Prompt Library

30 ChatGPT Fantasy Map Prompts for Worldbuilders & Game Masters

30 copy-paste prompts

Describe the world, kingdom, city, or dungeon you're imagining, then paste any prompt into ChatGPT (GPT-4o) to get a labeled hand-drawn map. Just swap in [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION] and choose your style: sprawling continents, medieval kingdoms, city street maps, D&D battle grids, remote islands, or aged treasure parchments.

In short: This page contains 30 copy-paste ready prompts, organized into 6 categories with a description and pro tip for each. The first 15 prompts are free instantly — no signup needed. Hand-curated and tested by the AI Academy team.

By Louis Corneloup · Founder, Techpresso

Last updated May 15, 2026·Hand-curated & tested by the AI Academy team

Continents & Worlds

5 prompts

Sprawling Continent Overview

1/30

Draw a hand-illustrated fantasy world map of [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION] as a full continent seen from above. Ink coastlines with hatched shading, layered mountain ranges drawn as ridgelines, forests as clustered tree symbols, rivers branching to a coast, and a great inland sea. Add elegant hand-lettered labels for regions, seas, and peaks, a decorative compass rose, and a distance scale bar. Aged parchment texture, muted sepia and green tones, cartographer's aesthetic, 3:2 landscape.

Produces a complete continent-scale world map with regions, mountains, forests, and seas fully labeled.

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Pro tip: List 4-5 specific region names in your description so the hand-lettered labels come out clean and readable.

Two-Continent Hemisphere

2/30

Illustrate a fantasy hemisphere map showing two continents divided by a vast ocean, based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw the landmasses with detailed inked coastlines, contrasting biomes (frozen north, tropical south), a scatter of small island chains, and dotted sailing routes connecting the ports. Include a title cartouche, a sea-monster illustration in the open water, and hand-lettered ocean and continent names. Vintage explorer's chart style, warm parchment tones, 16:9 landscape.

Creates a two-continent world chart split by ocean, with trade routes and a classic sea monster.

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Pro tip: Add 'trade routes marked as dotted red lines' to make the sailing paths pop against the parchment.

Climate & Biome World Map

3/30

Create a fantasy world map organized by climate zones for [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw distinct hand-shaded biomes: burning desert with dune hatching, dense rainforest, snowy tundra, rolling grassland, and volcanic badlands, each with a small legend symbol. Include a color-coded legend box, latitude lines, a compass rose, and hand-lettered biome names. Soft watercolor washes over ink linework, atlas-style presentation, 3:2 landscape.

Renders a biome-based world map with color-coded climate zones and a matching legend.

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Pro tip: Name the dominant biome first ('mostly volcanic wasteland') so the map leans into that atmosphere.

Ancient Lost-World Map

4/30

Draw a weathered ancient world map of [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION], as if recovered from a ruined library. Faded ink coastlines, half-erased region labels, a cracked border of ivy motifs, and mysterious blank 'unexplored' zones marked 'here be dragons'. Add a worn compass rose, torn burnt edges, and coffee-stain water damage across the parchment. Muted brown and ochre tones, mysterious antique-manuscript aesthetic, 3:2 landscape.

Generates a distressed, half-forgotten world map complete with unexplored regions and burnt edges.

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Pro tip: Ask for 'one glowing rune-marked location' to hint at a central mystery for your story.

Floating Sky-Islands World

5/30

Illustrate a fantasy world map of floating islands suspended in an endless sky, based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw drifting landmasses with waterfalls spilling off their edges into clouds, rope-bridge and airship routes linking them, and swirling wind currents drawn as elegant line flourishes. Add hand-lettered island names, a cloud-motif border, and a compass rose styled like a sun. Airy pastel-and-ink cartography, dreamlike aerial atlas, 3:2 landscape.

Depicts a sky-world of floating islands connected by airship routes and rope bridges.

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Pro tip: Describe how the islands connect ('linked by a central spire') to give the floating world structure.

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Kingdoms & Regions

5 prompts

Medieval Kingdom Territory

6/30

Draw a hand-inked map of a medieval fantasy kingdom based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Show the royal capital marked with a castle icon, walled towns, farmland hatching, a winding river, a dark border forest, and a mountain pass at the frontier. Add dashed political borders, hand-lettered town and river names, tiny banner flags on key holdings, and a compass rose. Parchment texture, sepia ink with soft green fields, regional atlas style, 3:2 landscape.

Maps a single medieval kingdom with its capital, towns, farmland, and political borders.

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Pro tip: Name the capital and 3 towns in your description so each labeled settlement matches your lore.

Warring Border Provinces

7/30

Illustrate a fantasy regional map of contested border provinces from [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw three rival territories in distinct shaded colors, a fortified frontier with watchtower icons, battle-site markers with crossed-sword symbols, supply roads, and a disputed river valley. Include a legend of faction sigils, dashed shifting borders, and hand-lettered province names. Weathered war-room map aesthetic, ink over tinted parchment, 3:2 landscape.

Creates a tense border-region map showing rival territories, forts, and marked battle sites.

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Pro tip: Give each faction a color and a symbol ('the Crows in black') so the legend reads at a glance.

Enchanted Forest Realm

8/30

Draw a hand-illustrated map of an enchanted forest realm based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Dense canopy rendered as layered tree symbols, glowing mushroom groves, a silver river, hidden fae glades marked with tiny star icons, ancient standing stones, and a spider-haunted deep wood drawn darker. Add winding trails, hand-lettered whimsical place names, and a leaf-and-vine decorative border. Soft green watercolor over fine ink, storybook cartography, 4:5 portrait.

Renders a mystical forest realm with glades, groves, standing stones, and winding trails.

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Pro tip: Add 'a central heart-tree clearing' to give the woodland map an obvious focal landmark.

Frozen Northern Reaches

9/30

Create a fantasy map of a frozen northern region from [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw glacier fields with cross-hatched ice, a frozen fjord coastline, scattered stone longhouses, a great ice wall, aurora ribbons over the far north, and a treacherous mountain pass. Include hand-lettered harsh-sounding place names, dashed sled routes, a snowflake-motif compass, and a legend. Cool blue-grey washes over ink, weathered explorer's chart, 3:2 landscape.

Maps a harsh frozen frontier of glaciers, fjords, and stone strongholds under the aurora.

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Pro tip: Specify 'a single warm hot-spring settlement' to add a rare point of refuge on the icy map.

Desert Sultanate Region

10/30

Illustrate a hand-drawn map of a desert sultanate based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw rolling dune hatching, scattered oasis towns with palm icons, a great river delta, caravan routes as dotted lines with camel markers, buried ruins, and a domed capital city. Add ornate hand-lettered Arabesque-style labels, a decorative geometric border, and a sun compass. Warm gold and terracotta tones over aged parchment, ornamental atlas aesthetic, 3:2 landscape.

Depicts a desert kingdom of oases, caravan routes, and a domed capital across golden dunes.

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Pro tip: Name the caravan-route endpoints so the dotted trade paths connect the towns you care about.

City & Town Maps

5 prompts

Walled Medieval City

11/30

Draw a detailed top-down map of a walled medieval fantasy city based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Show winding cobbled streets, distinct districts (market, temple, docks, slums), a central castle, a river running through with bridges, and a stone curtain wall with gate towers. Add hand-lettered street and district labels, a numbered legend of landmarks, and a compass rose. Ink linework on aged parchment, tabletop city-map aesthetic, 4:5 portrait.

Produces a labeled top-down city map with districts, streets, walls, and key landmarks.

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Pro tip: List the districts you want in order so the numbered legend matches your intended layout.

Bustling Harbor Port Town

12/30

Illustrate a top-down map of a fantasy harbor port town from [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw curving stone piers with docked ships, a fish market, a lighthouse on the point, warehouse rows, a tavern quarter, and cliffside houses climbing the hill. Add a rippling water texture, hand-lettered street names, tiny ship icons, and a numbered landmark key. Warm ink-and-wash cartography, salt-worn parchment feel, 3:2 landscape.

Maps a lively coastal port with piers, ships, a lighthouse, and a tangled tavern quarter.

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Pro tip: Name your key tavern or inn so it gets its own labeled marker for adventure hooks.

Isometric Fantasy Village

13/30

Create an isometric bird's-eye illustration of a small fantasy village based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw thatched-roof cottages, a stone well in the square, a windmill, a blacksmith with smoke, farm plots, a chapel, and a dirt road winding out to fields. Add tiny hand-lettered building labels, a decorative title banner, and gentle drop shadows. Cozy storybook illustration, soft watercolor over ink, warm inviting palette, 3:2 landscape.

Renders a charming isometric village view with labeled cottages, a windmill, and a chapel.

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Pro tip: Mention the season ('autumn with orange leaves') to set the whole village's color mood.

Underground Dwarven City

14/30

Draw a cross-section map of a vast underground dwarven city based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Show carved stone halls on multiple tiered levels, a glowing lava forge, mine-shaft tunnels, an underground lake, a grand pillared throne hall, and mushroom farms. Add hand-lettered chamber names, level markers, connecting stair symbols, and a legend. Rich stone-grey and ember-orange tones over dark parchment, engineered-cavern aesthetic, 4:5 portrait.

Depicts a multi-level dwarven hold in cross-section with forges, mines, and a throne hall.

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Pro tip: Say how many levels you want ('five descending tiers') so the vertical layout stays organized.

Sprawling Capital Metropolis

15/30

Illustrate a large top-down map of a sprawling fantasy capital from [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw concentric ring districts around a grand palace, wide avenues and cramped alleys, multiple bridges over a wide river, a great cathedral, an arena, gated wealthy quarters, and outer slums beyond the wall. Add hand-lettered district and gate names, a detailed numbered legend, and an ornate compass. Detailed ink cartography on parchment, city-atlas aesthetic, 1:1 square.

Maps a grand ringed capital city with palace, cathedral, arena, and layered districts.

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Pro tip: Describe the ruling faction so the palace and wealthy quarters reflect that culture's style.

Dungeon & Battle Maps

5 prompts

Grid Dungeon Crawl

16/30

Draw a top-down tabletop dungeon map on a visible square grid based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Show interconnected stone chambers and corridors, a trapped hall marked with hazard icons, a locked treasure vault, a collapsed passage, a pit trap, and a boss chamber. Add hand-lettered room numbers, a door and stair legend, and torch markers. Clean ink linework on aged parchment, classic RPG battle-map aesthetic, 1:1 square.

Produces a grid-based dungeon map with numbered rooms, traps, and a boss chamber for tabletop play.

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Pro tip: Ask for '1-inch grid squares' so the map is ready to print and use with miniatures.

Ruined Temple Complex

17/30

Illustrate a top-down battle map of a ruined jungle temple from [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw crumbling stone corridors overgrown with vines, a central altar chamber, flooded passages, collapsed pillars, hidden pressure-plate traps, and a sacred inner sanctum. Add a faint square grid, hand-lettered room labels, moss and rubble texturing, and a hazard legend. Weathered ink-and-wash cartography, evocative tabletop aesthetic, 1:1 square.

Maps an overgrown temple ruin with altar, flooded halls, and trap-laden corridors.

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Pro tip: Note where the party enters ('start at the south stairs') so the crawl has a clear beginning.

Open-Field Battle Encounter

18/30

Create a top-down tactical battle map of an open-field encounter based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw rolling terrain with a river ford, scattered boulders for cover, a ruined stone bridge, a small hill for high ground, tree clusters, and muddy trenches. Overlay a faint hex or square grid, add hand-lettered terrain labels, elevation lines, and a legend of cover types. Natural watercolor-over-ink style, tabletop skirmish aesthetic, 16:9 landscape.

Renders an outdoor tactical battlefield with cover, elevation, and terrain features on a grid.

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Pro tip: Ask for 'hex grid' or 'square grid' to match whichever tabletop ruleset you're running.

Sinister Wizard's Tower

19/30

Draw a vertical multi-floor map of a sinister wizard's tower from [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Show each level stacked as labeled floor plans: a trapped entry, an alchemy lab, a summoning circle room, a cluttered library, a caged-beast menagerie, and a rooftop observatory. Add spiral-stair connectors, hand-lettered floor names, arcane rune details, and a room legend. Ink on parchment with faint purple magical accents, arcane tabletop aesthetic, 4:5 portrait.

Depicts a wizard's tower as stacked floor plans from trapped entry to rooftop observatory.

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Pro tip: Number the floors bottom to top so players and the DM read the ascent in the right order.

Cavern & Underdark Network

20/30

Illustrate a top-down map of a sprawling natural cavern network based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw organic winding tunnels, an underground river and waterfall, a glowing crystal grotto, a bottomless chasm crossed by a rope bridge, stalactite chambers, and a hidden creature lair. Add a faint grid, hand-lettered cave labels, elevation notes, and a legend. Earthy brown-and-teal ink washes on dark parchment, subterranean tabletop aesthetic, 1:1 square.

Maps a branching cave system with a river, crystal grotto, chasm, and a monster lair.

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Pro tip: Add 'a phosphorescent fungus glow' to justify light sources in the darkest cavern rooms.

Islands & Archipelagos

5 prompts

Lone Tropical Island

21/30

Draw a hand-illustrated map of a lone tropical fantasy island based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Show a palm-lined coastline with sandy beaches and rocky coves, a jungle interior with a hidden waterfall, a volcanic peak, a shipwreck on the reef, and a native village. Add hand-lettered place names, dashed exploration trails, a compass rose, and a scale bar. Warm ink-and-watercolor cartography on aged parchment, castaway-chart aesthetic, 4:5 portrait.

Maps a single tropical island with beaches, jungle, a volcano, and a wrecked ship on the reef.

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Pro tip: Name one mysterious interior landmark ('the Whispering Cave') to seed an exploration hook.

Pirate Archipelago

22/30

Illustrate a fantasy map of a pirate archipelago from [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw a scatter of rugged islands with hidden coves, a fortified pirate haven port, reef hazards marked with skull icons, dotted sailing routes between isles, and a lurking sea serpent in open water. Add hand-lettered island names, a skull-and-crossbones compass, and a torn-edge border. Weathered brown-and-teal ink on salt-stained parchment, buccaneer chart aesthetic, 3:2 landscape.

Creates a scattered pirate archipelago with hidden coves, reef hazards, and a fortified haven.

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Pro tip: Mark 'one island with a buried-treasure X' to link this chart to a treasure-hunt adventure.

Volcanic Ring Island

23/30

Create a map of a dramatic volcanic ring island based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw a caldera crater lake at the center, lava flows drawn as glowing veins reaching the sea, black-sand beaches, steaming fumarole vents, a cliff-top monastery, and a treacherous ascent trail. Add hand-lettered danger-zone labels, a compass rose, elevation rings, and a hazard legend. Dark ink with ember-orange and ash-grey washes, ominous cartography, 4:5 portrait.

Renders a menacing volcanic island with a caldera lake, lava veins, and a cliff-top monastery.

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Pro tip: Add 'active eruption plume from the summit' to make the volcano feel dangerously alive.

Coral Atoll & Lagoon

24/30

Draw a top-down map of a serene coral atoll ring enclosing a turquoise lagoon, based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Show the encircling reef with breaking-wave hatching, a scatter of tiny palm islets, a deep central channel, an underwater ruin visible beneath the shallows, and stilt-house fishing villages. Add hand-lettered lagoon names, depth-sounding numbers, a compass, and a scale bar. Soft aqua-and-cream watercolor over fine ink, tranquil nautical chart, 1:1 square.

Depicts a peaceful coral atoll ringing a lagoon, with islets, reefs, and a sunken ruin.

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Pro tip: Include 'depth soundings in the lagoon' to give the chart an authentic nautical touch.

Storm-Wracked Isle Chain

25/30

Illustrate a fantasy map of a storm-wracked chain of northern isles from [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw jagged sea-stack rocks, crashing waves against cliffs, a permanent storm swirl drawn as spiral wind lines, a ruined watchtower beacon, treacherous whirlpools, and a single sheltered harbor. Add hand-lettered ominous place names, dashed dangerous routes, a wind-rose compass, and a hazard legend. Cold grey-blue ink washes on weathered parchment, foreboding sea chart, 3:2 landscape.

Maps a bleak chain of storm-battered isles with sea stacks, whirlpools, and one safe harbor.

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Pro tip: Name the single safe harbor prominently so players know where refuge lies on a hostile map.

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Treasure Maps & Parchments

5 prompts

Classic Buried Treasure Map

26/30

Draw a classic hand-drawn buried treasure map based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Show a curving coastline, a dotted path winding past landmarks (a twin-peaked hill, a lone palm, a skull-shaped rock), and a bold red X marking the treasure. Add torn burnt edges, coffee-stain aging, a cracked compass rose, hand-lettered clues in the margins, and a scale bar. Weathered sepia parchment, pirate-chart aesthetic, 4:5 portrait.

Produces a weathered pirate treasure map with a dotted path, landmarks, and a red X.

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Pro tip: Write 2-3 riddle clues in your description so they appear hand-lettered in the map's margins.

Riddle-Locked Quest Map

27/30

Illustrate an aged quest map with hidden riddle clues based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw a hand-inked region with numbered waypoints, cryptic symbols beside each stop, a folded-and-creased paper texture, wax-seal remnants, and a decorative illuminated first letter in a corner cartouche. Add hand-lettered rhyming clues along the border and a small key. Antique manuscript aesthetic, faded brown ink on cream parchment, mysterious 4:5 portrait.

Creates a puzzle-quest parchment with numbered waypoints and cryptic riddle clues in the margins.

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Pro tip: Give each waypoint a one-line riddle so the numbered stops read as a solvable trail.

Torn Map Fragment

28/30

Draw a single torn fragment of a larger fantasy map based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Show ragged burnt-and-ripped edges on all sides, a partial coastline and half a mountain range, one complete labeled landmark at the center, and faded ink that trails off into the missing pieces. Add a scorched corner, water stains, and a fragment of a hand-lettered legend. Distressed antique parchment, incomplete-clue aesthetic, 1:1 square.

Renders one ripped, burnt map fragment with a single clear landmark and trailing ink.

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Pro tip: Say which landmark should be intact ('the ruined lighthouse') so the readable clue is the one you need.

Illuminated Manuscript Map

29/30

Create an ornate illuminated-manuscript-style map based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION]. Draw the land encircled by a lavish gold-leaf border of vines, mythical beasts, and heraldic crests, with a decorative title banner, an illustrated sun and moon in the corners, and delicate hand-lettered calligraphy labels. Include a jeweled compass rose and a sea-monster vignette. Rich medieval codex aesthetic, deep reds, blues, and gilt over vellum, 4:5 portrait.

Depicts a luxurious illuminated map framed by gold-leaf borders, beasts, and calligraphy.

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Pro tip: Request 'gold-leaf highlights on the title banner' to push the rich illuminated-manuscript look.

Weathered Explorer's Field Map

30/30

Draw a weathered explorer's field map based on [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION], as if sketched on an expedition. Show rough hand-inked coastlines, hasty margin notes and arrows, pressed-leaf specimens, a small inset detail sketch of a ruin, coffee rings, folded crease lines, and pinned corners. Add hand-lettered scrawled labels, a rough compass, and a scale estimate. Authentic journal-page aesthetic, ink and pencil on stained parchment, 3:2 landscape.

Renders a lived-in explorer's field journal map with scrawled notes, sketches, and stains.

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Pro tip: Add 'a dated journal entry in one corner' to make the field map feel like a real expedition record.

Frequently Asked Questions

Open ChatGPT with GPT-4o (or a current image-capable model), pick a prompt, and replace [WORLD/PLACE DESCRIPTION] with a short description of the world, kingdom, city, or dungeon you want, including any place names you care about. Paste it and ChatGPT draws a labeled map in seconds. For cleaner text, keep your list of names short (4-6) and specific.

AI image models still struggle with dense small lettering, so long or crowded labels can render as gibberish. Reduce the number of names you ask for, keep them short, and put the most important labels first. If a few labels look off, regenerate or ask ChatGPT to 'redo with only the 5 main labels, larger and clearer'.

Image generation is available on paid ChatGPT plans and, in limited amounts, on the free tier depending on current usage caps. If generation is unavailable, you may have hit a daily limit, so wait for it to reset or upgrade to Plus for higher limits and faster maps.

Images you create in ChatGPT are generally yours to use under OpenAI's terms, including in tabletop campaigns, self-published novels, and commercial projects, but always review the current usage policy. Avoid copying trademarked settings or copyrighted map styles from existing franchises, and describe your own original world instead.

For dungeon and battle maps, add a grid request such as '1-inch square grid' or 'hex grid' and a square 1:1 aspect ratio so the result prints cleanly for miniatures. Ask for numbered rooms and a legend so you can reference locations during play, then export at the highest resolution ChatGPT offers.

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