GIS Meets Fantasy — World Generator by Scribble Maps

Fantasy maps have always been an integral part of the fantasy genre, providing a visual representation of the imaginary world in which the story is set in. These maps are often used to help readers navigate the world and understand the geography and political boundaries of the various kingdoms, cities, and other locations of the wider story.

One of the most iconic examples of this is J.R.R. Tolkien’s map of Middle-earth, featured in his The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The map was created by Tolkien himself, which he used to keep track of the various locations and characters in his story. His map was also included in the first edition of The Lord of the Rings, giving readers a glimpse into the epic world of Middle-earth.

Another famous fantasy map is the one from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, which was prominently used in the opening credits of the popular series Game of Thrones.

In video games, fantasy maps serve a vital role in immersing players into the captivating, imaginary world they’re playing in, aiding them in visualizing the journey of their characters as they embark on their thrilling adventures.

Some of the most popular fantasy maps in video games include:

• The World Map in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• The Map in The Legend of Zelda
• The Map in World of Warcraft
• The Map in Final Fantasy VII
• The Map in Diablo II

But it’s not just modern games that use maps. Even as far back as Super Mario Bros 3 and Dragon Warrior, fantasy maps have been used to navigate the wider world of the game. 

However, it’s not books or video games that use maps the most. No one uses fantasy maps more than the TTRPG Community. 

Fantasy maps are a staple of tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) as they help to set the scene and provide context for their players’ actions and decisions, as they play through the game master’s story. 

Additionally, fantasy maps can be customized to fit the specific needs and vision of each individual game master when creating a customized homebrew campaign, giving them the ability to create a unique and personal game world.

Some of the most popular TTRPGs consist of:

• Dungeons & Dragons (D&D): D&D is one of the most popular and longest-running fantasy TTRPGs in existence and it heavily uses fantasy maps.
• Pathfinder: Pathfinder is a fantasy TTRPG that is similar to D&D and uses fantasy maps as part of the game experience.
• RuneQuest: This TTRPG uses fantasy maps to explore the world of Glorantha, a fantasy setting filled with gods, monsters, and ancient civilizations.
• GURPS Fantasy: GURPS stands for “Generic Universal Role-Playing System”, and this edition of the game allows players to create, and adventure, in a fantasy world using fantasy maps.

Maps are essential for world-building and immersing readers and players into a story, whether in Dungeons & Dragons or other TTRPGs, fantasy novels, video games, and television shows. They provide a visual representation of the fictional world and can be used in a variety of ways, from providing a reference for players to navigate the game world, to helping to set the scene for the game’s story.

Traditionally, fantasy maps were hand-drawn, and while they provided an essential representation of the game world, they often lacked detail and accuracy. But with the rise of technology, fantasy maps have become more detailed and accurate. The use of digital tools has made it easier to create maps with a high level of precision and complexity.

However, GIS (Geographic Information System) software can now be used to create and manipulate fantasy maps with added layers of information such as population density, political borders, and terrain features. This allows game masters to create and edit maps with more accuracy and detail, making the game world feel even more immersive and believable.

Enter Scribble Maps, a GIS mapping software platform that allows users to create, share and customize maps. It is a user-friendly tool designed to be accessible to people with a wide range of mapping needs and skills. With Scribble Maps, users can create maps by drawing or “scribbling” on a blank map template, or by customizing their own. They can add points, lines, shapes, and text to the map to mark locations, create routes, and add labels and other information. 

Users can also:

• Get a clear picture with data filters.
• Create heat maps of increased activity.
• Measure distance and area.
• Determine faster, smarter, and cheaper routes.

Scribble Maps provides a variety of map templates and styles to choose from, including street maps, satellite maps, terrain maps, and more. Users can also import their data, such as CSV or KML files, to add to their maps. This allows for even more customization and detail in fantasy maps.

With the advent of GIS software, fantasy maps can become even more sophisticated and detailed. Scribble Maps has taken this next step with the launch of their brand new World Generator, for building and creating Fantasy Maps.

With Scribble Maps, creators can bring their fantasy world to life and make it feel real for both readers and players. It’s a tool for world-building and a standalone hobby and artistic pursuit that allows for the creation of the most advanced and detailed fantasy maps.

One of the standout features of Scribble Maps is its interactive capabilities. Users can add heat maps for goblin attacks, calculate travel distance and time, and include a plethora of information about regions and cities. This level of interactivity and detail is unmatched by other fantasy map software. 

By combining fantasy map building and GIS tools, Scribble Maps’ World Generator is the perfect tool for 3rd party content creators and game masters who want to take their fantasy maps to the next level.

Whether you’re an author, game master, or hobbyist, Scribble Maps is the ultimate tool for creating and manipulating these maps. Its ease of use, customization options, import and export options, collaboration and sharing features, make it stand out among its competition.

Scribble Maps offers an impressive toolset that is unmatched by any other fantasy map software.

I am blown away by the fact that I can build an entire world and zoom in to add cities and other landmarks on a level I’ve never seen before. No longer will I require hundreds of disconnected maps for my fantasy world.

With current fantasy maps, if player combat moves off of the displayed map, you have to imagine what is beyond its borders. Now everything can be displayed without limitation.

With over 20 years of experience as a Game Master and an entire world within my mind palace, I can finally display it in its entirety, to my players. And as my world changes and evolves, so too can my map.

What’s most impressive is that this is merely the first iteration of Scribble Maps' World Generator. I am extremely excited to see how it grows and evolves from here. 

As the Quality Assurance Coordinator at Scribble Maps, I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to test its features and provide all of my knowledge and feedback from my experience as a Game Master and user of fantasy maps. I can implement these into my own campaigns and gather suggestions directly from my players. I am already building my entire world of “Nexia” and have significant storylines built around the coming changes of the new map. 

This is the perfect all-in-one tool, and all-in-one map, for all of my fantasy stories' needs. I’ve never been more excited to be a part of any project.

Whether you’re an author, game master, or hobbyist, Scribble Maps’ World Generator is the ultimate tool for creating and building fantasy maps at a level of detail that was previously impossible. It’s a tool that allows for endless creativity and imagination and opens up new possibilities for world-building and storytelling. With Scribble Maps, the possibilities are endless, and the only limit is your own imagination. 

For more information on how World Generator works, visit; Fantasy Maps - World Generator