How To Draw A World Map To Scale
Have you always came across a beautifully designed world map (mayhap in a fantasy novel or RPG) and thought to yourself, "I want to do that for my D&D entrada"? If you're like me, you've excitedly grabbed a bare slice of paper and a pencil and gotten direct to piece of work on your masterpiece. After an hour or so of diligent work you take a footstep dorsum and. . . fuck. Somewhere along the line things got a bit jumbled up between 'thinking information technology' and really 'doing it'.
Frustrated from my own struggle, I decided to put together How to Make a D&D Globe Map: A Non-Artist's Guide. This multi-series post will walk you through the basics: from choosing the shape of the land and placing terrain features, to placing cities and establishing "end-game" material for your political party to work towards, likewise every bit converting your world map to a digital re-create.
How to Make a D&D World Map: A Not-Creative person's Guide
Part 1: Introduction & The Lay of the Land (you are here)
- Why Brand a D&D Globe Map?
- Software Options
- Full general Shape of Landmass
- Large Bodies of Water
- Terrain Features
Part 2: Civilizations & Regions
Office three: Roads, Transportation, & Unique Features
Part 4: From Paper to PDF
By the end of Part 1, y'all'll have created a map similar to this one:
Why Make a D&D World Map?
There's a handful of reason that y'all might desire to make a world map for your D&D campaign. One reason to brand a globe map is so that you can give a re-create of the map to the players in your party. I know when I'm a player I absolutely love getting physical items, especially maps. This gives your players something to huddle around (err… stay 6ft apart) and program out some of their bigger upcoming moves for the entrada. Having admission to a earth map is peculiarly beneficial if the campaign is being ran in an "open up-world, sandbox exploration" manner.
Another reason that yous should make a D&D world map is because the process will ameliorate your worldbuilding skills, both in general and for the specific campaign. Equally civilizations are being placed, for instance, it might go clear why 2 kingdoms are at war (proximity to resources, limited room for expansion, etc). Additionally, having a map will make your world feel much more than consummate and physical than if you lot didn't accept an established map. Information technology volition give the illusion of a fully developed world, while in reality you may only have a sentence or two description for each area (until players start heading in that location, that is).
Above all else, you should make a map if you enjoy it. I'm a large believer that the purpose of TTRPGs is to get a intermission from the real world and have some fun. The purpose of tangential hobbies (miniature painting, worldbuilding, map making, terrain crafting) is also to have fun! I observe the human action of 'creating' by itself is enjoyable, rewarding, and relaxing. Don't experience like you need to limit yourself to merely creating maps that will get used. After all, the more practice the meliorate!
A Quick Note
Every bit the proper noun of this series suggests, this mail volition exist geared towards people like myself who are only mildly artistic. Maps created by following this guide will probably not be cute or realistic. However theyvolition give players a sense of the earth they're exploring, and that is the main goal we'll exist trying to accomplish hither. Aesthetics and realism volition come with continued practice and constructive criticism. Consider this guide a jumping-off point for your map making endeavors.
Software Options
Although the rest of this guide volition focus on how to make a D&D world map by hand, I feel that information technology's important to give a run-downward of dissimilar software options that tin be used to create maps. As a fellow non-artist, you may feel pulled towards using software so that your maps are polished and professional looking. There's admittedly nothing wrong with that, and in-fact I'd encourage you to employ the software rather than not accept a map at all. The major benefit is that you tin create high quality maps for your D&D campaign settings, without much artistic ability of your own. The downside is that y'all may be express by the software itself and the learning bend associated with it. Additionally, maps made through software volition share aesthetic styles with maps from other users, but this isn't a bargain-breaker for most people.
Inkarnate
Inkarnate is probably the virtually popular map cosmos tool used across the internet. There is a free version, as well as two different paid versions (Pro version is but $25/yr). This tool tin be used to create world maps, regional maps, boondocks maps, and battle maps. Check it out for yourself atinkarnate.com and be certain to head over tor/inkarnate.
Donjon Fantasy World Generator
Dammnnnn Donjon, dorsum at it once more with the useful DM tools! Seriously if y'all haven't ever used their site, go check it out. There's loads of useful generators and tools for both new and experienced Dungeon Masters. Specifically, today, I'm talking about their Fantasy Earth Generator. This free tool gives yous a hex-filigree world map filled with cities, ruins, and features of the land. Requite it a try andcreate a world map here!
Worldographer
Worldographer falls in-between Inkarnate and Donjon'south generator, with the ability to sculpt and create your own maps merely maintaining the hex-grid aesthetics. There is a gratis version bachelor to try, equally well equally the full version which can be purchased for a one-time fee of $thirty (bank check information technology out here). I honestly haven't used this programme before, but information technology frequently came up as a proposition when I was doing some searching and then I figured I'd include it.
Speaking of searching, feel free to look effectually (ie: Google) if you're set on using software to build your D&D world map. For now, though, I'll be proceeding to the main event.
General Shape of Landmass
Get-go things first, grab yourself a blank piece of newspaper and some writing utensils 'cause we're about to go old-school! I'll be using blank printer paper and pens/markers, but feel free to use any you lot prefer. Only keep in mind that in Function four of this serial, we'll exist converting your D&D world map into a digital format (ie: using dark crisp lines will make this process easier).
2d things second (equally they say…), you're going to want to determine the general shape of the landmasses that will be on your map. At that place's no right or wrong way to practise this. If you lot already accept an idea in heed, perfect! Don't worry if not; I'll lay out a couple of dissimilar options to get the artistic juices flowing.
Moving forwards, it can be useful to take a moment to consider "how y'all want the world map to look", geographically speaking. Practice yous want a unmarried large landmass surrounded by vast oceans, a few medium sized continents, or perhaps your world is primarily an archipelago of small isle chains? It really only depends what you're trying to build!
Method A: Tiny Objects
This method is great for brainstorming, every bit information technology allows you to play with the shape of your world without locking annihilation in place. Essentially take a bunch of tiny objects (aspirin, dry beans, elbow noodles, skittles, etc) and dump them onto your newspaper.
Move them around until you're satisfied with how the world looks. It'southward like shooting fish in a barrel to make modest changes, or add and remove islands every bit you see fit. Once y'all're feeling comfortable, trace the outline of your landmasses and remove the tiny objects.
Method B: Stains
This method utilizes stains as the master shape of land in your earth. These stains can come from annihilation really. For example: grease stains on a pizza box, java stains on a napkin, or water stains from a leaky pipage. One time you've picked out your stain of choice, try to recreate its shape to the best of your power on the blank slice of newspaper. Every bit you lot're doing this, feel costless to modify anything that you see fit. Remove a splatter here, add a peninsula there. Whatever feels good!
Method C: Existent Life Inspiration
Past using this method, you will be taking regions of places from real life and reshaping, resizing, and rearranging them to make your D&D world map. You lot wouldn't be the showtime to do this! The different regions in Pokemon games besides as Westeros from Game of Thrones are (supposedly) based off of existent-earth regions. Pick somewhere with a coastline that you like and change the perspective a bit until it's unrecognizable as the original location.
Method D: Signature Outline
This is the method that I'll be using as nosotros continue through this guide. Essentially you will be tracing the outline of your own signature. Of course, you will only be able to generate a single world map using your signature. All the same if you similar this method, you can always write out short phrases or words in cursive an achieve the same outcome.
To begin, kickoff by largely signing your name on the blank piece of paper. Be sure to fill up at to the lowest degree 60-70% of the page. Next, trace the outline of your signature. This shouldn't be a super precise outline, equally we don't want the continents to be recognizable as your signature.
You may desire to add in an island or create a pause between some of the letters in your name. Once yous're satisfied with how the outline looks, trace over information technology with anightmarker. The reason for doing this is that we'll be overlaying a blank slice of paper over your outline and retracing information technology. This gives united states of america the outline (now the shape of the lands), without having to worry nearly erasing your actual signature.
Large Bodies of Water
The next stride volition be to add together in some large bodies of water. Primarily, this includes any big lakes likewise equally filling in the surrounding ocean. Go on in mind that this is aglobe map, so it doesn't necessarily accept to include every unmarried lake that exists within your realm. Experience free to exclude some smaller lakes from this map; those belong on smaller, regional, maps.
I don't have whatever specific tips on where to place lakes. Honestly I just picked a couple of different places and drew a small oval-y shape there. I chose to fill in the lakes slightly with a pencil to make them stand out from the land. Notwithstanding, in the terminate any of the coloring (and honestly most of the details) that we exercise in this footstep won't thing since in Part iv we will be touching-up the map with Photoshop.
Next, you'll want to begin shading in the ocean that surrounds your continents. Begin by lightly shading around the shoreline, and as yous get further from the shoreline brand the shade a bit darker (deeper water = darker). Over again, this is mostly functioning as a placeholder until we get to the final department of this guide.
Terrain Features
Finally, you want to add some terrain features to your D&D world map. You desire the players to accept an idea of what the world is all about, after all. I'm going to be showing you how to use a few very basic symbols to stand for different climates and features of the land.
- Hills/Grasslands
- Forests (trees)
- Mountains
- Deserts
When adding in these features, less is more than! Remember that nosotros're not going for a realistic look, but rather simply a representation of what'due south in that location. iii-5 trees may stand for a medium sized woods, while 7-10 trees could represent a giant forest. Additionally, exist sure you don't fill up the entire map! Be sure to exit enough of blank white space. We even so have a lot of things that nosotros'll exist adding after; this is only function ane after all!
Hills/Grasslands
Hills tin can be represented by piddling 'bumps' appearing in the land
Forests (copse)
I apply three unlike types of copse in my maps to represent different climates and ecosystems: pine, palm, and (possibly) maple. You tin make these as complicated as you'd like, but I prefer to proceed them relatively uncomplicated since they'll exist pretty minor on the globe map.
Mountains
To make mountains, I start off by making a single peak (/\). Then, create another full peak slightly to the right of it (/\ /\). In-between these ii peaks, draw two smaller peaks (/\^^/\). Now, for each pinnacle draw a jagged line from the summit to the base. Color in one one-half of the mountain face for each superlative, but be sure to color in the same half every time (always the right, or always the left). This will give your mountains a bit of depth, while nevertheless being very simple and easy to draw.
Deserts
When adding deserts to your map, consider using a elementary cactus and a tumbleweed. In Role 4, these areas will likewise be differentiated past adding in a sand colored background.
Now all that'south left to do is put it all together and add some of these symbols onto your map. I mostly put things effectually sporadically where ever it "feels right". It might not exist the all-time theory, but I've withal to accept whatsoever players complain about map details breaking immersion.
A few tropical trees and a mountain range
More trees, some hills, a small desert. Also added a small mount and an additional lake.
Finished adding some features to the western continent. I'yard now done with Office i!
Check out Part 2: Civilizations & Regions here
Source: https://thealpinedm.com/how-to-make-dnd-world-map-part-1/
Posted by: villatoroliefalmid1964.blogspot.com
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