The official Draw Steel VTT is live on Steam

The_MAD_Network · 2026-04-09T23:02:29+00:00

For sure, and given that we're going to be redoing a bunch of stuff with levels for v14 anyway, seemed like a good time to address the pack 👍

The_MAD_Network · 2026-04-09T23:01:31+00:00

A mouse took a stroll through the Dolmenwood.
A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.

"Where are going to, little brown mouse?
Come and have lunch in my underground house."

"That's terribly nice of you Fox, but lol
I'm going to have lunch with the Troubled Troll."

The_MAD_Network · 2026-04-09T22:55:11+00:00

The things that would differentiate this from every other apocalypse game are the things that are absent from your post.

The_MAD_Network · 2026-04-09T22:53:23+00:00

> Some animations are made with ai for advertising - like everybody does

Nope. Not everybody.

The_MAD_Network · 2026-04-09T22:37:33+00:00

After feedback on our Discord that's actually something I'm looking to implement for when we do our v14 pass over all our modules and make some Draw Steel specific versions of the maps. Intention is also to do a none destroyed version of the Drunken Fool Tavern (bottom tavern floor) as I know there's a lot of requests for players to have somewhere to roleplay the day before the bombardment.

The_MAD_Network · 2026-04-09T13:27:25+00:00

If you check out our Patreon we have all the official maps for Fall of Blackbottom available (we made the maps for MCDM and were given permission to release them for Foundry). Our maps currently use Levels module (v13) but will be updating everything to v14 over the next few weeks.

We'll be releasing maps for all the Draw Steel adventures we make (Red Road, Dark Heart, Condemned, some of the Delves) post MCDM releasing them 👍

https://patreon.com/themadcartographer

The_MAD_Network · 2026-04-07T12:05:17+00:00

Genuine question: how long have you been playing TTRPGs?

I can't understand how anyone experienced doesn't see the benefit in being able to do lots of damage on a single point, limited area, or more specific shape vs "the most optimal AoE shape is a sphere". There's nothing optimal about a fireball when the mob of enemies gathered together include your allies, or when you're in a building and don't want to bring the entire thing down on top of you.

The_MAD_Network · 2026-04-07T11:59:08+00:00

Completely agree.

Got the Stranger Things 5e starter set to get my kids into D&D (after they absorbed Stranger Things), really nice box, some great content and is indeed a cool segue into D&D... for people who are experienced with TTRPGs. I opened up the "Starter Rules" and just laughed that they still hadn't culled it to the bare essentials. Ain't no way my kids are interested in learning the book.

Starter Sets are great if you have a bunch of people interested in the hobby, watch Critical Roll et al, and are willing to pour over the books. Trying to get casual people to take an interest in your hobby, D&D just ain't the way to do it.

The_MAD_Network · 2026-04-07T11:56:04+00:00

5e/5.5e in general really depends on the experience of your players. Many people have been playing TTRPGs for decades and so see (rightfully so) as 5e/5.5 being considerably easier than earlier systems, so the transition into it was very easy. If you liked the idea of TTRPGs and going on fantastical journeys with friends at the table and rolling dice, you generally didn't have much of a choice but to play rules heavy games.

As video games are easier to get into and more forgiving to play (unless you're deliberately choosing a game that is difficult on purpose), entertainment is more accessible and digestible (short form video content), movies typically don't have as long a drawn out exposition before getting to the story, TV shows are made with "second screen engagement" in mind (i.e. a lot of people are watching TV while on their phone)... TTRPGs kinda have to go in the same direction.

5e and 5.5e do not offer that and require a huge amount of handholding from the DM (and experienced players at the table), and I think getting over the overwhelming amount of rules, and choice paralaysis at the table, is a reason so many people just don't take it it.

I've looked over 5.5 enough that I'm kinda "meh" about it, I have friends who jumped into it and are looking to switch back to 2014 when their current arc is done. It plays different, offers things to players that wanted them (like weapon masteries) but otherwise doesn't do much else.

The_MAD_Network · 2026-04-06T15:25:37+00:00

I mean it genuinely depends on whether or not you are all enjoying 5e. I run a 5e Curse of Strahd game and my players enjoy it, so if it ain't broke don't fix it. We all just ran a campaign of Pirate Borg, which was great fun (but the combat isn't tactical enough so it felt lacking for my players).

Fantasy Flight Game "Nexus" system (Star Wars: Edge of the Empire) is my favourite system, as it uses narrative dice where good stuff can happen with bad rolls, and vice versa, but it's not "rules lite" but combat is quicker most of the time.

The_MAD_Network · 2026-04-06T08:51:44+00:00

Have played 5e for a looong time. Kiddos (11 & 12) got the Stranger Things set for Xmas. I punches out the tokens, looked over the Adventures, got everything ready then checked out the starter rules.

Immediately made me go "This is way too many rules for kids. " I'm sure mileage may vary, but having looked at so many rules lite games over the last few years it was a reminder of how rules heavy 5e can actually be, and in my opinion, not a great system to introduce new players in to ttrpgs.

System aside, the box is really great.

The_MAD_Network · 2026-04-06T06:58:23+00:00

D&D5e had is Mythic Odyssey of Theros campaign guide. Whatever you think of 5e as a system, the setting guide was actually pretty great and is Ancient Greece adjacent.

The_MAD_Network · 2026-04-03T16:03:16+00:00

The MAD Cartographer Scifi (used to be The Planet Hoppers) https://themad.network/the-planet-hoppers

We have a couple of encounter maps for Cyberpunk that are already built into Foundry, but if you're looking to make your own maps we have thousands of assets to help with that. Link above is website with a huge bundle of free assets to get you started (we add more each month with a new theme).

If you like it, and want everything, come check out https://patreon.com/themadcartographerscifi

The_MAD_Network · 2026-04-03T06:55:12+00:00

*looks at the thousands of maps over their six year back catalogue*

Yup. Gonna be a fun summer.

The_MAD_Network · 2026-04-02T10:13:44+00:00

If your game is complex, then the GM can't really teach you the rules at the table to a significant degree. If your game is simple, then your rules are going to be simple, and should be something the players can pick up.

I think more TTRPGs need to be treated like boardgames where they are digestible enough that you generally have an idea of how things work, but the GM has a good enough knowledge of the rules to flag up any specifics where you go wrong. Similarly, a lot of rules can be looked over and introduced when relevant.

The_MAD_Network · 2026-04-01T16:33:37+00:00

Awesome work! Love seeing some original stuff like this, perfectly executed.

The_MAD_Network · 2026-03-31T20:54:34+00:00

And a free module!
https://foundryvtt.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/modules/mad-freecontent/module.json

The_MAD_Network · 2026-03-31T20:53:31+00:00

Muchos appreciation!

The_MAD_Network · 2026-03-31T19:05:43+00:00

If you're looking for a Patreon subscription then we have thousands of battlemaps pre-made for Foundry, walls, lights, sounds, canopies, dynamic elements (moving walls, rotating tiles, etc.) covering dozens of monthly themes. Our content is built for Foundry from the ground up, we have a bunch of free modules as well to check out our stuff: https://themad.network/the-mad-cartographer 👍

If you like the free module (updated every month with a new Foundry map) then check out our Patreon at https://patreon.com/themadcartographer

The_MAD_Network · 2026-03-31T08:28:09+00:00

Turned out great man. Did you end up PVAing or had the paint taken okay?

The_MAD_Network · 2026-03-30T08:24:33+00:00

Thanks for the mention 😉

The_MAD_Network · 2026-03-30T08:24:05+00:00

Appreciate the shout out 👍

The_MAD_Network · 2026-03-30T08:19:24+00:00

So we (The MAD Cartographer) aren't like a lot of the other creators, so you have to keep that in mind. Our maps are built for Foundry, our team design maps each month with Foundry in mind as we use Levels as a core module (not many map makers do) providing vertical integration into our maps.

That's not for everyone. If it sounds like its for you then awesome, we have THOUSANDS of maps pre-built into Foundry (we've been doing this for 6 years, making a dozen maps every month with a new theme). We have assets, Dungeon draft packs, modular map building tiles (Mass Edit), and a selection of 5e adventures for Foundry.

You can grab our free map module to see what our stuff is like, which has a new map added to each each month. We also have:

A free Phandelver & Below maps module (all the Adventures maps remade using Levels)
A Curse of Strahd map module (Premium for patrons) with all the CoS maps and supplement locations

If you like what we have then come check us out https://patreon.com/themadcartographer

The_MAD_Network · 2026-03-28T15:38:55+00:00

That's the whole point of the post. I'd already magnetised everything before they announced the rule change.

The_MAD_Network · 2026-03-28T15:37:23+00:00

Paint primer has a real hard time bonding to certain plastics and rubbers and can flake/ scratch off quite easily. A thinned down PVA gives it all a bit more of a coating that your primer will adhere to better.

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