Mapping with Authority (CSC)

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A coastline is rarely a flat line where featureless land meets a mirrored sea, nor are ~ll mountains jagged crags clawing bleakly against a leaden sky. Yet it is quite common for even an experienced world designer to treat all land features equally. In a similar vein, DMs tend to build all of their castles, temples public buildings and towns along similar lines. Regardless of culture or the time period in which it was built, all buildings of a given type are generally the same. Why? Because the DM often doesn't know any better. He draws only on his own experience.
If, on the other hand, the DM chooses to research our own world, he finds a variety of maps that can reveal the detail of different coastlines for different parts of the world, including rocky cliffs, sandy beaches and dark cypress swamp~. He finds a variety of mountain types, from the green rolling ranges of the Appalachians to the rugged rocks of the high Himalayas. By using real maps as guides he draws his own maps with an authority lacking in his previous creations.
In a like manner, the DM can use floor plans and elevations of historical buildings, temples and castles to populate the cities and wilderness of his world. With a little understanding gained from architectural history, he creates buildings that can actually stand with realistic interior spaces. Although experienced players may miss the convenient 20-foot-wide corridors they were once accustomed to, the excitement of exploring a place that could really exist will rapidly replace their loss.
Where does the ability to map with authority come from? From geography books, from art history texts, from topographical maps, and from magazines-all of which are usually available at any local library.
What follows is just a sampling of places to find reference material for mapping:
==Topographical Maps==
An entire gaming campaign could be built up from a few of these maps. The clever DM may even want to use them in place of hand-drawn regional maps. If so, treat them as grid less maps. A dramatic trick is to change the vertical distance between topography lines.
Ask for topographical maps at any sporting goods specialty store that sells a full line of hiking and camping supplies. If they don't have them in stock, they can probably order them. If these maps cannot be found locally, contact the National Cartographic Information Center listed below under Other Resources. Try to find maps for forests, canyons, deserts, coastlines and mountainous areas, anything that might be useful as a regional map in a campaign setting.
==Books on Caves==
Check the local library for a book covering this subject. Look for books with maps or floor plans of real caves. If possible try to find one with three-dimensional cutaway views in it. Don't be afraid to use the children's' section of the library. Books aimed at younger readers will more often have the pictures and diagrams that a DM needs.
==Books on Castles==
These may be found in a local library. Books with pretty photographs or illustrations are nice and may be useable as inspiration or visual aids, but look for one that has floor plans drawn to scale. Castle by David McCauley (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977) is a fine look at the construction of a medieval castle.
==Geography Books==
Look for books that focus on natural wonders, rather than geopolitics. Again, try to find maps for forests, canyons, deserts and mountainous areas.
==Art History Text Books==
Good examples of these can be found in most public and college libraries. Art history texts are an excellent source for building floor plans. Look for a book that shows floor plans of ancient buildings, temples, cathedrals, castles, and cities. Gardner's Art Through the Ages is an excellent example.
==Architectural History Books==
These are a wonderful source for ancient building floor plans, cross-sections, and cutaway illustrations. Introduction to Architecture by Stephen Gardiner is an excellent example of this type of book. It is chock-full of pictures and maps showing architecture from ancient Egypt to the 20th century. Cathedral, Pyramid, and City, three books by David Macauley, are excellent sourcebooks for the construction and layout of ancient architectural structures. They give insight into the amount of time and manpower that must be invested into a proj ect for it to succeed
==Books on Ancient Civilizations==
The best books of this type have lots of pictures, diagrams, maps, and illustrations. Look up ancient civilizations in the library's card file. Again, use the childrens' section of the library.
==Other Sources==
For a good reference on how to locate real maps of the United States, particularly topographical maps, get the free U.S. Department of the Interior pamphlet: National Mapping Program, Mini Catalog of Map Data from the National Cartographic Infomation Center, U. S. Geologic Survey, 507 National Center, Reston, VA 22092. The prunphlet also lists addresses where you can go to browse and buy maps.
For another general source book on locating maps of all kinds, look for The Map Catalog by Joe Makower from Vintage Books, a division of Random House, copyright 1986.
Finally, look through an index of National Geographic magazine, particularly one which covers the last 30 years or so. This magazine is available in libraries and contains excellent articles and maps on many periods of ancient history, including lost civilizations, ruined cities, castles, and sunken wrecks.