# Mapmaking Discussion & Philosophy (WIP/Critique) > Virtual Tabletop/Battlemap Mapping >  Random Battlemaps

## geamon

So I decided to just to fool around in GIMP making a battlemap trying things out and practicing some concepts and I came up with this. Thinking of creating a thread that I dump random battlemaps into as a I make as distractions or for fun as I work on them. I have to admit this one is looking ridiculously good. I'm gonna have a hard time topping it. Frozen Elemental Mote in the Elemental Chaos for D&D 4e, the well on the north of the map is the portal in to the cave, it's a one way street until the encounter is over. Middle of larger areas is more icy then the snow on the edges which make it slippy terrain. Moving more then 3 squares or 15 feet forces an acrobatics check fail and go prone. Enjoy!

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## geamon

After fooling around and making some adjustments I got this result, I think this one is done. As I've said this is inside a frozen elemental mote in the Elemental Chaos for D&D 4e. One version has bones frozen bellow the surface other does not. Gonna keep working and testing things out over time with battlemaps. I'll post them in the finished maps section after I get a dozen or so as a map pack or something. Let me know what you think.

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## Avengeil

More battlemaps, yay!
And of course I'm going with the frozen bones version.
Can we have some frozen orcs version's pretty please?

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## geamon

I didn't know orcs found their way into the Elemental Chaos and frozen within a mote. :Smile:  But if you find me some detailed enough png's with orc bodies or laying down or something like that with no background I can easily do it for you.

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## jtougas

> I didn't know orcs found their way into the Elemental Chaos and frozen within a mote. But if you find me some detailed enough png's with orc bodies or laying down or something like that with no background I can easily do it for you.


You'd be surprised where Orc's show up...  :Smile:  great job !!

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## Avengeil

If I ever find some you can be sure that they will meet their destiny :Smile:

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## geamon

Threw this together today, on in off for the last 5 hrs. Need to make mummified bodies for the shelves then I'm done this one. Can definitely see huge improvement from my first terribad maps. I've been fooling around a lot on layer modes. I love overlay. Let me know if there is anything I can improve on.

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## geamon

So I think this one is done as well. Again anything wrong/missing let me know. Included the objects I created for the mummified remains in .png's in a .zip one is modded and other three I made. This is a "Family Burial Crypt" like all my maps I make for 4e but this one is easily usable in other RPG's or editions. Enjoy!

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## geamon

Threw this together for you Avengeil. If it not what you're looking for I can toss you my .xcf and all you would need to do is add the objects of the orcs on a simple white layer and set it's transparency to 50% and mode to overlay. Let me know.

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## geamon

Here's the final version of the Family Crypt. Added webbing to some of the bodies and deconstructed some to add diversity. Also added braziers which I cheaped out and didn't do myself. Enjoy!

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## jtougas

Awesome !!  :Smile:

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## Avengeil

Ooo la laaaa!
Frozen oooorcs!
Have some rep geamon!

Edit: I own you some.

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## geamon

Was getting frustrated with my other projects so I took some time off them and threw this together. Still not complete, having issues with the forest that's going to go around it. Anyone have any advice for trees at this scale? Also going to be a camp on the bottom left hand corner for the highwaymen.

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## geamon

Still struggling with the trees for my other battlemap but, threw this together. Small barricade for bandits, highwaymen, etc. Hope you enjoy.

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## Jaxilon

Just keep in mind that if your squares are 5' x 5' then some of your frozen bodies look like they might be close to 8' tall and more with that giant ogre or whatever getting close to 20' tall. 

These are looking great and it's a good way to get lots of practice with your tools too. Keep up the good work.

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## geamon

> Just keep in mind that if your squares are 5' x 5' then some of your frozen bodies look like they might be close to 8' tall and more with that giant ogre or whatever getting close to 20' tall. 
> 
> These are looking great and it's a good way to get lots of practice with your tools too. Keep up the good work.


Ya I kind threw that together. Wasn't paying attention to the size of the objects, I really envisioned the version with the bones. Thanks Jax!!

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## Jaxilon

You're welcome. To be honest the only reason I notice is because I've caught myself doing the same thing  :Smile:

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## geamon

I finished this one, seeing as I did the barricade one for bandits I decided to omit the camp I had planned and just make this a generic random encounter. Hope someone uses it!

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## geamon

I'm gonna revive this thread and start adding more random battle maps to it. To start it off here's a night time encounter with a band of pirate's on a tropical beach. I've styled it like a cloth map. Enjoy!!

Edit: Modified map.

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## jtougas

Very Cool. Glad to see you back at this  :Smile:

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## geamon

Thanks jtougas, I'm "trying" to up the quality of my work and am taking a nod from TheRedEpic on properly decorating the maps. Here's another I threw together today. The main junction of a sewer system of a large capital city. It's not complete yet, I'm trying to come up with a way to translate a waterfall/elevation drop for the water ways. Any ideas? Also should I add more puddles/water streamers and pipes?

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## geamon

This one is gonna be labeled as complete. After fooling around for like 2-3 hrs I got the "waterfalls" right. Enjoy!

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## geamon

After losing my mojo on my lite challenge map which I am unable to complete in time. I've decided to do something comfortable, doing an encounter map for this series. Decided to experiment with some of the new textures I found from Patrick Hoesly (link here if you missed it). Here's small gambling hall or establishment located underground ideally in the cellar of a tavern or aristocrats home. My plan is to assemble a dozen or so and post them in the finished maps section. Hope you enjoy.

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## jtougas

These keep getting cooler and cooler geamon. Nice job  :Smile:

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## geamon

After waking up and taking a look at this I'm thinking it's missing something, not sure what. Hmmm.....

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## geamon

After analyzing it for a bit I found there was too much earthy tones to the image. Balanced colors and the addition of extra objects ties it together better, I believe. This one is marked complete.

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## Ascension

Yep, much better.

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## Aegeri

I approved of the map you made for me and you've done some excellent work here. I quite like the style change and adding some little details onto the map as well.

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## geamon

Had a battlemap that didn't fit well with an idea I was hatching in my mind, so I scrapped it. Throwing it here for anyone's use or critique.

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