Masterwork Maps: Temples & Shrines

By Bill Perman (repost from GamingReport.com), November 09, 2004.

Masterwork Maps: Temples and Shrines is a new Supplement from Darkfuries Publishing. Towering cathedrals, secluded shrines, and ancient temples abound. Masterwork Maps: Temples and Shrines contains dozens of religious structures, complete with detailed maps, ready for inclusion to your d20 fantasy game.

From the back cover:

“Halls of Hallowed Ground
Grand Temples with golden walls, dark chambers and tunnels of filth, woodland shrines and dens of greed, the sacred realms of the powers that be. Fully illustrated religious structures ready for immediate use.”

When it comes to supplements, there seem to be two major types: the ones that expand the universe that you are involved in, and those that add detail to them. No matter which you purchase, what’s important is how well you’ll enjoy them, and how practical they are. Temples and Shrines is definitely the later, and more importantly, one you’ll want to use over and over.

This book is ideal for the GM who likes to spend a lot of time plotting, and very little time mapping. Temples and Shrines is a definitive source for mapping out all those religious structures that your players may encounter. It’s easy enough to just use a map and give it a name and some significance to your story. But each entry gives an overview of its structure, history and the deity that it was built for. This alone adds dimension to each map and will better flavor the game. Creative GMs will be able to seed their campaigns from such details.

Like most maps, each room contains a number and each number corresponds to a table detailing what’s within and any possible encounters. The maps themselves are beautifully illustrated. The entries are arranged in order by deity, starting with lawful good and ending up with chaotic evil. Each deity is detailed with its alignment, domain, symbol, holy days and more. Each structure is detailed with its history, inhabitants, construction notes and defensive spells. You’ll also find some interesting NPCs contained within that are sure to help, or hinder, your players.

In conclusion,

If you’re looking for something that will save you time, or to jolt your creativity, Temples and Shrines is for you. With its wonderful illustrations, wealth of variety, and ease of reference, this will make a fine addition to your fantasy gaming collection. I also suggest you check out their website for other map books like “Castles and Keeps” and “Inns and Taverns.”

For more details on Darkfuries Publishing and their new Supplement “Masterwork Maps: Temples and Shrines” check them out at their website http://www.darkfuries.com, and at all of your local game stores.

Bill Perman

The original post can be found HERE.