40 Years of Mystara Maps
by Thorfinn Tait from Threshold Magazine issue 27This year marks the 40th anniversary of the publication of X1 The Isle of Dread — and with it, the Known World map and capsule descriptions, the very heart of Mystara.
In the four decades since, our favourite setting has truly blossomed. TSR published more than 300 geographic maps covering all areas of the world over the first 15 years. With the demise of the setting as a world in publication in 1996, it would have been reasonable to imagine that would be the end of Mystaran mapping. But in fact, nothing could be further from the truth.
In the 25 years since Mystara ceased publication, fan cartographers have produced at least ten times the number of official maps. In other words, we’ve made more than 3,000 maps.1 Or to put it another way, taken as an average we’ve published a new map every three days since Mystara’s cancellation.
In terms of coverage, the world was long ago mapped out at 24 miles per hex, and is creeping closer and closer to full coverage at 8 miles per hex. Numerous other scales have been used, including popular forays into 1 mile per hex — the ultimate hex map scale.
Nevertheless, Mystara is a huge world, and there remains a lot still to be done. While my own efforts have always focused on trying to sort out a single consistent view from the official maps, many others have done incredible work on expanding those maps. Brun has been fully mapped multiple times, but large swathes of Davania and Skothar remain essentially undiscovered countries even to this day.
It would be hard to compile a comprehensive
list of the cartographers who have worked on Mystara over these four
decades, but I’d like to highlight some of those who have
contributed the most (in roughly chronological order of when they
started):
TSR Cartographers
Dave Sutherland created the original symbols in all their glory, as well as many maps.
Dave “Diesel” LaForce drafted many of Mystara’s maps throughout its publication.
Dennis Kauth came up with the system for hex mapping using lick-and-stick sheets, and created many of the maps.
John Knecht pioneered digital hex maps, starting in Dragon Magazine.
Bruce Heard was in charge of all Mystara production, and also the man behind many of the maps.
Ann and Paul Dupuis drafted many maps for their work on Mystara in its final years of publication.
Fan Cartographers
Geoff Gander posted the first digital maps, drafting Davania, Heldann, and other previously unmapped areas.
Andrew Theisen was one of the first to create a system of hex templates, and created many early maps.
James Mishler created some highly influential maps that remain important years later.
Thibault Sarlat became Mystara’s first master cartographer, mapping out the whole world.
Christian Constantin developed Hule and Western Brun, as well as his seminal map of Skothar.
Paul Holroyd was the first to use Illustrator to create beautiful hex art.
Adamantyr came up with his own unique mapping system, applying it to the entire Savage Coast.
Håvard has created maps consistently throughout the fan era, covering a wealth of styles and concepts.
Giampaolo Agosta has done great work on Karameikos, as well as mapping out Myoshima.
Ricardo Matheus was an early web mapper, creating the Mystara’s Map Navigator for the Known World.
Francesco Defferrari developed large swathes of the world, including world maps, both Outer and Hollow.
Thorfinn Tait has dedicated much of his life to creating the Atlas of Mystara, one map at a time.
Mark Howard designed his own crisp style, which he used to map the Known World, the Isle of Dawn and beyond.
Michele Carpita has compiled a large number of exceedingly useful maps.
Simone Neri has made many great maps, including a highly influential map of Norwold.
JTR created a whole series of maps for his Gaz F series.
Andrea Francolini was perhaps one of the first to create a high resolution mega-map of the whole world
John Calvin specialises in historical maps for 2300 BC, as well as the Hollow Moon.
Mike Phillips expanded Darokin beautifully.
Michael Berry mapped Glantri in great detail at 1 mile per hex.
Emanuele Betti also mapped Glantri in great detail at 1 mile per hex.
Matthew Fleet specialised in beautiful maps of Brun at 24 miles per hex.
Bruce Heard detailed the whole island continent of Alphatia in amazing detail at 8 miles per hex.
Robin is our queen of 1 mile per hex maps, now covering large areas of the Known World.
Eric Anondson was one of the first to remix the Known World to his own tastes.
Jose Ignacio Ramos Lomelin is our latest master cartographer, and has mapped out more of the world than anyone else at 8 miles per hex.
Gary Davies remade some classic fan maps in modern style.
Lance Duncan applied modern cartographic techniques to the Known World.
Josh Lawson was one of the first to produce Mystara maps in modern styles.
Fabrizio Nuzzaci continues to produce amazing demographic maps of the Known World.
Leland Schaidle created an astounding series of maps covering the whole world, with detailed maps of the Savage Coast.
Jason Hibdon produced the whole Known World in modern illustrated style.
and many, many more, mostly listed in the Maps section at the Vaults: http://www.pandius.com/maps.html
To read more about the contributions of each of these people (and others, too!), please visit Appendix M: Mappers of Mystara at the Atlas of Mystara.
Here’s to decades more Mystaran mapping goodness!
1This number includes revisions of existing maps, of which there are many. The exact number of unique finished maps is harder to calculate, but I would estimate there are more than 2,000 at the very least. Similarly, the figure of 300 for official maps includes reprises and reprints, of which there were more than a few (mostly Known World maps).