Mountain Pass Battle Map - Launch (Patreon)

Hello Adventurers! I’ve finally got your next wilderness map ready to go! I’ve called this one a Mountain Pass but it could be used for a chasm in a rugged area of a forest or jungle. The rope bridge should be a fun mechanic for fighting around or on. I imagine flying creatures attacking the party as they try to cross, I mean who doesn’t enjoy a fight over a 400 foot drop, really wakes you up in the morning!

I have a little bit of bad news about the free collab which was meant to release last week. Unfortunately one of the key contributors dropped out at the last moment which has set the project back. I’m sure it will still come out in one form or another, but I’m not sure when for now, so I’ll update you when I know more.

New maps for the month

Finally I want to thank you all for the great ideas you have given me for new maps. I’ve picked a couple to be getting on with this month and kept the rest for future maps so don’t worry if your idea hasn’t been picked this time around! The first map I’ll be creating is a greek style temple surrounded by clouds, maybe on some mountain peak, I’ll call it the Cloud Temple for the moment. And the second one will be a mini dungeon sewer map as I don’t think I’ve got something like that in my map list yet, let's call it the Rat King's Throne, there are some fun things I can think of for this already :D

And I think that's about it for this release, thanks so much for your continued support, stay safe, have a wonderful week and as always happy adventuring! Now let's get to those notes!

Introduction

The trek upwards has been gruelling, your thighs burn and you struggle to breath in the thinning air. On occasion a rock tumbles down the slopes and clatters across the path. As you ascend, patches of mist cover the trail, clouds of moisture hugging the mountain side making it difficult to see more than a few feet ahead.

As you continue upwards the mists slowly clear revealing a huge gorge cutting across your path, the edges falling away hundreds of feet to the ground below. Across this split, connecting both sides is a precarious looking rope bridge, each end attached by tall wooden pillars and stakes hammered deep into the ground. With trepidation you slowly make your way onto the bridge, which begins to sway alarmingly. Steadying yourself using the rope handrails you inch your way across, your companions following behind. As you reach the centre you make the mistake of looking down, the gaps in the wooden planks giving a disturbing view of the ground hundreds of feet below. 

As you try to stop vertigo from taking hold one of your companions gasps, grabs your shoulder and points across the gorge to its far wall. Large winged shapes, hidden in the cliffs shadows hang from the rock walls, red eyes glint at you unblinking. As you watch each one drops away from the rock, dark wings unfurling, taking to the air. The bridge begins swaying wildly as your companions draw weapons or try to back up, the creatures swoop up from below, their piercing cries echoing off the chasm walls.

Notes and Tips

• 30x30 Grid map
• This can be a temperate or tropical forest, or simply a patch of green in a more desolate location.
• Fighting on a rope bridge sounds fun, and it is! But try to give your party every opportunity not to fall off, and if they do, remember trees can help mitigate fall damage!
• Have a skill check to keep their footing if the bridge is moving excessively, failure doesn’t necessarily mean they fall off, they could simply lose their footing, or end up hanging from a rope.
• If they are fighting large winged creatures and one of them falls, give them an opportunity to grab a flying enemy on the way down, this could end up being an epic way to survive a fall.
• Winged creatures would work very well on this map, Harpies, Wyverns, Giant Vultures or a Manticore. You could also go with climbing creatures like Drakes, Giant Lizards, or just a bunch of really angry monkeys ;)
• Or try some humanoids like a tribe of Goblins, Goliaths or a Troll or two.
• If the rope bridge breaks try not to split the party, have it give way at one end, rather than the centre, if they all survive at least they will all be together.
• Have the enemies attack the bridge rather than the party.

Variants

Day/Night versions of all the maps

Misty chasm version, all the better to hide that huge monster ;)

Desert versions of both the chasm and misty chasm versions