Category: Work-In-Progress

Posted on

Deep Gnome Mining Outpost (Work-In-Progress)

These are the upper two levels of the deep gnome settlement I’m working on. I decided it’d be abandoned after raiders sacked the place, since I think this would be much more interesting to explore as a dungeon than as a town. In any case, there’ll be an unfurnished version as well.

I don’t typically write adventures for my maps, but inspiration struck me with this and I have… let’s call it the framework of an adventure for you. There are a couple details you need to plug in, but it’s basically all there. It’s nothing complicated, but I think it’d be fun.

By the way, the picture above is the scan of the drawings. Normally, I just take a photo when I post work-in-progress pics, but, at the moment, the only camera I have access to is the one on my wife’s Kindle. I spent a good 20 minutes trying to take a decent picture with that thing and failing miserably. This is the best photo I could get that potato to take. The worst wouldn’t even be identifiable as a drawing, haha.

Anyway, all the drawing is done for this and I’m in the middle of coloring it now. I’d better get back to it!

Posted on

Kuo Toa-Village – Work-In-Progress

I’m in the middle of coloring this at the moment. There are also a series of underwater caverns below, but I’ll show you those when it’s done.

The main thing the kuo-toa in this village do is capture travelers to serve as slaves or sacrifices. This is one of the reasons people stay at the godawful inn nearby. When the choice is either sleeping on a bed that smells like weapons-grade cat urine or getting brutally sacrificed to an imaginary fish goddess, most people would choose the former.

Posted on

The Deepspire (Work-In-Progress)

So, this is the basic design I’ve settled on for the Deepspire. There’s a long walkway that spirals around the column of rock, with homes, stores, temples and so forth leading off from it, carved deeper into the stone.

Underneath it all is the harbor, where ships can come to trade. Keep in mind that ships in the Underdark aren’t going to have sails or masts, so they shouldn’t have a problem getting in and out of there.

Next to the harbor entrance is a defensive tower. Then, carved into a separate rock formation at the top, is the citadel. I’ve got some basic ideas worked out about how the place will be organized, but nothing concrete. All of this is still subject to change.

Anyway, I just wanted to give you a look at what I’m working on. I’ve gotten some work done on the layout of the harbor, which will be the first part I draw. From there, I’ll work my way up to the top, one tier at a time.

I’ll write some lore for this as well, although I haven’t thought too much about it yet. I’m thinking this might be a mullti-race settlement. That’s pretty unusual in the Underdark, but that’s also why I like the idea. And there won’t be too much reason it couldn’t be used as a drow, duergar or other species’ settlement if you prefer.

Anyway, I’m gonna get back to work. I’ll keep you updated. I think this is going to be really cool. Let me know what you think!

Posted on

A Dark Place (Work-in-Progress)

Here’s a look at the map I’m working on of an estate in the Shadowfell. This idea was chosen by the Cartographic Congress and I was asked to make it “dark and surreal.” Hopefully it’s a sufficient degree of both, because this place is maximum weird.

The second picture is the entry hall, with a big stone head leaking black stuff into a fountain from its eyes. That’s pretty representative of the decor here. Also, the walls are meant to look like spinal columns because, I don’t know, it’s kind of metal. And things get even weirder upstairs. I’d actually say the picture above is only the building’s second-most disturbing fountain.

Anyway, I’ll need another day, maybe two to get the rest of it colored and then I’ll be back with the finished map.

Posted on

The Fortified Oasis – Work-In-Progress

Here’s the first floor of the oasis, almost finished. The other two floors are also nearly done, so I should have this finished in a couple days.

This floor doesn’t have many of the rugs I mentioned earlier, which are mostly on the level above. There’s one room with seven rugs. It’s like Discount Carpet Warehouse in there. And the hookah room has five. Yeah, there’s a hookah room. And I sincerely apologize in advance for whatever happens when the stoner in your group gets there.

Okay, just wanted to show you how it was coming. Back to work.