A Really Cool Interactive Map
When I started the Falling Stars campaign, I wanted to stay within the lore of DND, but at the same time make it my own setting. In my research I found this excellent interactive map.
The map lets you:
- Zoom in and out
- Click on key locations and get a brief description
- Measure distances and estimate travel
- And just get a general sense of where the political lines and resources might be
I used this map to not only plan my campaign, but even in my Session Zero sessions with my players. When I gave them parameters for character creation, I wanted them to have freedom and yet make it fit into this new lore. Our bard was a tiefling from a family of former Gheldaneth slaves. They wanted to have the character have a fear of the water, so getting from Gheldaneth to Selgaunt was going to take time. This led to the idea that their parents were missing for 30 years and they had taken a land route to Selgaunt looking for them.
I know many people want to use theater of the mind for as much as possible, and I won’t disagree with them. This player was a new player, though, and having something more visible helped them dive into the lore more easily.
Buy the Map Maker a Cup of Coffee!
It’s so important to support these kinds of tools. Even just a few bucks adds up if many of us are using the tool. I personally donated to the creator and I encourage you too if you find it valuable. I was even able to create a printed version of it (below) to include it in my DM screen for quick reference.
