milbysmaps

Two Things: Reddit, and the Abysmal Floor Plans of Neuschwanstein Castle

I just want to say two things. First, some of you may not know this, but I recently posted the Great Hall on reddit and it was a pretty big hit. It's actually the top post of all time on /r/battlemaps. I feel like I won an Oscar. Except I don't care about the Oscars and I do care about the opinions of the people on /r/battlemaps.

So, anyway, ...

The Great Hall of Brazenthrone - The Promontories

Here's the final floor of the Great Hall, the Promontories. This is the area where the city's wealthy commoner families live.

Here’s the non-annotated version.  There’s also DM notes and a Patrons’ Edition of this map with all the rooms marked and labeled availabl...

The Great Hall of Brazenthrone - The Promontories - Patrons' Edition

Here's the final floor of the Great Hall, the Promontories. This is the area where the city's wealthy commoner families live.

Last time, I said I'd be doing a map of something historical, based on the floor plans. If you guessed Neuschwanstein Castle, you are damn right it is.

Millers' Bluff

This is the map selected by the Cartographic Congress last month: a large millers' homestead with three watermills, a granary, workers' cottages and a nearby inn. Feel free to attack it with the greenskins of your choice. Or whatever other purpose strikes you. What would I do with this map? I'm not sure, but I can tell you there would be a fight on that little island with the firepit, no question about that.

...

Millers' Bluff - Patrons' Edition

This is the map selected by the Cartographic Congress last month: a large millers' homestead with three watermills, a granary, workers' cottages and a nearby inn. Feel free to attack it with the greenskins of your choice. Or whatever other purpose strikes you. What would I do with this map? I'm not sure, but I can tell you there would be a fight on that little island with the firepit, no question about that.

...

The Great Hall of Brazenthrone - Fifth Level

Roofs. Fascinating, I know, haha. You can see a rough sketch of the next (and last) level here, if you're interested. It's not just roofs, I promise. 

The Great Hall of Brazenthrone - Fifth Level

Roofs. Fascinating, I know, haha. You can see a rough sketch of the next (and last) level here, if you're interested. It's not just roofs, I promise. 

The Great Hall of Brazenthrone – Fourth Level

I've been sitting here for a few minutes thinking about what to say here.  Finally, I decided that I don't really need to have anything to say about it. It's the fourth floor. Honestly, there's not a whole lot there. And you know what? The next floor is going to be even more boring. Nothing but roofs.  But the floor after that will be pretty cool, so let's take our medicine and wait for it to get good again.

The fifth...

The Great Hall of Brazenthrone – Fourth Level - Patrons' Edition

I've been sitting here for a few minutes thinking about what to say here.  Finally, I decided that I don't really need to have anything to say about it. It's the fourth floor. Honestly, there's not a whole lot there. And you know what? The next floor is going to be even more boring. Nothing but roofs.  But the floor after that will be pretty cool, so let's take our medicine and wait for it to get good again.

The fifth...

The Ranger Outpost - Patrons' Edition and DM Notes

Here's an alternative to the typical ranger's cabin. The rangers living here can look out over the forest like Medieval Hippie Batman and protect the land from orcs, monsters and illegal dumping.

Next up are the fourth and fifth levels of Brazenthrone. It'll be quicker to do them both at the same time, since only three buildings have a fourth level ...

The Ranger Outpost

Here's an alternative to the typical ranger's cabin. The rangers living here can look out over the forest like Medieval Hippie Batman and protect the land from orcs, monsters and illegal dumping.

Next up are the fourth and fifth levels of Brazenthrone. It'll be quicker to do them both at the same time, since only three buildings have a fourth level ...

The Great Hall of Brazenthrone - Third Level - Patrons' Edition

Higher and higher we go! There are three more levels left, but before that, I'll be drawing a ranger outpost for you. Anyway, I've been drawing all day, I'm really tired, my wife has a bottle of rum and I could use a drink. So, until next time! 

The Great Hall of Brazenthrone - Third Level

Higher and higher we go! There are three more levels left, but before that, I'll be drawing a ranger outpost for you. Anyway, I've been drawing all day, I'm really tired, my wife has a bottle of rum and I could use a drink. So, until next time!

Here’s the non-annotated version. There’s also a Patrons�...

The Great Hall of Brazenthrone - Second Level - Patrons' Edition

Here's the second level of Brazenthrone at last. Sorry, this took me longer than I'd have liked. The illness I mentioned in the last post declined to go away, which is not conducive to productive mapmaking. In any case, I think it's over and I should  have the next map up in around 4-5 days.

Next up is the third level of the Great Hall, then I'l...

The Great Hall of Brazenthrone - Second Level

Here's the second level of Brazenthrone at last. Sorry, this took me longer than I'd have liked. The illness I mentioned in the last post declined to go away, which is not conducive to productive mapmaking. In any case, I think it's over and I should  have the next map up in around 4-5 days.

Next up is the third level of the Great Hall, then I'll be...

DiFlorio Keep - Intact - Patrons' Edition

I'd meant to get this up yesterday, but I've been sick for the last few days. You so very do not want to know the details. Let's just say if I spend any more time with the toilet, my wife is going to get jealous of it. Anyway, it's done now and here it is, all tidied up.

When I started Brazenthrone, I promised that I'd alternate between Brazenthrone and non-Brazenthrone maps, since I'd imagine people have different lev...

DiFlorio Keep - Intact

I'd meant to get this up yesterday, but I've been sick for the last few days. You so very do not want to know the details. Let's just say if I spend any more time with the toilet, my wife is going to get jealous of it. Anyway, it's done now and here it is, all tidied up.

When I started Brazenthrone, I promised that I'd alternate between Brazenthrone and non-Brazenthrone maps, since I'd imagine people have different lev...

DiFlorio Keep - Destroyed - Patrons' Edition

One small castle with a unique entrance and a little Italian flavoring. Then I wrecked it. I hope you like it.

This is the map chosen by last months Cartographic Congress vote, as proposed by Senator Hal. The good senator wanted a small keep that his players could retake from some hobgoblins, then restore and use for themselves.

I thought about it for a while and decided to draw both the destroyed  and restored versi...

DiFlorio Keep - Destroyed

This is the map chosen by last months Cartographic Congress vote, as  proposed by Senator Hal. The good senator wanted a small keep that his  players could retake from some hobgoblins, then restore and use for  themselves.

I thought about it for a while and decided to draw both the destroyed  and restored versions, since I think there’s a lot of things a pair of  maps like that could be used for and s...

The Great Hall of Brazenthrone - Patrons' Edition

So here's this monster! Look at the print version. It looks so much better. I'll get you some DM notes once the upper levels are finished. 

I hope you like it. You guys made it happen.

Brazenthrone History and Lore - First Edition

Here’s the first edition of Brazenthrone’s History and Lore. I’ll update it as I write more throughout the process of making the map.

The Great Hall of Brazenthrone - Ground Level

Well, here it is, finally. I promise you won't have to wait this long for any other part of Brazenthrone. This is easily the biggest piece of  the city. 

Here's the non-annotated version. There's a Patrons' Edition of this map with all the rooms of the numbered buildings marked and ...

The Great Hall - Final Update

Here's the other half.

Here they are with the walls and floors finished.  My hand is killing me  and I don't care.  Time to fire up the scanner, stitch these together,  color them and annotate them.  I'm going to guess that'll be three days'  work.  It might be less.  ...

The Great Hall – Fourth Update

Here's the other half. Everything is inked except for the tiles and the wall fill.

If you're wondering how I draw wall fill, it's pretty simple: First, draw little lines over and over until your hand hurts.  Next, keep drawing lines until your hand feels like it's going to fall off.  Then, keep drawi...

The Great Hall - Third Update

Okay!  Here's a photo of the finished pencils for the Great Hall. Drawing furnishings for most of the rooms really makes this take a lot more time, but I think it's worth it.  I had a photo of the other half (which is also finished), but it's really blurry and, between spending ten minutes getting another one and skipping it so I can start laying down ink, I think I'll just leave it at this and get back to work. I'll  ...

The Great Hall WIP – Second Update

These are the early final pencils for half of the Great Hall.  Most of the buildings only have their outer walls drawn in, but the upper left of the above image has a number of finished buildings with the rooms and furnishings done. Here's a photo of the other half.

The big things against the walls and colum...

The 5th Cartographic Congress Results

The Cartographic Congress has spoken and they have chosen Senator Hal's proposal of a small, rundown, abandoned keep of the kind that players might fix up and make their home!  I'll be starting on this once the Great Hall is finished.

The Great Hall of Brazenthrone – Work In Progress

 Just wanted to give you an update on the Great Hall.  These are the  layout sketches, which are 25% of the size of the final maps.  Since a  lot of this is connected, I decided to plan out the most substantial  levels all at once.  The above is the ground level.

T...

The Buried Tower - Patrons' Edition, Print, VTT, DM Notes

This came from an idea I had for a tower buried in a landslide with a  stream now flowing into it, which filled it with water, eventually  breaking through the cellar floor into a chasm below. The chasm can  connect to another dungeon, the Underdark, or-- if you'd rather keep it  shorter-- can just be filled with water.  The tunnel in the side is a  cavern or burrow whose inhabitants dug in through the w...

Brazenthrone: The Inner Gates - Patrons' Edition and DM Notes

This is the fallback defensive position and meat grinder that rewards  the success of any army that manages to take the city’s outer gates.   With no walls to climb and no space for artillery too break through,  this is an assault that has to be done the old fashioned way: by sending  lots and lots of people to die.

This is the last Brazenthrone map before the Great Hall, which is the  central ch...