Don't Want To Make Your Own Maps? Try Axebane's Maps On For Size!

Being a DM is a lot of work, and 90% of that work is just prepping the game. You need to have all your minis in place, you need the story arc drawn out, all the NPCs in the given area, a complete list of monster stats, and you have to remember what loot your party is going to find when they get through the challenge you've set before them.

There's one other thing you have to prep, though. Your maps.

And you're in... a room... somewhere...

Given how persnickety games like DND and Pathfinder can be about sight lines, distances between targets, and whether or not someone left a threatened square, running a game without a map can be a nightmare. And that's before Geoff's evoker starts tossing around area of effect spells. However, it takes a special kind of person to really get into making maps... which is why if you're not that kind of DM, head over to Axebane's Maps to save yourself a lot of time and headaches.

All The Dungeons You Could Ever Delve

The individual behind Axebane's Maps is a talented artist named Daniel Walthall, who is a lover of tabletop games. So, rather than keep that talent under a rock, he put all the maps up for fellow DMs to make use of. Just head over to the Tumblr page, and take a gander at all the resources on display. You need a rotting crypt? No problem. A multi-level megadungeon? Got you covered. What about village? No problem, Axebane has that too.

Seriously, these worksheets save you SO much time!

Not only do these pre-made maps take a lot of the strain off of your back, but they also allow you to draw up places you could pull out when players take unexpected turns. Did they seek an inn instead of going to the ogre cave? Well, you've got one. Did they decide to beard the dragon in its den rather than laying a trap for it? You're prepared for that, too. And even if you don't have something pre-made, all it takes is a few minutes with a pen to fill out a new sheet, and you're ready to go!

These maps are, of course, not for re-sale. However, they are free to anyone who wants to use them in their games. And, if you do want to help the artist keep making great content for fellow DMs, go to Daniel Walthall's Patreon page to become a patron. After all, every little bit helps!

And, if you're looking for other great (and free) resources to make your life behind the screen easier, you might want to check out Tabletop Audio Gives DMs Free, Hand-Crafted Soundtracks For Their Games and Want Some Cool Props At Your Table? Check Out Paper Forge!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday post. If you know of any other cool, free resources that help DMs out there, feel free to leave them in the comments below. If you'd like more content from yours truly, check out my Vocal archive, or head over to the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio where I and other gamers get together to offer tips, tricks, and advice for having a better game. If you want to stay on top of all my releases, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. If you want to help support Improved Initiative so I can keep making content for all you fine readers out there, then go to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page, or click here to Buy Me A Coffee! Either way, my eternal gratitude will be yours, along with some sweet gaming swag.

Out of Context D&D Quotes: Submit Yours Today!

This week on Moon Pope Monday we'd like to direct your attention to something that is both hilarious and user-friendly! For those of you with a Tumblr page (we're all very grateful you made it over here, by the way), or who just like the idea of Tumblr then check out Out of Context D&D Quotes! It's great fun, you can submit quotes from any game you're currently playing, and peruse the list for a few that make you really wonder what the hell was going on in that other game.

Yeah... so... ummm... I know folks are used to an image set or a video with these updates. All I had this week was a link. So have this instead!

This car runs on nightmare fuel.

This is the latest anthology to feature one of my stories ("Double Feature" is the title and it's a fantastic romp through the freaky 50s for those who love period pieces). If you think it looks cool, or you just want to know why the hell there's a giant tentacle reaching for a Cadillac on a rainy road, just go here and pre-order your copy for less than $5.

That's all for me, but stay tuned for another piece later this week! As always feel free to click "Bribe the DM" in the upper right hand corner, become a patron at our Patreon page, and as always to follow us on Facebook and Tumblr.