What is also very useful for showing a lot of information and dependencies in a small space are mindmaps. I use them fairly frequently for all kinds of purposes.

Regards,

Alex

Relationship maps are cool. I have not seen one where the PCs are one entry, though. Your example map looks like all the action happens and the PCs just happen to stumble upon it, as opposed to being the focus of it all.

once the PCs choose sides, then the action can be focused around them a little more but I don’t like the world to revolve around the PCs.

I like to from Macro to Micro. I start with various kingdoms/power centers and how they interact. Then what roles do the certain towns/cities within the kingdom play, how do they interact? How do they interact with each other?

I think I might try a mind map to show the town relationships over my world map using layers in Paint Shop Pro.

Another organizational idea that I like, rather than writing directly on the map, is I buy a small sized notebook (typically about 200 index card sized pages for under a buck) and I’ll make a map with numbers and write up a page for each room number. I’ll include descriptions, dimensions, treasure, monsters, all on that tiny little page. Best part is that after an adventure I can paperclip/staple those pages together if I want to save the info/notes for later or just tear them out and start my next adventure. It also means I always have small pieces of paper on hand for player notes.

Heh Quartermaster Bob, sounds like one of my more retarded pcs that moved away.

I use bubble maps like that one for everything from scratch adventure ideas, to initial room and trap layout. Organization is a dms best friend.

This is the same process I use to work out my games’ plotting. I start with whatever the plot revolves around - an event, an object, an npc - which I draw in the middle of a sheet of paper. Around that I write the primary factions involved, connecting them to the focus with lines. Along the side of each line, I write thier intentions - do they want to destroy it? Acquire it? Hide it? Reveal it?

After this, I draw the lines between factions showing their attitudes towards one another.

I always have the world revolve around the PCs. They are who the story is about, everyone else is there to make their life interesting.