World map construction

[ZeroSpace9000]

Working on a campaign right now, with a high seas setting. I'm trying to pull together a world map, so that I can have an idea of where things are, but just google searching has had modest results. Anyone have any suggestions on how to start with this?

[EvulOne]

Tape three blank pieces of paper together end to end and draw continents on them. Start off small, where the players will start from, and have a few locations of interest that they'd know through basic knowledge that way you can expand on the map during their adventures such as major port cities. After that add things that would interest sailors, huge landmarks visible from water, islands, currents, perhaps even jet streams and the like.

[Honest Tiefling]

I haven't used it, but I have heard of the macaroni method. You toss a box of macaroni onto a large piece of paper and trace it. Tada!

Personally, I just draw some on the computer. Start with either the history of the region and/or why it is a land of adventure and what features are needed to keep it that way and go from there.

[ChrisAsmadi]

You could just start with an existing map (say, of Earth) and then shift it about a bunch until you're satisfied.

[Cruiser1]

Also, The Giant describes how to make a good map (and mountains and such upon it) in this article (http://www.giantitp.com/articles/xO3dVM8EDKJPlKxmVoG.html).

[Hurnn]

http://donjon.bin.sh/world/

They have a nice generator, it does tend to make 1 continent though.

They also have a load of other great stuff I love these guys.

[Bullet06320]

https://secure.profantasy.com/products/cc3.asp

all you campaign cartography needs are located here

[Karl Aegis]

Prevailing winds are more important than landmasses. If you put a desert where there should logically be a rain forest you have goofed.

[Keral]

Prevailing winds are more important than landmasses. If you put a desert where there should logically be a rain forest you have goofed.

Or you could take my approach and have the whole world be magically terraformed. I'm told my entire cosmology doesn't even remotely follow any law of physics, but on the other hand noone complains when an artic forest and a hot sandy desert are right next to each other. :smalltongue:


Anyhow, I second donjon. It's free, although it may not offer the same amount of customization of campaign cartographer. And it's terribly easy to use, which comes in handy if you happen to be artistically impaired like me :smallbiggrin:
The downside it's that you'll have to try multiple times to have something you like and even then chances are you'll have to settle for what you get.

[MHCD]

I haven't used it, but I have heard of the macaroni method. You toss a box of macaroni onto a large piece of paper and trace it. Tada!

This is similar to the various dice drop methods, which are usually something like:

1) Get a bunch of dice
2) Drop them
3) Wherever they land, that's where stuff is

Depending on the method you're using / whatever you want to do, the various types of dice can mean different things (climate zones, biomes, population centers, landmarks, city districts/boroughs, whatever, with the numbers corresponding to size of the area, population density, mountain height, adventure hook ECL, you name it). The dice are usually rolled onto a grid/hex-mat or the information is entered into your map editor / drawn on paint / whatever.

[Alsark]

It's a bit of work, but if you have Photoshop, this is the method I used to create my world map (sorry, I can't post links because I have fewer than 10 posts):

1. Go to Google
2. Search for create world map photoshop instructables
3. It should be the top link... the one on the Instructables website.
4. Towards the bottom, click "View All Steps"

It's not going to simulate plate tectonics or anything, but if that's not a deal breaker, I've been happy with that method of map creation.