Making an Interior Gridmap
Imagine the soft glow of candlelight flickering across a crowded room, the warm hum of conversation mingling with the clink of mugs and the shuffle of feet on worn wooden floors. The tavern is alive with activity—a place where stories are told, deals are struck, and secrets are whispered. For many adventurers, the tavern is their first stop on a journey, a place where quests begin, allies are found, and enemies are made. Let's make this interior gridmap.
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You can watch the YouTube version of this tutorial here: Making an Interior Gridmap
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In this episode, we’ll be creating a classic tavern interior gridmap, but with a twist. This isn’t just any tavern—it’s a location brimming with hidden details and clues, intricately tied to a larger narrative. Specifically, we’re setting the stage for an adventure centered around the quest for the Jewel of the Moment, a powerful artifact capable of granting wishes. The players’ contact, who promised them a map to this jewel, has been found dead within the tavern, and the map has gone missing. As the party investigates, they’ll need to uncover secrets hidden within the tavern’s walls to piece together the mystery.
In this tutorial, we’ll explore how to design an interior gridmap that not only serves as a backdrop for role-play and combat but also as a tool for storytelling. We’ll discuss how to create a space that feels lived-in and full of narrative potential, and how to hide clues and secrets within the map that enrich player exploration. While our focus will be on a tavern, the concepts we cover can be applied to any interior location, from guild halls to ancient ruins.
Designing Interiors
When it comes to creating interior gridmaps, the first and perhaps most important consideration is how to make the space feel immersive. An immersive environment draws players in, making them feel as though they’re truly inhabiting the world you’ve built. But immersion isn’t just about visual appeal—it’s about creating a space that’s both believable and functional within the context of the game.
Creating a Lived-In Space
To make a tavern feel like a real, lived-in place, think about the details that tell a story. Consider the history of the tavern—who built it, who owns it, and who frequents it? Is it a respectable establishment, or a seedy dive? These details should inform the design of the map.
For instance, a well-maintained tavern in a prosperous town might feature sturdy furniture, polished wooden floors, and warm lighting. On the other hand, a rough-and-tumble tavern in a lawless frontier town might have mismatched chairs, stains on the floor, and dim, flickering lights. Adding small touches like personal belongings left on tables, half-finished meals, or scrawled notes can give the space character and make it feel inhabited.
Balancing Aesthetics and Gameplay
While aesthetics are important, the gridmap also needs to function well during gameplay. This means considering player movement, line of sight, and the placement of key elements. For example, in a tavern setting, you’ll want to think about how players might navigate the space during both social interactions and potential combat.
Furniture placement is crucial here. Tables and chairs can create obstacles that provide cover during a fight, but they shouldn’t be so densely packed that they impede movement. Similarly, the layout should allow for natural choke points—places where combat might bottleneck, creating strategic opportunities for both players and NPCs.
Hiding Clues and Secrets
One of the most exciting aspects of designing an interior gridmap is the opportunity to hide clues and secrets within the environment. These can be anything from hidden compartments in furniture to secret doors leading to hidden rooms. The key is to make these elements feel organic—players should be able to discover them through careful observation and investigation, rather than stumbling upon them by accident.
To do this, consider how the clues fit into the larger narrative. For example, if the players are searching for a hidden map, it might be concealed in a way that reflects the tavern’s history or the personality of its owner. Perhaps the map is hidden in a hollowed-out leg of a table, or behind a loose brick in the fireplace. The clues leading to its discovery might be subtle—a scrap of paper with a cryptic note, a scorch mark near the fireplace, or a floorboard that creaks differently than the others.
The goal is to reward players for paying attention to their surroundings and encourage them to engage with the environment on a deeper level.
Creating the Tavern Map: A Step-by-Step Guide
With the theoretical foundation laid, it’s time to dive into the practical aspect of creating the tavern gridmap. This section will guide you through the process, from layout design to embedding hidden details.
Designing the Room Layout
Start by sketching out the basic layout of the tavern. A typical tavern might include the main bar area, a few private booths or tables, a kitchen, storage rooms, and perhaps a stairway leading to upper floors or a basement. The layout should reflect the tavern’s function as both a social space and a potential battleground.
- Main Bar Area: This is the heart of the tavern, where most of the action will take place. Place the bar counter along one wall, with stools arranged in front of it. Behind the bar, include shelves stocked with bottles, mugs, and other bar paraphernalia. Scatter tables and chairs around the room, leaving enough space for players to move between them.
- Private Booths: For more intimate conversations or secret meetings, include a few private booths or secluded tables. These can be tucked away in corners or separated by curtains or screens. Private booths are great places to hide clues or secrets—consider placing a hidden compartment in the seat or a message carved into the wood.
- Kitchen and Storage: The kitchen should be positioned near the bar, with a door leading to a storage room or pantry. This area might be less frequented by patrons, making it an ideal spot for a hidden door or secret passage. The storage room could contain barrels, crates, or even a trapdoor leading to a cellar or underground tunnel.
- Stairways: If the tavern has multiple floors, include a stairway leading to an upper level or basement. Upper floors might contain rooms for rent or the owner’s living quarters, while a basement could house storage, or more sinister secrets.
Placing Furniture and Objects
Once you have the layout, it’s time to add the furniture and objects that will bring the tavern to life. Consider the placement of tables, chairs, and other objects in relation to the layout. Each piece should serve a purpose, whether it’s to create obstacles for movement, provide cover during combat, or hide a secret.
- Tables and Chairs: Place tables and chairs in a way that creates natural pathways through the room. Avoid overcrowding the space—leave enough room for characters to move between the furniture. If you’re planning a combat encounter, think about how the tables and chairs can be used strategically. For example, a sturdy table could provide cover from ranged attacks, or be overturned to create a barricade.
- Lighting: Lighting is crucial for setting the mood and guiding player attention. Place candles, lanterns, or chandeliers in key locations, such as over the bar or above the entrance. Consider using lighting to highlight important areas or objects—perhaps a beam of light falls on a portrait that hides a secret, or a dim corner conceals a hidden door.
- Decorative Elements: Add decorative elements that reflect the tavern’s character. These could include paintings on the walls, tapestries, mounted trophies, or a fireplace with a roaring fire. Each element should feel intentional, adding to the atmosphere and story of the tavern.
Embedding Hidden Details
Now for the fun part—hiding clues and secrets within the tavern. These details should be subtle enough that players need to investigate to find them, but not so obscure that they’re impossible to discover.
- Secret Doors: Consider placing a secret door behind a bookcase, a fireplace, or a heavy tapestry. To hint at its presence, you might include a subtle visual cue, such as scuff marks on the floor or a draft of air coming from behind the object. The door could lead to a hidden room, a tunnel, or a stairway to another level.
- Hidden Compartments: Tables, chairs, and other furniture can be designed with hidden compartments. For example, a table leg might be hollowed out to hide a scroll, or a chair might have a false bottom that conceals a key. These compartments should be cleverly integrated into the design, with clues that lead players to their discovery.
- Environmental Clues: Scattered throughout the tavern, you can place environmental clues that hint at the larger narrative. These could include a torn piece of the stolen map, a bloodstain leading to a hidden room, or a suspiciously out-of-place object. The key is to make these clues feel natural—players should feel like they’re uncovering secrets through their own investigation, rather than being led by the hand.
Case Study: The Jewel of the Moment
Now that we’ve covered the design and gameplay aspects, let’s tie everything together with a case study: the quest for the Jewel of the Moment. This section will explore how the tavern gridmap ties into the larger narrative and how players might uncover clues leading to further adventures.
Setting the Stage
The players arrive at the tavern, following a lead from their contact about the location of a map to the Jewel of the Moment. However, when they arrive, they find their contact dead, the map missing, and the tavern full of suspicious characters—including the Ruffians.
The tavern itself is full of potential clues. A crumpled note in the contact’s hand mentions a “hidden path” and “the key under the flame.” A scorch mark near the fireplace might hint at a secret compartment. The players will need to investigate the tavern, piecing together the clues to discover where the map has gone.
Uncovering Clues
As the players explore the tavern, they’ll uncover various clues that lead them closer to the map. These might include:
- A Suspicious Patron: A nervous patron at one of the tables seems to be watching the players closely. If confronted, he might reveal that he saw the Ruffians take something from the contact’s body before fleeing through a hidden door.
- The Scorched Fireplace: Investigating the fireplace reveals a loose brick behind which is hidden a small compartment. Inside, the players find a key—possibly the one mentioned in the note—that opens a chest in the storage room.
- The Hidden Room: Following the clues, the players discover a hidden room beneath the suite, where the Ruffians were planning their next move. Here, they might find a fragment of the map, or perhaps a lead that points them to the next location in their quest.
Transitioning from Social to Combat
The transition from a social encounter to combat should feel seamless and organic. For example, as the players confront the Ruffians in the hidden room, tensions escalate until one of the Ruffians draws a weapon. The combat begins, with the players and Ruffians maneuvering around the confined space, using the environment to their advantage.
Alternatively, the players might try to negotiate with the Ruffians, offering them something in exchange for the map or information. If the negotiation fails, the Ruffians could attack, or perhaps they make a break for it, leading to a chase through the tavern and into the streets outside.
In this episode, we’ve explored the process of creating an immersive tavern interior gridmap, complete with hidden details, narrative clues, and potential combat encounters. The key concepts we’ve covered—creating a lived-in space, balancing aesthetics and functionality, hiding clues, and designing dynamic encounters—can be applied to a wide range of interior locations.
Whether you’re designing an inn, a guild hall, or a wizard’s tower, the principles remain the same. Focus on creating spaces that feel real and full of potential, where every detail has a story to tell. Consider how the environment can influence gameplay, from social interactions to combat scenarios. And don’t be afraid to hide secrets and clues that encourage players to engage more deeply with the world you’ve built.
As we wrap up this episode, I hope you’re inspired to create your own immersive interior maps, filled with hidden details and narrative potential. In the next episode, we’ll be shifting our focus to the challenges of designing sewer gridmaps—environments that are as treacherous as they are atmospheric. Until then, happy mapping!