Magic Map (my players keep out...)

[Taran]

Just make the map with a zoom and scroll function?

Then you can have it portray as many details as you want really while still being quite small.

Google maps.

[Wordmaker]

Magical zoom and scroll? Yeah, that could work.

[cold_breaker]

I'd personally say the zoom has something to do with folding it: You can unfold it to look at the whole thing, or fold it down to show a particular place of interest, which makes that place appear an ideal size, even though it's not that size when folded.

The other thing I'd say is avoid letting your players use google Maps for this. Say the map is detailed differently then a traditional road map and you can have it only show the details you find relevent. After all, the inteligence from the map would likely navigate the world differently 200+ years ago: new roads have been paved, new landmarks, etc. This gives you oppertunities to add challenges that wouldn't be there otherwise.

E.g. "We're supposed to turn left at the 50' rock!" - "Wait, what? There's no rocks here!"

[Quantus]

I'd personally say the zoom has something to do with folding it: You can unfold it to look at the whole thing, or fold it down to show a particular place of interest, which makes that place appear an ideal size, even though it's not that size when folded.

The other thing I'd say is avoid letting your players use google Maps for this. Say the map is detailed differently then a traditional road map and you can have it only show the details you find relevent. After all, the inteligence from the map would likely navigate the world differently 200+ years ago: new roads have been paved, new landmarks, etc. This gives you oppertunities to add challenges that wouldn't be there otherwise.

E.g. "We're supposed to turn left at the 50' rock!" - "Wait, what? There's no rocks here!"

But by definition this map has to be updating itself, so it can only be so out of date.  More likely it would simply ignore most things that normally show on a map, for example show natural landmarks but nothing that is man-made.  Or conversely it could ignore terrain but show the relational energies of a given site (ie the things that determine where a Way would connect to)

[Mrmdubois]

For any places that aren't missing using Google maps could be a pretty cool solution actually.  I like to use it for finding traffic circles and other "occult" architecture from overhead and the like in case I ever want to make declarations about the uses of possible locations.

[Wordmaker]

I like the idea of the map having inconsistencies. I'll have to work that in.

We've decided to start the game in 1999, in the lead-up to the turn of the millenium, and the first story arcs will focus on the massive metaphysical renewal, and re-set, of old magics. So the map could be trying to direct them to that,

[gantrakk]

The agenda of the map is an interesting question, I personally think that going with an entity as opposed to a person means you can have a much wider agenda then some long dead guy who's main concerns are more likely to be either out of date or rather personal. And of course either way does the maps agenda go along with the players? and if not how deceptive is it?

There is also the point connected with the actual trust worthiness of the map, what if the players don't trust it anyway? what's this a magical map? clearly it is a demon infused abomination burn it before it tricks us. plot over.


For the zoom issue is it controllable or does it just display whatever it feels is relevant?

[Wordmaker]

I was thinking that the map will direct the group to things it wants them to take on, but within reason. It won't ask them to go to Alaska if they're in Florida. The zoom feature might be based on the group's actual location.

[cold_breaker]

I was thinking that the map will direct the group to things it wants them to take on, but within reason. It won't ask them to go to Alaska if they're in Florida. The zoom feature might be based on the group's actual location.

Could also be a way of manipulating the group as well. It zooms out and shows them the road when it wants them to travel. You could have a plot point at some point about how it directed them to go to some place, then as soon as the group gets there it's trying to get them to leave... perhaps to go to some new place, or simply the objective here is already lost.

[Taran]

I was thinking that the map will direct the group to things it wants them to take on, but within reason. It won't ask them to go to Alaska if they're in Florida. The zoom feature might be based on the group's actual location.

What if the centre of the map was always the maps current location.  Kind of like GPS.  That way you might be able to control how much they can see around them depending on how far you let them zoom out.

[KOFFEYKID]

I'm not sure how easy it would be to do with any map, but I'm suddenly thinking of Folded Spaces, which perhaps the map details.

The idea being that us normal folk cant get into these folded spaces, which are much bigger inside the boundaries than outside, but the Player Characters can.

[Taran]

I meant the in-game characters - not the actual players.