Recommend a fantasy world map?

[Derek Hiemforth]

Okay, here's a weird one... ;)

I'm in the market for a good fantasy world. However, I don't need (and actually don't want) any detail regarding it other than a cool world map with appropriate place names on it (cities, nations, geographic features, etc.) Basically, I want to save myself the work of creating a big map and a bunch of names. I'll create stuff in the world to match the map and the names. :)

Ideally, the map would be available in Campaign Cartographer format, but that's definitely not essential. I thought seriously about swiping the Turakian Age map and names, but the world isn't really going to be the Hero Universe in the Turakian Age, so I didn't want to confuse the players with incorrect assumptions.

Can anyone recommend something that fits the bill? Thanks! :)

[Doc Democracy]

I always liked the map of Dragon Pass at the back of 2nd edition Runequest, lots of evocative placenames.

http://www.celtic-webs.com/glorantha/graphics/middle/maps/prax_dp_map_download.jpg

Never really took to the huge maps of Glorantha but our very own Keith Curtis has done the map for the forthcoming Mongoose Pressedition of RuneQuest:

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/pdf/rqgloranthamap.jpg


Doc

[Gwarh]

I'm personally into the Artesia Comic/Artesia RPG world right now. Beautifull Water Colour Map. :thumbup: www.theknownworld.com (http://www.theknownworld.com)

Also as good as the day it was released. :thumbup: HARN.:thumbup: http://www.columbiagames.com/cgi-bin/query/cfg/zoom.cfg?product_id=5001 Just the core HARN setting which is rules independant. Plus there are HARN to HERO conversion on the weebernet. If you can't find one then I can email it to ya.

[Dale A. Ward]

Back in the late 70's, I had a similar need. So, I just blatantly ripped off DC comics... I found a map of Krypton in an issue of Superman and very laboriously copied it over onto two 2' x 3' hex sheets.

File off the serial numbers, change the names to protect the guilty, and Bob's yer uncle! :D

[katal3]

The Ebberon Maps are pretty good, I think you can get em off the D20 site.

[tkdguy]

Check out the maps drawn by Christopher West (http://www.velocity.net/~westwinds/).

[Curufea]

Nice!

[keithcurtis]

See if there's anything interesting here:
www.KACurtis.com/Map_Samples/
As long as they're for private use, I can't see how anyone would complain.

Keith "I have contacts for any of the actual owners of the maps" Curtis

[Publius]

Keith, I have said it before, and I'll say it again: I love your work.

[Nolgroth]

Check the ProFantasy (http://www.profantasy.com) site. There are tons of maps in CC2 format there. Edit: While I am not a D&D junkie, they have maps of Greyhawk and portions of the Forgotten Realms. The maps are very nice.

Edit 2: You might also try the Mordent Cartographic Society (http://www.gryphonhill.com/) site. They have extensively mapped out the Domains of Dread in CC2 format.

[Old Man]

http://www.fantasy-atlas.org/

[Phil]

I'm a tremendously biased geek, but I think Tolkien's map of Beleriand is great, lots of interesting features and most likely a world that your players wont be familiar with.

Advantage or disadvantage is that it doesnt go down into a huge amount of detail, e.g. no settlements apart from the really major ones.

[SteelDoom]

There were a tonne of modules done by ICE (Iron Crown Enterprises) and MERP (Middle Earth Role Playing) which have good maps of Middle Earth. The main MERP book has one of all of Enodor and also details weather, trade routes, altitudes and a few other interesting things. Googling "ICE MERP maps" or similar should get some good hits.

[CourtFool]

When I was planning on creating my own world, I had planned on using a map of Earth either wholesale or a couple of continents.

[Phil]

When I was planning on creating my own world, I had planned on using a map of Earth either wholesale or a couple of continents.
That's true. My other thought, apart from Beleriand, was to find an old european map, middle ages or early renaissance. I'm a firm believer that there's nothing quite so interesting as the familiar made unfamiliar.

[Supreme Serpent]

There's always Hyboria...

http://hyboria.xoth.net/maps/chrysagon_hyboria.jpg

Or you could just use the US with a fantasy spin, could even use the SCA kingdom breakdowns...

http://www.banjaraweb.com/sca/map/index.html

[Alcamtar]

Here's one I did, but no place names
http://members.dsl-only.net/~bing/frp/fudge/arf/world.html

Here's another I did for a PBEM
http://users.tkk.fi/~vesanto/link.elyria/maps.html

Oh, and if you need names, try this (select one of the "Place" templates)
http://www.squid.org/tools/names/index.html

[Manic Typist]

Wow, this thread is an excellent resource.

Are there any decent, free, map drawing programs out there?

[Curufea]

Autorealm-
http://www.gryc.ws/autorealm.htm

BTW, there are many free maps in the Dundjinni forums-
http://www.dundjinni.com/forums/default.asp

[Yesman]

I've used Civilization III's world editor to randomly generate maps for games before. You might have to name the cities yourself, but there are random generator pages on the Interweb for that kind of thing.

I'm pretty sure I remember Civ II having a world editor as well, and I know IV does.

[tkdguy]

If you're looking for something like Earth, try the Old World from the Warhammer game. It's based on Europe, so it has some familiar elements along with a few important changes.

[ShinDangaioh]

How about this map:
http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/flats/1419/REALM.gif

If you want more:
http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/flats/1419/dmap.html

[Cancer]

Depending on what you think of craters, you could go for Mars, too.

[Sir Ofeelya]

You could try Harn and Harnworld from Columbia games. They sell four large poster sized maps of a region of the main continent.

http://www.columbiagames.com/cgi-bin/query/cfg/allharnitems.cfg

[AlHazred]

http://www.fantasy-atlas.org/
Being of German extraction, it's not a problem for me, but other people might be put off by the German-language text...

Beautiful find!

[Curufea]

That is very nice!

[ChaosDrgn]

Make mine Mystara/Known World.

[Kristopher]

I'd love to use the fantasy atlas but I only know a smattering of German.

[Curufea]

Google is your friend.
http://www.google.com/translate_t

Basically you just want to click on inhalt (contents)

I have problems running the site in firefox at home - it doesn't like embedding shockwave flash for some reason.
Direct link is - http://www.fantasy-atlas.org/karten/inhalt.swf

[Saarius]

Go to www.profantasy.com (http://www.profantasy.com) there are a lot of different maps there. and you can download a viewer for them.