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This question, "What map scales have you found useful", was put on hold as too opinion-based.

I've tried to reformulate it. Will this question get put on hold as too opinion-based?

I've tried hard to adhere to "What types of questions should I avoid asking" and "Good subjective, bad subjective."

While no doubt this question will elicit subjective answers, I'm aiming for good subjective and constructive objective.


Title: How can I make useful campaign-level maps?

I've made maps in various different ways and they've been variously useful. I would like to improve the usefulness of my mapping though.

In particular, one issue is the issue of scaling. The DMG, on p 14, suggests three levels of scaling, at 5 miles per inch, 30 miles per inch, and 300 miles per inch.

To be clear, I'm talking about campaign level maps, maps intended to provide a view of a fairly large to very large stretches of territory, as opposed to town or city maps, or dungeon or encounter-level maps.

I'm particularly interested in D&D 5e, but answers from any RPG might be useful.

How can I make useful campaign-level maps?

TAG: [maps]

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describe the problem, to the extent you can

I've made maps in various different ways and they've been variously useful. I would like to improve the usefulness of my mapping though.

This ⇑, I believe, is where your question could use some work.

Go ahead and tell us how they've been variously useful: what's working well, what's not doing what you want. Along the way, what is the purpose of your maps? What are you trying to achieve when producing those artifacts? How do you know when they're failing you? What makes you think that scale is the particular issue causing trouble? What have your players said that worries you, and when have friction points come up?

The crux, I think, is that you want to make "useful" maps and believe that scale has something to do with it, but we don't know what's useful for you and your group. If you can tell us what you're trying to do and why you think that's not happening, then each answerer isn't left to just describe what works well for them, with voters having little or no way to discern whether an answer is useful or not.


I will second a comment made on your other, recent meta: I think that a forum (especially our chat) could be an excellent resource. It may not solve your problem, but it might help you suss out exactly what your problem is.

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