Brown & Propless Ancient Catacombs, Adept & Expert (Patreon)

Welcome back, Adepts and Experts! Your alternate version for this week's map is special because I prepared two separate versions: a different warmer palette and without all the caskets, columns, and the other assorted props. I'd like to say I planned on doing this, but shortly before preparing to post this map I had a premonition of some of you telling me that the gray stone version was more a crypt than a catacomb (it is) and it doesn't look particularly ancient even (it doesn't). And so with an hour before I wanted to post it I threw together version of the map with the most ancient and catacomb-y of palettes: brown! Hopefully this meets your expectations, it would be a shame if the winner of the poll wasn't very cool.

Also, it's time for my monthly Revisited post! I plan on working on it over the weekend, so make sure to visit the original post and give me your suggestions, I'll take absolutely anything and do it if you show me there's interest.

Anywho, let's talk about the map!

1. After my last dungeon-y map, the Crumbling Facility, I wanted to make something a little more compact and simple as I'm a fan of small dungeon design (sprawling dungeon maps are such a pain to manage, yeah?). With that in mind, this actually proved to be a pretty big challenge. The layout shifted dramatically as I sketched, rooms flipped and shifted around the match different doorways where I thought they fit the flow better and one small wing got cut because it didn't feel like a great addition. 

One thing I like to do while drawing a dungeon is imagine the combats and puzzles I might place in them and maybe even hint at puzzles that could exist in the space. So, in my mind, after a mid-difficulty fight against some undead in the first chamber I imagined the players would be confronted by a spirit or disembodied voice, who of course demands they leave immediately as they aren't worthy to tread these halls. This would lead in one way or another to the players needing to visit the various large braziers scattered around the catacombs to honor and calm the spirits of the dead so they would allow them entry to the final chamber, where 1-2 powerful undead feel they aren't yet appeased and must test the players' mettle. This could just be a combat, or perhaps they want you to do a task for them outside of the dungeon, find some relic that was robbed from their tomb or something like that. 

2. One major difference I had in mind between this one and the Crumbling Facility map was the lack of plant life, which I thought would add an ambient feeling of dryness and death. As I finished up the outlines though, I couldn't help but feel like the 2 still felt way too similar, like I made them from the same tiles. I guess that's a point in my favor for having a consistent art style, but I would have liked them to feel more unique. I'll be researching how other artist have done so, so by the next dungeon map I'm hopeful that I can made it feel a little different.

3. It took all my willpower, but I somehow stopped myself from making a colorful catacomb. It goes against my every instinct, but it just wouldn't be right for the map to be bursting with blues and yellows like I want. I could see this being a cool one to come back to someday (for a revisited post perhaps?), ripping down some walls and having it empty out into a jungle or mountainside or something (or underneath a waterfall?). There's a lot I can do with this, and honestly I'm looking forward to it ;) let me know if any of you are interested in that, because I would jump on the chance!