a question about maps and cities [Archive] - Wizards Community

a question about maps and cities [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
icemanjmw
11-22-03, 01:25 PM Hey everyone, I've been DM'ing for some time, but there's one thing that I still have difficulty with and I'm hoping somewhere can help me out. How far apart do you make your towns, villages, cities, etc. I know this would vary from campaign to campaign but as a general rule of thumb. How far do you make it from one small farming village to the next, and how many large cities for every few small villages.
Anyone have suggestions on how I can get better at this. Thanks in advance.
Farland
11-22-03, 01:56 PM If it is a European medieval culture, there shouldn't be too many large cities in any kingdom, very few actually. Towns should be fairly far apart, but hamlets and burgs (some as few as just a few houses) are fairly common along roads and shipping routes.

This is my understanding at least.

Check some of the links in the Useful DM links thread for more info.
Bubba
11-22-03, 02:03 PM Keep in mind that rule 0 is in full force here. the ultimate answer is to put them wherever you want. My answers are just suggestions.

but as a guideline, it wouldn't be all that uncommon to find some kind of settlement or another a days travel from the last one. At least on the main roadways. People who are travelling need to sleep and eat (demand) and so someone would probably decide to build an inn to serve that need (supply) and a settlement would naturally build up around it.

In lesser travelled areas, there may be no inns between major towns, and so the characters would have to rough it. Or if there's been a war recently, the innkeepers may have died, or the inns may have been razed, leaving gaps in the system.

Where to place the major towns and/or cities would depend on factors such as: how heavily populated your world is; trade routes, locations of resources, etc. As well as on where the action happens in your campaign. But in general (if you're going for a simulation of real-world pre industrial communities, that is) you'd end up with a substantially higher number of small settlements than actual towns. If for no other reason than that heavy reliance on agriculture tends to force people to spread out.
illiterate
11-22-03, 03:16 PM Take a look at the travel times by various means. Decide how long a walk you want things to be from eachother.

At least, that's served me rather well so far.
Bunga
11-22-03, 05:59 PM Along major trade roads and large rivers, there should beone small(ish) town, village or hamlet every few kilometers

In the middle of the forest, thirty kilometers from the nearest road and fifty kilometers from the nearest river or lake, they should be few and far between.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
icemanjmw 11-22-03, 01:25 PM	Hey everyone, I've been DM'ing for some time, but there's one thing that I still have difficulty with and I'm hoping somewhere can help me out. How far apart do you make your towns, villages, cities, etc. I know this would vary from campaign to campaign but as a general rule of thumb. How far do you make it from one small farming village to the next, and how many large cities for every few small villages. Anyone have suggestions on how I can get better at this. Thanks in advance.
Farland 11-22-03, 01:56 PM	If it is a European medieval culture, there shouldn't be too many large cities in any kingdom, very few actually. Towns should be fairly far apart, but hamlets and burgs (some as few as just a few houses) are fairly common along roads and shipping routes. This is my understanding at least. Check some of the links in the Useful DM links thread for more info.
Bubba 11-22-03, 02:03 PM	Keep in mind that rule 0 is in full force here. the ultimate answer is to put them wherever you want. My answers are just suggestions. but as a guideline, it wouldn't be all that uncommon to find some kind of settlement or another a days travel from the last one. At least on the main roadways. People who are travelling need to sleep and eat (demand) and so someone would probably decide to build an inn to serve that need (supply) and a settlement would naturally build up around it. In lesser travelled areas, there may be no inns between major towns, and so the characters would have to rough it. Or if there's been a war recently, the innkeepers may have died, or the inns may have been razed, leaving gaps in the system. Where to place the major towns and/or cities would depend on factors such as: how heavily populated your world is; trade routes, locations of resources, etc. As well as on where the action happens in your campaign. But in general (if you're going for a simulation of real-world pre industrial communities, that is) you'd end up with a substantially higher number of small settlements than actual towns. If for no other reason than that heavy reliance on agriculture tends to force people to spread out.
illiterate 11-22-03, 03:16 PM	Take a look at the travel times by various means. Decide how long a walk you want things to be from eachother. At least, that's served me rather well so far.
Bunga 11-22-03, 05:59 PM	Along major trade roads and large rivers, there should beone small(ish) town, village or hamlet every few kilometers In the middle of the forest, thirty kilometers from the nearest road and fifty kilometers from the nearest river or lake, they should be few and far between.