afternoonmaps

Deep Forest Battle Map - Launch

Added 2023-11-22 17:17:53 +0000 UTC

Hello Adventurers! I’ve finally completed our latest map, the Deep Forest. It's a little delayed due to illness but I should still be on track for the Abandoned Camp by month's end. Ghibli films inspired this one and I’m really happy with how it turned out. So much moss!

Next Maps

The Abandoned Camp will be with you around the end of the month with Hells Keep coming in the first half of December.

Abandoned Camp
Finding an abandoned camp in the wilderness is not uncommon in a game, so I want to make a simple map with an abruptly abandoned campsite. I’ll probably set it in a small ruin of some type to add a little interest.
Hells Keep
I have an idea for a strange ‘reverse’ Keep inspired by a real castle in Czechia (Czech Republic). The Houska Castle was built on the site of a gateway to hell, preventing hellspawn from escaping, or so the folklore goes. It's a cool idea, so I’m going to make a Keep battle map with its fortifications pointing inward, including stakes, fortified walls and some kind of pit with a rusty metal elevator that can be lowered into the darkness below. Should have some Army of Darkness vibes :D

Welcome to all you new people and my long-term Patrons, I can’t thank you enough for your support. The Holiday season is here, I hope you all have a safe and happy time. As always please do leave suggestions on new maps, it's been years since I started creating these and ideas from you wonderful people really help spark the creative fires!

As always you can find the downloads on the Map List Page along with all my other map releases. Remember you need to be logged in as a Patron and be signed up to the correct tier for the links to work for you.

Now let's head deeper into the forest, keep an eye out for anything strange, giant talking wolves, angry feral princesses and deer with weird faces. You know, standard forest stuff.

Map Descriptions

The trees tower above you, their trunks like ancient pillars, holding the dense canopy aloft. The forest floor is covered in a lush carpet of moss, cushioning your footfalls, muffling the sounds of your passage and creating a surreal silence that is both calming and unsettling. Small pools of crystal clear water shimmer in the dappled light filtering through the leaves above.

Ahead is a larger pool, its surface almost still, but for a slight breeze that creates tiny ripples across its surface. Sunbeams break through the foliage, creating a natural spotlight at the pool's centre. Sparks of sunlight glitter across the water's surface, a beacon of light in the darkness of the emerald forest.

Notes and Tips

30x30 Grid Map
The tree trunks in this part of the forest are huge, they obscure sight and can be used as cover, both for the player characters and for monsters. However, around the bases of the trees are thick root systems that can snag the unwary.
The moss that covers the forest floor hides the passage of creatures, muffling their sounds and hiding their tracks. Only in a few places at the edges of pools will tracks be visible.
The light here is strange, certain areas can be fully lit with shafts of sunlight, while others can be in deep shadow. Those areas can change randomly or be manipulated by the forces that inhabit this place.
The water in this forest could be enchanted. Maybe it has healing properties, or maybe it has some charm-like effect. What are the myths told by the locals about the forest and those who enter it?
Direction within the forest could be obscured. The trees are thick with moss, their bark almost completely obscured. Climbing them is not easy, but getting above the canopy may be the only way to find true north.
Mystical Forest Grave: There are places in the world where enchanted creatures go to die. This is one of those places. Just below the surface of the pool are the remains of magical creatures that have come here to pass for centuries. The remains are incredibly valuable but are guarded by the spirits of the dead. Have ghost Unicorns, and other magical creatures rise from the pool and attack any that would disturb their rest.
Sun/Moon on the Pool: A Wizard tasks the party to collect a sun or moonbeam from the surface of this pool, the only place in the world where it's possible to do so. Such a sacred place is not unguarded. Any number of forest-themed guardians could wait here. Ents, giant animals/insects, elementals and wisps.
The Hart of the Forest: This pool is the domain of the Hart of the Forest. A legendary giant stag which haunts the dreams of hunters of this region. Its antlers are said to have magical properties. Does the party try to hunt the stag? Will they find it injured surrounded by wolves or hunters? How will it repay the party if they help it? That's up to you.