Terrain
The map is divided into hexes (see Hexcrawling). Each hex belongs to a specific terrain. To keep things simple, the amount of different types of terrain should be minimal. This is also in line with most tools to create such maps.
You can use variants of a specific terrain, to adapt to specific regions and climates.
| Type | Variants |
|---|---|
| Plains | Steppe Tundra |
| Forest | Deciduous Coniferous Dark Forest |
| Hills | |
| Mountains | High Mountains |
| Desert | |
| Swamp | Marshlands Quagmire |
| Water | Lake Ocean |
Even though these variants have different names, they should be treated as their terrain.
Province
The world map is divided into smaller regions of space - provinces. These are typically named and provide people a simple way of identifying locations or mapping domains of power for factions.
Create Province
To create a new province, roll 2d12+6 to determine its size. This is the amount of hexes its spans. Draw a rough outline of the province on a hex grid paper.
Biomes
Each province belongs to a specific biome. The biome dictates what kind of terrain occurs in that specific biome. Select 4 different terrain types and assign them to a table as outlined below.
| d12 | Terrain | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rare | 8.33% |
| 2 | Rare | 8.33% |
| 3-6 | Uncommon | 33.33% |
| 7-12 | Common | 50% |
For each hex in the province, roll on this biome table and note the terrain in that hex.
Settlements
Depending on the size of the province, place an amount of settlements in the province
| Province Size | Settlements |
|---|---|
| 8-13 | 1 |
| 14-20 | 2 |
| 21-27 | 3 |
| 28-30 | 4 |
For each settlement roll on the following table to determine its size.
| d6 | Settlement Size | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Outpost | <20 |
| 2 | Thorp | 20-50 |
| 3 | Hamlet | 50-100 |
| 4 | Village | 100-500 |
| 5 | Townlet | 500-1000 |
| 6 | Town | 1000-5000 |
Roads and Rivers
Draw some additional roads and rivers into the province. Consider the following rules:
- One road should at least connect two settlements if possible
- One road should enter and exit the province
- Rivers should connect to a body of water (lake, sea)
Also consider the placement of the province in the world and connect roads and rivers to already existing networks.
Name
Give the province a name and place it into your world.
Encounters (optional)
Create a Random Encounter table for the province.
Factions (optional)
Select up to three Factions that operate in this province.