The Underdark: Underground Caverns

Underground Caverns

This example of dense topography represents a set of natural caverns and caves hollowed out below the sunlit world, such as would be occupied by an underground people -- mole-men, or denizens of the Underdark.

The base map for this terrain is the same as that for the Dwarven Caverns. I found a really cool printed fabric from Spoonflower that I bought online. You can get swatches to test colors for relatively cheap. I had it printed on "Cypress Cotton Canvas" (one of their fabric options); when the bolt arrived, I cut it to size and sewed double-fold bias tape to the edge to stop it from fraying.

Here's how it looked when cut to size and edged with bias tape (below).

The next thing was to make the terrain pieces (open spaces and large caverns in the passage-ridden underdark). I made a few pieces of MDF using a similar technique to that I used making the Dwarven Dungeon terrain, but I was concerned about portability (having already struggled finding a container for storage and transport of the rooms for that). So I took a piece of canvas, gave it a base color using watercolor techniques, and cut out and decorated a bunch of rooms from that instead. As always, pieces are either large (fit entirely within an 8MU x 12MU rectangle) or small (fit entirely within a 6MU x 8MU rectangle).

If you're wondering about the symbols and stuff on the maps, those are based on the National Speleological Society guide on drawing cave maps so I could use proper notation for flowstone and the like. Like ya do.

Underdark Complete

Here's an example of what the whole map might look like when deployed.

This is two small pieces and one large piece, I believe. Plus the central passageway.

Central Open Passage

With Dense Topography you are required to put out a central open passageway that occupies most of the central 1/3 of the map.

Here's an example of one possible. The terrain is nearly 16MU across at the wide end; closer to 12MU at the thin end. It thins to maybe 10MU at the thinnest part of the passageway.

All the "terrain" shown on the passage is purely decorative.

Large Cavern

A normal large cavern. As with all the terrain below, details on the terrain piece are purely decorative. Unless I ever use them for D&D or something, which I might.

Another Large Cavern

I love the shape of this one. It is more or less maximum size -- the only way it fits in an 8MU x 12MU rectangle is if you fit it diagonally.

Small Cavern

Another nice cavern, this one fitting within a 6MU x 8MU rectangle, which makes it a "small" category piece.

Small Cavern Two

These were fun to do, I gotta say.

Small Cavern Three

Small creeks often disappear or end in lakes in natural limestone caverns -- water finds a way, either seeping into sand or limestone, or dissolving a pathway.

Edge Piece

Edge pieces are kinda fun, because they represent a much larger cavern or opening. Maybe even opening out into the above-ground, where the sun shines and other horrible things happen!

Another Edge Piece

Might have to trim this one slightly; the fabric selvage (selvedge in UK English) is kinda warped.

MDF Cavern

Here's an example of how the MDF-technique caverns look when everything works. They are heavier (which is good in play and bad for transport) and always lie flat (a good thing).

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