Logjam Battle Map

Hello Adventurers! This is our first map of 2026, and I hope it's a unique and engaging one to challenge your players. Initially, I called it the Great Raft, but I realise now that refers to a massive natural wonder that clogged the Red River for hundreds of years before the U.S government dynamited it in the early 1800s (shame!). I was thinking of a logging 'logjam', which is similar but entirely man-made. I have a Sawmill map that could be paired with this one to create a string of encounters.

Just a quick note on AI and my maps. I do not, and never will, use AI for any part of my map-making process (I hand-draw everything in Photoshop, using layers, smart objects and a lot of time). And to be clear, I also don't give permission for AI to train on my maps or for my maps to be fed into apps that alter them using AI. As for my wonderful Patrons, I understand you may want to alter my maps with image editing software for your own games (in person and on a VTT). That's totally fine.

Next Maps

The Mountain's Peak will arrive before the end of the month, with the Shattered Dimensional Lair coming in February.

Mountain's Peak
I don't think I've actually made a Mountain Peak before, so this will be a craggy peak at the top of a windswept mountain. Perfect for a pilgrimage to find hidden knowledge or commune with the gods.
Shattered Dimensional Lair
I want to make more lairs, and I think a beholder's lair would be cool. I have an idea for an area with rips in reality, with stars/space showing through. Some places are warped and look strange. It's still early in the ideas stage, but I like the concept.

Upcoming Maps

These map ideas are on the short list for the next couple of months. You'll see them soon, but other map ideas may jump in ahead of them.

Blue Hole (Lagoon)
I've seen these weird blue holes, circular lagoons with deep holes in their centres. So I'll make one as a battle map. What lies at the bottom of the hole? That's up to you! But it can't be good.
Palace Throne Room (Dwarven?)
Another Patron suggestion, this will be a plush room with tapastrease, a couple of large thrones, maybe themed for dwarves. A Khazad-dûm vibe? Abandoned?

Thanks for your support in the new year. I'm hoping to continue creating uniquely themed maps, as well as highly functional general-use maps, each month for your use. If you have themes you'd like me to cover or unique historical ideas, private message me here! As always, happy adventuring and have a great week! Now, let's try to make our way over this logjam; it's the only way across the river for hundreds of miles. Just remember to watch your footing, and try to ignore the creaking, the chances of it coming loose as we cross are very small…

Downloads

The files, thumbnails, and tags can be accessed on the Map List Page. You must be logged in to Patreon and signed up for the correct tier to access them. Remember, you are only charged for map releases; you can download all the old maps at no extra cost!

Map Description

The ground here is a mix of rock and years of accumulated pine needles. Scrubby trees and underbrush obscure your view. Narrow ravines and box canyons make your progress very slow.

The rush of running water is your first indication of a river nearby. You can see an opening in the brush ahead, which turns into a riverbed and a fast-moving river partially clogged by dozens of tree trunks. The logs are tangled and lodged against river rocks, creating a logjam spanning the entire river's width. In places, the logs are piled high; in others, they float on the surface, bobbing or rotating slowly in the current.

Notes and Tips

30x45 Grid Map
Logjams happen when loggers drop tree trunks into rivers to transport them to a sawmill. Often, a log becomes snagged on rocks or other underwater 'snags', creating a logjam that can block an entire river for miles.
'Rivermen' or 'Riverpigs' will be employed to find logjams and free the obstruction. The job was extremely dangerous.
Parts of a logjam can be very stable, to a point. It can be walked across, but it's hard to tell which parts are stable and which will shift underfoot.
Some areas will be free-floating, creating treacherous moving hazards that can drag someone underwater and drown them.
More logs are hitting the jam as the players cross/fight, making the jam shift.
The 'key' log is unclogged, and the jam begins to move. This is VERY dangerous for anyone on the jam. Explosions were often intentionally used to do this. Magical explosions could work in the same way.
Whatever combat occurs on the jam should be affected by the terrain. That doesn't necessarily mean everyone moves at half speed, but there should be consequences for moving quickly and without due care. Stepping into an untested area should require dice rolls!
The Floating Dead: A disaster upstream has left dozens of bodies floating downstream, collecting here, caught amongst the logs of the logjam. They are becoming a hazard, attracting local monsters and, worst of all, some of the bodies may be undead.
A Log is a Log: Crocodiles look kind of like logs, don't they? This is an ideal location for people and animals to cross the river. What a perfect place for a Croc to hide out waiting for its prey :)
Wood Thieves: The hardwood logs in this logjam are highly valuable, maybe even magical. Because of this, they are highly sought after; the local sawmill believes they are being intercepted upstream before they reach the mill. A group of Rivermen thieves, hired by a local crime family, is attempting to hijack the wood and transport it down a branch of the river to a rival sawmill.