Hey all, I'm The MAD Cartographer, the MAD standing for Map-A-Day on account of me drawing a releasing a D&D battlemap every day. Every month I have a different theme that all my maps will revolve around, every day a completely new map (standard 22"x16" size) with a handful of thematic and structure variation changes... yeh... every day. Currently I'm releasing a bunch of maps for free every day for my debut Caverns theme, then will release one free map variant a week. My maps are all 140ppi for Roll20/VTT and 300ppi for print, and are gridless. For a taster of my style here's the Poster Sized map (44"x32") I completed yesterday (also available for free on my site in 140ppi or 300ppi with an unobstructive watermark).
Enjoy the maps, and keep rollin' those 20s! - Alex
What creatures fall asleep and go forgotten should be left to lie and remain hidden, for when stirred they bring nothing more than the end… - Rurek, Librium of The Silver Spire
Deep beneath the earth, in caverns long forgotten and away from the eyes of those who might attempt to stop such things, they dig. With pickaxe and shovel, and bloodied hands if commanded, they follow the orders of cruel taskmasters that watch over them. What they have found is important, but they know it is dangerous; they do not know what The Eye is nor what uncovering it will mean and so they do as they are told and dig. They dig.
Whether deity or ancient demon lord, titan or abyssal world-ender, The Eye is an enormous being buried beneath the earth; banished to this prison, or fallen in battle aeons ago, that is up to you. Do you adventurers find this creature at the beginning of their journey, knowing it lies beneath the ground, and have to do everything they can to stop it? Or is this the final battle to stop the final ritual that will bring this monolithic being back into the world?
Thanks folks. Someone actually asked me to make a version with the eye cut out then on a separate layer, so in Roll20 they could move the eye around and make it look at players....
Day 10, Map 10: My Nemo map is a completely underwater chamber where adventurers will find various tight areas to squeeze through (smaller than 5ft) to get into the larger chambers. Not only is this map under water, and there are tight squeezes, but there's a ton of kelp that no doubt has a mind of its own and will grab at unsuspecting victims until they ultimately drown to death or are feasted on by the denizens that can be found here; the scattering of bones throughout the kelp will probably be noticed far too late...
For those that make it through you can find two relatively normal empty chambers to do with what you will, but the bottom right chamber has a deeper trench that goes under (off) the map where something pretty terrible lurks.
The variant option is Xenomorph, it started as a regular bug chamber with holes in the hive walls for enemies to randomly appear from at any time. When I made the egg chamber I decided to make a version with a big egg laying abdomen, some creature clinging from the roof no and laying her brood. If you want the room, but not the queen, then there's a version without as well!
Day 11, Map 11:The heavy tink, tink, tink of the pickaxe gives way to the sound of heavy crumbling rock, loosed into a chamber beyond. As the opening is made it brings with it the smell of rot and death. A lantern to the hole and peering into the darkness below sends all manner of foul denizens skittering from it but not fleeing too far from their carrion. Some bold and protective creatures look up to the light, their glassy milky white eyes made for the depths shine fiercely and a hiss from the creatures attempts to ward off the interlopers from their newly discovered meal....
So full confession, I traced traced the purple worm from a photograph of the Dungeons & Dragons Collector's Series model, specifically the angle from the ChestofColors.com photograph (pictured). Ever since I saw that model, which is soo good, I thought "That would actually make a cool dead purple worm map..." and so here is the results of that labour. So I only take partial credit for this one, but it still took hours to do the line work and colouring so I get something!
For the the Early Bird (early bird gets the worm… hilarious...) map encounter I imagine all manner of carrion picking away at the worm that has tunnelled its way into this cavern before dying and is still halfway in its own tunnel. How it died is up to you, perhaps attacked by something even bigger in this network of caves! Inside the creature's mouth could be all manner of treasure and gems it has swallowed over the years, as well as cutting your way through its tail end, the adventurers could follow its tunnel to who knows where... probably the location of whatever mortally wounded it.
For this maps variant I made a little Salamander Birth Pool with a bunch of cutesy salamander tadpoley spawn/eggs on a rock in the middle of the lava. In this chamber I imagine salamander guards basking on the ledge by the side of the pool, keeping an eye on the precious goods!
You can download this map, and others, in 140ppi or 300ppi directly from my Patreon Cavern Theme Freebies page, for $15 a month (normally $25) you’ll get around 100 maps every month… 15¢ cents a map!
Thanks for the comments :) Really enjoying it, still trying to work out my style with some of the maps, and feel the need to go back over some of the others and tweak them as my style changes. Really though picking a Caverns theme I might hit a wall with coming up with stuff, but I got to say I'm really happy with the way things have been turning out and some of my best maps for this month are yet to come!
Only started doing this full time on May 1st, in the last 12 days I've made and released 12 core maps, with 40 different variations, and given away 15 free full sizes 140ppi/300ppi maps!
My World of Warcraft inspired "cavern" theme maps :) Wanted to make something outdoors to break from all my traditional cavern maps for my monthly theme, and really wanted to try making a Razorfen Downs style map, which led to making my other variants WoW themed as well!
You can download this map, and others, in 140ppi or 300ppi directly from my Patreon Cavern Theme Freebies page, for $15 a month (normally $25) you’ll get around 100 maps every month… 15¢ cents a map!
Hey all, I'm The MAD Cartographer, the MAD standing for Map-A-Day on account of me drawing a releasing a D&D battlemap every day. Every month I have a different theme that all my maps will revolve around, every day a completely new map (standard 22"x16" size) with a handful of thematic and structure variation changes... yeh... every day. Currently I'm releasing a bunch of maps for free every day for my debut Caverns theme, then will release one free map variant a week. My maps are all 140ppi for Roll20/VTT and 300ppi for print, and are gridless. For a taster of my style here's the Poster Sized map (44"x32") I completed yesterday (also available for free on my site in 140ppi or 300ppi with an unobstructive watermark).
You can download this map, and others, directly from my [Patreon Cavern Theme Freebies page.]
Enjoy the maps, and keep rollin' those 20s!
- Alex
What creatures fall asleep and go forgotten should be left to lie and remain hidden, for when stirred they bring nothing more than the end…
- Rurek, Librium of The Silver Spire
Deep beneath the earth, in caverns long forgotten and away from the eyes of those who might attempt to stop such things, they dig. With pickaxe and shovel, and bloodied hands if commanded, they follow the orders of cruel taskmasters that watch over them. What they have found is important, but they know it is dangerous; they do not know what The Eye is nor what uncovering it will mean and so they do as they are told and dig. They dig.
Whether deity or ancient demon lord, titan or abyssal world-ender, The Eye is an enormous being buried beneath the earth; banished to this prison, or fallen in battle aeons ago, that is up to you. Do you adventurers find this creature at the beginning of their journey, knowing it lies beneath the ground, and have to do everything they can to stop it? Or is this the final battle to stop the final ritual that will bring this monolithic being back into the world?
Free D&D Maps every week, a new theme every month
Follow me on: Patreon | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
www.patreon.com/themadcartographer
Nice
Hello! I am just a relatively new D&D player, who also likes SimplePlanes and War Thunder.
My characters are:
That's so cool!
Ooh, nice and unsettling, love it!
Thanks folks. Someone actually asked me to make a version with the eye cut out then on a separate layer, so in Roll20 they could move the eye around and make it look at players....
Now THAT'S unsettling..
Free D&D Maps every week, a new theme every month
Follow me on: Patreon | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
www.patreon.com/themadcartographer
That is very unsettling.
Hello! I am just a relatively new D&D player, who also likes SimplePlanes and War Thunder.
My characters are:
Sauron has come. And he doesn't like sunlight
'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I'll worldbuild for your DnD games!
Just a D&D enjoyer, check out my fiverr page if you need any worldbuilding done for ya!
Day 10, Map 10: My Nemo map is a completely underwater chamber where adventurers will find various tight areas to squeeze through (smaller than 5ft) to get into the larger chambers. Not only is this map under water, and there are tight squeezes, but there's a ton of kelp that no doubt has a mind of its own and will grab at unsuspecting victims until they ultimately drown to death or are feasted on by the denizens that can be found here; the scattering of bones throughout the kelp will probably be noticed far too late...
For those that make it through you can find two relatively normal empty chambers to do with what you will, but the bottom right chamber has a deeper trench that goes under (off) the map where something pretty terrible lurks.
The variant option is Xenomorph, it started as a regular bug chamber with holes in the hive walls for enemies to randomly appear from at any time. When I made the egg chamber I decided to make a version with a big egg laying abdomen, some creature clinging from the roof no and laying her brood. If you want the room, but not the queen, then there's a version without as well!
You can download this map, and others, in 140ppi or 300ppi directly from my Patreon Cavern Theme Freebies page.
Free D&D Maps every week, a new theme every month
Follow me on: Patreon | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
www.patreon.com/themadcartographer
Oh wow, so much detail in all the kelp! Very nice work!
Dope AF.
Love your very up to date ACV avatar.
'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I'll worldbuild for your DnD games!
Just a D&D enjoyer, check out my fiverr page if you need any worldbuilding done for ya!
I have no clue what you mean :D Sorry
Free D&D Maps every week, a new theme every month
Follow me on: Patreon | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
www.patreon.com/themadcartographer
VikingLordWinter. Their avatar is from the new Assassin's creed Valhalla game. Or: ACV. It looks very cool.
'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I'll worldbuild for your DnD games!
Just a D&D enjoyer, check out my fiverr page if you need any worldbuilding done for ya!
Day 11, Map 11:The heavy tink, tink, tink of the pickaxe gives way to the sound of heavy crumbling rock, loosed into a chamber beyond. As the opening is made it brings with it the smell of rot and death. A lantern to the hole and peering into the darkness below sends all manner of foul denizens skittering from it but not fleeing too far from their carrion. Some bold and protective creatures look up to the light, their glassy milky white eyes made for the depths shine fiercely and a hiss from the creatures attempts to ward off the interlopers from their newly discovered meal....
So full confession, I traced traced the purple worm from a photograph of the Dungeons & Dragons Collector's Series model, specifically the angle from the ChestofColors.com photograph (pictured). Ever since I saw that model, which is soo good, I thought "That would actually make a cool dead purple worm map..." and so here is the results of that labour. So I only take partial credit for this one, but it still took hours to do the line work and colouring so I get something!
For the the Early Bird (early bird gets the worm… hilarious...) map encounter I imagine all manner of carrion picking away at the worm that has tunnelled its way into this cavern before dying and is still halfway in its own tunnel. How it died is up to you, perhaps attacked by something even bigger in this network of caves! Inside the creature's mouth could be all manner of treasure and gems it has swallowed over the years, as well as cutting your way through its tail end, the adventurers could follow its tunnel to who knows where... probably the location of whatever mortally wounded it.
For this maps variant I made a little Salamander Birth Pool with a bunch of cutesy salamander tadpoley spawn/eggs on a rock in the middle of the lava. In this chamber I imagine salamander guards basking on the ledge by the side of the pool, keeping an eye on the precious goods!
You can download this map, and others, in 140ppi or 300ppi directly from my Patreon Cavern Theme Freebies page, for $15 a month (normally $25) you’ll get around 100 maps every month… 15¢ cents a map!
Free D&D Maps every week, a new theme every month
Follow me on: Patreon | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
www.patreon.com/themadcartographer
Geez...that's good work, man!
You really do the whole "If you're good at something, don't do it for free" well!
Hadgar Greystone, Lv 10 Duergar Death Cleric.
Call of Cantraxis campaign, Moonshae.
DM: Imperia Regnum
Ancient Rome Theros Homebrew.
Gri'im the Red, LV 7 Orc Druid
Rime of the Frost Maiden Campaign.
Awesome work from you every single day, love to see what you come up with!
Thanks for the comments :) Really enjoying it, still trying to work out my style with some of the maps, and feel the need to go back over some of the others and tweak them as my style changes. Really though picking a Caverns theme I might hit a wall with coming up with stuff, but I got to say I'm really happy with the way things have been turning out and some of my best maps for this month are yet to come!
Only started doing this full time on May 1st, in the last 12 days I've made and released 12 core maps, with 40 different variations, and given away 15 free full sizes 140ppi/300ppi maps!
Free D&D Maps every week, a new theme every month
Follow me on: Patreon | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
www.patreon.com/themadcartographer
My World of Warcraft inspired "cavern" theme maps :) Wanted to make something outdoors to break from all my traditional cavern maps for my monthly theme, and really wanted to try making a Razorfen Downs style map, which led to making my other variants WoW themed as well!
You can download this map, and others, in 140ppi or 300ppi directly from my Patreon Cavern Theme Freebies page, for $15 a month (normally $25) you’ll get around 100 maps every month… 15¢ cents a map!
Free D&D Maps every week, a new theme every month
Follow me on: Patreon | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
www.patreon.com/themadcartographer
Man. This one is totally awesome!
'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I'll worldbuild for your DnD games!
Just a D&D enjoyer, check out my fiverr page if you need any worldbuilding done for ya!
Sweet!
Hello! I am just a relatively new D&D player, who also likes SimplePlanes and War Thunder.
My characters are: