Building my Campaign Setting


Advice


I am having a bit of a problem I need some advice on. I need to generate a world map for my campaign setting, but I have no talent at drawing your using computer drawing map making programs. I just don't have any talent at it. I'm looking for alternatives. The only thing I can think of is to hire someone to make the map for me, but that kind of seams like cheating. I would then also have to work closely with the individual to convey the kind of world I'm trying to create to get the right mix of terrin elements.

Please give me some suggestions on what else I could do?


You don't want to draw it via computer or hand and don't want to someone to help you? I guess you're doomed then...seriously...


It is not that I don't want to draw it by hand or by computer. I can't. I don't have the talent to do so. When I was finished it would look like a kindergardener did it.

So your recommendation would be to hire a professional artist? I'm not sure how to do that, but I can look into it.


No need to "hire"; just ask in the "we'll draw your request" thread in the off-topic discussion forum, here in paizo community. I could do one for you in few hours (of course pencil only) and link it on Deviant art, but have no time now

Link to drawing forum

Dark Archive

Maps seem relatively easy to draw by hand. I can't draw any of the awesome stuff in my head for crap, to my great regret, but I found maps of continents and buildings and stuff to be really easy.

If you want to go all color-coded forests and mountains and stuff, it will make things that much harder (and the coloring will often obscure detail that would have been more useful), but bear in mind that a *beautiful* map, with Civ 5 level details of all the trade-routes, cities, ports, capitals and political boundaries, isn't the point.

A map intended to show to the players is better served by including what is relevant to both the adventure area being developed and the themes of the campaign. The map, if anything like a real map, will always have some inaccuracies, even if the mapper had it perfect when he made it, things will change, including borders and names and terrain features, due to historical developments, and they will always be slanted towards the perspective of the map-maker (hence maps and globes that depict 'Germany' instead of 'Deutchland' or 'Bundesrepublik Deutchland,' since most people could give a rat's butt what other countries call themselves, when we've got nicknames for them).

Check out various old and antique maps online, to get a sense of what sort of 'feel' you want, and then put on the map the things you want the players to consider or explore or just know exist. You can use the biases of the map commisioner or the mapmaker, historical inaccuracies, and deliberate ommisions (as well as mapmaker ignorance) to excuse any items that you don't want to put on the map, like this river or that mountain or the pesky fact that this national border hasn't existed for decades, or that a certain city has been razed and is a monster-haunted ruin.

Sample old map


Do you have a player with any drawing talent?

I just finished a 'mapless game' where I described the area and let the players create their own maps (Having even a poor map would have short-circuted the game.). Only when they completed the third of five quest chains did they realize they how they HAD to enter the final area. By revealing the 'quadrants' early, I would have allowed them to see the symetry of the land and they would have immediately realized the 'sore thumb' that was the problem. It was only when our 'quilter' saw the repitition of a pattern that she collerlated the myriad maps and proved her theory by 'pre-mapping a lost temple, from where it was to layout to what monsters where.

I allowed her to take Paragon levels after that.


In all honesty, you don't really need a map because you can't map an imagination ;) You can get by without one if you have a good concept of where you want them to be. Maps can sometimes become a hinderance...like when you want a mountain adventure, and the mountains are 4 weeks of travel away.

If you don't want to craft the map yourself, you have a few options:

1) Ask someone else to create it. I know, you feel bad imposing on someone else to do your work for you. But you are making a major mistake, you are deciding how someone else feels about mapmaking. There are people in this world, who think it is the best thing ever to draw maps and they do it for free because they enjoy it so much, and thus by not asking them to create it, you are robbing them of their leisure/fun hobby activity. Do not assume, just ask. If they don't want to do it, they won't do it, but ultimately, let them be the judge of how they want to spend their time.

2) Use an already created map. Sure its not "original" for your campgain, but it was original when it was first created. You can use a map of the world in 1612, it looks a bit different because cartography was not as precise as it is today...or you can use a fabricated world. Hundreds if not Thousands of games have created maps for their worlds, grab their maps and go on a renaming frenzy. The Everquest maps are kinda nice for use, so was the map of the world of Darren, and the list goes on and on.

3) Use a computer program. There are several games that come with "world builders" like "Sid's Civilization" I believe there are free ones online. Get one of those, press the random button and voila, a basic map that you can get started on naming stuff on. Just make sure to find a program you like.

Ending Thoughts:
This is not an art show. No one will be submitting your map for an award. You can draw a crummy map and say "Well, the cartographer had a crummy craft score" maybe you guys should adventure and make a better one. There are tons of reasons to give a map that you feel is not high quality "what do you expect for 1gp?" Ultimately, the map is there as a game aid, as a visual tool to be used to gauge travel time and locations. Besides, most players will look at it for about 1 minute, say that is kewl, give it back to you and say those words every GM and parent loves to hear... "Tell us when we get there."

Doc


Ramlatus wrote:

I am having a bit of a problem I need some advice on. I need to generate a world map for my campaign setting, but I have no talent at drawing your using computer drawing map making programs. I just don't have any talent at it. I'm looking for alternatives. The only thing I can think of is to hire someone to make the map for me, but that kind of seams like cheating. I would then also have to work closely with the individual to convey the kind of world I'm trying to create to get the right mix of terrin elements.

Please give me some suggestions on what else I could do?

Just as a thought-provoker, do you need a custom map? What if you took all the great ideas in your head and combined them with some of the awesome pre-made world maps? You can completely ignore anything from the world-setting that isn't printed on the map. You'll just need to change the names of your geographic features to match what is one the map and you are golden.

I did that the last time I created a world. Quite honestly, it made a much better setting because it really spurred my creativity as I matched my thinking against the geography of that map.

If you want a lot of detail, then I'd suggest the Kingdoms of Kalamar Atlas. It is a full world detailed out to a ridiculous level in a 240 page map book. Very little text and fluff, mainly just a very detailed maps. (Probably too detailed, in some ways.)

Just a thought...

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