afternoonmaps

Lava Tunnel Battle Map - Launch

Added 2023-02-28 19:14:50 +0000 UTC

Hello Adventurers! I’ve been working hard this week to finish off the Lava Tunnel by the end of the month. I’ve created a few lava maps in the past, but I wanted to lock down a style I could use going forward. The map should come in handy for anyone wanting to add some spice to an underground location. Lava is obviously a nasty natural hazard, and I’ll suggest uses in the Notes below.

Next Maps

I’ll be moving right on to the Castle Dungeon next, with the Restaurant map coming later in the month.

Castle Dungeon (Suggested by Valerio)
Sometimes you just need to lock up your party in a dark dank dungeon. This should have lots of utility, and as with many of my maps, I’ll do a bit of research to add some historical elements into the mix.
Restaurant (Suggested by Clapperson and Luís)
This will be a city map based around a restaurant theme with a dining area, kitchens and front/back alley. Certainly different from your regular combat location, which will hopefully spice up the encounter :D

Thanks for your continued support, I’m feeling much better this month and next month's maps should be really fun to create. If you have other suggestions for future map releases post them in the comments or message me on Patreon. Have a great week and as always happy adventuring! Now let's make our way through this tunnel, don’t stand still too long, the bottom of your boots may catch fire!

Find all the map files over on my Map List page. Only Patrons can access the files!

Map Descriptions

The air in the tunnel is noticeably warmer here, heated by the walls which are hot to the touch and resemble melted wax. You can hear a low rumble, and a scent of sulphur burns your nostrils. As you make your way through the winding tunnel, you come across places where lava flows down the walls in molten ribbons. It crackles and hisses as it cools, while gasses vent from fissures in the rock walls.

Ahead, you come to a river of lava with a natural stone bridge spanning it. The river is a brilliant, swirling mass of molten rock. Waves and ripples on its surface are broken by eruptions of gas that fling lava high into the air. The intense heat causes the atmosphere above the bridge to shimmer, while a haze of smoke obscures your view even further.

Notes and Tips

30x45 Grid Map
If you would rather use this map for two encounters, cut the map in two, use the bottom section for an earlier tunnel encounter, and then have the bridge as a separate encounter. Overlap the cuts (30x25) Lava Tunnel, (30x25) Lava River/Bridge.
Environmental Hazards:
- Lava - Lava is a highly deadly environmental hazard. Make sure not to get your players into a situation where a failed roll means instant death. Or at least warn your players before they get to that point.
- Hot Gasses - Have hot gasses erupt from the walls and floor. Make saving throws to avoid them. They could burn the character or throw them into the air.
- Poisonous Gasses - Noxious gasses can erupt from the walls, floor or lava river, making it hard to breathe. Constitution or Stamina rolls could be used to determine how long a character can survive in that area. Place the gas in a set area, and a time before it dissipates.
- Earthquake - Everything begins to shake. Rocks may fall, and characters can be thrown off their feet.
- Lava Bubble: A lava bubble begins to form on the surface of the river, it will erupt in a set amount of time, spraying molten rock across a large area. Not fun to be in that area ;)
If you can’t finds a monster you like that has a lava theme, just pick something you like and describe it as a variant of that monster with an underground or fire/lava theme.
I like the idea of ropers or maybe some flying creatures hanging from the ceiling above the river, ready to drag the player characters off the bridge. Although that would become deadly very quickly, be careful how it's set up!
The river is a ‘birthing pool’ for some kind of fire grub, they are crawling all around and on the bridge. Do they swarm? Do they only appear as the players try to cross? Is mummy grub ready to defend its offspring?