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The Secret Chambers
Along the lines of the map I posted on Wednesday, this detail map of the Secret Chambers of Ilsan was an experiment in map-doodling. During the B/X game, we had followed a treasure map to these secret chambers within an abandoned gnome complex now somewhat overrun with goblins (and even though we are levels 5-7 now, a tribe of 90 goblins makes us think twice before just hacking our way in).
Shortly after mapping out the complex of secret chambers and dealing with the few inhabitants (two living statues made of jade – a variety we had never seen before, a giant spider that nearly killed the cleric, some giant rats and a spectre that cost our elf yet another experience level), we sat down to figure out the puzzle of the books in the secret study and the altar in the ‘room of worship’. In the meantime, we as players took a 30 minute pizza break.
During that break, I redrew the basics of the small complex of chambers from being a 7 square by 7 square area on a sheet of graph paper into a half-page map of the four rooms and the rat warrens. As we continued the game, I went back to the map when I had spare time and finished off the little details seen here – in total I spent probably just under an hour on it.
I love all the little details and how it makes the map come alive. It might be fun to try mapping out a whole dungeon at this scale, but I worry that I’ll just burn out completely part-way through.
Regardless, here’s the detail map of the Secret Chambers of Ilsan – your Friday Map!

The Secret Chambers
Love this! I saw it at work first and have been thinking about it all day. It is amazing what one ‘little’ thing will do. For example, I have been thinking about the small bit of rubble near the right end of the curtain in the temple room. Why is it there? Will the PCs think that there is a ‘secret door’ there? That one little think could keep them guessing for minutes/hours/days… and to think I would have never mentioned it in the description.
Best,
The Bane
It looks a little busy. I think if the ‘dead space’ areas are filled in darker or with denser crosshatching, that will go a long way toward focusing it, but right now my eye wanders all over and the crosshatching clashes with some of the finer details.
I used this map for my Workshop of the Mad Alchemist D&D 4th Edition Two Page Mini Delve. Check it out:
http://www.rovingbandofmisfits.com/2011/09/two-page-mini-delves-workshop-of-the-mad-alchemist/