Simplified Fantasy Map Guide (Detailed)

T
his guide is intended compile a handful of
geology concepts to help worldbuilders Map Uses
build "somewhat realistic" worlds. This
This map would not be suitable for navigation
guide assumes that the world being built is
purposes by the people living in the world.
earthlike (spins counter-clockwise, has a
~25 degrees axial tilt, and has a ~24 hour
rotation). It will start from the ground up with tectonic
Do not have any continents going off the top or bottom of
plates, continue with selecting likely biome locations based
the map. Additionally, ensure that the continents on the
on simplified wind patterns and mountain ranges, and end
left and right of the map match up. These two things will
with selecting likely locations for people to settle. The
make sure that the globe created by wrapping this
biomes used will be from D&D 5e: Arctic, Coastal, Desert,
projection across a sphere looks nice.
Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Swamp (generalized to
Wetland), Forest, and Urban.
2. Tectonic Plates
Steps Continential plates are plates which are predominantely
land. Oceanic plates are plates which are predominantely
1. Create a map projection
underwater. The largest plates should be oceanic for an
2. Draw tectonic plates on the projection
earth-like planet. 7-8 major plates. 10 minor plates. No
3. Choose a direction for each tectonic plate to travel, and
more than 3 plates should interact at any given point
mark the convergent and divergent ranges
('|'/'T'/'Y' shapes are okay, but 'X' shapes are not).
4. Add continents (arbitrary, try to keep ~70% of surface
as ocean)
5. Add islands
6. Add wind currents
7. Add biomes where appropriate

1. Equirectangular Map
Projection
Create a rectagle that is twice as long as it is tall (2:1
aspect). Create a 12x6 grid on this rectangle. The middle 9 tectonic plates. The orange on the left and right are the
horizontal line is the planet's equator (intertropical same plate.
convergence zone, see Air Currents section). The
horizontal lines next to the equator are the markers for 30
degrees latitude (subtropical ridges, see Air Currents
section). The horizontal lines next to those are the markers
for 60 degrees latitude (polar fronts, see Air Currents
section).

Directions of tectonic plates (chosen arbitrarily) and the

forces they enact on each other at the boundaries

An equirectangular map projection.

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 3.a. Convergent Plate Boundaries 3.c. Transform Plate Boundaries
Plates move towards each other. Plates slide past each other.
Earthquakes frequently happen at transform
boundaries.

4. Continents
Continents can be drawn somewhat arbitarily, as any
landmass can be explained as just a thicker part of the
crust. In general, though, only small islands should exit
over a mid-ocean ridge, and convergent plate boundaries
should have landmass.

Convergent plate boundaries marked in brown.

Oceanic-Continental
Oceanic plate is pushed under the continental plate. This
creates a mountain ridge along the continental edge of the
boundary, and an ocean ridge along the oceanic edge of
the boundary. Earthquakes, mountains, and volcanoes are
common.

Oceanic-Oceanic
Similar to the Oceanic-Continental convergent boundary. Continents drawn semi-arbitrarily, ensuring that the
The mountains here form island arcs. majority of the map is ocean and that some of the
convergent plate sections are both on land and under
Continental-Continental water.
Neither plate sinks, so very tall mountains form. Many
earthquakes happen here.
5. Hotspots
3.b. Divergent Plate Boundaries Hotspots can happen anywhere in a plate, and lead to
island chains on oceanic plates or calderas on continental
Plates move away from each other. plates. One end of the archipelago should be a volcano,
and islands further away should be smaller and more
eroded.

Divergent plate boundaries marked in blue.

Oceanic-Continental Islands drawn where convergent plate boundaries are in

This boundary type quickly changes into an Oceanic- the ocean. Additional islands could be drawn anywhere.
Oceanic divergent boundary (see section 4.B. Oceanic-
Oceanic).

Oceanic-Oceanic
Two underwater plates pull apart from each other, and the
mantle pushes this separation up. This creates a mid-
ocean ridge (underwater mountain range), with a rift vallet
at its crest. Earthquakes are common, as are volcanoes.

Continential-Continental
Similar to the Oceanic-Oceanic, but evreything is above
water. All landmasses before adding biomes

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 Hadely Cell
6. Air Currents
From the equator to 30 degrees, prevalent winds ("trade
Essentially, all winds blow from the east to the west,
winds") blow from east to west in the northern
except between 30 degrees and 60 degreees latitude,
hemisphere (opposite for southern).
where the wind blows in the opposite direction.
Intertropical Convergence Zone
Coriolis Effect A low pressure zone (warm air rises) forms where the two
Due to the planet's rotation, the direction of the winds in Hadely Cells meet (at the the equator), due to convection
the northern hemisphere are mirrored in the southern (equatorial heating by the sun). The winds in a low
hemisphere. pressure zone are not stagnant. The climate is wet and
rainy.

Tropical Cyclones
Hurricanes form over the ocean between 5 degrees
latitutde and 20 degrees latitude, and make landfall in the
direction of the prevaling winds. The strong winds of
hurricanes can strip vegetation, which could lead to
massive losses of agriculture or local animals. Hurricanes
also bring salty water inland, which can create brackish
swamps. Hurricanes that meet mountians can have
intense orographic precipitation (see Mountains), which
Prevalent winds along the equator, tropics, and poles can cause rivers to flood.

Ocean Currents Ferrel Cell

Ocean currents typically flow in the direction of the
prevaling wind. Currents headed away from the equator Between 30 degrees and 60 degrees, prevalent winds
are hot, and currents headed toward the equator are cold. ("westerlies") blow from west to east in the northern
Ocean currents typically flow to the west around the hemisphere (opposite for southern).
equator. When the equitorial currents collide with a
continent, they are deflected toward the nearest pole. The Subtropical Ridge
current will generally follow the coast, and eventually form A high pressure zone (cold air sinks) forms where a Ferrel
a circle called an ocean gyre. Warm ocean currents provide Cell meets a Hadely Cell (at 30 degrees north and south of
warmth to northern coastal settlements. the equator). The winds in a high pressure zone are
stagnant. The climate is fair and mostly dry. Foggy weather
is common.

Tornadoes
Tornadoes form over land between 30 degrees latitude
and 50 degrees latitude.

Polar Cell
From 60 degrees to the poles, prevalent winds ("polar
easterlies") blow from east to west in the northern
Air currents and ocean currents hemisphere (opposite for southern).

Polar Front
A low pressure zone (warm air rises) forms where a Polar
Cell meets a Ferrel Cell (at 60 degrees north and south of
the equator), due to the convergence of the air currents.
The winds in a low pressure zone are not stagnant. The
climate is wet and rainy.

Ocean currents only

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 B. Grassland
7. Biomes
Grasslands are primarily dry areas where grasses are the
The biomes listed here are the same biomes that are used
predominant vegetaion. Grassland should be the most
in D&D 5e: Arctic, Grassland, Mountain, Hill, Coastal,
abundant biome, at approximately one quarter of the
Desert, Swamp (generalized to Wetland), Forest, and
available land. Grasslands typically form between deserts
Urban. This guide will also list several sub-biomes of these
and forests, since they require enough water to support
general ones, although in several cases locations can
grasses, but not enough water to support trees.
change from one biome to another or two sub-biomes
Grasslands naturally develop as a result of deforestation,
may refer to the same thing (a tropical forest could also be
and are excellent for farming and grazing livestock.
a freshwater swamp, burning a forest could turn it into a
To make this easy, just make everything not ocean or
grassland, erosion can turn a mountain into a hill).
arctic grassland. Replace parts of the grassland with other
Tropical zones exist between 30 degrees north and
biomes as they occur.
south of the equator. Polar zones exist greater than 60
degrees north or south of the equator. Temperate zones
are between 30 and 60 degrees north and south of the
equator. Landmasses in the same zone are more likely to
share similar crops/civilizations than landmasses in
different zones.

A. Arctic
Any latitutde between 60 degrees and the nearest pole can
be considered Arctic. This biome includes tundra and
taiga, which has boreal forests at its southernmost points Grassland in tan, ocean in blue.
(see Forest).
Meadow
A meadow is an open, sunny area, usually dominated by
either hay or flowers. Hay meadows used for grazing are
called pastures. Meadows typically require human
intervention to prevent them from transforming into other
types of grassland.

Steppe / Outback / Prairie / Veld

A flat area that may be semi-desert, covered in grass, and
may contains shrubs. Thunderstorms can often cause fires
that prevent the growth of trees.
The areas between the poles and 60 degrees latitude are
shaded in white to represent the arctic biome
Savanna
Savannas are a transitionary zone between deserts and
Tundra
forests. Trees are spread far enough apart to not form a
The tundra is the area greater than 60 degrees north or
canopy. The lack of a canopy allows grass and shrubs to
south of the equator where the soil is permanently frozen
receive sunlight.
("permafrost"). This is a bare landscape, where only moss
and some small shrubs grow. During the summer, the
snow and ice melt, and the tundra becomes a wetland
(which technically makes it a freshwater swamp under the
biome classification system used in this guide).

Taiga
Taiga is the sparse but not barren area between the
tundra and temperate zone. At its southernmost points
are boreal forests.

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C. Mountain Rivers
Rivers begin at drainage basins (filled by either rain or
Fold mountains form on continents along convergent plate melting glaciers) and follow the most downward slope of
boundaries (see Tectonic Plates section). Underwater the land to either the ocean, or to a lake if the water runs
mountains typically form as islands. Newly formed into upward slopes on all sides. Lakes can have one river
mountains are jagged, older mountains are rounded due where water exits, or a lake can have no rivers leading
to erosion. from it. Lakes that do not have a river flowing from it
typically either dry up due to evaporation, becoming very
salty, or grow into a swamp.
Rivers can join each other (the smaller river is called a
"tributary"), but rarely does a river split (called a
"distributary"). Rivers split most commonly at river deltas,
which is where a river meets slower water, such as the
ocean, or a lake. Distributaries can often form freshwater
or brackish swamps.

Mountains drawn where convergent plate boundaries are

on land

Elevation
Mountains should have the highest elevation, and
elevation should get closer to sea level as the terrain
appraoches the ocean. Forests that grow on mountains
will encounter a tree line at certain elevations. In the
northern hemisphere, the tree line is lower on north-facing Rivers in the same blue as the ocean. Lakes placed where
slopes than on south-facing slopes, and vice versa for the rivers meet, near the mountains, or arbitrarily.
southern hemisphere (see Boreal Forest).
D. Hill
Hills occur in similar places as mountains. Mountains can
have hills at their base, or hills can form where two
tectonic plates recently began to converge (on a geological
timescale). Hills can also be formed where mountains have
stopped growing and have eroded away. Settlements are
commonly built on hills, since they can avoid flooding and
are easier to defend from invaders.

Tan is between sea level and 500 feet. Dark green is 500
feet. Light green is 1,000 feet. Yellow is 1,500 feet. Red is
2,000+ feet.

Orographic Precipitation
Orographic precipitation is when a mountain forces a
cloud to rain.
Clouds are pushed by the prevaling winds (see Air
Currents section: trade winds, westerlies, polar easterlies).
If the winds push the clouds into a mountain, the sharp Hills placed around 500 feet, or around rivers to reinforce
rise in elevation can cause the moisture in the clouds to elevation.
condense and rain. This rain occurs on the windward side
of the mountain, which is the side of the mountain that is Mesa
contacted by the prevailing winds. A hill that has steep, near-vertical, sides and a flat top.
Mesas are created by erosion of mountains that are
formed at convergent plate boundaries (see Tectonic
Plats). Small, thin mesas are called buttes. Mesas are
common in arid and mountainous regions.

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 E. Coastal G. Wetland
Coastlines form where landmass meets either oceans or Swamps are area that are flat, wet, and have aquatic
sufficiently large lakes. plants (essentially lilypads), such as: water lilies,
floatingheart, nelumbo, and common water hyacinth.
Wetlands need a source of water, and poor water
drainage. There are three kinds of wetlands: swamps
(dominated by trees), marshes (dominated by grass), and
mires (contain peat).

Coasts in yellow placed at the mouths of rivers, and

wherever the elevation is less than 500 feet.

Cliffed
Rocky cliffs that may have a beach at the base during low
tide. Swamps in purple. Freshwater swamp placed in center of
largest continent where river runs into lake. Brackish
Flat swamps placed on southern and central continents where
A beach that has sand blown inland, forming small dunes. river runs into ocean. Saltwater swamp placed along
southern coast of northeast continent where there is no
F. Desert river.

Deserts are areas of low precipitation. This biome excludes Swamp

polar deserts, and is primariy focused with hot, dry desert. There are three kinds of swamps: freshwater, saltwater,
and brackish (contains freshwater and saltwater). All
swamps are dominated by trees.

Freshwater Swamp
Freshwater swamps form along rivers and lakes, where
rising water levels from heavy rains spill over into flat
areas. Freshwater swamps can also form where a river
runs into a lake. Some of these swamps could also be
classified as a jungle (see Tropical Forest).

Saltwater Swamp
Latitude, air currents, and rivers used to place deserts
Saltwater samps form along tropical coasts, where ocean
Subtropical Ridge water floods the flat area during high tides.
Due to the stagnant winds, many deserts form along the
subtropical ridges (30 degrees north and south). In
Brackish Swamp
addition, due to the wet winds of the intertropical Brackish swamps are essentially forested estuaries, where
convergence zone, deserts will rarely form along the a river empties into the ocean.
equator. Deserts only form along the equator where a
supercontinent contains a massive rain shadow.
Mire
Bogs and fens are both types of mires, which are wetlands
Rain Shadow that contain peat. Peat is an accumulation of partially
Orographic precipitation (see Mountains) prevents rain decayed vegetation. Bogs primarily use rain as a water
from reaching the leeward side of the mountain (the side source, while fens primarily use groundwater.
that does not get rained on). Therefore, deserts can form
behind mountains, in the direction of the prevailing winds.
Marsh
Marshes are essentially flooded grasslands. They are
Foehn Winds primarily found at the edges of lakes and streams. Reeds
The dry, hot air that makes it to the leeward side of the are found in marshes.
mountain (the side that does not get rain) is called foehn
wind. Foehn winds absorb any moisture

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H. Forest Village
Villages with a population less than 1,000 people can be
Forests are areas where trees dominante and there is little located anywhere, but villages that are not around rivers
standing water (otherwise it would be a swamp). Forests or the coast will have a well.
can form anywhere that is not to cold (tops of mountains,
or above ~60 degrees latitude), and has access to water
(essentially "not a desert") but is not regularly flooded
(essentially "not a swamp").

Cities, marked by red circles, placed along water

Forests, in green, are placed semi-arbitrarily, as long as

grassland separates forests from deserts.

Tropical
Forests within 10 degrees of the equator typically receive a
high amount of rain. Some of these forests could also be
classified as a jungle (see Freshwater Swamp). Tropical
forests can also extend up to 30 degrees north and south
Finished map with latitude and longitude
of the equator.

Temperate
These forests exist between 30 and 60 degrees north or
south of the equator. Deciduous trees lose their leaves
during the fall, including: oak, maple, beech, and elm.
Coniferous trees do not lose their leaves during the winter,
including: cedar, redwood, and yew.

Boreal
Forests between 60 and 65 degrees north or south of the
equator are approaching the arctic treeline (see Arctic). Finished map with latitude, longitude, and ocean currents.
Alpine treelines exist on mountains with very high This map could be used to plot out shipping routes, since
elevations, and are similar. These trees, such as larch, ships would need to follow the currents.
spruce, fir, and pine, are primarily coniferous, which
produce needle-shaped leaves, cone-shaped seeds, and
have softwood which is good for making paper.

I. Urban
Many civilizations arise around water, either along the
coast or along a river. The following definitions of
settlements by population is taken from DnD 5e. This
guide will only place large cities on the map, as villages
exist pretty much everywhere and towns exist at major
travel crossroads.

City
Large cities with a population between 6,000 and 25,000
people will primarily be found around river valleys.

Town
Towns with a population between 1,000 and 6,000 people
will primarily be located where roads intersect waterways.

7
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Made with The Homebrewery.
This guide and all images made by /u/ColbyDnD in Corel Painter Essentials 6 with a Wacom Intuos tablet.