Perchburrow Point is an old fishing village located at the wind-harrowed Howling Coast. It is (literally) the last point of light before the vast and stormy sea, and whatever horrors await in and beyond it.
The settlement is located on top of a underground system of caves and rivers. As these freshwater rivers meet the ocean the water in the caves is brackish, and there’s an abundance of perch to be caught by veteran fishermen.
Perchburrow Point is an important maritime mark due to the ancient lighthouse that is managed dutifully by the people of the village. Many ships pass by here, and some lay anchor to allow crews a night at the inn before braving the sea (or returning from it).
Please feel free to download the map and use it in your campaign. It should be useful to represent any coastal settlement in a semi-medieval setting.
Like all content on this website this map is free for personal use (I just ask you not to publish it elsewhere without my consent).
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What if I told you that Wizards of the Coast is just one of many publishers of Dungeons & Dragons? Sounds strange? WotC are the commercial owners of the D&D brand, and anyone stupid enough to use it without consent would get sued to oblivion. That, however, does not mean other publishers aren’t releasing great games that are just as much D&D as the game made by the trademark owner.
Why consider avoiding Wizards of the Coast?
But let’s just take a step back and discuss why you consider alternatives to Wizards D&D.
Well, first of all – maybe you shouldn’t. If you really enjoy the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons, and don’t have a problem with the company Wizards of the Coast, then you’re all good. You should do what makes you happy. If you’re happy with D&D 5e then by all means – play it!
However …
Perhaps you just don’t like fifth edition D&D.
Maybe you have a problem with how WotC conducts their business or,
you’re worried that they will step into the NFT (safe link, Wikipedia) space like their parent company Hasbro?
There are many valid reasons why to step away from whoever owns the commercial rights to put a Dungeons & Dragons logo on their book cover. Also; you don’t even need a reason other than being curious and wanting to try something new.
But is it really Dungeons & Dragons if it doesn’t say so on the cover?
Short answer: yes!
Longer answer: yes! You see, there’s something called the Open Gaming License (OGL), which makes it legal to create clones of D&D. You can basically copy the rules and publish them under a different name than Dungeons & Dragons. The OGL is what Paizo used in 2009 to create the Pathfinder RPG, which outcompeted fourth edition D&D.
Here, let me quote whoever described the OGL on Wikipedia:
Dungeons & Dragons retro-clones are fantasy role-playing games that emulate earlier editions of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) no longer supported by Wizards of the Coast.
They are made possible by the release of later editions’ rules in a System Reference Document under the terms of the Open Game License, which allow the use of much of the proprietary terminology of D&D that might otherwise collectively constitute copyright infringement.
These rules lack the name D&D or any of the associated trademarks.
Many of such clones exist today, and they’re gaining popularity as roleplayers are switching from fifth edition to other alternatives. Some of these games are bunched together under the Old-School Reinassance movement, but wether you like that specific playstyle or not these games can be played in any way you prefer.
Games created and published under the OGL are sometimes exact clones of earlier editions of D&D (like Old-School Essentials), but more often they are tweaked, keeping the D&D core but making adjustments and additions to the rules and mechanics. In any case, most of these games are usually compatible – so you can use adventures from one game and play it with the rules of another!
So you see what I mean when I say it doesn’t need to say Dungeons & Dragons on the cover of the book to be D&D.
Ok, so what are my options?
Plenty, believe me. There are tons of D&D clones out there. Some of the most popular ones are Labyrinth Lord, Lamentations of the Flame Princess, Swords & Wizardry, White Box and OSRIC.
I’d like to put the spotlight on two major alternatives to fifth editions Dungeons & Dragons – Old-School Essentials and Dungeon Crawl Classics.
Old-School Essentials – for the D&D purist
Old-School Essentials (OSE) by Necrotic Gnome is an exact replica of the Basic/Expert mechanics of the game from 1981. If you choose the basic OSE you get the rules from D&D, just presented in a modern and more intuitive layout. It’s easy to read, wonderfully illustrated and just a really solid product that oozes quality.
OSE also has “advanced” supplements that add options that are not cloned from D&D but harmonizes really well with it. I recommend starting with the basic “classic fantasy rules tome” though, it’s just awesome.
The rules of D&D Basic Expert, ahem I mean Old-School Essentials are available for free online in the system reference document database.
Dungeon Crawl Classics – for the D&D rebel
If OSE is loyal to the roots of D&D, Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) by Goodman Games is quite the opposite. While the core of DCC is certainly and unmistakingly Dungeons & Dragons (in my opinion somewhat close to third edition), this game is full of wild and imaginative innovation. Everything from character creation to spells to the imagery is tweaked, remade and re-imagined. DCC is D&D’s feral cousin. It’s a thick book, but don’t let that scare you – the rules really aren’t complex.
A myriad of great adventures have been published for Dungeon Crawl Classics, so even if you don’t choose this specific game you should keep an eye out for their supplements (remember when I said these games are usually compatible?).
Oh, it uses really wonky dice as well, which is fun.
Wonky dice is part of the experience of Dungeon Crawl Classics!
Wrapping up
Anyway as you can see there are many ways to play Dungeons & Dragons without using books that says Dungeons & Dragons. For whatever reason you migh have to step away from Wizards of the Coast there are plenty of good (better?) options to chose from.
While a big company might own the commercial rights to the trademark, they do not own the hobby. We do.
DISCLAIMER: I am not in any way sponsored by the brands mentioned in this article. I've bought the products myself and have not been sent review copies or anything like that.
Stay awhile, and browse
I hope you liked this article. I’m not a great writer, but I’m pretty good at drawing so if you’d like to stick around for a while and check out my D&D maps, please feel free to do so! Here are some recent posts to get you started:
The Black Tomb of the Wight Knight is a short dungeon that should be suitable for a night of D&D adventuring. I haven’t written a lot of information on the dungeon itself, other than what you see in the image so it’s up to the dungeon master to make it her own adventure!
I have a loose idea about nearby villagers sacrificing people on the big stone slab by the “entrance”, pouring blood down the shaft to keep the wight knight calm and content.
The giant skull in the chamber below could be made of stone, or even the remains of an ancient creature. Either way it should set the tone of this eerie and grim place.
Feel free to download the image and print it for your own campaign, like always my content is free for personal use. I just ask you not to publish it elsewhere without my written consent. Enjoy!
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Here’s an isometric map of a “viking style” fort that you can use in your campaign. Feel free to use the background story below, or just make up your own!
Earl Birger the Bloodnose
The great earl (or “jarl”) Birger the Bloodnose got his ephitet after surviving a mace blow to the face, leaving it permanently bloodshot and deformed (the incident also made him forever prone to sudden bursts of nosebleed when excited).
Despise his grim visage, Birger is a fairly good-hearted man. His twelve hirdmen respect him and nearby farmers find him fair and just. The few shield-maidens as well as the seers have acknowledged the Bloodnose’s right to rule. Even Birger’s thralls recognize that they could be considerably worse off.
In terms of standing manpower Birger is one of the less powerful earls in the country. However, by fair treatment of the beforementioned groups he has managed to form a strong bond to his people. This bond has proven exceptionally useful when the need to quickly muster fighters arise.
Even though Birger is in his fifties he is unmarried, and has no children. His three older sisters live with him. They are also unmarried.
Birger the Bloodnose is a ninth level fighter with the title of "Lord" (D&D B/X).
Twinstone Fort
The fort is named after the two ancient runestones located just outside the gates. The stones tell the story of twin brother and sister who slew a vicious wyrm on the small motte now housing the keep tower.
The wooden pallisade is sturdy enough, as is the newly built watchtower. The gates are closed at night, but usually open during day hours.
Birger Bloodnose is a man of tradition, and will welcome travellers into his great hall. As tradition dictates guests will always be offered food, ale and a place to sleep. Adventurers, especially bards, are appriciated guests.
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In any pseudo-medieval fantasy city there will be various classic factions struggling for power. One of the most influential ones is probably the typical merchant guild.
Controlling trade is as close to absolute power as it gets and there are many historical examples of merchant associations outmaneuvering kings and nobles alike.
This map can be used to represent a medieval merchant guild hall and it’s immediate surroundings in the canals district. Will the player characters be able to gain favour among the merchants, or are they there to rob the place?
The below 3D model of the merchant guild is made by CGI artist Andrei Pék (link to Andrei’s Instagram account, opens in new tab). I’m astounded by the way he breathed life into my simple drawing, and honored that he chose to do it with my work.
If you like my stuff and want to give me a tip to cheer me on, please click the button below. Please note that tipping is appreciated, but not expected. Don’t donate if you’re short on cash, I’m sharing content because I like to, not to make money.
This map was made as a commission for the novel Lycaon by author Wes Parker. Here’s the blurb:
Harvey Howlett, Astronaut and Robotics Technician is nearing the end of his six-month rotation on the surface of the moon. What started as a dream mission quickly turned into a nightmare when Harvey finds a woman from a neighboring base covered in blood and wandering the lunar surface.
The woman's appearance raises a few questions that are quickly answered when Harvey and his team come face to face with a horrible monstrosity...
WEREWOLVES...IN SPACE...
I love drawing science fiction themed maps, and especially retro-futuristic, pulp or horror sci-fi. Illustrating this map was a lot of fun, and I’m really quite pleased with the outcome.
The hardest thing with moonscape maps it that the “palette” is kind of limited to rocks and craters. This goes for any barren landscape map, really. Such maps can easily get a bit monotonous and uninspiring. However, for this map I got the opportunity to play around a bit with the different space stations as points of interest. By not doing them to scale, but rather as map symbols/illustrations, I could add some simple architectural features. I also chose to add curvature and a starry sky to the top of the map. This brings contrast and frames the map quite nicely. These are just a couple of tips and tricks on how to make a barren map more interesting and aesthetically pleasing to look at.
This adventure location was inspired by the third act of the classic (and exceptional) action RPG Diablo II (I’ve been playing the remake a lot lately). It just so happened that my own setting has a large and creepy swamp called the Wraithbog, and I thought it was about time I started to give it some more attention. I also consider placing the covenstead in the Greenbottle Morass close to Fourtower Bridge. I haven’t really decided yet!
In any case: a coven of nasty old hags have made these ruins their domain, and whoever stumbles upon it is in grave danger. The sadistic ladies have a taste for human flesh, and are quite cunning in the dark arts. The dungeon below the swamp is a wet, hellish labyrinth of filth, disease and decay.
Feel free to download the map and print it for your own campaign should you ever have need for some grimy old swamp ruins. As always the work I publish on this website is free for personal use, but please do not publish it anywhere else without my written consent.
If you like my stuff and want to give me a tip to cheer me on, please click the button below. Please note that tipping is appreciated, but not expected. Don’t donate if you’re short on cash, I’m sharing content because I like to, not to make money.
The dungeon is dark and full of dangers – as it should be. That said, it’s a good idea to sometimes offer your players a place for their characters to rest. Give them just a glimpse of safety and comfort in contrast of the horrors they face in the underworld.
The grave of the unknown paladin is such a site. It is the final resting place of a noble paladin who sacrificed herself for her companions. Her party were unable to carry her body to the surface, so they laid her to rest deep in the bowels of the dungeon, and before leaving her the fighter thrust her magic sword into the headstone (carved by the dwarf) and lit a single candle (made permanent by the wizard).
No monsters come here. The air is soft and warm and smells like a summer meadow. Wounds heal at double the speed of normal. Food and water doesn’t spoil, and camping adventurers often leave rations and drinks for whoever might need it in the future (considered to bring luck to the expedition).
Download high-resolution image (300 dpi):
This illsutration is free to download for personal use (but not for publishing without my consent). Feel free to use it as you please in your dungeon adventures.
If you like my stuff and want to give me a tip to cheer me on, please click the button below. Please note that tipping is appreciated, but not expected. Don’t donate if you’re short on cash, I’m sharing content because I like to, not to make money.
Apparently there’s this thing called #swordtember, where artists dedicate the month of September to drawing sword. Well, count me in – I love swords! I’m also a mapmaker though, so I just couldn’t resist drawing a fitting dungeon for this entry.
Standing guard over the ancient, shattered sword is a demonic statue. The room also hosts six plain stone plinths, each with a heavy stone bowl containing rusted iron residue. In the southern part of this dungeon section there’s a round room with a large half-sphere made of the darkest black obsidian, and covered in mystic symbols. What secrets can this strange vault hold?
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The Bazaar of the Sun and the Moon is usually a deserted place where commerce is just a whispered memory. However once per month, under the full moon, the ghosts of the merchants rise and peddle strange and peculiar goods. Here are a couple of magic items that can be found at the bazaar.
The Vulture Scimitar is a magic +2 scimitar which provides it’s wielder with the ability to detect (through scent) corpses and cadavres over large distances. Whoever carries the Vulture Scimitar can accurately point out the direction to any corpse or cadaver (dead or undead) within 1000 feet. There must be some flesh still left on the corpse, i.e. skeletons cannot be detected through this ability.
The Shieldof the Sun and the Moon is a magic +2 shield. It is sturdy, but weighs next to nothing.
If used as cover from sunlight the shield keeps it’s wielder comfortably cool (not subject to envornmental effects).
If used in a simliar fashion under moonlight the shield is inhibited with the Conjuring light effect as per the Light spell. It needs to be “charged” by moonlight for one hour, and will provide light for eight hours after fully charged.
