Quick Answer: To commission a custom battle map, contact the map maker with a written brief that includes the environment type, dimensions, grid size, key terrain features, atmosphere or mood, and any reference images. Black Lantern Forge accepts custom map commissions and typically delivers within 2 to 4 weeks. Reach out via the contact page with your requirements to get started.
Here is everything you need to know before you reach out: what to include in your brief, what the process looks like, and how to make sure the final map is exactly what your campaign needs.
What Is a Custom Battle Map Commission?
A custom battle map commission is a request for a professionally designed battle map built to your specific requirements, including environment type, layout, grid dimensions, terrain features, and visual atmosphere. Instead of choosing from an existing collection, you provide a brief and the map maker builds the location from scratch to those specifications.
Custom commissions are ideal for dungeon masters running long-form campaigns, homebrew worlds, or published adventures that call for a unique location not covered by standard map packs. They are also useful for one-shot designers, content creators, and DMs who want a signature map for a recurring location in their game.
When a Custom Map Is Worth It
A custom battle map commission is worth it when no pre-made map accurately fits a specific encounter, recurring location, or campaign landmark that players will engage with repeatedly. The four most common situations where custom commissions make sense are recurring campaign locations, encounters built around specific terrain layouts, published adventures missing digital maps, and campaigns where map exclusivity matters.
Your campaign has a location players will return to repeatedly.
A headquarters, a city hub, a recurring dungeon level. If your players are going to see a map dozens of times, it is worth having one built specifically for that space rather than adapting something that almost fits.
The encounter requires a specific layout.
Some fights are designed around terrain. A volcanic caldera with a specific bridge configuration. A rooftop chase across a particular city block. A puzzle dungeon where the room layout is part of the mechanic. Pre-made maps cannot guarantee the exact geometry an encounter depends on.
You are running a published adventure with a unique location.
Many published adventures describe locations in detail but do not include high-resolution digital maps. A custom commission lets you bring those descriptions to life as playable VTT maps.
You want something your players have never seen before.
Pre-made maps, however good, exist in other DMs' games too. A custom map is exclusive to your campaign.
What to Include in Your Commission Brief
A custom battle map commission brief should include six things: environment type, map dimensions in grid squares, key terrain features required for the encounter, atmosphere and mood, reference images, and intended use (VTT, tabletop TV, or print). The more specific the brief, the fewer revision rounds the project will require.
Environment type.
Be specific. Not just "a dungeon" but "a flooded underground temple with collapsed columns and standing water in the center chamber." The more specific the environment description, the more accurate the first draft will be.
Map dimensions.
Provide the grid size in squares. Standard battle maps are 30x30 squares. If you need a larger or more unusual shape, like a long corridor map or an asymmetric outdoor space, specify the dimensions clearly.
Key terrain features.
List every element the map must include for the encounter or location to work. Doors, stairs, specific room arrangements, environmental hazards, water features, elevation changes. If a feature is essential to gameplay, name it explicitly.
Atmosphere and mood.
Describe how the space should feel. Dark and oppressive. Overgrown and reclaimed by nature. Ornate and wealthy. Recently destroyed. The visual tone of the map affects everything from lighting choices to color palette to the density of environmental detail.
Reference images.
Collect three to five images that capture elements of what you are looking for. These can be concept art, screenshots from video games, photos of real architecture, or other battle maps. References are not restrictions, they are communication tools that help the artist understand your vision faster than words alone.
Intended use.
Specify whether the map is for VTT use, tabletop TV display, print, or all three. This affects file format, resolution, and whether gridded and gridless versions are needed.
What the Commission Process Looks Like
A custom battle map commission typically follows four stages: brief submission, project confirmation and timeline, draft review with feedback, and final file delivery. Black Lantern Forge delivers custom commissions within 2 to 4 weeks and includes both gridded and gridless PNG versions at 4096 x 4096 pixels in the final delivery.
You submit a brief through the contact form or email. The map maker reviews your requirements, confirms whether the project is a fit, and provides a timeline and pricing. Black Lantern Forge accepts custom commissions and typically delivers within 2 to 4 weeks depending on complexity and current workload.
Once the project is confirmed, the map maker begins work on a draft. Most commissions include at least one round of feedback where you can request adjustments to layout, features, or atmosphere before the final version is delivered.
Final delivery includes the completed map file, typically in PNG format at 4096 x 4096 pixels or larger, in both gridded and gridless versions for maximum flexibility across setups.
How to Write a Brief That Gets Results
The most effective commission briefs describe the physical space, not the story. Map makers need to know what is in the environment, not what happened there. Focus on walls, floors, lighting, room shapes, elevation, and terrain rather than narrative context or lore.
The map maker needs to know what is in the space, not what happened there. Focus on physical description. What are the walls made of? What is on the floor? Where are the light sources? What is the approximate size and shape? Is there elevation? Is there water?
A useful exercise is to walk through the space as if you are describing it to a blind player. Every detail you would mention out loud to help them visualize the environment is a detail the artist needs to draw it accurately.
Keep your brief organized. A bulleted list of required features is easier to work from than a paragraph of prose, even if the prose is vivid and detailed. Give the artist clear requirements and room to make creative decisions within them.
What Makes a Good Custom Battle Map
A good custom battle map is accurate to the brief, readable during active play, and delivered at a resolution that holds up at full display size. According to Black Lantern Forge, every custom commission should meet the same standard as their pre-made packs: 4096 x 4096 pixels, clear terrain differentiation, and layouts tested for real gameplay rather than visual appeal alone.
It is accurate to your brief. The key features you specified are present, legible, and positioned where they need to be for the encounter to work.
It is readable during play. Terrain types are visually distinct. Elevation is clear. Players can tell at a glance what is difficult terrain, what is a wall, and what is open floor. Art that is beautiful but hard to read mid-combat is a liability, not an asset.
It holds up at full size. A 4096 x 4096 pixel file looks sharp on a tabletop TV or a VTT at any zoom level. Lower resolution files degrade quickly when players zoom in on specific areas.
Getting Started
If you have a location in your campaign that deserves a map built specifically for it, Black Lantern Forge takes custom commissions. Reach out through the contact page with your brief and the details above, and the team will confirm timeline, scope, and delivery.
If you are still building your map library while you plan your campaign, the Dark Encounter Battle Maps Pack gives you 10 outdoor and dungeon environments ready to run immediately, and the Shadows Beneath the Tavern Map Pack covers urban and interior environments including two full taverns, hidden tunnels, and underground chambers. Both are available for instant download and work as strong placeholders while a custom map is in production.
Both packs are $14.99 with lifetime access.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a custom battle map commission cost?
Custom battle map pricing varies based on complexity, size, and the number of revision rounds included. Contact Black Lantern Forge through the contact page with your brief and requirements to receive a quote for your specific project.
How long does a custom battle map take to deliver?
Black Lantern Forge typically delivers custom battle map commissions within 2 to 4 weeks. Timeline depends on map complexity and current commission workload. More complex maps with multiple rooms, elevation changes, or detailed environmental requirements may take longer.
What file format will my custom map be delivered in?
Custom maps from Black Lantern Forge are delivered as high-resolution PNG files at 4096 x 4096 pixels or larger, in both gridded and gridless versions. This makes them compatible with all major VTT platforms including Foundry VTT, Roll20, and Owlbear Rodeo, as well as tabletop TV display and print.
Can I use a commissioned map for streaming or YouTube content?
Personal use including home games and private online campaigns is covered by standard commission terms. For public content such as Twitch streams, YouTube videos, or any content that distributes the map to an audience, a commercial license is required. Contact Black Lantern Forge to discuss commercial licensing terms.
What if the first draft does not match what I had in mind?
Most commissions include a revision round where you can request adjustments to layout, terrain features, or atmosphere. Providing a detailed brief and reference images before work begins significantly reduces the chance of a mismatch on the first draft. The more specific your brief, the closer the first version will be to what you envisioned.
