Creating a fantasy map for adventurers is an exciting task that requires imagination and creativity. Unlike traditional maps, a fantasy map should bring the world to life and inspire adventurers to explore and embark on new adventures. Here are some key features to include on your fantasy map:
- Military architecture: Castles, fortresses, and other fantasy installations are key features on a fantasy map. These locations are often the site of battles, sieges, and other conflicts and can be home to powerful rulers, guards, and other military personnel.
- Civilian areas: Towns, cities, thorps, and villages are important to include on a fantasy map as they provide a sense of the population and culture of the world. These locations are often the site of trade, commerce, and other activities that adventurers may be interested in.
- Bodies of water: Lakes, rivers, and seas are important to include on a fantasy map as they provide a sense of the geography of the world and can also be home to aquatic creatures or other hazards.
- Abandoned-risky-dangerous architecture: Ruins, labyrinths, dungeons, and lairs for monsters are key features on a fantasy map as they provide a sense of danger and adventure. These locations often hold treasure, secrets, or other valuable information that adventurers may be interested in.
- Large geographical feature-terrain: Mountains, valleys, cliffs, bluffs, and hills are important to include on a fantasy map as they provide a sense of the geography of the world and can also be home to dangerous creatures or other hazards.
- Collective flora groups: Forests, swamps, grasslands, and bushland are important to include on a fantasy map as they provide a sense of the ecology of the world and can also be home to dangerous creatures or other hazards.
- Places of religious, spiritual, magical and supernatural power: Temples, shrines, cairns, and monster burial grounds are key features on a fantasy map as they provide a sense of the spiritual and supernatural aspects of the world. These locations often hold treasure, secrets, or other valuable information that adventurers may be interested in.
- Places where specific magic is ongoing / continuous: Magical portals and teleportation circles are key features on a fantasy map as they provide a sense of the magical aspects of the world. These locations often allow for fast travel or access to other worlds.
- Places where dragons, giants and other obvious single-large monsters live: These locations are key features on a fantasy map as they provide a sense of danger and adventure. These locations often hold treasure, secrets, or other valuable information that adventurers may be interested in.
- Connecting these locations would be presented as roads, pathways and their significant features (such as bridges, tunnels and passes: These locations are key features on a fantasy map as they provide a sense of the transportation and infrastructure of the world. These locations often allow for fast travel or access to other worlds.
- Significant landmarks for guiding people: Lighthouses, stacks of stones, markers, milestones, beacons and watchtowers are key features on a fantasy map as they provide a sense of the transportation and infrastructure of the world. These locations often allow for fast travel or access to other worlds.
- Resource gathering: Mines, quarries, and other locations where people gather and sort natural resources are key features on a fantasy map as they provide a sense of the economy and resources of the world. These locations often hold treasure, secrets, or other valuable information that adventurers may be interested in.
- Natural wonders - such as volcanoes, permanent weather pattern-conditions ('Interplanar Tornado' or 'Swordfall Rains' or 'Transforming Hail')
- Guildhalls or training centers for adventurers, where they can train, take on quests and form parties.
- Necropolises or graveyards - which may hold ancient tombs, cursed artifacts, or undead creatures.
- Wizard's towers or arcane academies - which may hold powerful magic or ancient knowledge, but also be home to powerful and dangerous wizards.
- Hidden or secret places - such as a hidden valley, a hidden cave system, or a hidden city.
- Special places - such as ley-lines, ancient standing stones, or other mysterious places that may hold ancient power and secrets.