D&D General One Piece of Art VI (Maps)- What is Your Favorite D&D Map?

[Snarf Zagyg]

Welcome to part SIX in the art appreciation series- One Piece of Art! Prior columns can be found here:
Part I (Classes)
Part II (Monsters)
Part III (Magic Items)
Part IV (Races)
Part V (Places)

Today's topic ... Maps! This one is a little different, SO PLEASE READ!

What D&D Map Do You Absolutely Love?

Now, for purposes of this thread, a necessary disclaimer. Please construe "map" to mean, well, a map. It could be a map of a dungeon. It could be the map of a country or a campaign setting. It could be a treasure map located in a module or AP. It could be some type of impressionistic "map" - the D&D equivalent of the "World according to New Yorkers." But it needs to be, well, a map of some kind.

Now, with that out of the way ... please note the following rules for the thread-

1. ONE map. You shall count to one. If you do two, you've gone two ... um, too far. Three is just way out. And zero means you forgot to post a map.

2. It has to be a map you love, and please explain why! Maybe you think it just looks cool. Maybe you love the way it has secret doors in it. Maybe you think it's the ur-Dungeon. Maybe you love the isometric perspective. Whatever! It's your love, don't make me put a label on it.

3. Explain the art source (incl. artist if known), the map, and why you chose it. Please!

First, I am going to retire a map to the Hall of Fame. That's right. The following map is just so good, so iconic, that we don't get to pick it.

If you know me at all, you already know what is coming.

That's right. The earliest generations of D&D players will always have THIS MAP. It's like the Babe Ruth of maps- sure, maybe later maps have improved on it, but it was so far ahead of its time that it's crazy to think about now. A giant, gorgeous, color map (and big, too!) begging for exploration. It set a gold standard for physical products that, alas, is rarely met today.

Oh yeah ...

Artist: Darlene
Source: Greyhawk Folio (1980), Boxed Set (1983)
Map Depicts: Greyhawk

Also? #GREYHAWKCONFIRMED!

Ahem. Okay, so other than the Hall of Fame choice

As I started the thread, I will go first. And I'm going to start with something that isn't the best, but might be the most iconic for me ....

Artist: David S. LaForce
Source: B2 Keep on the Borderlands (1979)
Map Depicts: Wilderness around the titular Keep

Now, why this map? Why not, you know, the Caves of Chaos? Because it's not the dungeon that gave people their taste of what "OSR" meant- it's this. A home base to operate out of (the Keep). A wilderness to explore that had stuff, but wasn't overwhelming. An area to truly adventure in (Caves of Chaos). And another to expand on (Caves of the Unknown).

The early B modules (B1, B2, B3) were actually written with OD&D in mind; it wasn't until B4 that a module was written specifically under the B/X ruleset. And in each, you see that emphasis. And this map, to me, is a perfect example of that.

 

[Enrico Poli1]

My first vote would go to Darlene's Greyhawk map, but since it's in the Hall of Fame, I choose the maps in the Forgotten Realms Atlas from Karen Wynn Fostad. They look so real...

 

[Sacrosanct]

KotBL is the most influential for me, since I've probably looked at that thing for hours and hours and hours, and has prompted more adventures than anything else.

Honorable mention goes to Dyson Logos for putting out maps that have a refined look while also capturing that old school feel.

Also, please create a spell thread next

 

[Maxperson]

If you have been following these threads you may know that the wizard was my favorite class, so it should be no surprise that my favorite map is of the ancient wizard empire Netheril from the Forgotten Realms. I can't tell you how excited I was to go out and buy that setting.

Artist: Roy Boholst
Source: Netheril: Empire of Magic
Map Depicts: The golden age of Netheril

 

[Ibrandul]

My all-time favorite—though hardly the most usable in play, of course—is the 1988 Forgotten Realms box set "City System," which is an astonishing product about Waterdeep.

The box consists of just three things:

• a thirty-two-page booklet with information on Waterdeep;
• a single poster featuring a "realistic" illustration depicting a view from the perspective of someone hovering about two hundred feet above Deepwater Harbor, looking north at roughly the southernmost one-third of the city; and
• the main attraction, a single absolutely enormous map of the city, split into ten big posters.

Here's Wayne of Wayne's Books sitting on it:

(Not sure of the cartographer at the moment. Based on the original Waterdeep map by Ed Greenwood.)

 

[J.Quondam]

Finally, an easy one:

Artist: Rory Barbarosa! *
Source: X1 - Isle of Dread, player's map (yes, the blank player's map, specifically)
Locale: Isle of Dread
Rationale: Vast titillating plains of unknownth for players to explore, most of which is ultimately just empty, unkeyed space meant to be sculpted into whatever madness the DM desires. For little-kid me, this was the grandaddy of maps.


* More seriously, I'm not sure who the actual map designer was.
* edit: cartography was by David S. LaForce. (h/t Snarf)

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Artist: Rory Barbarosa! *


* More seriously, I'm not sure who the actual map designer was.

I believe that is was David S. LaForce, who has a credit and was known to do the cartography for TSR products.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Finally, an easy one:
View attachment 258157
Artist: Rory Barbarosa! *
Source: X1 - Isle of Dread, player's map (yes, the blank player's map, specifically)
Locale: Isle of Dread
Rationale: Vast titillating plains of unknownth for players to explore, most of which is ultimately just empty, unkeyed space meant to be sculpted into whatever madness the DM desires. For little-kid me, this was the grandaddy of maps.


* More seriously, I'm not sure who the actual map designer was.

Heck, out of that adventure, this map was more impactful to me I think

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I'm going to go with the Grand Duchy of Karameikos from the Expert set:

It hints at so much and tells a story on its own. The Black Eagle Barony and Fortdoom alone launched our imagination and so many adventures. You just knew those were some bad guys that had to be fought!

 

[Bupp]

I had the Darlene map framed and on my wall for the longest time.

Those B/X and KotB maps tug at the heart strings as well.

The Shattered Tower by Dyson Logos is another favorite of mine.