight. In the ensuing battle, they managed to disable the prince without killing him and so returned victorious.
Overall, good stuff and definitely a fund adventure to work through!
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1 square = 10 feet.My PCs are just getting to this sidecar adventure.
One thing we noticed right away: if the room with the reflecting pools is mapped correctly, the pillars are spaced 2.5 ft apart, which is pretty tight for medium humanoids. After looking at it for a few moments, I decided that the grid spacing should be 1 square = 10 ft, which spaces the pillars 5 ft apart.
Either that, or leave the scale alone, and have half the pillars.
I agree. Unfortunately the map (p. 64) is marked "one square = 5 feet", which appears to be a mistake.
The author came out and admitted it was a typo. One square = 10ft.
/Reaches into the grave and pulls forth a dead and moldy thread.
Hey erian! I'm running my players through "Refuge" this weekend, and recently came across your fantastic maps. Well done! I was wondering if you might be at all amenable to posting the PSDs or other sources via Yousendit or another venue. Or perhaps uploading a version sans squares.
I was wanting to adjust the grid to five foot squares for our group. My players can be very grumpy about scales :)
Again, thanks so much for a fantastic resource!
/Reaches into the grave and pulls forth a dead and moldy thread.
Hey erian! I'm running my players through "Refuge" this weekend, and recently came across your fantastic maps. Well done! I was wondering if you might be at all amenable to posting the PSDs or other sources via Yousendit or another venue. Or perhaps uploading a version sans squares.
I was wanting to adjust the grid to five foot squares for our group. My players can be very grumpy about scales :)
Again, thanks so much for a fantastic resource!
Sure, let me see if I can dig those up...
I also have a BMP of the monastery sanctuary if that's of interest.
I just ran them through the monastery, but they still have some clean up work to do! I could definitely use that as well!