How Custom Maps Can Elevate Your Role-Playing Game

I’ll never forget the first time I laid eyes on a custom map during a Dungeons & Dragons game. It was around 2018, when we had started playing a campaign for the first time, instead of just one-shots. We were all sitting around the table, the excitement already building, dice in hand, hearing the words of our DM. But, while they were telling us about the world, they pulled out this incredible hand-drawn map they had comissioned. You could see the mountain peaks, the rivers that he had mentioned, as well as the city we were visiting at the moment. It was like the world we had imagined suddenly became something we could actually see and feel. That’s the thing about a custom map—it doesn’t just add to the game, it breathes life into it.

Now that I spend my days creating custom maps for other games, I’ve come to appreciate just how powerful they can be. There’s something about holding that map in your hands, a physical piece of the world you’re about to explore, that changes the way the game feels. I’ve seen players light up when they see a map I made for them—it’s like giving them a door to a whole new world they can’t wait to step into.

The setting of a role-playing game is huge. Whether your players are trekking across a vast continent, crawling through an ancient dungeon, or sailing the seas, the world they’re in is the stage for every story. Having a map to guide them grounds them in that world and makes everything feel more real.

Think about starting a new campaign with a map that shows your world just as you picture it. It’s not just the Dungeon Master’s words anymore; the world is right there in front of everyone. Players can start thinking about where they want to go, what paths they want to take, and how the different places fit together. It’s like the geography of the world becomes part of the adventure.

One of my favorite things about making maps is sitting down with Dungeon Masters and figuring out how to turn their ideas into something visual. I always ask questions to get a sense of the world: What’s the backstory of this land? What are the relationships between the regions? What kind of secrets might be hidden here? It’s like solving a puzzle, and when the final map comes together, it’s as if the world just clicks into place for everyone at the table.

But maps aren’t just about pretty landscapes. When it comes to the strategy and tactics of the game, they’re a game-changer. In combat, knowing exactly where everyone is, what the terrain looks like, and where the obstacles are can make a huge difference. I’ve made maps for everything from crumbling dungeons to busy city streets to enchanted forests, and each one brings something different to the table.

I remember working on a map for a session set in a jungle temple. The DM wanted it to feel full of danger, so we made sure there were crumbling walls, hidden traps, and these narrow ledges overlooking deep chasms. As the DM told me later, the players, seeing all of this laid out in front of them, immediately started thinking more carefully about their moves—how to avoid the obvious dangers, and how to use the environment to their advantage. That map made that battle one of the most intense we’d ever had because it pushed everyone to engage with the setting in a deeper way.

At the end of the day, custom maps aren’t just drawings on a page. They’re a way to make the world feel alive and give your players something solid they can latch onto as they make their way through the campaign. Whether it’s a sprawling world map or a detailed dungeon, a custom map can take your game to a whole new level.

If you’re thinking about adding something special to your campaign, I’d love to help you create a map that makes your world feel as real to your players as it does to you. After all, every great story deserves a great map, right? Let’s work together and make something unforgettable.

If that sounds good, just give me a shout at Mae Maps Studio and we’ll start bringing your world to life!