Eruvian Mapmaker's Guide

Maps can be among the coolest creations in a campaign setting. Whether of an entire continent or a single level of a building, maps made with detail and thoughtful consideration will inspire GMs and players alike.

Mapmaking Software
Substance
Style
Output Files
Best Practices

Mapmaking Software

The first thing that will help you make a great map is a great piece of mapmaking software. The specific mapping software you use is up to you, but we at Eruvian have had good success with Profantasy's Campaign Cartographer. Eventually the Eruvian community will determine a single piece of mapmaking software to standardize on, which will make sharing maps that much easier. Until then we'll recommend Campaign Cartographer. CC has a free printer and viewer available from Profantasy.com and the full program costs about as much as a hardcover book. Ultimately, use whatever software you're most comfortable with, whatever will help you build great maps as quickly and as beautifully as possible. If you're creating a map for inclusion in an existing campaign setting, make sure you check with the owner of the setting to determine which software they have chosen to use - if you use something different, your map might not be accepted.

Substance

Maps can several purposes. First, they should always show the relative locations of the most important places within a given area. In some simple maps, these points of interest may be the only things visible. In more complete maps, places that are important to the viewer may not readily stand out.

Second, the map can convey information about points being mapped and the general area. For example, the symbols or drawings on the map may show the shape or appearance of buildings or geographic features. Or perhaps the map has symbols noting what resources are produced in each area of the map.

Third, maps often contain a legend and perhaps a compass rose pointing out where North is. These legends can consist of actual labels on the map or numbers on the map that are then associated with a key. The key can be on the map or just included in the locale information itself on the site. The important thing is that GMs and players are able to find the areas on the map that are of importance to them.

Fourth, there are often places that are special to GMs that players shouldn't know about, at least until the GM reveals them. In this case it is best to create a special GM-only layer on the map that can be hidden when it comes time to make print-outs or screen shots for players.

Fifth, some maps are meant to be treasure in and of themselves. In these cases, the maps are meant to be printed out by the GM and physically handed to players (at which point most players eagerly grab them and soak them in). These maps often have special information and "character" that most standard maps lack. Special information may take the form of missing pieces, or perhaps runes along the top or back that need to be deciphered in order to learn a secret password, and so on. The character may take the form of burnt edges and so on, weathering that can be represented in the map, but is really in the hands of the GM to create in the printed version.

Style

When creating a map look to the style, symbols, and fonts already in use on the site. This is especially true if you're building a map for a given campaign setting. This kind of consistency makes for a beautiful set of maps that are easy to read and use. Beyond that a map can be a work of art and a means for expressing your creative side. Have fun and be sure to pass your rough drafts to others in your design team if you want input.

Output Files

Eruvian currently supports several different types of output files:

1. Player Map Image File: This is usually a JPG of the map meant for display on the site. It should have a width of no more than 600 pixels and a size of no more than 1 MB.
2. GM Map Image File: Same as the previous file but it is meant for GMs to view on the site and therefore may have hidden info on it. The image should have a width no greater than 600 pixels and a size no larger than 1 MB.
3. Player Map File: This is the actual map file, Campaign Cartographer or other, for players to download, view, and print. It shouldn't have any GM-only information within it and should be less than 2 MB in size.
4. GM Map File: Same as the previous file except with GM info. It also has a 2-MB size limit.

Best Practices

Here are some best practices that we've come across - if you have some suggestions, please send them to content@eruvian.com.
1. Numbers for Players, Letters for GMs: Use numbers when labelling places visible to players, letters for places that are GM-only. This allows you to label more locations later on and keep your labelling consistent and contiguous for both players and GMs. It also sorts things nicely within Eruvian if you use the Map Label field when creating the locales visible on a map, with player stuff on the top and GM stuff on the bottom.
2. Zoom Out before Saving: The last thing you should do before the final save of your map files in Campaign Cartographer is to zoom out so you can see all the map. That way, when the map is first opened by players or GMs viewing it, they'll be able to take in the full beauty of your creation at a glance.
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