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Lifesized Chessboard Battle Map - Launch
🕑 Added 2025-02-28 18:13:06 +0000 UTCHello Adventurers! Welcome to our latest map release, a lifesized chessboard in a lord’s garden. I’ve made a few castle interior and manor-style maps and thought having another exterior would be useful. So, we have this formal garden exterior with a large chessboard. I imagine it could be a place for some cruel lord to play real-life chess games or just a good arena for a fight! With betting, of course!
Next Maps
I’ll be working on the Gnomish (steampunk) Train next, with the Teetering Lava Shrine coming later in the month.
Gnomish Train Station (with Train)
This is going to be a big release. I’ll be making a Steampunk/Gnomish Train and a Station to have it call at. I’ll add a few different coaches to the train. I’m currently considering making Sleeper, Passenger, Freight, and Livestock.Teetering Lava Shrine
I recently watched a video on buildings falling into the sea due to erosion. It gave me an idea for a map with a ruin falling into the ocean, which was fun, but I decided to make it lava, as that would be just badass!
Thanks as always for your support. I say it with most of my map releases but I simply couldn’t do this without you wonderful people. The chessboard idea was a suggestion from a patron, so please continue to comment with ideas you’d like to see in the future!
Now, let's all stand on this chessboard and let the ultra-rich control our every move. What a ridiculous and fantastical scenario with no real-world parallels at all.
Downloads
The files, thumbnails, and tags can be accessed on the Map List Page. You must be logged in to Patreon and signed up to the correct tier to access them. Remember, you are only charged for map releases; you can download all the old maps at no extra cost!
Map Descriptions
As you walk, the gravel path crunches underfoot while floral perfumes linger in the air. The lawns are immaculately cut, the flowerbeds a rich tapestry of colour, while the box hedging and topiaries segment the garden into distinct areas.
You are led under a pergola covered in flowering vines, down a few stone steps and into an open area paved with large flagstones. The alternating light and dark flagstones are laid out in a checkerboard pattern. At each end of this giant gaming board are two seating areas made up of stone benches and two ornate and cushioned sofas.
Notes and Tips
30x30 Grid Map
Use this with some of my other maps, such as: Secret Garden, The Collection, Castle Courtyard, Castle Dungeon, Crime Lord's Hideout, Lord's Quarters, The Ballroom and Tournament Ground.
This could be a place where your party is forced to fight for the pleasure of some cruel lord, but you don’t need to use chess rules or themes. It could just be an arena for combat.
If you do want a chess-themed encounter, here are some suggestions:
Give your players roles that correlate to chess pieces. This could restrict movement and add or remove abilities.
Have one player ‘play’ against an opponent. The other players are the pieces.
Use golems or magical armour as the other pieces, with different stats and abilities.
Allow for a quick(ish) resolution to the encounter. Don’t force your players to play a full chess game unless you know they really like chess!
Have the Lord cheat when it looks like they will lose and see what the players do. Does this give the players another option they didn’t realise they had?
Can players make an illegal move if they pass a will check?
Can range attacks be used? Is that allowed? What are the consequences, and is it worth it?
Use fewer pieces. Use the same number of enemy pieces as players.
Checkers is a relatively simple game in comparison to Chess. Use Checkers rules instead of chess. Once a player reaches the other side of the board, they win.
For the Win: A villainous noble is forcing your players to play a game of deadly chess. They are the pieces playing against an equal number of enemy pieces made up of different magical armours. Breaking the rules will have dire consequences.
Child’s Play: You are tasked with protecting a lordling. They insist on playing ‘dress-up chess’, which involves servants dressing up as chess pieces. During the game, assassins invade the gardens and attack. Or, some pieces turn out to be assassins who have replaced the servants.
Checkmate: An evil magic user or deity has some beef with an allied lord. The players are teleported to this gameboard and must defend the lord (King) from chess-themed enemies as they attack. All while the deity laughs maniacally from the other side of the board.
Variants
Day/Night and Lit for each of the map variants.
A fighting square for practice or betting!
A Magical Circle for teleportation or magical rituals.
And a Swimming Pool, because sometimes you just need to cool off after a hard day of adventuring.
Comments
Afternoon Maps
Mmm, monster transporting, interesting idea.
Afternoon Maps
Thanks Evan!
Evan TM
I love the gnomish train idea. Hopefully, the "livestock" will work for monsters. I also suggest some vault/storage area to play on the heist trope and possibly a "VIP" area to allow for an inevitable train boss battle!
Evan TM
This is amazing! I love the variants, particularly the fighting square!
Erskine Fincher
"Knight jump the queen!" :D
