Maps of Northern Encounters

G

Gamerprinter

Mongoose
Since there just aren't enough maps for encounter scale in far northern climes, I thought I'd make some for my upcoming campaign. The 5 maps below are of two different clan communities. I see them as Northern Cimmerian sites, but could easily work for locations in Vanaheim, Asgaard, or Hyperborea.

The first is a clan hillfort, called Craefort. Nine extended families dwell in interlocking longhouses with roofed common areas. The longhouse homes also serve as corridors to areas deeper into the fortress. The Clan Chief's Great Hall is the furthest in chamber.

The second structure is a broch tower of 3 floors over the ground floor inhabited by an enemy clan, the Donals. Based on Pictish broch towers found in northern Britain. Four maps comprise the tower.

I created these in the style of battlemaps using photo images, bevels and shadows, using Xara Xtreme Pro 3.2 my application of choice. These are 100 ppi JPG files, Craefort being the largest at 30" x 36" in dimension.

http://www.gamer-printshop.com/cbg/craefort.jpg

http://www.gamer-printshop.com/cbg/broch1.jpg
http://www.gamer-printshop.com/cbg/broch2.jpg
http://www.gamer-printshop.com/cbg/broch3.jpg
http://www.gamer-printshop.com/cbg/broch4.jpg

Next I plan to create a roundhouse farmstead, and some outdoor wintry locations including a mountain cave, and a frozen river crossing.

GP
 
Gamerprinter said:
Since there just aren't enough maps for encounter scale in far northern climes, I thought I'd make some for my upcoming campaign. The 5 maps below are of two different clan communities. I see them as Northern Cimmerian sites, but could easily work for locations in Vanaheim, Asgaard, or Hyperborea.
Click to expand...

Very nice, thanks for sharing!

- thulsa
 
The next encounter map for this Northern series: Gandry Crannog.

A crannog is an artificial island lake house, though sometimes communities of several crannogs lie close together, this is just a single structure for a small clan. Of course like my other maps - this is in the frozen north, so the lake is quite solid. Also a hidden stone path with a couple elbows lie just beneath the water/icy surface allowing hidden access to shore.

Gandry Crannog - enjoy!

GP

PS: I could provide multi-page PDF files, so you can print all the pieces at 8" x 10" and then tape them together into a single map - note my website mentioned below, I can print these at full scale too and ship worldwide! Email me at support@gamer-printshop.com - if you are interested.

http://www.gamer-printshop.com/cbg/crannog.jpg
 
Ogres?! I know, this is Conan, not D&D, but I like Ogres, I'd like to believe if Neandrethals survived, after near extinction by humans long before Conan's time, that remnants could still survive in some enclaves in the mountains. If a barbarian human met a Neandrethal who wanted to eat him, wouldn't he think "Hey, that's an Ogre!"

Anyway, you can make this a den of mountain bandits, an outlaw clan hideout, or an ancient cult site among the Vanaheim (there is a sacreficing stone at the center of one of the chambers) or a Pictish hole-in-the-ground! I'm making them ogres.

Enjoy! Merry Christmas!

GP

ogre-thumb.jpg


Link to larger file: http://www.gamer-printshop.com/cbg/ogre.jpg
 
For the first of my wilderness encounter maps, I've created Screaming Chasm Bridge. A swing bridge built to allow access between Crae and Epper clan lands. Its about 90 feet from the bridge to the water below. The constant winds making a piercing howling sound described to be the scream of a ghost queen who leaped off these rocks many years before.

GP

chasm-bridge-thumb.jpg


Link to larger file: http://www.gamer-printshop.com/cbg/chasm-bridge.jpg

PS: giving it more thought, I will post the downloadable PDF versions, however the link will only last for a few days. I thinking of making these paid-for maps, even as downloads - perhaps $2.00 each from my site. In need to get out of the hole Christmas got me into!
 
For some more fun, here's Donal Barrow and some backstory...

The Donal Clan lies north and west of the lands of Crae, and led the last Pictish Defense against the Invasions of the Winter Hag and her ogre host.

67 years ago, Chief Angus of the Donals fell in love with a lovely lass from the clan Epper in the south. She spurned him to run into arms of Bran the son of the Crae chief. The Donals ambushed the two and slaughtered them. The Donal's druid betrayed them as their act was sacriledge to the druidic way.

This began a feud which has no end, though at times there seems an uneasy peace. Recent activities have involved the death of the current Donal's eldest son in an initiation rite of the Craes. This will bring a resurgence of hostilities in the immediate future.

42 years ago the Donals made a lightening raid on the Craes while they were defending their northern border from ogre incursions. The chief of the Donals stole the ancestral blade of clan Crae. It is said to be kept in the Donal Barrow in the arms of the chief who stole it. He who takes the blade from the dead, can expect a chief's revenge. But to touch any other treasure in that hall of the dead, would mean doom with all the Chiefs rising. Can the heroes return the Sword of the Craes with their souls intact?

Donal Barrow - this one is 36" x 48" at 100 ppi, no grid, 1.94 MB JPG.

GP

barrow-thumb.jpg


Link to larger file:
http://www.gamer-printshop.com/cbg/barrow.jpg
 
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