Cartography for the artistically stunted?

[EternalHobbyist]

I'm in the process of creating a homebrew continent for D&D, and I'd like some input on creating the actual world map. I have rough ideas for the main areas/layout, but I would love some help coming up with plot-advancing details, including city names, etc.

Also, the actual creation of the map - I could use some help on that one. I would like something that I can print out and present to the players as a sort of "General Knowledge" supplement. It would be really nice if I were able to add more detail to certain areas, or zoom in and get more information. I guess it would be like a fantasy version of Google Maps, or a Slippy map ...? That would probably require MUCH more skill and time than I care to put into though, so maybe just some tips on map making in general for the lazy DM?

I have some experience with Paint.net and Inkscape, and I played briefly with Hexmapper. I've checked some of the tutorials on the Cartographer's Guild as well, but I haven't put any of them into action yet.

Thanks in advance for any input!

[brian 333]

I typed Fantasy Map Generator into Google and got a half-dozen responses, some of which claimed to be free. Since I have always drawn my own maps in the style common in the '70's when I was coming up in wargaming, I've never used one of these, so I cannot tell you which is better.

I can tell you that players don't mind the artistry of the map so much as its usefulness, and a crudely drawn map is often better than a detailed one because, face it, what goblin is going to draw the map to his hidden loot like a cartographer? Actually, take that crudely drawn map, char the edges with a candle, splatter some lemon juice on it, and set it in the sunlight for a little while.

Place names can be found in a telephone book. Look for unusual names, or take common names and substitute letters here and there. I just opened my local directory and ran across the name Serrano, Earline. That's a twofer, as both would make good city names. Servary on the same page would do as well, and if I take Rebecca and substitute a d and two s's I get Redessa. Sounds like a town in Texas, actually.

I met a guy online from a village called Twelve Arrows Mongolia. Of course, that was the English translation, not the actual name, but if you try names like that in foreign language translators you may come up with some interesting names. Smithy, where your characters go to buy armor, could be translated into Sidi̱rourgeío in Greek, for example.

Good luck.