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Transmission Tower 47-B

After the “end of the world” many communities sprung up to protect themselves and to continue to thrive in a world where all our old infrastructure was destroyed.

Most post-apocalyptic communities built up in rural and suburban environments – while the cities were a great source of scavenging, they were dangerous with short sight lines, competing scavengers, and few places suitable for farming or herding.

The ability to look over a large area of land to both control it and t...

Emberwatch Keep

Emberwatch Keep sits on the western flank of Mount Cindervale (“the Emberheart”) and is hewn from the dark basalt of the volcano. The western portion of the valley is lush with plants that grow in the rich volcanic soil, whereas the rest of the Cindervale area is coated with black ash and scorched of life. The winds come in from the west, keeping the keep out of the foul vapours of the volcano.

The elves called the volcano “Emberheart” because of the river of molten rock running...

Kheftan’s Halls

In the depths of [insert megadungeon here] are a jumbled set of halls and passages that defy the orderly design of the rest of the area. Known as Kheftan’s Halls, they are an unmistakable waypoint for those travelling through the depths – although not necessarily one that is easily navigated once found.

The design of these halls is almost like some engineer drew them on a piece of parchment, folded it up messily, and then didn’t unfold the plans before they began construction.

The Wyrmshade Reliquary

Solemnity and shadows, time-worn stones, shards of obsidian glass in the ceilings filter daylight into a nacreous glow illuminating drifting dust motes like the spirits of watchers past. The Wyrmshade Reliquary was built two empires ago by the Cabal of Ashen Sigils – a clandestine order of dragon-worshipping architects, masons, and arcanists bound by blood-oath to the dragon knights. They claimed to have built the structure directly into a set of leylines, explaining the long passages that ...

Shrine on the Mosswater

I’m hesitant to post this first version of today’s map – it is one of my first attempts to add watercolours to a map after drawing it (I started with another one, which I'll release next week). But I’m happy enough with it so here we go…

A recurring theme in games I play in and run are small odd locations along rivers. This turns up a lot in my Heart of Darkling series, but also in the many maps I’ve posted of riverside ruins, shrines, cities, and fortresses.

This is a...

Index Card Dungeon II – Map 6 – Dungeon Ruins

This is the sixth map in the Index Card Dungeon II set. This map sits directly underneath Map 2 (the ruins north of the tower base). There are three immediate means of accessing this map – a ladder in the central chamber leads up to the trap door in the ruins above (in Map 2), and there are a passage and a cave leading to the dungeons and caverns of Map 5.

These ruins were briefly explored by the cult in the tower and tower dungeons, but the door connecting the two sections has been l...

Index Card Dungeon II – Map 5 – Tower Dungeons

This is the fifth map in the Index Card Dungeon II set. This map sits directly underneath Map 1 (the tower base). These are the small dungeons under the tower proper, as well as the cave on the hillside which connects to the dungeons further north. The stairs in the L shaped room lead up to the tower itself – allowing the Cult of the Fractured Eye to easily come and go from this area. They use all the rooms on this level except the most northern one – they keep the door to the north locke...

Index Card Dungeon II - Map 4 - Tower Ruins

We return to the second Index Card Dungeon with this fourth map in the set. This map sits directly above Map 1 (Tower Base) just as Map 3 did. While map 3 showed the state of the tower as it was in ancient times (and as it appears sometimes just to mess with the characters when they come back out of the dungeons), this version of the map shows the tower as it is when occupied by the cult of the Fractured Eye.

These levels of the tower are in rough shape and are threatening to fall down ...

And we are back with the backstage pass!

Back from my tour of Quebec (I'll post some photos to the blog & socials at some point this week) with our much-delayed backstage pass for June 2025!

I had a solid time away from everything, exploring old fortifications, chilling with capybaras and penguins, whale watching, and I got to meet a very active giant octopus.

Thanks to your support, here's this month's maps:

Time to take a break.

I'm going to be logging off from the internet tonight and won't be back online until the 16th or so.

I'll post the backstage pass on the 16th, and get the ten maps out for the month in the second half of the month.

Take care y'all!

The Kraken has been released!

Here is the "release the kraken" package for May 2025. This month, we've re-released the maps for "Something in the Walls" and "the Ruined Athenaeum of Vicon" (I love that overly complex word for a library or room full of books - first documented in 1799).

Thank you for your continued support.

Cartography Collection PDF - May 2025

Here is the compiled PDF of all ten maps released this month with the associated text.

As always, this is a Patron-exclusive for 6 months to a year, after which point it will be bundled with the Backstage Pass and sold as a package for $5 to non-patrons.

Thank you as always for your support, you ...

Baron Moh’s Keep

Baron Moh has glimpsed a future where a motley group of adventurers unravel the fabric of reality itself – whether by accident or design, he is unsure. This vision has driven the Baron to work against them at every turn, convinced that stopping them is the only way to prevent the looming catastrophe. Unfortunately, their obsession with future visions makes them blind to the nuances of the present, leading them to misinterpret the adventurers’ every move as another step toward destruction....

The May Kraken Poll

It is that time again!

Every month I post a short list of maps from the back catalog, and you vote on which should be re-released under a patron-exclusive commercial use license. 

Here's the link to this month's choices:

https://forms.gle/9fw6FVjWEB1XSwnJ7

Scavengers’ Deep – Map 19

The Scavengers’ Deep is a reminder of the amount of work that went into underground structures during the great war. Generally, the elves only built underground when hiding their breeding and research facilities, whereas the forces of the kingdoms, assisted by the dwarves, were constantly building underground as the elves were unrelenting and would completely raze any surface defences that they defeated.

But the structures now known as the Scavengers’ Deep are atypical, an elven com...

Graxworm – Map 20 – The Tail

The Graxworm is a massive dead dragon of mythic scale, several miles long and large enough to contain a town in the mouth. Creatures have set up here to “mine” the massive corpse for its valuable materials – leather, scales, ichor, tendons, and more. Practically every bit has some value to someone, and in the long term, the expectation is that nothing will remain, not even the massive bones. Today’s map is more of an illustration in many ways. The first map is of the Graxworm Town gat...

Longboat Mountain – The Longboat Caves

We return to Longboat Valley (near the top of Longboat Mountain) with this small map of location D. Many of the marked locations in the valley itself lend themselves better to a quick description than a full map – but we should have maps for locations I and J (and maybe H) to finish off the set.

The caves up here are the top of the “Silver Stair” – a wide set of stairs cut into the mountain that climb from the depths of the Silver Caves to this location at the top. The Silver St...

Tomb of Akhatep the Unyielding

Once a revered and formidable ruler, Akhatep the Unyielding led his people with an iron will and unwavering devotion to the gods of Amonkhet. He presided over a golden age of conquest, expanding his domain and constructing towering monuments in honour of the divine. However, his rigid adherence to tradition and law led to unrest among his subjects. Some whispered that his soul had grown as unyielding as the stone walls of his palace, leaving no room for mercy.

Upon his death, his priest...

Echoes of a Forgotten King – The Halls of Musquadobet

Sage Marvus Durnwell’s research into the minor noble houses of the Anchor Dwarf clans has probably pinpointed the location of the Halls of Musquadobet hidden from the prying eyes of the world above. These halls, if actually there, would be a relic of a forgotten age, and hopefully a source of ancient dwarven lore. Once a small underground citadel, it was home to the Musquadobet – a secretive and fiercely independent clan that prided itself on its self-sufficiency and mastery of subterrane...

Index Card Dungeon II – Map 3 – The Ghost Tower

This is the third index card-sized map that connect together to form Index Card Dungeon II. Each is designed to fit on a traditional 3 x 5 index card (at six squares per inch), and you can write up any notes about the level on the reverse of the card. I’ll be posting three maps per month in the set, aiming for a total of 18-24 maps or so.

While this map sits above Map 1 (The Tower Base), it isn’t the version of the tower that characters will first encounter. Map 4 will present the t...

Index Card Dungeon II – Map 2 – Northern Ruins

This is the second of ten index card-sized dungeon maps that all connect together. Each is designed to fit on a traditional 3 x 5 index card (at six squares per inch), and you can write up any notes about the level on the reverse of the card. I’ll be posting three maps per month in the set, aiming for a total of 18-24 maps or so.

The northern ruins are immediately north of Map 1 (Tower Base). Partially hidden from the tower by a screen of trees, the small ruins were already falling ap...

Index Card Dungeon II - Map 1 - Tower Base

My ten-map “Index Card Dungeon” from two years ago has been seeing a surge of interest lately, so I was inspired to start on a new set of Index Card Dungeon maps. Much like many classic dungeon complexes, the main way into this set of dungeons is a partially ruined tower on a hill. Alternately, there is a small cave at the base of the hill that in turn connects to the complex of dungeons and ruined structures beneath the ruins.

This is the first of ten index card-sized dungeon maps ...

The Village of Millbrook (weird & boring versions)

Millbrook should be a quaint little village nestled along the banks of the Ashenford. The town has a palisade around the eastern side but no such wall along the west side of the river. On the west side, the town’s old water mill still turns, providing flour for the bakery – a favourite stop for locals and travellers alike. The town is bracketed by two fortified structures outside of the town walls. On the west side stands a grand church, its towering spire visible from miles away. Atop th...

Backstage Pass - May 2025

Here are all the maps that will be posted to the blog this month! I've also been posting a lot of my original drawings lately as I get more and more comfortable with illustration work - but I haven't been sharing them on the Patreon except as incidental art pieces in some of the end of month PDFs.

Thank you for your support, you make these maps possible.

Cartography Collection - April 2025

Here is your Patron-Exclusive PDF collection of the maps and descriptions posted this month. These go out for free to all patrons, and after about six months, they get released on DTRPG for $4.99 for non-patrons to pick up.

As normal, I've included two versions of the collection - one in spreads for ea...

Kraken Releases - March 2025

Thank you, patrons!

Here is this month's "Kraken" releases - two maps that you've chosen from the archives to re-release under the free commercial use license.

This month's releases are the Zath Gor Dungeons (which pairs with the Zath Gor Bastion which we released last month), and the large version of the Six Spires temple.

These releases are patron-exclusives - meaning that only ...

Scavengers’ Deep – Map 18

The Scavengers’ Deep is a reminder of the amount of work that went into underground structures during the great war. Generally, the elves only built underground when hiding their breeding and research facilities, whereas the forces of the kingdoms, assisted by the dwarves, were constantly building underground as the elves were unrelenting and would completely raze any surface defences that they defeated.

But the structures now known as the Scavengers’ Deep are atypical, an elven com...

the Verdant Roost

Nestled against the towering oak, the Verdant Roost is a snug two-story retreat. The lower level, fragrant with drying herbs, serves as both living quarters and storage, while the compact upper level offers a humble sleeping space alongside additional supplies. The structure embraces the base of the tree – a ramshackle structure with moss-covered wood and creeping vines.

Thalindor Greenleaf, its resident, is a guardian of nature — equal parts healer, warrior, hunter, and fierce prot...

Graxworm Map 19 – Dungeons

The Graxworm is a massive dead dragon of mythic scale, several miles long and large enough to contain a town in the mouth. Creatures have set up here to “mine” the massive corpse for its valuable materials – leather, scales, ichor, tendons, and more. Practically every bit has some value to someone, and in the long term the expectation is that nothing will remain, not even the massive bones. After exploring the secret city at the heart of the beast, we are deeper into the corpse in the i...

April Kraken Voting

Every month I put together a list of maps from the archives and you, my patrons, vote on which map you feel should be re-released under a patron-exclusive commercial use license.

The two maps that gather the most votes will be re-released at the end of the month as an exclusive for your use.

So... Where shall we release the Kraken this month?

Follow the link and cast your vote!