Mapping the (San Francisco) Nevernever

[weem]

Hey all, first time posting, short time lurker :p

Anyway, thought I would drop this in here as my first post - a little something I started working on last night...

http://www.theweem.com/2010/07/23/mapping-the-nevernever/

...wondering what your thoughts are, those of you much much more familiar to Dresden Files than myself (which would be most people). I bought the RPG books simply based on the good feedback I was hearing. After reading through some of it, I decided to try and get a game going - something for my current D&D players during off-days. Anyway, we have yet to play - we've gotten together twice to go over the rules and begin formulating character ideas, etc.

So that's what I made the map for. We have decided to play in SF and I really like the idea of the Nevernever as a place you could spend a lot of time adventuring in.

I am curious though - what is your approach to the NN?

[smoore]

The feel from the books is that the NeverNever doesn't correlate to the real world. While going into the NeverNever from a particular place in the real world leads to the same place in the NeverNever each time, 2 spots in the real world separated by a mile could be a mile, a million miles, in separate realms that don't connect, or right next to each other in the NeverNever.

The are regular paths (Ways), point A in the real world goes to point B in the NeverNever, then point C, then point D, then point E back in the real world. However going between points A and E in the real world would have nothing to do with the points gone through in the NeverNever.

But then maybe San Franciso is different, just to mess with us.

[wyvern]

That does look pretty neat.  I don't think it matches the nevernever from the dresden files novels (with its descriptions of places that are far apart in the real world being close in the nevernever, and vice versa), but that minor detail certainly shouldn't stop you from having fun with it.

Or maybe this unusual congruency represents a potential plot hook for your campaign?  What kind of force could have made a city-sized demesne that so closely corresponds to the physical world?  And why?  (And when?)  Maybe something is trying to merge the two realms and force the mundane world to recognize magic again?

It's also interesting to note Harry Dresden's changing attitude towards the nevernever as he gains experience; early in the novels, he regards it as being far too dangerous to set foot in, while later on he uses it for casual transit.  (Of course, some of that "far too dangerous" stuff might be due to his own particular relationships to certain powerful fae...)

[weem]

The feel from the books is that the NeverNever doesn't correlate to the real world. While going into the NeverNever from a particular place in the real world leads to the same place in the NeverNever each time, 2 spots in the real world separated by a mile could be a mile, a million miles, in separate realms that don't connect, or right next to each other in the NeverNever.

The are regular paths (Ways), point A in the real world goes to point B in the NeverNever, then point C, then point D, then point E back in the real world. However going between points A and E in the real world would have nothing to do with the points gone through in the NeverNever.

But then maybe San Franciso is different, just to mess with us.

Yea, I had that understanding as well, I just thought I would do it a bit differently. I had intended paths to be pretty abstract except in one specific case (Coit > Coiling Tower).

I'm re-thinking some things though.

[weem]

That does look pretty neat.  I don't think it matches the nevernever from the dresden files novels (with its descriptions of places that are far apart in the real world being close in the nevernever, and vice versa), but that minor detail certainly shouldn't stop you from having fun with it.

Or maybe this unusual congruency represents a potential plot hook for your campaign?  What kind of force could have made a city-sized demesne that so closely corresponds to the physical world?  And why?  (And when?)  Maybe something is trying to merge the two realms and force the mundane world to recognize magic again?

It's also interesting to note Harry Dresden's changing attitude towards the nevernever as he gains experience; early in the novels, he regards it as being far too dangerous to set foot in, while later on he uses it for casual transit.  (Of course, some of that "far too dangerous" stuff might be due to his own particular relationships to certain powerful fae...)

No, it does not match of course, it was just a way I thought about doing it. I love your ideas though, thanks - food for thought!

[Archmage_Cowl]

I like the idea. It would certainly give your campaign a more magical feel to have a realm of the nevernever very close that you commonly visit. Also i definately think it could work, with the actual book info, just different points in the real world hook up to different points in this nevernever realm.

Also out of curiousity how'd you make the map? it's cool

[weem]

I like the idea. It would certainly give your campaign a more magical feel to have a realm of the nevernever very close that you commonly visit. Also i definately think it could work, with the actual book info, just different points in the real world hook up to different points in this nevernever realm.

Yea, for sure

Also out of curiousity how'd you make the map? it's cool

Photoshop!

Started with a google maps screenshot of SF - cut out the peninsula, removed all details (made it one flat color) and went from there