Hi there, I'm Alshoodone, and my Imgur is Duboris, for clarity. I've recently waded into the waters of Pathfinder Map Design after ogling them for so long and just doing sketches for my own personal scratch-campaigns. Now I'm taking them a little more seriously as I'm trying to actually design an entire adventure path.
The biggest map I've designed so far is a small portion of a campaign named "El'Da'Vaughn, Land of Memories Lost" which is, among my closer friends, known for being a tad-bit difficult. Nothing like Rappan Athuk, or Gygaxian DnD, however, as slap-stick death is something I try to avoid in my own campaigns.
El'Da'Vaughn currently has a PbP version going as sort of a beta for the design so far and the maps, but I primarily want to discuss this particular one I have right now, as it's the largest map that's been drawn so far. I've yet to see if the map itself is roll20 compatible, but unsnapping the grid I am certain would work, seeing as the map is built with that grid on it already.
Now, I can't exactly give you the map without giving you what's in it, so I've slimmed it down about as much as I can. The players in the beta test are advised to not read the spoiler below, should they see this.
Challenge Rating 11 – The Grand Hall – x1 Damien Mavis – 12,800 Experience - Damien is an Antipaladin that's in cahoots with the Advanced Succubus, whom he has through being an Antipaladin. Rather than keeping her around, however, he consistently has her travel the area. Damien spends the majority of his time on the far eastern side of the map in what appears to be the most open room just before the stairs that go off-map. At any given time he's in dark prayer in the main room. If alerted by the Succubus, he drinks potions, turns invisible and opens combat with a smite good focused primarily on a member of the party that was observed healing others, or seemed "like a goody two-shoes."
Challenge Rating 10 – Cathedral Entrance – (x6 Bearded Devil) 9,600 Experience - The Cr 10 (APL+2) is at the front door because the front door isn't the only entrance. It is, however, the quietest one. The Bearded devils have been ordered to stay in that room and to allow no one entry, or anyone to leave. They are all bound to this service by a person who isn't in the Cathedral. The devils all wield ranseurs and try to stay at reach and flank if able, but try to surround the enemies present, focusing primarily on those that seem to have an easy time piercing their damage reduction, or controling the combat with spells, divine or arcane.
Challenge Rating 9 – The Master’s Minions – (x3 Fighter 1 Wizard 5 EK 1) 6,400 Experience - At any given point in time 3 Eldritch Knights reside in the middle hallway just beyond the door, and, if it's night time, are content to sleep in the bedroom on the east side of the Cathedral (the half-circle room on the bottom.) They are all illusionists and make practical use of Displacement and other buffs before wading into combat.
Challenge Rating 9 – The Dark Sanctuary – (x1 Cleric 8, x8 Fighter 1 Cleric 1) – 6,400 Experience - After the second set of doors in the main room, the party walks out where a particular cleric and his apprentices of darkness are sitting in chairs receiving a sermon. If the Succubus has warned Damien, then Damien has warned the major cleric, and the apprentices are likely sent searching in a spread-out fashion. Of all of the combats that move around in the cathedral, this is the most dangerous. If the alarm has yet to be raised, all of them turn, and spend the first turn drawing their weapons. and moving towards the players. The main cleric buffs them, and keeps them alive and capable as best he can throughout the fight making feverish use of his life-link spells.
Challenge Rating 9 – The Bleak Study – x1 Dark Wizard 10 – 6,400 Experience - Fauldrin is a wizard with Dark Feats (and dark spells) that aren't natural to pathfinder. He primarily prefers to be left alone and constantly has a familiar out of his room, (the Kyton one from Improved Familiar). he doesn't do this because he has any real strategical reason, he just finds the Kyton's constant ramblings and hatred of patience quite annoying. If the kyton stumbles upon a combat, it joins it, knowing it can just come back. It's sadistic empathy concerns Fauldrin, however, whom immediately prepares for combat. He does willingly converse with the members of the party and request to be left alone if possible, but is by no means a pushover. If combat can't be reasoned with he uses his Dark Initiative to force a 20 on his check, and uses quickened vanish, focusing primarily on disrupting the party. He then casts wall of force after moving past the party, unless he's unable to get around them all, in which case he readies an action to phantasmal killer the first person who seems to pull out anything he believes could hinder his invisibility.If beaten, he gladly reveals a tremendous amount of information about the Cathedral, which might even prompt the Succubus to finish him off.
Challenge Rating 8 – Wandering Monster – x1 Advanced Succubus Nerei – 4,800 Experience - The Succubus is constantly in telepathic link with him, and warns him of whatever weaknesses she sees amongst the party. She becomes invisible via potion and observes combats if she stumbles upon them, and then surprises the party as they try to recover, assuming she's present. Whenever she gets in trouble, Damien pulls her out of the combat by calling her back to his side. This is the wild card of the Cathedral, and can interact with plenty of combats very differently.
Challenge Rating 8 – The Well of Darkness – (x1 Erinyes) – 4,800 Experience - The Erinyes is bound to servitude, and cannot leave the room with the Well of Darkness in it. A specific spot in the room has been stone-shaped for her by the local dark wizard to aid in defending the well of Darkness. The Erinyes doesn't ask questions if someone besides the head cleric, Damien, or Fauldrin comes into the room, however, and is very quick to attempt killing them with her bow.
Challenge Rating 8 – Cathedral Steps – x1 Variant Efreeti – 4,800 Experience - A particular Efreeti, whom has had all of their fire damage and abilities switched out for negative energy and will saves stands alone in a particular room full of knowledge.
Now, I know I need a number of things. Particularly letters, room-by-room description and whatnot, as well as small details, but I was just wondering what everyone thought of it, and I'm completely okay with any criticism you might want to give.
Seems pretty cool.
Which way are the PC:s supposed to enter, east or west? Actually which side is north? I assume it is the top, but your description of one of the rooms places north to the left side of the picture.
What is the terrain on the right hand side of the map? Trees, water, flames?
Is the top-bottom passage on the "east" side of map a rampart or a tunnel? Or something else? It is a bit unclear as to which side of the map is higher elevation. I'm guessing the "west" side is higher.
From the b&w image it is bit difficult to see why there are areas of different coloration.
That door on the west side is *huge*, is there are dragon in the keep ;-)
Also, so..many..doors! At least there aren't any 10x10 feet rooms lining the hallways with a kobold sitting in front... sorry, had a flashback to an OD&D campaign many years in the past. As a player I hate areas with lots of doors, but as a DM I know doors are really handy devices.
There does not seem to be any way of getting to the areas around the central passage in the right side of the map.
There does not seem to be any traps. I would imagine areas that are not inhabited would have a trap or two. Personally I don't much like traps but they are an expected element in rpgs.
Some of the fights could be interesting if they are combined with traps that the inhabitants trigger in a fight.
Wher on the map is
Interesting thing that you have
In regards to having demons, devils, and a kyton in the same building, that is mostly because of the fact that the summoner is particular towards diversity in his ranks, and his strict rules make them particularly ornery.
Sounds really cool and you seem to really have thought things through! I especially like the Succubus interaction bit. Kudos.
What level PC's have you planned this for?
I was confused with the giant wall as it has visible grid on it and I thought it was open space. Maybe changing the colour of the wall solid and remove the grid lines from it?
The walls don't have entrances as they're supposed to be that thick.
I'm talking about the northernmost area(the Grand Hall I think) with the 7 columns, three of which are in the central corridor. Is this one open space or three spaces with no connection to each other? Or are the two irregular shaped spaces just really thick(25 ft) walls? If so why are there columns in them?
Same thing with the two darker color areas with columns in them. Or are they actually columns? I just assumed they were.If they are supposed to be just walls maybe erasing the grid from them and filling them with color would make it easier to see that.
The Grand Hall in the far north's 2 center black lines are actually just a poor representation of the different stonework. I'll remember to color it a lighter gray to represent that it's not a wall, thanks for pointing that out.
The players are expected to encounter this place when they're fresh and level 8, but can encounter it as early as 7, much to their great displeasure. Damien himself is a Cr 10, but the Succubus adds great pain to that combat, considering as soon as she thinks she's in danger, she just teleports back to Damien.
Also, yes, the majority of the circles with no color (or black) are columns. Allow me to finish the map completely. I should be done shortly. Let me make some simple edits and make pointing out rooms much easier.
Here's a tiny little update. The exact font isn't a given, mind you, but it helps with discussion.
I'll also be adding the word document that explains each room completely, but I wouldn't wait too long on that to reply. After all, my players are 2 levels below this so it's not taking my completely concentration at the moment.
I'm not hating it, I will however offer the minor nitpick of RW doors not often being in the center of a wall, but off to one side so the door can lay flat against the perpendicular wall.
Wow, that is a LOT clearer now! So the different color areas indicate different stonework?
What I would love to see in published adventure maps are lightning conditions. I never seem to remember them when running a game, and a visual reminder would be super nice. Also I'm too lazy to draw them myself :D Or maybe they already have them nowadays? I have been GMing 3.5 Forgotten Realms modules converted to PF, maybe Paizo makes better maps than WotC?
If the areas E1 and E2 are identical bits of solid wall I would not bother to label them separately.
What if the PC's decide to fly over the wall to the sanitarium bypassing the whole complex? I hate it when the PC's find "cheap" ways to escape or bypass my finely crafted death tra... I mean adventure locations. The sanitarium is perhaps inside the insanity mist and the only safe passage is through the cathedral?
Pathfinder modules unfortunately, even in AP's, don't often indicate lighting levels. It is more than possible, however, with Roll20's dynamic lighting. If the PC's decide to fly over the mist and get to the Sanitarium they open up an entire other can of worms to worry about. For starters, the Sanitarium is clocked in at... APL 9, which is one above the Cathedral itself and even more dangerous. Plus, there's also the issue that one of the people/creatures is completely capable of communicating with those from the Cathedral, and could easily refill their ranks (if they lost anyone) with the higher ranking humans from the Cathedral. So long as the Demon/Devil/Daemon/Genie/Kyton binder stays alive, and the Cathedral doesn't completely fall, they can restore demons and the like at a rate of one per 3 days.
Plus there are important things within the Cathedral to find, such as a hidden staircase in the boss room that leads to the APL 12 Catacombs below. Like it or not, the PC's will eventually have to come there.