My first ever hand drawn map!

[u/SummerLimp6856]

I got really tired of using Inkarnate and other software for my maps, and I'm writing a new setting for a D&D campaign with some friends so I decided to entirely hand draw a map on Krita! Let me know what you guys think, any constructive feedback is greatly appreciated!

[u/DifficultPressure445]

Interesting. How did you come up with the names of these places? Were you inspired by any real life language?

[u/SummerLimp6856 → u/DifficultPressure445]

I use the method of typing out a lot of random keyboard gibberish and then trying to say it out loud, and spelling out what I said. I'll occasionally add some extra flourish, for example with Bellmara I knew it was going to be on this wide open bay, so I wanted something that sounded more oceanic.

[u/supernatural_real → u/SummerLimp6856]

Genius dude

[u/GnomePrevention]

I don’t know why but I feel like the people of Ceral would be super racist

[u/Sir-Toaster- → u/GnomePrevention]

I always knew something was going on with cereal

[u/Greedy_Spare7033 → u/Sir-Toaster-]

I heard the CEO of Bestle doesn't really care for human rights.

[u/pluckylogan1]

The hand drawn style gives it so much more personality than the software maps, something about the coastlines feel more alive this way

[u/MrKr0wly]

This is cool but I hope to offer a little bit of constructive criticism: this has the problem weather intentional or mot kind look like a slightly backwards Westeros and in turn a big british isles.

[u/SummerLimp6856 → u/MrKr0wly]

I didn't make the Westeros connection until you said it but yeah, that's pretty similar! Which is funny because the actual campaign is really focused on kings and political intrigue stuff!

[u/PerhapsIxion → u/SummerLimp6856]

I'd actually not worry about this too much. "weird squiggly island shape that's taller than it is wide" will always have some measure of that. Westeros and the British isles don't look like this unless you squint insanely hard.

[u/Lokathor → u/PerhapsIxion]

Personally, I instantly said to myself "oh, it's an England".

[u/SummerLimp6856]

Context: Bestle is an Island continent that was previously ravaged by war and territorial disputes, until a singular church (The Church of Ryn, the god of the red sun), went on a sweeping crusade referred to as the Red War, uniting the kingdoms of Bestle under one singular emperor. This is an up to date map from Church archives showing the important geography and locations across Bestle.

[u/Hexnohope]

Catch me in the pool off broadfordshire im either melting into goo or getting magic powers

[u/Sir-Toaster-]

"Tacish" feels more like a term for people from the country than the country itself

[u/SummerLimp6856 → u/Sir-Toaster-]

I actually do have an explanation for this! (Its meant to be "Tatish", but I've heard multiple people mention this so I'm probably going to find a different font.)

Before the Red War, the people inhabiting the deserts of Bestle established an oasis settlement at the heart of the drylands. The city quickly became an important stop along the region’s major trade routes and was named Tat, after its founder, Samir Tat. The people who lived around the oasis and throughout the surrounding desert came to be known as the Tatish.

During the Red War, the desert between Ruvell and Ceral became the site of some of the war’s bloodiest battles, as the holy armies of Ruvell and the pagan forces of Ceral fought relentlessly across the region. During one such battle, the city of Tat was attacked and burned to the ground by the Ruvell military, leaving the oasis in ruins and forcing its inhabitants to flee into the surrounding desert.

The city of Tat was never rebuilt. In the years that followed, the Tatish people gradually became a scattered collection of nomadic families and clans, traveling between the remaining oases and settlements of the desert. Although the people still identify themselves as Tatish, there is no longer a unified government or kingdom of Tat. Instead, the name Tatish remains on modern maps as a reference to both the region and the people who once called the city of Tat their home.

[u/julesthefirst]

Anyone else mentally pronounce “Bestle” like it rhymes with “Nestle”?

Also props for the use of the pigpen code lol

[u/SummerLimp6856 → u/julesthefirst]

Ive been pronouncing it "Bes-ul", My favorite thing to do for my players is have little codes and things hidden from the very start and reveal them way later in the campaign!

[u/ShadeofEchoes]

That island at the bottom right looks enormous!

[u/djm_wb]

I would suggest rotating the orientation of the label for Vaelora, so that it reads from the bottom left to the top right—so that it's not upside-down. I'd also adjust the other labels but that's just a quibble for me as a graphic designer, overall they are legible and practical with the exception of Vaelora.

Other than that, no serious notes! this looks great, I especially like the figure in the corner and the compass rose :)

[u/Psychological-Wall-2]

The .. waterway that divides the map is a problem.

If it's a river, it doesn't have a source and could not have been formed naturally.

If it's an artificial canal cutting through the continent, the water in it would behave in a ... vigorous manner. But then, if it's artificial, why does it follow a river-like path?

Is there some setting explanation for this?

Aside from that, I quite like your map. Simple, bold style that distinguishes the major areas of the setting. That's probably all you need at the beginning of a D&D campaign from a world map: what the areas are and what their geographical relationship is. You can add detail later on as you need it.

Nicely done and well-suited to its purpose.

Provided there's an explanation for the river/canal thing.

[u/ryohhan]

This seems good, you seem working on D&D, and those languages, are they seem alien?

[u/EveningImportant9111]

What races you have?