Has anyone else noticed that the scale of the "big" FR map in SCAG does not match the more regional map of the Sword Coast found in modules like LMoP and DoIP? For example, on the big map the distance from Neverwinter to the eastern edge of Neverwinter Wood along the river is about 45 miles, but on the regional map it is only about 25 miles. What in Deneir's name are you doing WotC? Are there any other regional maps in other modules?
Which map is correct? I personally think the big map is a much more accurate scale, at least it pretty much matches the much older sources I have. Did they shorten the distances for LMoP and DoIP so the adventurers wouldn't have to spend as much time travelling around?
Mike Schley did the map that's in LMoP and DoIP. Pretty sure he messed up by making the hexes 5 miles instead of 10. Blando did the regional map in RoT, and it doesn't have a scale. SKT uses a version of the SCAG big map.
If you make Schley's maps 10 mile hexes instead of 5 they're all pretty consistent.
Necro of this sorry, but as per GregCa's map, Schley's hexes are more accurate. In fact the errata for Princes of the Apocalypse confirm the hexes there are 4 miles.
The error is in the other maps e.g Storm King's Thunder, the scale should be halved so 100 miles on that map is 50 miles.
Necro of this sorry, but as per GregCa's map, Schley's hexes are more accurate. In fact the errata for Princes of the Apocalypse confirm the hexes there are 4 miles.
The error is in the other maps e.g Storm King's Thunder, the scale should be halved so 100 miles on that map is 50 miles.
Why do you say that those maps are the right ones, and not the others?
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
GregCa's map is pre-5e. The corrected Princes of the Apocalypse map changed hexes from 10 miles to 4 and thereby tallies with that older map (and LMoP). The larger 10 mile per hex scale becomes problematic if you play it at the table, particularly for Princes of the Apocalypse - the scale doesn't fit the adventure, with 100 miles between settlements, and 40 miles between
the access points to the underground temple site
I'd recommend adjusting the scale if you're using the Storm King's Thunder map or others with the 10 miles per hex.
It is well known that there is inconsistency across maps of Faerun since the beginning. I will use the distance between Waterdeep and Neverwinter as my yardstick.
Various TSR 1e and 2e map sources have it at between 360 and 400 miles one official scale-defining map compares Western Faerun to the USA and gives the distance between Waterdeep and Neverwinter to be about 400 miles.
Scales were done very divergently in the 3e/3.5e/4e era and are typically around 250 miles in 3e/3.5e and 200 miles in 4e. 5e seems to be settling back to the canon scales, but there is unfortunate inconsistency.
https://dndcombat.com/faerun has an online measuring tool that is handy. It uses the official 3e/3.5e map and has it at about 245 miles. This is not consistent with earlier sources originating with Ed Greenwood and which are generally considered "canon".
https://www.aidedd.org/atlas also has an online measuring tool. It uses but cuts off the scale bar and has it at about 335 miles. I use this one for all things because I have found it to be consistent with the 1e and 2e sources (canonical as they are from or authorized by Ed Greenwood...or perhaps Elminster!) as well as the best 5e source (the official 2015 WOC map from Mike Schley).
The SKAG and SKT maps are excerpts of the 5e official 2015 WOC map from Mike Schley. On the SKAG map on pg. 7 the scale bar is not shown. Going to the version of the map with the scale bar showing confirms that it is about 330 miles. The full version has the correct scale, when compared to most canonical sources. The scale bar on the SKT pg 74 version of the official 5e map makes it more like 340 miles, but this is still pretty close.
LMoP and DoIP use the Sword Coast map from Mike Schley. They are each stated to have a scale of 1 hex = 5 miles. This appears to be incorrect as it would put the distance from Neverwinter to Leilon (Waterdeep is off the map) at around 12 hexes or around 60 miles and the official 5e Map of Faerun puts it at closer to 125 miles. I believe, as others have noted, given the size of the hexes, that the scale for these maps should have been 1 hex = 10 miles.
What about other modules, you say?
Other modules (e.g., SLW) use the same map as LMoP and DoIP, with the same incorrect scale of 1 hex = 5 miles.
In OotA, and excerpt of the official 5e map is used but the scale bar is not shown. The scale in hexes is given as 1 hex = 24 miles. This puts Neverwinter to Waterdeep at 16 hexes or about 384 miles. This is in range of the canon values but is not consistent with the scale-bar on the original map. A more accurate scale would be 1 hex = 20 miles.
In PotA, the map of the Dessarin Hills region gives the scale at 1 hex = 10 hiles. This puts Triboar to Westbridge at about 8 hexes or 80 miles. The 5e official map puts it at about 60 miles, as does https://www.aidedd.org/atlas. So, given the size of the hexes, the scale for this map should have been about 1 hex = 8 miles.
The map in ToD has no scale bar or scale mentioned. The module mentions the SKAG as an optional reference so presumably its map is a cosmetically altered copy of the SKAG map which I mentioned above is consistent with the official 5e map and canon maps from 1e/2e.
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Has anyone else noticed that the scale of the "big" FR map in SCAG does not match the more regional map of the Sword Coast found in modules like LMoP and DoIP? For example, on the big map the distance from Neverwinter to the eastern edge of Neverwinter Wood along the river is about 45 miles, but on the regional map it is only about 25 miles. What in Deneir's name are you doing WotC? Are there any other regional maps in other modules?
Which map is correct? I personally think the big map is a much more accurate scale, at least it pretty much matches the much older sources I have. Did they shorten the distances for LMoP and DoIP so the adventurers wouldn't have to spend as much time travelling around?
What are your thoughts?
Mike Schley did the map that's in LMoP and DoIP. Pretty sure he messed up by making the hexes 5 miles instead of 10. Blando did the regional map in RoT, and it doesn't have a scale. SKT uses a version of the SCAG big map.
If you make Schley's maps 10 mile hexes instead of 5 they're all pretty consistent.
Necro of this sorry, but as per GregCa's map, Schley's hexes are more accurate. In fact the errata for Princes of the Apocalypse confirm the hexes there are 4 miles.
The error is in the other maps e.g Storm King's Thunder, the scale should be halved so 100 miles on that map is 50 miles.
Why do you say that those maps are the right ones, and not the others?
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
GregCa's map is pre-5e. The corrected Princes of the Apocalypse map changed hexes from 10 miles to 4 and thereby tallies with that older map (and LMoP). The larger 10 mile per hex scale becomes problematic if you play it at the table, particularly for Princes of the Apocalypse - the scale doesn't fit the adventure, with 100 miles between settlements, and 40 miles between
the access points to the underground temple site
I'd recommend adjusting the scale if you're using the Storm King's Thunder map or others with the 10 miles per hex.
It is well known that there is inconsistency across maps of Faerun since the beginning. I will use the distance between Waterdeep and Neverwinter as my yardstick.
Various TSR 1e and 2e map sources have it at between 360 and 400 miles one official scale-defining map compares Western Faerun to the USA and gives the distance between Waterdeep and Neverwinter to be about 400 miles.
Scales were done very divergently in the 3e/3.5e/4e era and are typically around 250 miles in 3e/3.5e and 200 miles in 4e. 5e seems to be settling back to the canon scales, but there is unfortunate inconsistency.
https://dndcombat.com/faerun has an online measuring tool that is handy. It uses the official 3e/3.5e map and has it at about 245 miles. This is not consistent with earlier sources originating with Ed Greenwood and which are generally considered "canon".
https://www.aidedd.org/atlas also has an online measuring tool. It uses but cuts off the scale bar and has it at about 335 miles. I use this one for all things because I have found it to be consistent with the 1e and 2e sources (canonical as they are from or authorized by Ed Greenwood...or perhaps Elminster!) as well as the best 5e source (the official 2015 WOC map from Mike Schley).
The SKAG and SKT maps are excerpts of the 5e official 2015 WOC map from Mike Schley. On the SKAG map on pg. 7 the scale bar is not shown. Going to the version of the map with the scale bar showing confirms that it is about 330 miles. The full version has the correct scale, when compared to most canonical sources. The scale bar on the SKT pg 74 version of the official 5e map makes it more like 340 miles, but this is still pretty close.
LMoP and DoIP use the Sword Coast map from Mike Schley. They are each stated to have a scale of 1 hex = 5 miles. This appears to be incorrect as it would put the distance from Neverwinter to Leilon (Waterdeep is off the map) at around 12 hexes or around 60 miles and the official 5e Map of Faerun puts it at closer to 125 miles. I believe, as others have noted, given the size of the hexes, that the scale for these maps should have been 1 hex = 10 miles.
What about other modules, you say?
Other modules (e.g., SLW) use the same map as LMoP and DoIP, with the same incorrect scale of 1 hex = 5 miles.
In OotA, and excerpt of the official 5e map is used but the scale bar is not shown. The scale in hexes is given as 1 hex = 24 miles. This puts Neverwinter to Waterdeep at 16 hexes or about 384 miles. This is in range of the canon values but is not consistent with the scale-bar on the original map. A more accurate scale would be 1 hex = 20 miles.
In PotA, the map of the Dessarin Hills region gives the scale at 1 hex = 10 hiles. This puts Triboar to Westbridge at about 8 hexes or 80 miles. The 5e official map puts it at about 60 miles, as does https://www.aidedd.org/atlas. So, given the size of the hexes, the scale for this map should have been about 1 hex = 8 miles.
The map in ToD has no scale bar or scale mentioned. The module mentions the SKAG as an optional reference so presumably its map is a cosmetically altered copy of the SKAG map which I mentioned above is consistent with the official 5e map and canon maps from 1e/2e.