Rulers requires a map to be played on. This map can be in any format, but should be accessible to all players. It should also be possible to create duplicates or have alternative views of the map, so that each player can have their own version showing them only the information they have.

The map does not need to have a grid or be a hex map. Instead the map for Rulers is made up of Regions. Each Region takes 1 Turn ⌛to travel across regardless of its shape, size or terrain.

Designing your map

Here are a few techniques for creating your map. You can use one or several in combination to create random coastlines and mountains to start shaping your world.

• Take a bowl full of dice - as many different shapes of dice as you can get your hands on - and pour all of them out onto a large piece of paper or into a tray. Note the position of all of the dice and what value is facing up. Use this to create a topographical map of the height of the mountains on your map, where higher numbers mean higher peaks and a roll of 1 is sea-level.
• Take a metal or plastic tray and spill a cup of water in it. Take a picture and trace the shapes to create your landmasses. If the water does not spill in a way you like, you can try cooking oil instead, or you can try freezing the water if the tray will fit in your freezer.
• Tear up orange peel and throw it onto a tray or piece of paper, and use the outlines to create your landmasses.
• Take a baking sheet and fill it with just enough water to touch all of the sides with no gaps. Put it in the freezer, and when frozen, gently strike it with a mallet to create cracks (while wearing safety glasses please). Take a picture and trace the shapes of cracks to draw the rivers on your maps.

If combining several of these techniques, try to use the same sized tray or piece of paper, so that each layer is set to the same scale.

Setting your Regions

To determine the number of 🏔️ Regions your map should have follow this guide:

• Every player has 1 Region controlled by their Ruler.
• Have n+1 Regions governed by GM controlled Rulers, where “n” is the number of player controlled Rulers.
• For every 3 Regions that have a Ruler, have 1 wild Region that is neutral territory controlled by no one.

For example, in a game with 4 player Rulers, there would be 4 Regions controlled by players, 5 Regions controlled by GM Rulers, and 3 wild Regions controlled by no-one.

If you want to play a game where the player Rulers feel more powerful, you can give them 2 Regions each, or lower the number of GM controlled Rulers.

For a game where the player Rulers are less powerful, give a couple of GM controlled Rulers 2-3 Regions, with other GM controlled Rulers being under the command of the larger ones.

If you want a game with more exploration, have more wild Regions than Ruler controlled ones.

Remember, the more Regions there are on your map, the longer it will take for Messengers and Armies to travel to their destination. However, if there are too few Regions, then the distance between allies and enemies becomes too trivial.