Continued from last blog Post/Thought
Now, after you have finished with all that, you should now create the outline of your map. To do so you should get grid paper, and then separate into five uneven sections (uneven, I can’t tell you how important that is! Because they are places in a world! Places in world are not straight!) Then you should roll a 1d6 or pick from the following Terrains below for each section. I think you can understand what each of the terms below mean.Terrain
1. Empire
2. Forest
3. Desert
4. Many Cities
5. Many Different Landscapes
6. Ocean/Sea
7. Dark/Evil Realm
8. Mountain Range
After you have done that you should focus on one of these sections. For the section you chose, you should now place islands, empires, forests, and cities. Depending on what Terrain your section is. Below are the types of Terrains you could have gotten, and examples of what you could put in it.
Empire: Cities, and one to two other Terrains from above. You don’t want an empire with too many wild Terrains getting in the way. Treat an Ocean/Sea as a lake.
Forest: For this Terrain you could put a cavernous city in it, some villages, maybe a lake, and a few swamps.
Desert: Nothing, nothing at all. Maybe a city or two, or some villages. But, otherwise, nothing.
Many Cities: This Terrain is like an empire, except that none of the cities are together. So, you can place a few cities here and there, about three to six. You should also put in about two to three other Terrains from above. A Dark/Evil Realm and a Forest would be good. Treat an Ocean/Sea as a lake.
Many Different Landscapes: For this one, you can put just about anything in it. Roll again for Terrains about three to four times, and put them all in this one.
Ocean/Sea: For this one, you should plot about three to six islands in the ocean or sea. For each island you should roll for a new Terrain, ignore results of 1,4,5,6, and 7. You could also plot a continent if you want. For that you should also roll for a Terrain for that continent.
Dark/Evil Realm: For this, you could plot about one to three cities. And maybe a Mountain Range surrounding it (like the classic Dark/Evil Realm: Mordor).
Mountain Range: For this one you should plot two to four cities, and maybe a lake or forest.
You should do this again for every other section. Once you have finished, you should go deeper into each section, and for every other smaller Terrain in your sections, you should roll again two to three times ignoring results that don’t make sense in that smaller Terrain. Do not roll for Cities (for example, say I have a section that is a Mountain Range, I decided I would have a forest in my Mountain Range. Now I have to roll two to three times for a Terrain for that forest. I chose to roll three times. I got the following Terrains: Forest, Desert, and Empire. Forest and Desert don’t make sense in a Forest Terrain, so I just keep the Empire. Now I should use the guidelines for creating an Empire Terrain, but adjust them to the larger Terrain it is in: a Forest).
If you want a bigger world, you can do the whole process above including choosing the type of world you want it to be (Horror Fantasy, High Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Middle Fantasy, etc.).
By Garell
Continued in next blog Post/Thought
Now, after you have finished with all that, you should now create the outline of your map. To do so you should get grid paper, and then separate into five uneven sections (uneven, I can’t tell you how important that is! Because they are places in a world! Places in world are not straight!) Then you should roll a 1d6 or pick from the following Terrains below for each section. I think you can understand what each of the terms below mean.Terrain
1. Empire
2. Forest
3. Desert
4. Many Cities
5. Many Different Landscapes
6. Ocean/Sea
7. Dark/Evil Realm
8. Mountain Range
After you have done that you should focus on one of these sections. For the section you chose, you should now place islands, empires, forests, and cities. Depending on what Terrain your section is. Below are the types of Terrains you could have gotten, and examples of what you could put in it.
Empire: Cities, and one to two other Terrains from above. You don’t want an empire with too many wild Terrains getting in the way. Treat an Ocean/Sea as a lake.
Forest: For this Terrain you could put a cavernous city in it, some villages, maybe a lake, and a few swamps.
Desert: Nothing, nothing at all. Maybe a city or two, or some villages. But, otherwise, nothing.
Many Cities: This Terrain is like an empire, except that none of the cities are together. So, you can place a few cities here and there, about three to six. You should also put in about two to three other Terrains from above. A Dark/Evil Realm and a Forest would be good. Treat an Ocean/Sea as a lake.
Many Different Landscapes: For this one, you can put just about anything in it. Roll again for Terrains about three to four times, and put them all in this one.
Ocean/Sea: For this one, you should plot about three to six islands in the ocean or sea. For each island you should roll for a new Terrain, ignore results of 1,4,5,6, and 7. You could also plot a continent if you want. For that you should also roll for a Terrain for that continent.
Dark/Evil Realm: For this, you could plot about one to three cities. And maybe a Mountain Range surrounding it (like the classic Dark/Evil Realm: Mordor).
Mountain Range: For this one you should plot two to four cities, and maybe a lake or forest.
You should do this again for every other section. Once you have finished, you should go deeper into each section, and for every other smaller Terrain in your sections, you should roll again two to three times ignoring results that don’t make sense in that smaller Terrain. Do not roll for Cities (for example, say I have a section that is a Mountain Range, I decided I would have a forest in my Mountain Range. Now I have to roll two to three times for a Terrain for that forest. I chose to roll three times. I got the following Terrains: Forest, Desert, and Empire. Forest and Desert don’t make sense in a Forest Terrain, so I just keep the Empire. Now I should use the guidelines for creating an Empire Terrain, but adjust them to the larger Terrain it is in: a Forest).
If you want a bigger world, you can do the whole process above including choosing the type of world you want it to be (Horror Fantasy, High Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Middle Fantasy, etc.).
By Garell
Continued in next blog Post/Thought