Maps let you build explorable, tile-based regional maps — a grid laid over your map image where each tile can carry a status, label, icons, notes, and a link to a Place. Creating and editing maps and tiles requires the Cartographer role (Game Masters and Game Owners are Cartographers automatically); everyone else can explore the non-secret maps.

Cartographers click "New Map" to start one. Set a Name, optionally a Map Folder, and (GMs) a Secret? toggle. Define the grid with Grid Across and Grid Down, choose a Tile Orientation (square, hex_vertical, or hex_horizontal) and Tile Size, and upload your map image.

Two display toggles are worth knowing: Disable Color Overlay removes the colored status tint, and Disable Tile Codes hides the coordinate labels (A1, B2…) — handy if your image already has its own labels. Disabling the color overlay is also useful while setting up the map to make the tile size and placement adjustments easier.

The Notes field is shown to players via a "View Notes" button, while the separate Game Master Secrets field stays GM-only.

Image Settings

The image settings below can also be set up on the map page by clicking the orange cog button on the right. It is easier when you can see the adjustments in real time.

The Image Width and Image Height override allow you to manually adjust your image size to better line up with your grid or allow for larger or smaller tiles. This is especially helpful if your image already has a grid overlay and you need to adjust the size to fit.

The Image Top Adjust and Image Left Adjust let you move your image underneath in order to help line up your grid.

Tile Settings

Choose your Tile Orientation depending on your needs or gameplay. You can choose from square, horizontal hexes or vertical hexes.

Set the Tile Size to your personal preference, or to help line up with your uploaded image. We recommend a minimum of size 100 for best functionality, and the default is 104.

To edit a map, open it and click the green "Edit Map" button (Cartographers only). The edit form has the same fields as creating one — rename it, move it between folders, adjust the grid, swap the image, change tile orientation and size, and toggle the color overlay or tile codes.

For image and tile tweaks, there's a faster route: the orange cog button on the map view opens a live Map Settings panel where you can nudge the image's width, height, and position, set the tile orientation and size, and preview as you go before clicking "Save Settings" (use Reset Size or Reset Position to undo). Reducing the grid hides tiles that fall outside the new dimensions but doesn't delete them.

Click "Explore Map" to open a map. Tiles show their status, labels, and icons over your image. When map notes exist, a blue message button reveals them. Game Masters get a Map View Toggle that switches between GM and PLYR views — flip it to PLYR to see exactly what your players see, including how secret tiles and the underlying image appear to them.

Cartographers hover an empty tile and click the gray "+" to set it up, or use the "Quick Create" button. A tile can have a Label (up to 20 characters), a Status (explored, discovered, unexplored), a Color, a linked Place, Notes, and up to three icons; GMs can mark a tile Secret. To uncover large areas quickly, right-click a tile for a small menu that sets its status straight to Explored, Discovered, or Unexplored. Note that a tile's status still shows to players even when it's secret — they just can't see anything else on it.

Anyone can click a set-up tile to open its details. The Tile Information tab shows the title, icons, tile code, status, timestamps, any linked Place (with a "Visit" link), and notes. Secret tiles reveal none of this to players.

Cartographers get two extra tabs. Edit Tile embeds the tile form for changes (with a "Quick Save" shortcut), and a red "Clear Tile" button that wipes the tile. Move Tile shifts all of a tile's content to a different position on the map — useful when armies march or borders shift.