Blackmoor Maps

[Havard]

I think I saw that thread when I was looking at the whole 12/24 mile confusion between DA1 and DA4. I have to admit I'd never thought of playing a map at a scale different from the one printed on it!

Agreed. However with the Wilderlands, there seems to have been alot of different takes on the scales. As mentioned the creator of the Wilderlands, Bob Bledsaw used 15 miles per hex. Rob S Conley uses 12.5 miles per hex in his Majestic Wilderlands. All of these with the same map!

In my own case, my goal was to combine Blackmoor, Pre-Cataclysmic Mystara and the Wilderlands. I was less willing to make compromises with the first two settings than I was with the WL. We also considered making the Wilderlands truly huge, making the Wilderlands Sea into the Alphatian Sea, connecting Valon to the Northern Arctic. However, that would not have allowed us to use the Valley of the Ancients as a connection point between Blackmoor and the WL.

Obviously, change the scale and the sums all change too.

I did think 5 mile per hex was quite a small scale for the main campaign maps. I think it's too big for tactical use though - villages, lairs, forest clearing ambush sites, ruined towers - all those things can fit together in a single 5 mile hex. 1 mile per hex is much better, and even then Thunder Rift looks a little crowded.

Given that, the Mystara maps are only 8 miles/hex and have worked well for years.

Different scales for different purposes of course. 1 mile hexes work best for tactical situations as you say, but they wouldnt be very good for mapping multiple nations, would they?

Perhaps that's why so many create their own worlds - they can do whatever they like then, and ignore those who don't like it.

Hmm, now there's a thought .... :wink:

Creating your own setting is alot of fun, but I also think there's nothing wrong with making tweaks to published settings. One cool thing about published settings is that you will have an entire community of people online that you can discuss the setting with

Havard