Lumber Mill Battle Map - Launch

Hello Adventurers! The Lumber Mill battle map is here! It's a big one at 30x45 as I wanted to fit in a proper Mill pond as well as a full length building and lumber yard. I like the idea of fighting on the floating logs, or using the log and lumber piles for cover or elevation.

As with many of my maps I did some research into Lumber Mills to get a reasonably realistic layout and as always learnt a lot about the subject. So although the map may not be 100% practical it at least has all the elements you’d need to cut that lumber!

Our next map will be the Fantasy Bank which I’m going to launch around the end of the month, so either Saturday or early next week.

As always thank you so much for your support, none of these maps would be created without your help! Have a wonderful week and happy adventuring!

Introduction

The Lumber Mill is silent, abandoned for at least a week now. The open sides of the building offer a panoramic view of the surrounding trees. Sawdust covers the floor helping to dampen your footfalls as you pace back and forth, weapon in hand. The smell of resin and freshly cut wood lingers in the air, mingling with the damp, natural scents of the dense forest that looms at the edge of the camp. 

Something lurks within these trees, something dangerous. The Lumberjacks working here will not return until the creature is dispatched, not willing to lose anymore of their number. They tell stories of it prowling the borders of the camp at night, picking off anyone foolish enough to enter the forest alone, or even in small groups. You assume it's some rogue bear, or big cat, maybe even a rabid Owlbear, although you haven’t seen one in these parts for years. Whatever it turns out to be you’re sure you can handle it, after all this land is far from the wilderness it used to be, civilisation has tamed its savage nature.

A noise catches your attention, a rustle of leaves and then a loud crack of a branch. You freeze, listening intently hearing more noise, this time from a slightly different direction. The sounds continue for a few minutes, slowly circling the camp. This creature doesn’t seem to care if you know its there, you get the impression it wants you to investigate, to step into the tree line. And for some reason you know, deep down, that would be a terrible choice. You stand stock still listening intently, focusing your senses on the circling creature. Then you hear it, a soft pad, a scuff of sawdust on wood, close and directly behind you. Your blood runs cold as once again a loud crack of wood can be heard off within the forest. ‘Clever’ you think to yourself as animal musk invades your nostrils and rotten breath warms the back of your neck.

Notes and Tips

• 30x45 Grid
• The log and lumber piles can be used for cover and elevation.
• The mill pond is a great place to have a fight, horrible for your players, really fun for you!
• Fire is bad here! Sawdust catches fire easily.
• The interior of the building is open on all sides, making for a poorly defensible location.
• Ents or other plant based creatures don’t take kindly to Lumberjacks cutting down their friends!
• The Mill could be illegally cutting down some kind of magical trees which incurs the wrath of scary forest spirits.
• Have the party come across this place already abandoned, whatever has driven the loggers away finds the party at rest and isn’t happy.

Variants

We have a night time version as well as a night time lit version.

I've also created a Feywilds variant which could also be used as a more exotic woodland location, say elvish or magical forest.