🎲 TTRPG Tips & Inspiration: The Magic of Map Making

Welcome to the first spark of your next great adventure!

Whether you're running a homebrew world or diving into a module, maps are more than just lines and symbols—they're invitations. Invitations to explore, to wonder, and to plan wildly reckless decisions that only a band of misfit adventurers would make.

Here’s how to make your maps not just useful, but inspiring.

🧭 1. Think Big, Then Zoom In

Start with the macro view. What’s the shape of your world or region? Coastlines, mountains, and major rivers should come first—they naturally define where civilizations grow and conflict brews.

Then zoom in: define kingdoms, trade routes, strange ruins in forgotten swamps. Finally, work your way into villages, city streets, dungeons, and lairs.

Pro Tip: A world with geographic logic feels real. Rivers flow downhill, cities form near resources, and roads connect important places.

✏️ 2. Sketch, Don’t Stress

Your first map doesn't need to be a masterpiece. A quick pencil sketch on paper, or free tools like Inkarnate, Wonderdraft, or Dungeon Scrawl can take you a long way.

Use symbols—trees for forests, triangles for mountains, a dotted line for a mysterious path—and fill in the details as your players explore.

Remember: imperfection invites curiosity. A blank spot on the map? That’s the players asking questions. Let them.

🗺️ 3. Use Maps as Storytelling Tools

A good map tells stories before the dice roll. That ruined city in the desert? Maybe a once-great empire fell to a forgotten curse. That mountain pass with a name like “The Bleeding Gate”? Yep—something awful lives there.

Let your map breathe plot.

🌍 4. Share Maps with Purpose

You don’t have to reveal everything at once. Give players a "common map"—a merchant’s version, full of half-truths and guesses. Then add detail as they uncover more.

This lets you layer in secrets, rumors, and red herrings. Every discovery becomes part of the adventure.

🧠 5. Let Players Fill in the Blanks

Leave room for the party to claim the world. Maybe they name a road after themselves, or build a stronghold in a blank space. When they feel like they’ve shaped the map, they’re hooked.

🎨 Final Inspiration

Your map isn’t just a reference tool. It’s an artifact of your world. A living document that changes with time, scars, and legends.

So take your time, roll with imperfections, and above all—let your map grow alongside your story.

Happy mapping, and may your roads always lead to adventure! 🧙‍♂️🗺️