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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Henrix" data-source="post: 6392873" data-attributes="member: 3587">I won't take a pic of our map, as it is messy, using a soft pencil, and in Swedish.But it tends to look something like this:<img src="http://www.onesevendesign.com/scans/iron_coast_relationship_01_sm.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />In my experience they more or less make themselves.Start by putting in all the PCs as nodes (nevermind their names for now, Stefan's PC is fine), some NPCs, organisations and places (or whatever) that will be important in the campaign.Ask the players questions: "Who are your parents?" "Were you part of the militia?", etc. Suggest things in the beginning if they are slow to get going.Let them come up with details to put in there; a favourite uncle, The Bouncing Buffalo Inn, their old street gang, the kid who used to beat them up and take their candies.If you, the DM, already know some stuff that will appear, or get an idea for anything, just add it.Perhaps not everything will be used, but that does not matter - this is brain storming.Encourage them to to use what is on the map already to build connections. Try to get connections between the PCs.Soon everybody is in there finding relationships.Make sure that everybody has connections to at least another PC, an important NPC and something else.Preferably more than that, but at least that. A minimum of three connections.And all the players should have at least some things they put on the map. That is important.In our campaign one of the PCs, A, had a strict religious upbringing. Fine, I already knew there was a very strict St. Cuthbert sect in town*, so they were members of that.Another PC, B, was raised in an orphanage - and suddenly it was an orphanage run by A's parents. The two PCs knew each others as kids, but with distinctly different positions.PC C worked at a coaching stable. That was also run by a sect member (on a whim of mine), and A also did some work for him.D had a short youthful fling with B, which A's parents disapproved of. (And so did A at the time, which he now regrets.)D is a soldier, and has worked at the local garrison - a lot of connections there. He also spends a lot of time in bars, trying to forget the war. So does C (but for different reasons).And so on until you have a nice tangled net and you all feel like you have a good start.Check that everybody has enough connections, and that everybody has made some significant mark on the map, something that is not just connected to them.You should have a small array of NPCs important to the PCs. At least some of them should have been invented by the players - that way they are much more invested in them.And as you play take out the map to reacquaint yourselves with it - perhaps you've forgotten some good stuff - and to add stuff as it enters play. Somebody perhaps remembers a cousin who ran away with a travelling wizard. Somebody died. More NPCs appeared who have connections with the rest of the world - perhaps they have common friends with the PCs.* Everybody elected to come from the same town. Which suited my nefarious purposes.</blockquote>

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