Map Help [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Map Help [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
kamiyoko
01-21-08, 12:36 AM I am a terrible map drawer, so when I make my own campaign worlds, what I usualy do is combine continents from different campaign settings. I have an eberron book and a forgotten relms book. Also gelspan, a non wizards d20 campaign setting.

Now im looking at actualy creating my own world. My very own one, not take maps from somewhere else. Like I said though, I suck at cartography.

Any ideas on what I can do? Are there any good map making programs I cna download?

Note that I just suck at making world maps it seems, I can draw up dungeons and local encounters just fine.
Darth Syntax
01-21-08, 12:46 AM I do a bit of light cartography and I would be more than happy to offer up a few ideas. The Cartographer's Guild (http://www.cartographersguild.com/) fora are full of people who can offer hints, tips, critiques and the like; I've found them to be very helpful in refining my own maps.

As to programs, I do my mapping in photoshop but there are other programs out there that work well. I know that the GIMP is used by a lot of people. It's a free raster editing program which does many of the same sorts of things as photoshop.

If you do end up using one or the other of these programs, remember this simple mantra: "Layers are my friend. Layers are good."

If you have any questions or would like some help, I would be more than happy to help out.
Elf_Jedi
01-25-08, 01:32 AM Here's a great way to make a map:

1. Obtain a map, and some paper.

2. Trace the coast lines. Here's they key though, take different parts of different coast lines and out them together.

Example:
Take part of the West Coast of the US trace it. At the end of that live start tracing the coast of Southern Africa. This way you get a real feel to it. If your afraid that you characters are a little to canny, don't be afraid to flip or rotate things.

3. Once you've finished making the outline of the continents I would recomend making a copy. I usually do two maps, one political, and the other is geography. (Although depending on how complex things are you may want more. Like if you wanted to to have one detailing trails, roads and trade route). Make sure your maps are easy to understand and are not to busy.

4. The political map is rather straight-forward. Draw some lines to dictate where countries are. Sometimes you have to justify why there is boundry is there.

Example
The boundry stops there because the country never had the resources to cross that major river, so it stopped expansion here.

5. Place your cities. Cities are a little more complex. If you put a city somewhere make sure you can justify why it is there. Don't just put cities so there are cities.

Example
The city is on this bay. Why? It's a major trading port.

6. Geopgraphy is difficult. Once again, the key is justifing why it's there.

Example
Why is that mountain range there? It's a peninsula, it the mountains weren't there that would be underwater.

Also remember that rivers flow from mountains to lakes or oceans.

Hope that help a bit.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
kamiyoko 01-21-08, 12:36 AM	I am a terrible map drawer, so when I make my own campaign worlds, what I usualy do is combine continents from different campaign settings. I have an eberron book and a forgotten relms book. Also gelspan, a non wizards d20 campaign setting. Now im looking at actualy creating my own world. My very own one, not take maps from somewhere else. Like I said though, I suck at cartography. Any ideas on what I can do? Are there any good map making programs I cna download? Note that I just suck at making world maps it seems, I can draw up dungeons and local encounters just fine.
Darth Syntax 01-21-08, 12:46 AM	I do a bit of light cartography and I would be more than happy to offer up a few ideas. The Cartographer's Guild (http://www.cartographersguild.com/) fora are full of people who can offer hints, tips, critiques and the like; I've found them to be very helpful in refining my own maps. As to programs, I do my mapping in photoshop but there are other programs out there that work well. I know that the GIMP is used by a lot of people. It's a free raster editing program which does many of the same sorts of things as photoshop. If you do end up using one or the other of these programs, remember this simple mantra: "Layers are my friend. Layers are good." If you have any questions or would like some help, I would be more than happy to help out.
Elf_Jedi 01-25-08, 01:32 AM	Here's a great way to make a map: 1. Obtain a map, and some paper. 2. Trace the coast lines. Here's they key though, take different parts of different coast lines and out them together. Example: Take part of the West Coast of the US trace it. At the end of that live start tracing the coast of Southern Africa. This way you get a real feel to it. If your afraid that you characters are a little to canny, don't be afraid to flip or rotate things. 3. Once you've finished making the outline of the continents I would recomend making a copy. I usually do two maps, one political, and the other is geography. (Although depending on how complex things are you may want more. Like if you wanted to to have one detailing trails, roads and trade route). Make sure your maps are easy to understand and are not to busy. 4. The political map is rather straight-forward. Draw some lines to dictate where countries are. Sometimes you have to justify why there is boundry is there. Example The boundry stops there because the country never had the resources to cross that major river, so it stopped expansion here. 5. Place your cities. Cities are a little more complex. If you put a city somewhere make sure you can justify why it is there. Don't just put cities so there are cities. Example The city is on this bay. Why? It's a major trading port. 6. Geopgraphy is difficult. Once again, the key is justifing why it's there. Example Why is that mountain range there? It's a peninsula, it the mountains weren't there that would be underwater. Also remember that rivers flow from mountains to lakes or oceans. Hope that help a bit.