Product Name: Inn and Mine (Bundle 2)
Publisher: Scrying Eye Games
Author: Rick Ricci
System: Any 1″ x 1″
Setting: The Ravenlands
Series:
Theme: Fantasy, Historical
Type: Battlemaps
Link: http://www.scryingeye.com/
The Ravenlands features a fantasy (or historical) village and its surrounding area. The battlemaps are beautifully rendered in 3D with realistic textures and plenty of little additions here and there that bring the landscape to life. The PDFs are presented in an easy-to-print format and avoid becoming too busy. Each PDF contains an overview of the individual battlemap along with some of the battlemaps including a second version of some of the pages containing overlays adding additional detail.
The Ravenlands Inn and Mine is a bundled product but each battlemap section will be reviewed separately.
Product Name: Map of Ravenlands 3: River and Bridge
OVERALL
Map 3, River and Bridge, is a beautiful map with loads of possible applications. The terrain is that of a simple woodland area with a steep-banked river running through the middle. What appears to be the equivalent of a hunting lodge resides in amongst the area and sits next to a wooden bridge. There are three sets of overlays with different bridge options including two collapsed bridges and a much more simple, operable bridge.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 8 out of 10
I love the look of the map and especially the options for the fallen bridge. However, I am surprised to see a lack of details within the water like fish or frogs or the occasional lily-pad. While this is a minute point, sometimes battlemap quality lies within the details on not just the visual appeal. However, the overall map is a wonderful battlemap and simple at its roots. The overlay for the hunting lodge with the roof off is fantastic and filled with great details.
Visual Appeal: 10 out of 10
All of Scrying Eye Games’ battlemaps look fantastic and carry the highest level of visual appeal. I especially like the rocky banks of the river and the gravel path that runs through from top to bottom.
Desire to Use: 10 out of 10
This particular map would be great for any wilderness based encounter or as a resting point or meeting point for any band of adventurers. The simplicity of it means you can use it for virtually any genre and sub-genre.
Overall 9 out of 10
The River and Bridge map is a great addition to the Ravenlands line and filled with so many options. This particular map really enhances the value of the bundle.
Product Name: Map of Ravenlands 4: River and Caves
OVERALL
The River and Caves map takes the river from River and Bridge and follows it along to the mouth of a cave, and its contents with the overlay. The map is a combination of wilderness and a rocky outcropping. There is a path that leads from the cave to the river and heads off the map in another direction. The overlays add new options to the cave along with a look at its interior.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 4 out of 10
This particular map could greatly benefit from a page index on the map overview signifying which section is which (as noted in the previous review). I found myself going back and forth several times trying to determine where exactly I was. I also find the terrain on the top of the cave to be very awkward. It looks like rock or maybe a gravel or possibly even snow. I find it hard to distinguish what the terrain is and what its elevation is in relation to the rest of the terrain. I find it to be very excessive and could easily be reduced to increase its ease of use. Also, one of the overlays adds what appears to be a rock blockage to the side path, but it doesn’t fit with the rest of the rocks. It looks out of place and a doesn’t appear to be the same texture as the surrounding rocks. Looking at the Ravenlands overview, the rocky terrain in the upper-left side does not appear to match up with the trees of the neighboring battlemap. The river matches very well and the upper edge matches its neighboring battlemap, but there are bits and pieces that seem out of place.
Visual Appeal: 8 out of 10
While this battlemap keeps with the fantastic appeal as all other ones from Scrying Eye Games, I find the rocky terrain to detract somewhat from its visual appeal.
Desire to Use: 7 out of 10
As a stand-alone battlemap in a rocky region with snow cover, River and Caves has a high number of uses. But placed within the Ravenlands setting, it doesn’t match the other battlemaps very well and doesn’t match the overall “look and feel” of the other battlemaps.
Overall 6 out of 10
While it is a good looking battlemap, I don’t find River and Caves to be a good fit with the Ravenlands setting. It contains the continuation of the river, but the rest of the terrain seems out-of-place. I would still recommend its use, but its more likely to be properly placed within a rocky, snow covered environment.
Product Name: Map of Ravenlands 7: The Raven Claw Inn
OVERALL
The Raven Claw Inn map continues the village scene presented in Bundle 1 of the Ravenlands setting. But don’t be fooled by its name, this battlemap contains more than just an inn. There are a total of 8 structures including one with a dock on the Ravenlands river. The overlays remove the roofs from some of these structures and add detail to their interior.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 8 out of 10
Five of the structures have overlay details showing the interiors. Two of them don’t really need interior details but one of them is a fairly large building and I’m at a loss as to what it’s supposed to be. There is no index showing the purpose of the different buildings although three of them are obvious. One is a stable that looks fantastic, another is a cottage with a detailed interior and the third is the inn. The ground-level is mainly a public gathering area and there is a set of stairs in the corner leading up. The other levels of the inn are contained in a separate PDF and will be reviewed separately. However, this particular detail of the ground level could be turned into a tavern if the other levels are not used. The details of the interior look great and you could thus design the second floor as you wish. Two of the buildings with interiors I’m unsure of their use, but they could be anything a GM desires.
Visual Appeal: 10 out of 10
This section of the village follows the great presentation found through the Ravenlands setting. It’s a great depiction of a medieval-styled village and the buildings look great. I especially like the cottage, stable and path that follows throughout. There are some great looking details like a canoe and the parts of the river.
Desire to Use: 10 out of 10
Coupled with the open-market sections of the Ravenlands village, this is a great setting for any fantasy or historical location. The potential uses outside of Ravenlands is high and is a key placement within the setting itself.
Overall 9 out of 10
With or without the overlays, The Raven Claw Inn is a great battlemap to use for placing the adventurers within the heart of a village. There are lots of great details and the buildings carry a variety of uses.
Product Name: Map of Ravenlands 8: Mine and Quarry
OVERALL
The Mine and Quarry battlemap finishes out the Ravenlands setting and contains an awesome looking open-pit stone quarry and cave-dwelling mine. This battlemap is loaded with details included some wonderful overlays that take a look at the interior of the mine. Included in the map is a series of rails and a couple of mine cars.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 10 out of 10
This is one wonderfully rendered battlemap. The open-pit quarry contains multiple levels, ladders going between the levels and wood planks for proper balance when working in the quarry. The addition of the rails and mine cars pays close attention to the details and the interior of the mine is phenomenal. The textures look very natural and the multiple overlay options allows the GM to customize the look to their own desires. The path leading to the top edge allows the GM a way into the entire village or seeds on where to go next from the setting. All combined, this is a great-looking map and contains a very high-quality rendering.
Visual Appeal: 10 out of 10
As noted before, the visual appeal of the Scrying Eye Games’ battlemaps are very high and Mine and Quarry follows suit.
Desire to Use: 10 out of 10
While possibly limited in its use with the quarry and the mine, its a definite must have for anyone looking to add this type of setup to their game. It could make a great addition to a dwarven village or simply be a part of the ore that allows the village to thrive. While seemingly fantasy or historical in its design, you can place a quarry and mine like this within many different settings.
Overall 10 out of 10
This map is a definite must have. I love how the quarry is multi-tiered and the interior of the mine is looks great. You can easily build upon this battlemap into an entire dungeon delving adventure.
Product Name: Map of Ravenlands INN-Teriors: The Raven Claw Inn
OVERALL
This separate PDF contains the interior of the Raven Claw Inn.
RATINGS
Overall 9 out of 10
The interior overlays of the Raven Claw Inn look great and are well-detailed. This includes the second floor and the cellar. The rooms look a little crowded but play into the medieval-styling of the inn. I can see this layer being used in many different situations when the details of an inn are required. The only addition I could find would me a few more details on the ground-level for the public gathering area.
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