# Tomb of Horrors Map



## mikeschley (Nov 11, 2005)

Here's a map I produced recently for Wizards of the Coast's update of Tomb of Horrors.

Larger versions as well as an untagged version can be found here.

Let me know what you think. 
Mike


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## D'karr (Nov 11, 2005)

Very well done.  I'm already downloading this one.


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## XCorvis (Nov 11, 2005)

They also have the full original Tomb of Horrors adventure, updated to 3.5 and free.

http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20051031a

I hope they do this with more old adventures.


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## mikeschley (Nov 11, 2005)

XCorvis said:
			
		

> I hope they do this with more old adventures.




Keep an eye out.


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## Crothian (Nov 11, 2005)

I thought this was a very good map.  Are they having you do maps of the next one as well??


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## mikeschley (Nov 11, 2005)

Crothian said:
			
		

> Are they having you do maps of the next one as well??




I am currently working on a number of new projects for Wizards including maps for online pdfs as well as book projects. Since i'm not sure which upcoming projects have been publicly announced yet I really can't say what they are. You'll definitely see more work from me in the future though. Recently published books that I've worked on include Weapons of Legacy and Magic of Incarnum.


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## Cthulhu's Librarian (Nov 11, 2005)

I really like the map. I don't have Incarnum, but I really liked the maps in Weapons of Legacy. Nice work! I'll keep an eye out for more of yours.


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## jgbrowning (Nov 11, 2005)

Do you have a website mikeschley? I'd like to bookmark it. 

joe b.


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## mikeschley (Nov 11, 2005)

jgbrowning said:
			
		

> Do you have a website mikeschley? I'd like to bookmark it.
> 
> joe b.




I am currently teaching myself Dreamweaver and hope to have a site up and running by the end of the month. I'll keep ya posted.  

Mike


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## jgbrowning (Nov 11, 2005)

mikeschley said:
			
		

> I'll keep ya posted.
> 
> Mike




Danke,

joe b.


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## Angel Tarragon (Nov 12, 2005)

mikeschley said:
			
		

> Keep an eye out.



I'll be keeping two eyes out.


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## orbitalfreak (Nov 12, 2005)

Map looks good.

As for the poll, I find that all four traits are extremely important.  A map that comes across badly artistically can fail to inspire the imagination.  If it doesn't look good, then that sets up a psychological dislike for the map (or any piece of art), and thus less chance that I would bother trying to like it enough to study it to see if I would use it in a game.  Now, this doesn't mean that it has to be tricked out with jewels, fancy borders, and a perfectly-shaded parchement-replica background.  A map that is just a black and white grid, if done cleanly, can be just as useful and inspiring.  Take for example, the maps of Phineas Crow on these boards; they are not decked out with lots of artistic or thematic elements, but are spectacular in their ability to be used in a game.

Utility factor is extremely important, as well.  Conforming to a 5- or 10-foot grid may not be a natural, organic, expected way for a building to be constructed, but this isn't the real world.  It's Dungeons & Dragons, a game that involves a lot of tactical combat in the age-old heritage of "killing stuff and taking the loot."  Fudging reality a few feet here and there is almost always perfectly acceptable in order to make the map more useful.  Combat-grid portability plays a role here, too.  If there's a chance that combat, another type of encounter, or anything else where tactical movement may come into play exists, then being able to pinpoint your location becomes extremely important (to those of us who use minatures and battlegrids, that is).

Level of detail depends on what's being described.  If a feature is important (columns, the evil altar, key pieces of scenerey or props), it should be placed on the map.  Maps that are an overview (like the one linked above) don't necessarily need every tapestry, candelabra, and soot-mark painstakingly detailed; showing the features of interest (evil face, fire-trap, the pews [which are of tactical importance due to cover and movement restrictions]) is all the detail necessary.  If you were instead mapping a house that is 20'x40', then more detail would be called for: furniture, storage containers, cabinets and shelves, and more of the minutae that may be necessary to keep track of in such a small location.

All of this is from a DM's perspective.  Player handouts and props need not have such a utility-factor.  If the characters encounter a treasure map, and you give the players a copy of it, then a simple charcoal-on-parchment sketch would suffice; the characters wouldn't be interested in a battle-grid.  In this case, only artistry matters in the options above.  Make it look like it was created.  Adventurer's map?  Should be sketchy, maybe drawn in parts with arrows linking areas that would extend off the edge of the page.  A professionally-drawn strategic map used in a warroom should have lots of detail about terrain, elevation, and land- and water-based transit routes.  

Short version:
DM's:  Utility
PC's:  Shiny

I love the ToH map, by the way.  The only way it could be better is if it had a bare-bones b/w version to accompany it to make it easier on ink consumption.


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## Arnwyn (Nov 14, 2005)

I really like that ToH map - it very much meets the first three criteria, which are the ones that I find most important. (Though I'd expect mind natural rock walls that don't fit "perfectly" onto a grid - but I do expect that from straight walls, for the reasons orbitalfreak notes, above.)

I'm leery about the 4th criteria (simplicity or ease of transfer to battle map proportions) as I think it might unnecessarily limit the original map itself (how big is a "battle map"? How limiting would the location sizes be? Does this exclude interesting features like canyons and bridges?).


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## Samuel Leming (Nov 19, 2005)

What do I appreciate most in a map?

That it conveys the information that I need.  None of the options given really expressed that, so I didn't vote.

As others have said, that's a really nice map.

Sam


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## Dog Moon (Nov 19, 2005)

I voted for artisticness and gridness.  I like my maps to look nice, but I don't necessarily need a lot of interior decorating, only important features like thrones, pillars, etc, basically large things.  The only reason I didn't vote for it was because I feel the first two are more important.  If a map doesn't look nice, I don't like using it.  Maybe I'm silly that way, I don't know, but I feel more comfortable using a nice looking map.

As for gridness, it just makes it easy to create on the mat when drawing out the room for the battle.  Although not as realistic, I hate drawing anything which isn't effectively a squarish room consisting of two numbers both divisible by 5.  It's neat to have a cool area on your map for a battle, but it's difficult to copy it exactly and have the players see what you want them to see.  The caverns on my graph paper and the mat never look the same, but the 10x10 rooms do.  It's also why I dislike strangely shaped room, like hexagons to weirdly shaped triangles [though in all seriousness, anyone who shapes a room in a strange triangle shape is just weird, IMO].

If you do have lots of details within the map, btw, it's important to have a key, even if some of the objects are fairly obvious [bed with pillows, for example] just to prevent any confusion.

P.S. It IS a good map.


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## mikeschley (Nov 29, 2005)

*New White Plume Mountain Map*

For anyone that's interested, here's a thread about the next map in the series of revamped D&D adventures. Tomb of Horrors was the first one I worked on, White Plume Mountain is my second, and more are to come.  

White Plume Mountain Thread


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## Cthulhu's Librarian (Nov 30, 2005)

mikeschley said:
			
		

> Tomb of Horrors was the first one I worked on, White Plume Mountain is my second, and more are to come.




Any hints on whats to come? Please? I'll buy you a beer next GenCon...


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## mikeschley (Nov 30, 2005)

Cthulhu's Librarian said:
			
		

> Any hints on whats to come? Please? I'll buy you a beer next GenCon...




OK. OK. One hint.

The next maps have something to do with...

Spoiler!


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## Brakkart (Nov 30, 2005)

You cruel cruel tease!


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