Random Realm: Initial Map

In a previous post, I mentioned the idea of using Dwarf Fortress to create a more realistic campaign map. As an experiment, I'm going to do exactly that and see how well it works in actual practice.

Now, bear in mind I have no idea how to play Dwarf Fortress. The game has gotten some considerable buzz lately, having just released on Steam after some 20 years of development. My son is a big fan of the game, so he helped me tweak some of the settings I used in this experiment. Here’s the first few steps of how I turned a DF map into a map for a tabletop RPG.

Step 1: Create a Dwarf Fortress Map

Remember, the strength of Dwarf Fortress is that it creates a fairly realistic world, at least so far as taking into account things like river flow, water tables, rainfall, etc. I feel like pretty much anyone with a little bit of knowledge is better at that sort of thing than I am. And a computer is going to be infinitely better yet. While I’m sure Dwarf Fortress is far from perfect, it’s close enough to perfect for my purposes.

However, these maps aren't pretty:

Prior to its Steam Release, Dwarf Fortress has always relied on ASCII graphics. The idea is that the game’s designers used the simple graphics as a placeholder so they could focus on getting the simulation down, rather than worrying about visuals. Later, they’d add in some real graphics, once the engine powering the game was done to their liking. The fact that this took 20 years is beside the point.

Step 2: Making Things Pretty(ish)

While that map might be really useful in a game of Dwarf Fortress, there’s no chance I’m handing a map full of ASCII symbols to a group of players at my D&D game. Fortunately, someone else has already done the legwork of turning a finished DF map into something a little more pleasing to look at, in the form of a free plugin for GIMP. After a little bit of trial and error, I was able to transform the map above into this:

 

Step 3: Applying a Hex Overlay

For all it’s simulation, Dwarf Fortress doesn’t really use a consistent scale for its maps. It doesn’t really need to, as the game doesn’t require realistic scale in order to function. Tabletop RPGs, however, do require some sort of scale, if only to handle things like overland travel. I find hex maps really useful for this, so I’m going to pick an arbitrary scale and drop a hexagon overlay on my map that matches that scale.

To create this map, I followed the steps found here. Note that the size of these hexes is arbitrary. Assuming each hex is 24 miles across, this final map represents about 250,948 square miles. For comparison, the UK is 94,000 square miles, while Europe is 4 million square miles. That puts our setting a little on the small side, realistically, but certainly big enough for many years of adventures.

Bonus

Here's a screencap of the steps I used to create that hex effect in GIMP, just in case the link above ever dies.