Magic Map (my players keep out...)

[KOFFEYKID]

To add an air of uncertainty, I'd go with this instead of a map in many pieces: A large map with a few large holes in it.

This way its not a "we have a single scrap and there are fifteen others we need to find", and it doesn't give the players a "He must be heading to the next missing section!"

I'd find a few maps online, draw a bunch of ley lines and interesting notes on it, and then print out like ten copies.

Then start cutting them to bits. Look to create missing sections which could lead to uncertainty as to the next destination, where the players have two, three or four options on which way to go.

[Wordmaker]

Now that's a really nice idea. I do love props and bits in my games.

[Quantus]

Have you ever seen CutThroat Island?  From the point of view of interesting and creative Treasure Maps its a great one.  Also just a damn good pirate flick.  But if you look at how that map was put together it might spark an idea or two

[Wordmaker]

I have, yes!

Hmm, a map made from human flesh, you say? That's nice and dark.

[KOFFEYKID]

If you want the prop to look nice try this:

Get some beige or brownish paper, something which looks weathered. Print out your map.

Then smash it into a paper ball. Flatten out it, smash it some more. Do this like 10 times, differently each time. Fold it over a few different ways, rubbing it against itself to wear it down even more, be prepared for the details you printed out to fade and scratch away. Then, and this is the "dangerous part", grab a bic lighter.

Now get something reasonably heavy and flat, like a skillet or pan or somesuch. Scorch the edges of the paper and then set the flat heavy thing on it to snuff out the flames. Repeat as desired, try some burns in the middle of the map too.

If you have an old fountainpen you can intentionally splatter some ink in an artful fashion, and you might consider dripping some metled candle wax artfully as well.

I've done this a few times for my homebrew fantasyland maps and it always turns out pretty nice.

[Wordmaker]

If I had better handwriting to mark in notes and such I'd totally do this.

[KOFFEYKID]

If handwriting is a concern, look for the "Dear Joe" font, which I like for a nice stylistic look. Open your image editor and start typing out "notes". You can flip them any which way you like.

http://fontm.com/dear-joe-four-font/

[Haru]

If you are really going to make the map, the best results with brown paper I had was to take a regular sheet of printing paper, rumple it up and let it soak in cold coffee for a few hours. The coffee will get into the creases and darken them more, while the rest of the map becomes dark as well. Once you're done, carefully straighten it out again and let it dry, then, before it is completely dry, put it under a thin towel and carefully iron it to make it completely straight again. It looks really great afterwards, and you can print on it, if you did it right. Or draw with a fountain pen, of course.

[Quantus]

I have, yes!

Hmm, a map made from human flesh, you say? That's nice and dark.

Well, yes, indeed, but also that there were three parts that were all different (paper, wooden barrel plank, and a tattoo) and each of them had an X marked, and other hidden clues, but the real location was only visible when all three were brought together. 

[Mrmdubois]

If the map is made of human flesh and it contains fragments of some dude's soul it could easily be the phylactery of a lich.

[Quantus]

or a horcrux.... 

[Wordmaker]

I think the first story arc will feature the players needing to steal the map from its owner so they can use it to stop some ritual or other from being completed.

They won't learn the true significance of the map until later in the campaign.

[cold_breaker]

Holy crap. I love it. lol.

The other cool consideration is that as the map gets more powerful, avoiding the wardens gets easier, and so the focus of the campaign shifts slowly from just avoiding the Wardens to actually fighting back and proving their innocence.

Prop wise, I'm actually kinda curious to see if you couldn't have something custom made out of light brown leather and print an old worldy version of America on it, and have symbols reform on it as the map (and the soul bound to it) is slowly restored through adventures.

EDIT: You've inspired me to try and come up with some props for my game. Gotta think now! lol

[Wordmaker]

The biggest drawback to producing a prop is the same as the in-game drawback to the map's own usefulness.

Size.

I don't really have access to printing anything larger than an A4 sheet (I think that's close to "legal" in American paper sizes?), which means the map would be quite small and not very detailed.

In-game, how big would a single map need to be to provide useful information on all parts of America?

Should the map be foldable, like a modern highway road map? Or if it's in pieces, should the complete map actually be very, very large?

[Mrmdubois]

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.