Apocalypse World 2nd ed MAP
I start any AW campaign with drawing a 5 minute map while we flesh out ideas. There are always raiders, and there’s always Burn Flats. I don’t like to dwell on the setting, so we’ll then launch right into characters and leave nice, glaring blanks on the map.
Then this sits in the middle of the table for every session, and I’m always amazed at how much we use it. The map is more an impression than a reliable guide to the world, and yet we’re pointing at its landmarks all the time.
What’s your experience with drawing maps during play?
I have done the map making procedure from perilous wilds twice and I love it! It starts with regions then has you drill down adding cities, territories, landmarks, roads and rivers. At the end of it all the players suggest rumors that are told in taprooms about the locations. I love the artifact that is created by passing a map around a table and letting everyone fill some in
I have done the map making procedure from perilous wilds twice and I love it! It starts with regions then has you drill down adding cities, territories, landmarks, roads and rivers. At the end of it all the players suggest rumors that are told in taprooms about the locations. I love the artifact that is created by passing a map around a table and letting everyone fill some in
I’ve actually also drawn a sort of street view of locations, pointing out entrances, cover spots, different people’s places. It can be helpful sometimes to do drawings like this if you can pull it off, since it provides vertical depth and also is how we see the world.
I’ve actually also drawn a sort of street view of locations, pointing out entrances, cover spots, different people’s places. It can be helpful sometimes to do drawings like this if you can pull it off, since it provides vertical depth and also is how we see the world.
David LaFreniere Awesome! That’s such a great tool to create buy-in and collaborative storytelling around the table. 🙂
Personally, I feel a bit overwhelmed by the scope of what PW can frontload us with, as I feel like it’d take a year of play before characters see everything (and will have created another year’s worth of locations in doing so). I remember picking up a new fantasy book series and seeing the dense almanac of unpronounceable names on the first pages and thinking, Crap, I’m in for a ride here… 😀 But that’s fun all the same!
David LaFreniere Awesome! That’s such a great tool to create buy-in and collaborative storytelling around the table. 🙂
Personally, I feel a bit overwhelmed by the scope of what PW can frontload us with, as I feel like it’d take a year of play before characters see everything (and will have created another year’s worth of locations in doing so). I remember picking up a new fantasy book series and seeing the dense almanac of unpronounceable names on the first pages and thinking, Crap, I’m in for a ride here… 😀 But that’s fun all the same!
Ya they haven’t seen everything in the world yet, but knowing what they are interested in seeing is useful. Also, the world generation for its own sake was fun! Blanks are still left, so it isn’t limiting.
Ya they haven’t seen everything in the world yet, but knowing what they are interested in seeing is useful. Also, the world generation for its own sake was fun! Blanks are still left, so it isn’t limiting.
Yes, my first game of AW was built around a map of New York state with apocalyptic bits written over the map in marker.
New Jersey = Cannibal Country…
Yes, my first game of AW was built around a map of New York state with apocalyptic bits written over the map in marker.
New Jersey = Cannibal Country…
Judd Karlman “New Jersey = Cannibal Country”
I mean, once there’s no more Dunkin’ Donuts…
Judd Karlman “New Jersey = Cannibal Country”
I mean, once there’s no more Dunkin’ Donuts…
I grew up there, so it was a fun poke at the land where I was raised.
They were these funky religious cannibals who called New Jersey, The Garden (it is the Garden State, after all).
I grew up there, so it was a fun poke at the land where I was raised.
They were these funky religious cannibals who called New Jersey, The Garden (it is the Garden State, after all).
I <3 maps so much. It took me until session 5 or 6 for us to create our world map, but now we refer to it regularly. The first 5 sessions or so the party was in a dungeon; and I had 1-2 of my players were brand new to role-playing - so I wasn't sure if they would get the context and be able to contribute as robustly right at the beginning.
But if I was to run them through something now, I’d start with the PW rules (which I LOVE).
Tim B – do you just randomly create the map? Or do the players contribute too?
I <3 maps so much. It took me until session 5 or 6 for us to create our world map, but now we refer to it regularly. The first 5 sessions or so the party was in a dungeon; and I had 1-2 of my players were brand new to role-playing - so I wasn't sure if they would get the context and be able to contribute as robustly right at the beginning.
But if I was to run them through something now, I’d start with the PW rules (which I LOVE).
Tim B – do you just randomly create the map? Or do the players contribute too?
Awesome, Chris Shorb!
Player input depends on the game to me. Too much collaborative input in the wrong areas lead to analysis paralysis & play slowdown, in my opinion. In Apocalypse World, part of the MC’s role is to ‘barf forth’ the setting, so I conversationally establish a lot of details without a ton of input at the very beginning. Players have so much input when it comes to their characters’ lives, so it’s never felt like I had too much fiat.
Something like:
“So, there’s that holding, it’s called Commune. There’s ruined buildings and split asphalt with plants bursting through. Parson runs it, you know, from that weird dome on the edge where she can grow her own food. She takes a little of your shit, but she otherwise leaves you alone. Up north is the Burn Flats, I heard it’s pretty miserable there, and then out at the coast you may find raiders, who’ll trade with you. They also steal stuff, too, so watch out for that.” And players may add little flourishes as each detail gets added to the map.
Awesome, Chris Shorb!
Player input depends on the game to me. Too much collaborative input in the wrong areas lead to analysis paralysis & play slowdown, in my opinion. In Apocalypse World, part of the MC’s role is to ‘barf forth’ the setting, so I conversationally establish a lot of details without a ton of input at the very beginning. Players have so much input when it comes to their characters’ lives, so it’s never felt like I had too much fiat.
Something like:
“So, there’s that holding, it’s called Commune. There’s ruined buildings and split asphalt with plants bursting through. Parson runs it, you know, from that weird dome on the edge where she can grow her own food. She takes a little of your shit, but she otherwise leaves you alone. Up north is the Burn Flats, I heard it’s pretty miserable there, and then out at the coast you may find raiders, who’ll trade with you. They also steal stuff, too, so watch out for that.” And players may add little flourishes as each detail gets added to the map.
I played a Forgotten Realms campaign with a few friends using Burning Wheel and we’d put out the Sword Coast map from the ole grey boxed set on the table whenever we played.
Making ugly little maps for context in battles is really helpful. Then we draw lots of arrows on it and watch it become a mess as the battle becomes a clusterfuck.
When I ran a game set in Westeros with my dad, his buddy and a friend of mine, we had a map of westeros with lots of cool notes for troop movements and such.
Yay, maps!
I played a Forgotten Realms campaign with a few friends using Burning Wheel and we’d put out the Sword Coast map from the ole grey boxed set on the table whenever we played.
Making ugly little maps for context in battles is really helpful. Then we draw lots of arrows on it and watch it become a mess as the battle becomes a clusterfuck.
When I ran a game set in Westeros with my dad, his buddy and a friend of mine, we had a map of westeros with lots of cool notes for troop movements and such.
Yay, maps!