Written by Oktoblivion (Discord), a long time Czepeku patron.
WARNING: By its nature, this will contain spoilers for the Odyssey of the Dragonlords campaign. Players: Don’t read ahead - it’s not cool, folks!
I’m a long-time patron of Czepeku and have been running the Odyssey of the Dragonlords campaign for a number of years, including moderating the Odyssey of the Dragonlords discord server (We have lots of great DMs and advice for running the game - come say hello!)
Odyssey of the Dragonlords (OotD from here on) is a great campaign loosely based upon Greek mythology. The campaign comes with a number of maps, but incorporating some of Czepeku’s beautiful pieces enables DMs to really take it up a notch - many of their maps seem almost designed specifically for the campaign.
I’ve compiled the list below for some of the key maps I’d recommend for DMs running the campaign, but I could probably suggest about 30 more - always happy to chat on Discord!
Minotaur Labyrinth
I mean, I had to start with this. Look at it - it’s perfect for this campaign. Using this map was the first time in my game that my players literally said “holy shit.”
This map is perfect for the Necropolis of Telamok in Chapter 2. Now, OotD does already come with a map for this area; however, Czepeku’s is just another level, and even better, with their VTT-ready versions, the walls are already made for you (so you don’t have to do what I did and painstakingly draw the walls one by one)! Using dynamic lighting on your VTT of choice really takes this up a notch, with darkness and claustrophobia weighing in and Graxis the minotaur hunting your players down.
Whether you choose to use this map in initiative order like I did, or just for free-roaming, this map is bound to get a reaction from your players.
Colossus Port
I used this map to represent the docks in Mytros. The Colossus of Pythor is a pretty big deal in the campaign, and having it properly shown helps establish that for your players - it’s instrumental both in their first walk around the city in Chapter 3 as well as the Battle of Mytros in Chapter 9.
I used a number of the variations for various scenes while my party was in the city, including:
- Original day - for showing the Ultros docked and finding sailors/crew at the port (pictured).
- Shipwreck day - save some men from a sinking ship in the harbour!
- Construction site - perfect for the Lady of Coins sidequest; about halfway up the Colossus interior, I had them climb outside and go up the scaffolding, fighting bandits and thugs to get to the head.
- Finally, you can use the Assault or Storm variations in the Battle of Mytros!
Green Dragon Lair
If you have a demigod in your party, their ultimate goal is facing off against Hexia, the Green Dragon, in Chapter 6. Even if you don’t have a demigod, Hexia can provide a good fight against a cunning boss. This map is great for a setpiece showdown against Hexia, perhaps after traipsing through the forest to find the lair and getting harassed and hunted along the way.
The river and ruins present some good scenery to climb/get stuck in/hide in to make the fight interesting, and the Dragon variant puts Hexia right there, ready to fight!
Open Ocean
These maps are invaluable for OotD. Much of the campaign is spent sailing on the Ultros, so having a collection of sea maps is very useful - both for exploration and for random encounters in both the Cerulean Gulf and the Forgotten Sea. Some of the many uses include:
- Maelstrom - Charybdis (pictured)
- Roc nest - the Aerie
- Lookout towers - the approach to the Indigo Isles, Themis, or Yonder
- Shark attack - The Shipwrecked Sailors, Reef, or Harpies encounter (p439)
- Kraken - the Kraken sea encounter (p441)
- Hidden Throne - The Shallow Sea sea encounter (p442)
You can also do what I did and combine a number of them (e.g., the various desert islands) to mix them up and create various interesting seascapes for encounters, battles, etc.
Temple Pastures
A Greek temple surrounded by farmland. This could be used for Woodhike, the halfling village just outside of Estoria in Chapter 2, or a temple near Mytros or Estoria. I used it for one of the encounters with the Four Winds - for me, Zephyrus, the Summer Wind.
However, if you use this as a temple in Mytros - for example, near the Great Gardens, it presents a great opportunity to then use the Fire variation during the Battle of Mytros! Either for the big fight against Acastus, Lutheria, or Sydon or to rescue civilians during the battle.
Court of Justice
I used this map for the court of Queen Helen of Aresia, which my players visited during the Cerulean Gulf (Chapter 5). It’s regal, very fitting colour-wise for the city, and provides space for her bodyguard of warriors and to be advised by the Grandmasters of each Temple.
I also ran a flashback game to the time of Karpathos and Nemosyne (detailed in Chapter 10). As a Vampire King and Queen, the Shadow Realm or Vandalism variants work very well for them to hold court.
Royal Throne Room
The Court of Acastus, King of Mytros, in Chapter 3. This map perfectly captures Acastus’ grandiosity, and even better, it has a big space for his dragon Icarus to sit.
The Colosseum of Challenges
When your players get to Mytros, they can participate in the Great Games. This is a series of spectacles loosely based on the Olympian games. A number of DMs have different ideas for running this, and notes can be found across the Discord server. This map and its variations make it a doddle to run a number of different spectacles and really challenge your players - from a king of the hill battle to a water combat to a rock-leaping one with bullettes hiding in the sand (Earth Trial)!
Medusa’s Wake
Themis, in Chapter 5, is potentially one of the biggest islands with a lot to do - especially if you have an Amazon ranger in your party. This map is great for either sneaking up to the prison where Darien is held or as a set piece for an encounter with Queen Thesiliea herself, with the statues denoting those who have already faced the medusa queen’s wrath.
Harpy Cove
I love this map. It’s beautiful, and the variations present a lot of versatility. I’ve used and/or plan to use a number of its variations over the course of the campaign, including:
- Ice Plains for the way to the Necropolis of Telamok (Chapter 3, pictured)
- Desert for meeting the centaurs on Scorpion Island (Chapter 5)
- Original as a Roc nesting place (The Aerie of the Roc, Chapter 6)
- Astral Rocks on the Island of Time (Chapter 6)
- Dragon Egg as a keeping place for a dragon egg - can be on Fire Island, the Isle of the Fates, or anywhere else you want to have your players pick one up - there’s a number across the campaign.
- Underdark for one of the Islands in the Nether Sea (Chapter 7)