Hand Drawn Player Maps

Expert Rules 1981

Back in the 1990’s I was running a D&D / AD&D campaign set in the D&D Known World. I started with the inspiration of the map in the back of the D&D Expert Rulebook (1981).  I added parts from the map from X1: The Isle of Dread (1981) once I purchased it and later parts from the Grand Ducy of Karameikos Gazetteer (1987).

The setting evolved as I placed adventures and based on the actions of the players.  So the resulting setting ended up having a lot of differences from that which was published.  I recently dug up a Player Map I made of the main area where the adventures occurred in Northern Karameikos.  You might spot some familiar adventure locations like Haven and The Two Towers.

The Map was a hand drawn ink map traced off of a hex map.  Then it went in the oven for several minutes to fade the ink and get that parchment look.  The end result was quite fragile but I still have it more than 20 years later and it is still in one piece.

Player Map for North Karameikos (about 1991)