How to Be a Great Game Master has released another video for their World Anvil Series!
Today’s worldbuilding inspiration from Guy covers the Geography template, providing a comprehensive guide on how to start on such an expansive template. Because the template can be overwhelming to begin with, Guy shares his particular approach to designing the geography of a world.
Example fantasy map of a large diverse continental landmass by Christian Stiehl.
Getting Started
To help tackle this template, Guy recommends choosing one of three things to start with. The first could be a map, whether it’s a map depicting an entire galaxy or a localized map of a landmark with surrounding territories. The second could be an image of a scenic location, such as a grassy valley or a lunar landscape. The third could be a unique vision or idea you have of, such as floating islands above a purple sea. After choosing an initial inspiration, Guy narrows down what kind of geography to focus on. For example, it could be a specific mountain range from a larger map.
Listing Points of Interest
The next step to fleshing out a geographical part of your world would be listing the mundane. He touches on parts of things you would expect from a mountain range, like cliffs, rivers, and plateaus. Guy even mentions getting into naming parts of the mountain range, an intrinsic behavior we practice often on Earth. For his final step, he lists what cool stuff exists for the chosen topography, breaking it down even further to flora, fauna, and natural resources. He also explains the potential for maps being linked to others, allowing users to build a huge geographical database of their world. Watch his inspirational video below and learn more!
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